Hmong SNC Spotlight– August 2021 #2
Hmong Sports and Competitions proudly present to you, our 2nd athlete of August 2021 on the Hmong SNC Spotlight. She is a junior at West Bend East High School and a rising basketball star in the Mid-West…… CADENCE XIONG
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world today, yet we don’t see many Hmong girl participating in it, especially high-level basketball. However, at such a young age, Cadence has gained the attention of scouts and coaches.
Cadence has always had a love for playing sports at a very young age. She started playing sports in 2nd grade. She played basketball, flag football, Rugby, and softball. In 4th grade, Cadence earned the nickname “Steph Curry” from some of the basketball referees and parents. Random people would start coming to watch Cadence play at the school. Eventually, she started having regular fans (parents and students) show up at her school games. Then, in 5th grade, her parents decided to have her try out for AAU basketball and earn a spot on the 6th grade team. I got a chance to asked Cadence a few questions….
1. Who is the biggest supporter?
My biggest supporters are my parents. They are with me 24/7 helping me develop and learn more about the game of basketball. They’ve spent so much time with me including traveling every weekend just so I can plat the sport that I love. I’m so thankful to have them in my life and always having them support me the way that they do.
2. What is your future goal/plans?
My future goal is to continue playing college basketball at a college level and get my degree in sports medicine. I would also like to play professionally or overseas.
3. What is the one thing that sports teach you?
One thing that sports have taught me is to always work hard and get better because no matter who you are and what you can do, you can always improve.
4. Do you have any other hobbies outside of sports?
Outside of sports, I like to spend time with my family and friends. We often like to watch movies together, talk walks, go fishing and simply enjoy each other’s company.
I also got a chance to ask Cadence’s parents, Boun Mee Xiong, 43, and Linda Xiong, 39, a few question….
1. What do you want your child to get out of their sports experience?
The ultimate goal is for Cadence to earn a full college scholarship. However, there are so many other things that we want her to get out of playing sports. To name a few, we want her to have good leadership skills, understand how to be a team player, have confidence, and to develop good communication skills.
2. Ten years down the road, what do you want Cadence to remember and value from their youth sports experience?
10 years from now, I hope that my daughter can say that she is a strong leader and team player because of her experiences with playing sports.
3. How do you react when your child has a weak performance? Great performance?
After every game Cadence plays, weak or strong, my husband always makes time to go over her film that my husband records and they run through things that she did well and things she needs to work on.
4. What motivates you to sacrifice so much so that your child can play sports?
I enjoy seeing my kids do what they enjoy. My kids are my world and I want to give them as many opportunities as I can.
5. Do you guy travel to tournaments with your daughter?
Yes, we both travel with Cadence to all her basketball tournaments.
6. What do you have to say to other parents who don’t want their kids in sports or is afraid of putting their kid in AAU or clubs?
I would tell these parents that they should always support their kids in playing sports because playing sports has many benefits. Playing sports keeps kids physically active which is good for their health. It also provides kids opportunities to learn the importance of teamwork, fair play and good sportsmanship. Playing sports improves self-esteem and because it does require a lot of time and commitment, kids learn how to focus and manage their time better. Furthermore, playing sports gives your child opportunities to earn college scholarships. Overall, there are so many benefits to playing sports that I cannot even name. As parents, we need to support our kids by allowing them to play sports that they are interested in playing.
This is a great quote from Linda, “Playing sports improves self-esteem and because it does require a lot of time and commitment, kids learn how to focus and manage their time better. Furthermore, playing sports gives your child opportunities to earn college scholarships.” As parents, we need to support our kid in their dream. It may not be what we want, but at the end of the day, it’s what your kids want and it’s their passion. Don’t be the obstacle in their way. Step aside and cheer them on!! As Cadence continue her climb in the sport of basketball, we wish her and her family the best. I look forward to catching up with them again in the near future. Good luck this upcoming season, Cadence!!!!!
