By Michael Bray
Most athletes play sports for the sole purpose of showcasing their ability. But what if that could be used in other ways? What if it could be used as a means of humbleness? Oktaha’s Shianne Dill is a perfect example of that.
“I think the thing that makes me myself is my relationship with Jesus. Everything I do on and off the court is to honor Him,” she said. “My drive for playing basketball is to make my teammates feel like they’re doing good, even if I don’t get any credit.”
Lady Tiger basketball coach Kia Holmes calls her one of the toughest kids she has coached.
“She [Shianne] lays her body on the line for her team whether it’s in basketball or softball,” Holmes said.
In softball, Dill plays centerfield and batted in the 2-hole for Oktaha’s state championship fastpitch softball team. In basketball, she leads the Lady Tigers in points with 11 per game and in rebounds with eight per game while guarding girls bigger than her, according to her coach.
“She never backs down and she is a great leader, teammate and I’ve never had to question her heart,” said Holmes. “Unfortunately for me, she is a senior so I wish these last few months would slow down. But I know that she will excel in her next chapter of life.”
Dill, who also participates in FCA and powerlifting, described two moments that she has favored thus far.
“Making the buzzer beater to go into overtime against Spiro and then beating them in basketball and then last fall in softball winning a state championship.”
Fellow teammate, BrenLee Morgan is one of her role models.
“She plays hard every minute of every single game and has a lot on her shoulders as the coach’s kid, but she carries it so well,” Dill credited her Lady Tiger sister.
“My biggest role model is my aunt, Amber Austin. She is quite literally the strongest person I know,” Dill said. “She has been through so much in her life including raising a son with cerebral palsy. But, you would never guess it by the way that she treats people. She makes everyone feel seen and heard. I aspire to be like her so incredibly much.”
Aspirations…is definitely a good word to describe how she would like people to view her.
“I would like to be known for being a vessel for Christ. Everything I do is solely to glorify God. He gives me breath in my lungs, so I give Him glory.“
But when it comes all down to it, just what is her biggest inspiration for life? You can call it meekness.
“There are people all around the world that don’t get the privileges that I do. There are kids sick and in the hospital who would love to do what I do and play the game that I play for just 5 minutes of their life,” she said. “My best friend had a sister who passed away. Her name was Callie and I play for her every game. I play the game because she couldn’t.”
Humbleness. Compassion. Love. All point to her biggest dream since the second grade.
“The goal that I have for my team is to make it to the state tournament and also to lead all of them to the Cross,” she said. “Some things that I can do to help are giving 100% effort in every game and practice, even when I feel like I can’t anymore. I also can lift my teammates up instead of putting them down.”
Wherever her future leads her she has one thought that sticks in her mind.
“This sport does not define me. It’s not who I am, just what I do.”
