by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Jaelyn Bates is an enrolled member of San Felipe Pueblo and is Fox Clan. She is also Sioux and Navajo. Her parents are Barry and Juliet Bates and her siblings are James Quiver and Janee Bates.
Jaelyn Bates is a 5’6”, 122 lb., sophomore, point guard/shooting guard at Volcano Vista HS. She has a GPA of 3.6.
“I compete for my family and community, most importantly I compete for my teammates,” said Jaelyn. “Without my teammates I wouldn’t be able to play the game I love. Everything I do is to make my parents and community proud.”
During her freshman season at Volcano Vista HS she was named First Team All-Academic, All-District and All-Metro, Second Team All-State, District Tournament Player of the Game, District 1-5A Player of the Year, and Volcano Vista Winter Sports Female Athlete of the Year. The team was District 1-5A Champions and 1-5A District Tournament Champions.
During her sophomore season she was named First Team All-District and All-Metro and Second Team All-State. The team was back-2-back District 1-5A Champions, 1-5A District Tournament Champions, and 2020 NMAA State Girls Basketball Tournament Runner-ups.
Jaelyn currently holds four Volcano Vista HS individual records: points in a season, points in a game, made 3’s in a season, made 3’s in a game and 2pt field goals made in a season. Her Max Preps two-year stats are 17.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.7 apg and 3.3 spg.
She had a busy summer AAU season in 2019 and her teams were Platinum Division Atlanta NCAA Showcase National Champions, Atlanta Peach Splash NCAA Showcase Runner-Up, NABI Girls Gold Division Nation Champs and she was selected MVP of the NABI Championship game.
“The sense of community is what I carry as an athlete,” said Jaelyn. “This is so important to me. Supporting and uplifting is the best part of me being an athlete and makes me feel connected to the community. People that don’t know me, from all parts of the country, always send support and blessings. I believe this is what gives me strength when I compete. It has helped me grow as a person and an athlete.”
“My sister, Janee Bates, is the greatest example of hard work on and off the court,” said Jaelyn. “Nothing came easy for her, she fought for every opportunity at every level of her basketball career. What is most admirable is that she never gave up and is an amazing student-athlete. I hope to be the type of team captain she is and her leadership skills are incredible, she helps make her team better because of that ability. She ended her collegiate career at Haskell earning, First Team All-Conference and Champions of Character awards.”
“When thinking about the moment I noticed my sister being a special athlete, it’s difficult to pick just one moment,” said sister Janee Bates, a current basketball player at Haskell Indian Nations University. “I can remember various times watching her play throughout her career and being amazed by what she is able to do on the court and how mentally tough she is. However, the very first time I noticed she was going to be a special athlete was when she was in kindergarten and my dad took us to Valencia High School with him so we could watch him play pick up. While we were watching, Jaelyn stood up and started practicing shooting all on her own. She was so little and the ball was heavy for her but she kept trying. She spent the remainder of our time at the gym shooting. This was the moment that I knew she was gonna’ be a special athlete.”
“My brother, James Quiver, is a huge influence,” said Jaelyn. “He has taught me to work hard for my dreams. He started his own videography/photography business. I am impressed with his professionalism and dedication. I have learned very valuable lessons from my brother and am grateful to his dedication to my basketball journey.”
“Since Jaelyn was very young around three-five years old, she always had a very competitive mind set,” said older brother James Quiver. “If she could not do something she would literally sit there and practice and train until she learned whatever it may be. With Jaelyn being the youngest sibling I think this is what drives her to be the best at everything she does. I knew she was special as an athlete her first year of basketball. She stood out to everyone at a very young age, shooting college 3-pointers when the other kids could barely shoot. Now in high school I would say with confidence she is the best in the state.”
“Jaelyn is an all-around player great court vision, finishes with contact, team leader and has amazing basketball IQ. She has received over 10+ unofficial letters from top D1 schools around the nation. I make all her highlights and I would say the videos helped with her exposure. I always knew she was a very special player and that is why I started recording. I’m so proud to be her brother and it’s amazing to see all her hard work and sacrifices pay off,” added James.
“Coach Chris Parra has always pushed me to my full potential,” said Jaelyn. “Coach Chris has never treated me different because I was the only girl on his team. He treated me as a basketball player. I have always appreciated that I was able to play at high levels of competition based on merit not on gender. He hasn’t been my AAU coach in a couple years, but I still work with him. I appreciate the time he takes to help with my game. His basketball knowledge is tremendous, and I am grateful that he helps me add to my skill set.”
“My dad Barry has been fostering my basketball journey since I started taking interest in the game,” said Jaelyn. “His guidance has helped me become the player I am. He has done an amazing job as a coach not only for me but anyone he’s coached. His commitment to his players is incredible and he goes above and beyond to make sure each player reaches their full potential. My dad teaches how to be a team player and to play the game right. I have always carried that with me every time I step on the court, asking how can I make my team better.”
“Ms. Liz Albertson has been my strength and conditioning coach since I was six years old,” said Jaelyn. “She has been with me through my entire basketball career. I have learned so much from her about taking care of my body. Being disciplined in my craft, she’s taught me mental toughness. I don’t have many female mentors, but she has definitely set the bar on what I look for in a role model.”
“Jaelyn Bates is a coaches dream, you can’t help but notice she is special,” said Elizabeth Albertson, Sport Performance Coach/Training Director/Co-Owner of The Athlete’s Playground. “From day one of working with Jaelyn eight years ago she ‘Embraced the Grind’. From early morning workouts, to post-practice recovery days, she is ready and willing to put in the work. It’s rarely glamorous and easily overlooked, but hard work is in her nature.”
“She is humble, respectful and so athletic. As a young athlete she stood out and still does to this day. She has always had a training age beyond her years,” added Elizabeth.
“What’s the quote?” asked Elizabeth. “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard. Well, Jaelyn has both.”
“I am always looking for trainers that have different skill sets and experience,” said Jaelyn. “Coach Brendon Lavender has added so much to my game. He has played at the collegiate level at the University of Arizona, also training basketball players at different levels. I started with Coach Brendon when I was nine years old. His passion for the game is contagious and court IQ incredible.”
“Coach Eric Benedick is another trainer I have with different skill sets,” said Jaelyn. “I have learned many of my first step moves from him. I identify with Coach Eric because of his position. So, I take what he teaches me to heart because his experience has taken him to play oversees. He is a hard worker always in the gym working to make his game better.”
“My relationship to Jae is being a player development coach to her for five years, coaching her in NABI as well as in club/AAU with the New Mexico Elite,” said Eric Benedick.
“I’ve been fortunate to have the privilege of coaching Jae since she was young. I believe it’s going back as far as her fifth or sixth grade year. Even at that age, the focus, mentality, love for the game, and ability to grasp high-level concepts was already noticeable. To see all that, at that young of an age, is when I personally knew she was special. Jae’s a ‘dawg’ on the court! The type of player you never look forward to having to go against. She’s relentless, yet oh so smooth at the same time. That’s a mentality and mindset you don’t see in most. She can take her talents in this game as far as she chooses to take it, and given what she’s done up until now, I have no doubt the best is yet to come,” added Eric.
“My workout routine includes light weight training 2-3 times a week, cardio and shooting in the gym 6x a week,” said Jaelyn. “Also watch my diet, I try not to eat too much junk food, tons of water.”
“I am still young and learning how not to let the little things get to me, this is something high on my self-improvement list,” said Jaelyn. “If I’m having a bad shooting game, I’m learning to not let it effect my game because there are other things I can do to help my team.”
“This game teaches you self-reflection, whether you want it or not,” said Jaelyn. “You have to connect your mind, body and spirit. I clear my head to help me get through the good and bad of basketball. This is hard to explain because its instinct is almost natural just to chill out and focus. I slow down reflect on the situation and adapt.”
“The positive of the COVID-19 pandemic it has allowed me to focus on wellness with my family, we work out together every day,” said Jaelyn. “We make healthy snacks and meals together. I have incorporated bike rides and hiking so that I get fresh air. This is the time to rest my body which is not always a good thing but can turn out to be the best thing if done right, I will be able to reset physically and mentally.”
“My story is different because I didn’t grow up on the reservation,” said Jaelyn. “I was born in the Netherlands. My mother was in the Air Force, so we moved around most of my life and we were usually in big cities or other countries. However, because my mom knew it was important for us to know our culture, she moved us home to New Mexico. My mother sacrificed her career in the military so we could learn who we are and where we came from. It is a challenge, but I appreciate the efforts of my family to teach us our culture. Being older and not growing up immersed in the culture it is very intimidating there is so much to understand and absorb. However, I absolutely see the importance to keep tradition alive. If I don’t make an effort the traditions don’t survive, and it is important to me that I carry on tradition. I am proud of my heritage and am very lucky to have to opportunity to be part of my community.”
“However, that is just part of my story, I was born with a hole in my heart. I struggled for the first two years of my life. I didn’t walk until I was two years old, I didn’t do a lot of the normal things babies do I was weak because of my condition. When I was two years old, I had surgery to repair the hole in my heart and my parent tell me I was only an hour out of surgery, and I had tons of energy, I was trying to get up and move. I didn’t understand that I just had heart surgery and I need to rest. My parents said I have been going full blast ever since,” added Jaelyn.
Photo Credit: Brittany Graham
