by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
“Long ago, young Comanche men were formed into bands so they could be a stronger force when hunting or going into battle,” said Hayden BigSoldier-Plumley. “Each one relied on the other for strength. I take this value with me every time I get onto the basketball court with my team. Whether I am on the court or sitting on the bench, I do all I can to keep every other team member encouraged to do their best.”
Hayden BigSoldier-Plumley, 17, is an enrolled Comanche. He is also Otoe and Arapaho. He lives in Warr Acres, Oklahoma. Hayden attends Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, OK.
“I play baseball and basketball,” said Hayden.
“I’m honored to be a part of the Comanche Nation and Otoe Missouri,” said Hayden. “I belong to two tribes, and I realize that I come from strong people. I also realize that I am expected to be a warrior for myself, my native people, and to honor the Creator. Temptations to act otherwise are put before me everyday. I do my best to follow the right path.”
“My journey and passion for basketball would not have begun if it wasn’t for Chris BigSoldier Plumley, my father,” said Hayden. “He introduced me to the game of basketball, and started on my fundamentals. My father also has been one of my best supporters despite the hardships we came across.”
“The first person I remember telling me I could go pro was my little league coach Russell Obe,” said Hayden. “He instilled in my head that no matter what I do, do it with no regards. His words made me the player I am today. He also helped me with the ambition to get better and be a better leader.”
“My math teacher, Ms. Rhonda Freie, taught me how to improve and expand my memory, and is a huge help to my game, and all that I accomplished,” said Hayden. “She taught me to chase my dreams no matter the circumstances. She was the one to teach me how to see angles on the court differently. She also helped me off the court with better decisions and wants me to pursue my education along the way. She played the biggest role in my life.”
“Hayden is not only an outstanding basketball player for Riverside Indian School but he is the most humblest, caring, devoted person that I have had the pleasure to teach and watch play basketball,” said Rhonda Freie, Hayden’s eighth grade math teacher. “He is a good role model for our underclassmen with his encouraging words and his action towards them. Hayden is unselfish when it comes to basketball. During his younger years, Hayden was big for his size, and he would always pass the ball to the smallest players so they could score. He was always compassionate for the other teams. Fast forward through his junior high and high school years, he is still a compassionate young man to his teammates. We have photographed most of his ball games and watched him take the beating underneath the basket and get up smiling. Hayden has a big heart for his family, friends and culture.”
“I love my brother Bernard Herrera as much as I love basketball,” said Hayden. “He was with me through all the tough times in my life. He showed me how to strengthen my mentality. Told me not to care what people said or what they would do. He told me not to worry about my mistakes, to grow from them instead of staying in the bad. He helped me mentally.”
“My uncles Jonas, Evan, and Shane Cozad are the ones I looked up to,” said Hayden. “They always kept telling me about the things I can have in the professional life. They also tell me the things I can improve on, motivate me to do better things. They gave me the mentality to do it for my family and have no regrets doing the things I love.”
“Growing up in a little town of Cyril, OK there wasn’t much there for Hayden to do,” said uncle Jonas Cozad. “The one thing he always held close to him was basketball. He was a lot taller than most kids in his grade growing up and he also used to have long hair, and in this small town of Cyril, OK there wasn’t many boys with long hair but nevertheless he never wavered and wasn’t ashamed to show it just as much as he had a passion for sports. While living there, culture celebration wasn’t shown there as much as other places but he knew his customs since he was little and always shown pride in our unique way of life.”
“As he got older and started to play more seriously, he realized what he could achieve with hard work,” said Jonas. “I would often motivate him and push him to keep going forward, and he always had a strong mentality for success. He always wanted to be the best he could not only for himself but for his family, everything he’s worked for up to this point was never just for him. Hayden is one of the most selfless people I know, anytime of our elders need help, he is the first one up to help in anyway he can and makes sure they’re okay.”
“Just like his family, he always took after his team, and not only was he gifted on the court, he was also gifted off the court,” said Jonas. ”He always maintained high letter grades in school and was a part of the Riverside Indian Club Drum Group and would help other kids learn to sing various songs. I could not be more proud of where is today, and not even the sky is the limit.”
“I tend to lean towards the mindset of ‘it’s happened, move forward’ when I miss a shot or do something wrong, and I move on to the next play,” said Hayden. “I think in this game you have to keep a leveled head, good or bad. With the pandemic of COVID-19 I limit my actions and workout routines, to avoid as much contact as I possibly can.”
“Once I get a connection with my spirit, my game can grow and evolve into something I didn’t know I was capable of,” said Hayden. “I’ve learned a lot from mentors and coaches, but I still need to improve in a lot of ways. In the way I shoot, dribble, even my angles of passing. It’s not that I make mistakes after mistake, or how good I am, there will always be something to improve or exceed at.”
Photo Credit: Rhonda Freie
This young man has been an inspiration to my son Logan Lee, his teammate. Logan has grown as a player and as a person due to Hayden’s example and his encouragement. He has been a joy to watch. I want to publicly thank him for instilling the love of the game in my son and accepting him as a fellow teammate. Hayden your focus and drive will take you as far as you want to go. May God continue to bless you.