Growing up and pushing for the spotlight, junior Teia Woodson worked hard to become the player she is today. Coming all the way from Houston, Texas, and majoring in elementary education, she now plays for Langston University’s Volleyball team.
“Volleyball growing up for me was very difficult. I did grow up in a PWI, so I was very little chosen,” said Woodson. “I was basically, like, one of the five black girls out there, so I was trying to basically show my skills and show them I could still do something outside of these girls or do something better than these girls that were on the court with me.”
Being at Langston allowed her to be herself, creating a positive impact not only on her own confidence but also on her teammates. Her positive energy throughout the game helps lift her fellow lions’ spirits.
“I’ll describe my role as just like an energy feeder. I want these girls to get as much energy as possible, even when we’re down a point. I want them to get excited for like the little things,” said Woodson. “Even when you’re making a mistake, you always still want to just get over it and get to the next ball.”
Not only does she support her team, but she also has her own way of keeping herself focused and motivated for a game. From her hype song, K-Pop Demon Hunter, to making a call to her loved one.
“I always have to have a call to my mom. I have to call her before a game and make sure that I keep my headphones on and just stay focused on what I want to do, like, how I want to visualize playing and how I want to visualize getting the points and the kills,” said Woodson.
Inspiration as an athlete can be impactful as well, and seeing is believing.
“For me, my family was huge on the athletes, but my dad, he always told me, when I block, he wants me to be like Mtembo, the basketball player for the NBA that always says, ‘no, no, no,’ ” said Woodson.
Every game requires a strategy and a goal, supported by skills and practice.
“Mentally preparing is like, what’s the main focus? We do film before a game, we get the key points of what we need to do and what our spots are to get,” said Woodson. “Basically just like seeing what’s open, but you’re not seeing what’s open with your eyes, just seeing what’s open with your mind also.”
No matter the challenges or obstacles that Woodson faces, three words she stands on are “reset, keep going, and just energy.”
“The biggest challenge I had to face is trying to overcome the impossible, because Langston was my only choice of playing volleyball,” said Woodson. “So it was basically just overcoming any challenges that really just came into my mind or came into me physically.”
As her journey continues, Woodson is focused on achieving both her athletic and professional goals.
“I want to at least break the blocking record or break the hitting record at Langston, and my long-term goal is after I graduate, I want to go into teaching and coaching and basically kind of like owning my own club team, too,” said Woodson.
Bea Amukaya
Bea Amukaya is a Sophomore Broadcast Journalism major from Edmond, Oklahoma. She writes for The Gazette because she feels that it is important to educate people about their community and get the story out. She thinks the work they are doing matters because it gives people a voice. A fun fact about Bea is that she is a nail technician and has been one for 2 years now. She can be reached by email, beatrice.amukaya@langston.edu.
