by By Dan Ninham
The Page HS boys’ and girls’ basketball teams became the 2021 Arizona 3A state champions on the same day against the same opponent, Snowflake HS.
Emma Yazzie, 18, is a senior Lady Sand Devil at Page HS in Page, Arizona.
“I am Diné, a member of the Navajo Nation,” said Emma. “I am Kinyaa’áanii, Towering House Clan, born for Kinłichii’nii, Red House Clan. My maternal grandfather is Deeschii’nii, Start of the Red Streak People Clan, and my paternal grandfather is Tábaaha, Water’s Edge Clan.”
“Growing up, my parents would enroll my siblings and I into the sports recreation programs that the city of Page held,” said Emma. “Typically they were year round and consisted of different sports consisting of basketball, softball, soccer, flag football, etc. My siblings and I would compete in these programs up until we reached middle school, where competitive play started.”
“Outside of these recreation programs, local coaches around town would make traveling teams,” said Emma. “My family and I would travel around the reservations or to different cities and states just to get that exposure and develop our skills in the different sports we played.”
“Personally, I took an interest in softball, basketball, and volleyball. I played all three sports in middle school and continued to play all three during the off-season,” added Emma.
During high school, Emma made varsity for all three sports as a freshman and continued to play at that level throughout her high school career. She was a part of two state championships and a state runner-up in basketball, an offensive player of the year in volleyball, as well as first- and second-team honors.
Native student-athletes and coaches have indigenous core values and traditions that guide them in their lives on and out of the playing environment.
“The Navajo Nation is so diverse in religion and teachings,” said Emma. “I can’t speak for all when speaking about the values and traditions of a Navajo person. My family personally leans towards the Native American Church with a mixture of traditional teachings. With the ceremonies I’ve participated in and the teachings I’ve learned throughout my life, resilience, humbleness, and respect for oneself as well as others are definitely at the foundation of how I carry myself as a Diné woman that also trickles down into how I carry myself as a student-athlete.”
“My family including my parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins, have all played a significant role in my athletic career,” said Emma. “I would not be where I am today without their love or guidance. They’re undoubtedly my biggest supporters whether it be athletically or academically. I appreciate the time and money they have invested in me as it showed me that I am worth it. It showed me that they believe in my capabilities to grow as a player and accomplish my dreams as a student-athlete.”
The starting five of this season’s team were a part of the Lake Powell Gunners team and was coached by Joshua Redhair. They have been with Emma from the beginning.
“Torrance Begay, Miquedah Taliman, Neve Redhair, and Nadya Begay have all left an impact on who I am as a person,” said Emma. “They’ve pushed me to become the player that I aspire to be and it’s been nothing but fun playing with them for the past 10+ years.”
“From starting the Gunners team to supporting us in the stands at our high school games, I would also like to thank Joshua Redhair for his dedication to us as he provided an outlet for us to grow as players,” added Emma.
“I’ve had the pleasure of coaching and witnessing Emma’s basketball greatness since she was about 10 years old,” said Joshua Redhair, travel team coach. “Off the court she is quiet but on the court her game speaks volumes. She is a very athletic and talented young lady. She is a multi-sport athlete. She spent all her time playing volleyball, basketball, and softball. Emma didn’t just play those three sports, she excelled at all of them.”
“She is a great setter and spiker. She’s an awesome pitcher and hitter. On the basketball court she is an excellent shooter and scorer who plays lock down defense. I tell Emma ‘You are good at whatever you try’. I think the reason she is so good at everything is because her parents taught her how to work hard and to have a great attitude,” added Joshua.
“She was busy all year long aside from school sports,” said Joshua. “I would be driving by the softball field and see Emma out there practicing with her travel coach. I saw her practicing volleyball with her travel team and of course she was always practicing with our basketball travel team. There was no off-season for Emma, she keeps the pedal to the metal every single day. Seeing all of her success is of no surprise to me.”
“This pandemic has been my biggest challenge that I have yet to face,” said Emma. “I struggled emotionally and mentally as my grandfather passed due to Covid-19 and as other family members contracted the virus. During this time, I relied on my traditional upbringing with the prayers that I’ve said and were taught and are still helping me to this day.”
“A message my grandfather had instilled in me was ‘meet your prayers halfway’ and physically that has always been a constant reminder. To maintain my strong spiritual belief in faith, hope, love, and charity that have always been there for me to rely and reflect back on,” added Emma.
“Of the three sports I played, I favored volleyball the most,” said Emma. “After becoming a state champion in basketball my freshman year, I wanted to develop my skills in volleyball and decided to take a break from basketball my sophomore year to play with a club volleyball team based 120 miles away from Page. It was not an easy decision to make. A lot of emotions were felt as I was not only leaving the girls basketball varsity program but I was also leaving the girls who have been playing by my side for years.”
“It was definitely a strenuous time as I had to travel at least four hours roundtrip just to attend practices two to three times a week and keep up with my studies at the same time. But I believe it payed off as the following year I earned the offensive player of the year for the 3A North region,” added Emma.
“My junior year, I did return to basketball,” said Emma.
The defending Arizona 3A state basketball Page HS Lady Sand Devils are thankful.
Photo Credit: Raymond Chee Jr
