by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Janae Kalama was born in Olympia, WA to Kealoha Kalama (Puyallup) and Azeem Gannie (Nisqually). She grew up on the Nisqually reservation until moving a few miles away from there to Olympia.
“I am an enrolled member of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians,” said Janae. “I also have Nisqually, Cowlitz and Hawaiian descendancy in my bloodline.”
“Basketball has been my sport of choice for as long as I can remember,” said Janae. “I am a senior at North Thurston High School. I’ve lettered all four years and earned a starting spot as point guard during freshman year. Over the years I’ve earned honorable mention, Second Team All-league and team awards. This year I earned a four-year varsity award, scholar athlete award, coach’s award and South Sound Conference defensive player of the year.”
“I grew up in a family of woman who all played leadership roles for their people,” said Janae. “Being respectful, family oriented, and in tune with culture while protecting tribal sovereignty has always been a part of our family values. My Grandmother and Great Grandmother were always involved in their tribe and community whether it was serving on tribal council or on various committees. They were also sports fans that showed tremendous support for me while playing basketball. Seeing how passionate they are for the betterment of their tribe, hearing stories about my Great Grandmother and how she made her voice heard for her people has always been inspiring, as well as many other tribal leaders throughout Indian Country.”
“Growing up surrounded by hard working, passionate family members, has laid a foundation for me to apply hard work into my academic and athletic career. They did so much for me to be here so the least I can do is work hard and make them proud. The leadership role is something that I knew I had to step into this year since our team graduated five upperclassmen. I earned the team captain role. Although it was a change for me on the court, I felt that I was able to grasp the role the best that I could. I’ve always tried to make plays happen for my teammates and this year I knew I had to step up more and give all that I could to help my team,” added Janae.
“Janae is the most selfless basketball player I have ever met,” said Jackie Meyer, head varsity girls’ basketball coach at North Thurston HS. “She shows leadership by always looking for ways to make her teammates look good on the court. She is always looking to pass to her teammates even when she should be taking it to the basket herself. Janae does a great job of recognizing when she needs to rally her teammates either by taking it upon herself to drive to the basket, shoot or even encouraging her teammates to shoot.”
“She knows the game well and is a natural on the court. She has the ability to read the court and play tough all the time. Her teammates naturally rally around her. She doesn’t get rattled by pressure and I love when she comes out of nowhere to steal a ball or block a shot. She may look small but she plays like she is six-feet tall. She has the grit you are looking for in a player and gets really physical on the court. She leads by example. Her teammates love her intensity and they look to her to bring that to the court and practice,” added Jackie.
“She is a natural and one of a kind,” said Jackie. “She is going to do amazing things in her new adventure at the next level.”
“I grew up around my cousins and uncle Rodney McDonald,” said Janae. “My uncle would always have my cousins outside working out and doing layups, free throws, etc. I began doing workouts, practicing and training with them as a little girl.”
“Although I only played for Coach Tom Grover, Quinault, and his team from Skokomish Nation for four or five years, I gained a lot from him and made lifelong friendships with my teammates,” said Janae. “He was loving and caring but at the same time he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and that taught me to have mental toughness and to always give my all. Coach Tom passed away in April of 2017.
“I spent many hours in the gym with my AAU coaches Refugio Lopez and Amenda Butler-Smith since 2015,” said Janae. “From playing in tournaments all over the U.S., to training to work on my game. I’m very thankful for their sacrifice for not only myself but for youth in general. I would have never had the opportunity to travel for ball as much as I did, if it wasn’t for their influence.”
“Jimmy Anderson was another coach and trainer I had,” said Janae. “He was very positive and encouraging. Defense was his favorite thing about the game and because of that, defense became my favorite.”
“I’ve known Janae for about six years,” said Jimmy Anderson. “I coached her as a freshman. I personally trained her multiple times throughout the years during summer and during seasons. I also work at her HS so her leadership is by example, and she carries herself very well. She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.”
“When she was a freshman no one really knew about her but I had already trained her and knew she was special. I was an assistant coach at the time. She was the hardest worker as a freshman. She never complained and just went about her business in the court.”
The holistic concept of wellness is based on physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health. By balancing the components an aspiring athlete may perform at an optimum level in training and competition.
“I’m eating well, drinking my daily water intake and using the Peloton App to do workouts at home,” said Janae. “I love to pass the ball and create shots for my teammates, but I know I need to work on sometimes taking shots or driving the ball more. I grew up learning that we are survivors and resilient. I come out with that same attitude on the court and any other activity I participate in. I have a competitive attitude and I don’t like to lose.”
“I also participate in Tribal Journeys where we pull a canoe for miles on our ancestral waterways,” said Janae. “We land at a different tribal reservation daily where we share in song and dance. Not only is this spiritual but it is very much physical, mental and emotional. This is also something that I get to do with family so it means everything to me.”
“Even though I do not get to walk across that stage to receive my diploma, I’m grateful to have college to look forward to, to continue my academic and basketball career,” said Janae. “I recently signed my letter of intent to play for Green River Community College in Auburn, WA.”
Photo Credit: Tahnee McCloud
