by By Dan Ninham
The summer AAU basketball circuit is in full swing. Many native players for the Unity Basketball program.
Savanah Burke, 15, is a sophomore at Lewiston Senior HS. She plays off-season basketball for Unity Basketball based out of Tulalip, WA.
“I am a descendent of the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho,” said Savanah.
“I began playing basketball in my backyard with my dad, Shawn, in about kindergarten,” said Savanah. “He played growing up and shares my love of basketball. I then started attending camps put on by local high schools and Lewis-Clark State College as well as clinics put on by our local Boys and Girls Club.”
“My dad started coaching me in third grade when he started a boys and girls club team,” said Savanah. “In fourth grade my dad added to this team by starting and coaching my AAU team called LC Xtreme. I competed with this team in Idaho and Washington through eighth grade, when most local tournaments stopped, and high school ball started. I played for Jenifer Jr. High in seventh and eighth grade and first made the high school team in ninth grade while still attending the junior high.”
“In eighth grade I also started playing for Rip City Nation, coached by Ada McCormack-Marks, out of Lapwai, ID and continue to play with them today as time allows,” said Savanah. “Coach McCormack-Marks introduced me to Unity Basketball in 2019-2020 by bringing me to play with them as a pick-up player.”
“Savanah is a hard working player,” said Ada McCormack-Marks, head girls’ basketball coach at Lapwai HS. “She has the ability to play a post and a guard. She is a leader on and off the court always being vocal and positive to her teammates whether she is in the game or sitting on the bench. As a big, I loved her ability to push herself up and down the court to be a force on defense and an offensive threat when we needed it. I have known Savanah for a while and when coaching against her and also coaching her on my AAU team, she strived to be the best she could for her team and had a good attitude along with giving everything she had. She has always been a great asset to any team that she plays with and it’s been great to see how she is striving to get better by getting out and playing more ball. My husband Chad and I love seeing the drive that she has.”
“In 2021, I committed to playing fulltime with Unity Basketball,” said Savanah. “Unity is a unique organization made up of Native American players across 14 States and Canada, representing 50 total tribal nations.”
“Our season began in April 2021 playing in Dallas/Fort-Worth, TX and Lawrence, KS,” said Savanah. “I was spotlighted by Prep Girls Hoops as a Top Performer.”
DeShawn Joseph has built an elite national level native youth basketball program called Unity Basketball.
“Savanah is a next level ball player and one of the most kind human beings I know,” said DeShawn Joseph. “Her charisma and character are something to admire. She has a major IQ and a great 5’10 basketball frame. She uses her size to her advantage while euro-stepping her way to the hoop or giving a shot fake for a drive to the hoop.”
“As a coach I feel she has so much more to give so I constantly put her in uncomfortable situations on purpose. Some players see me as this guy only wanting to win. But in reality the growth my players receive come by playing and my coaching. I do my work behind the scenes to prepare each player,” added DeShawn.
“I also played softball from kindergarten through about eighth grade, before deciding to shift my focus to basketball,” said Savanah. “I played for our local little league, winning many championships and also joined an American Softball Association travel softball team, LC Blaze that my dad also helped coach. I even hit my first out of the park home run before my 12th birthday. Our ASA team won State for 10U in 2016 and 12U in 2018 after coming back to win eight straight games in less than 24 hours. After that we headed to ASA Western Nationals in Camarillo, California. This was an amazing experience and although I loved softball, basketball is where my heart is.”
“I highly value the importance of a strong work ethic, both on and off the court,” said Savanah. “This is something my family has instilled in me all my life. I believe that who I am is not only a reflection of me as a person, but also a reflection of my family and my ancestors. I also think it is important to influence those around me by supporting my teammates, opponents, classmates, siblings, and friends alike.”
“I have learned that the mental part of this game is just as impactful on a person as the sport itself. Basketball has helped me to gain confidence, network and build meaningful and long-lasting friendships with other strong Native American young women who inspire me to be the best version of myself day in and day out,” added Savanah.
“I feel I have been very fortunate to have had so many positive influences on me as an athlete throughout my life,” said Savanah.
“My dad has been there throughout this sport from day one,” said Savanah. “He is always pushing me to try harder, learn more and always be coachable. When I was younger, I used to think he was just being hard on me since I was the coach’s daughter, but I have learned that he continues to push me to always do my best because he knows what I am capable of and truly believes in me.”
“He grew up playing the sport and shares my love for the game. We have a deep-rooted bond through this sport that reaches more than just the game. Without my dad, I would not be where I am today as an athlete and a person,” added Savanah.
“Her most positive attributes about her game is her IQ and ability to anticipate and see the play ahead of her opponents,” said Shawn Burke. “I coached Savanah from second to eighth grade. I was also blessed with the opportunity to adopt her while she was in the fifth grade.”
“She has never been the leader scorer on the team but has always been a huge factor in every game she has played in. She is valuable in breaking presses and getting the team out and going in the open court with her rebounding and strong outlet passes. Outside of actual skills on the court she has a natural ability to lead and motivate her team through her voice and knowledge of the game,” added Shawn.
“Basketball to us is more than a game,” said Shawn. “It is a true connection to each other as that has helped us find what we love together. She has more heart and passion than most kids I have met in the basketball game.”
“I first met Coach Autumn Greene immediately after my eighth grade school ball season,” said Savanah. “She was coaching at the high school and started hosting open gyms, arranging conditioning and eventually became my coach in ninth grade. She took the skill set I already developed with my dad, helped me grow from there and really pushed me to be available in every place on the court. She has a similar coaching style as my dad as well as the same expectations for me as a player and person, so transitioning to her as my fulltime coach was seamless.”
“Coach Greene has been more to me than just a basketball coach, she has been a life coach. Like I said before, I truly believe basketball is more than a sport and the mental part of this game is sometimes the hardest part,” added Savanah.
“Coach Greene has remained my support system through all of this,” said Savanah. “She has believed in me even at times I have doubted myself or felt others may do the same. Coach Greene ended up not coaching at my high school for this season, but my parents knew just how impactful she has been on me and reached out to her for this travel season to see if she would be willing to continue working with me.”
“I have had the pleasure of working with Savanah for the last couple years to strengthen her basketball skills, fundamentals, and IQ,” said Autumn Greene. “Her freshman year she started on the JV at the 5A high school level. What I’ve learned about Savanah is that she lives and breathes basketball, she is what you call a ‘gym rat’. She has the want and drive to be the best player she can be. She is the first one in the gym and the last one to leave.”
“As a 15 year old she prioritizes her time to school, gym, and home life. She is developing the handles of a guard but has the body and the ability to bang around with the posts. She has good form with her jump shot and continues to work on it. She is always in the gym adding things to her tool belt such as footwork, court awareness, post moves, and vision. She has a positive attitude and makes those around her smile. Based on her work ethic and strong family support the sky is the limit for her in my opinion,” added Autumn.
“Unity Basketball is so unique, with our teammates spanning the USA and Canada, and most of our practice is done on our own,” said Savanah. “Coach Greene has stepped up and continued to help me by spending time in the gym every single week, still pushing me to be the best, both on and off the court. I am forever grateful for her support.”
“Throughout this pandemic, my self-preparation has not changed much,” said Savanah. “In fact, my school district has remained open to full-time in person instruction with safety protocols in place to include modified school sport seasons. So, for me, that day-to-day stuff has remained relatively normal.”
“Since my school season ended, my daily routine includes getting up before school to shoot, dribble and work on post moves. After school I come home, work on any schoolwork and studying before either conditioning on my own or working out at CrossFit LC Valley in Lewiston, Idaho where I also work part-time,” added Savanah.
“I live in a fairly small town, so getting time in a gym consists of booking to use local school gyms, and during the pandemic has been even more limited,” said Savanah. “Depending on availability I have been spending two to five days a week, up to two hours as allowed by each school in a gym working with either my dad or Coach Greene.”
“On the weekends, I make sure to spend time conditioning and working on basketball on the hoop at my house and we can only use school gyms on school days. I also work part-time at the Lewiston Golf and Country Club on the weekends when I am not traveling with Unity,” added Savanah.
“For the first five years of my life, it was just me and my mom Stephanie as my biological father was not in the picture,” said Savanah. “My mom worked full-time and attended college while supporting and raising me on her own. When I was four years-old she had worked so hard that she was able to buy us our very own house. My mom is a strong, independent and a driven person who has instilled those same values in me.”
“When I was five years old my mom found the man, who wanted to do everything in his power, to support us as well as his biological children for the rest of our lives,” said Savanah. “My mom had known Shawn since they were teenagers and even graduated high school together.”
“I maintain a 3.75 GPA in school, and this has also allowed me to take much of my schoolwork with me as a travel with Unity the remainder of this school year,” said Savanah.
“My Unity schedule for this season includes tournaments, showcases, and college camps from April through September,” said Savanah.
Photo Credit: Brandon Lopez
