by By Dan Ninham
One of the top student-athletes at Mescalero Apache HS in New Mexico is almost on her way to college.
Samantha Kazhe, 18, is a graduating senior at Mescalero Apache HS. She will be attending Fort Lewis College studying health science and to continue to radiology or phlebotomy.
“I am from the Navajo Nation and the Salt clan and Honey Comb,” said Samantha. “I am also Chiricahua Apache. My Indian name is ‘xadu hutasn’ meaning Runs far. My hometown is the Mescalero Apache reservation.”
“I started playing when I was three or four years old,” said Samantha. “I had a small basketball goal and my brothers would help me. I played in little league basketball and my love for the game grew from there and until I started middle school I began playing volleyball too.”
“I helped the volleyball team get to the state tournament and be the state champion runner-up for 2019,” said Samantha. “I played for the basketball team that went to the state tournament and be the state champion runner-up for 2019 and our first state championship in 2020.”
“We are taught at a young age to take pride in what we learn and do,” said Samantha. “Our culture is about family first, community and then self. We learn by showing hands on. We can pass on tradition and values to our younger generations.”
“Growing up I was inspired by Kobe Bryant,” said Samantha. “I always dreamed of meeting him. I liked watching him play and I was amazed over his skills. I remember my older brother was always telling me when we were watching his games that he thought I could do this and to try that in my next game.”
“My oldest brother Jarrett Kazhe encourages me so much,” said Samantha. “He is always there for me when I am down. He is the reason why I am so aggressive and part of the reason I am the player I am today.”
“One of my mentors is my middle school basketball coach,” said Samantha. “Mrs. Alvonna Bob is a wonderful coach and saw potential in me and helped me bring my talent out to the surface. I was in sixth grade when I started playing at school. She still encourages me and seeing her on our bench gives me what I need to continue.”
“When I first coached Sam she was a sixth grader,” said Alvonna Bob. “She was very coachable, and very determined to learn. When you showed her how to shoot, showed her skills, she would practice and practice. She has a genuine personality. Very respectful, full of greatness in what she does. I’m so proud of her accomplishments as an athlete. I will truly miss her next year. I love her dearly.”
“The school weight lifting teacher, Coach Godfrey Cordova encouraged me to start lifting and conditioning to better my game,” said Samantha. “He also encourages me by teasing me in a funny way.”
“I had the opportunity to watch this young girl develop into a very good athlete here at Mescalero Apache School,” said Coach Godfrey Cordova. “Samantha at a very young age during her PE class would work on using her left hand and practice shooting lay up from her left side. While others were messing around she was working. She has always been a very hard worker in the classroom, the gym, and also the weight room. She has always been a very polite individual and comes from a family of good support. She is finishing up her senior year playing softball which she has never played before and has picked up the sport very quickly. She is a very dedicated person in school and sports, she always works to get better and not just to get it done.”
“Coach Randy Courtney has a way of reaching me when I am in game mode,” said Samantha. “He has helped me a lot with my skills of being a post player. He gives me positive corrections or sees something that I can’t and tells me. He has been a big part of the team and helps everyone, he is a wonderful coach.”
“Sam is a senior leader that coaches dream of,” said Coach Randy Courtney. “She is a leader both on and off the floor. I’ve had the privilege of both coaching her in basketball and teaching Sam in Honors English. She is the type of player that leads by example. She is a student of the game and is never afraid to ask questions. Samantha will be missed tremendously at Mescalero Apache HS.”
“Lastly, Coach Chavez is an amazing coach, and he has a drive to make every single one of his players successful,” said Samantha. “He is very tough and pushes discipline to the max. He is complex but breaks everything down step-by-step and has patience with us … sometimes. He plays a big part of the player I have become. He encourages me by giving me pep talks before, during, and after practice and games. My confidence has been up and down with basketball but Chavez has helped me to push myself and do things I was scared to do.”
“Samantha was one of my captains,” said Coach Elmer Chavez. “She was a quiet leader but steady. She lead by example and was a great player to coach. She’s got skills to play at the next level.”
“I’ve been preparing myself during the pandemic by dribbling and shooting at home, watching game films and making sure I am healthy and eating right,” said Samantha.
“I am the only girl in my household,” said Samantha. “I have four brothers and growing up, teaching me how to play or in general, they did not cut me any slack. It was hard growing up because I was always getting bullied by them but I would also be the bully back to them.”
“I always had to be tough and that has given me the motivation to be strong in everything I do or learn,” added Samantha.
Photo Credit: Madisyn Yuzos
This is a great story and to put native americans in the forefront where they belong ! As an african american, I loved books about the history of the Apaches , how they lived fought and died. I loved the stories about Geronimo and others ! I would loved to see this young lady progress all the way to the WNBA !!