(February 28, 2013) — Ever since she was nine years old, sophomore Melissa Manouki has had her head in the game. She grew up watching her older brother always playing basketball with his friends, and from that experience Manouki became inspired and motivated to follow in his footsteps. Not being able to wait until getting to high school though, she joined the Armenian Community Center, Homenetmen Ararat basketball team. She continues to play at Ararat today, but is now also on the Junior Varsity team at Hoover High School.

After being a part of a team for so many years, Manouki has grown extremely close to her teammates. “Spending time with them every day really gives us a strong bond,” Manouki said. “They are practically my sisters and it’s great to have them in my life.” At first it was difficult for her to not be going to the same school as all her friends, but Manouki soon began to enjoy being a part of both Clark and Hoover.

She said that she likes getting to see two different perspectives of high school and that she’s able to actually experience both. For Manouki, basketball has taught her many lessons over the years. “One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that hard work pays off,” Manouki said.

“Even though I hear the phrase every day, I never truly knew what it meant until I learned it through my experiences in basketball.” Manouki also says that basketball has taught her about teamwork and discipline. She finds that the way to be successful is to have the right attitude and to not be selfish. Basketball has already been a large part of Manouki’s life and she has no doubt that it will continue to be for as long as she can physically play. “Whether it’s college, Ararat, or a daily solo practice, basketball will always be a part of my life,” she said.