Kathryn Taylor

Read on to find out more on Kathryn and her Basketball career:

Q How did you first become involved in your sport? I got involved through my school and I also started playing with the Under 15 Dundee development squad because my cousin was playing there.

Q How old were you when you started and what is your first memory of your sport? I started playing in first year at school when I was 12. My first memory is being selected for the Under 14 Scotland squad when I was 13.

Q When and where did you first compete? How did you get on? I first competed in the National League with the Dundee Sharks Under 16 team when I was 13. I don’t remember that season exactly but I don’t think we won very many games.

Q When did you first realize you had the potential to make it as an athlete? The first time that I was selected into a National team program at the age of 13 I knew that I wanted to continue to play through the ranks and get to the highest level I could.

Q What are your best results so far (please list any records held)? In the 06/07 season Scottish Cup winner with the Under 16 City of Edinburgh team. 08/09 season 2nd in both Scottish cup and National league with the Under 18 City of Edinburgh team. Same season won the double with the senior City of Edinburgh team. Aug 08 won 2 games in the Euro B Championships in Macedonia, which topped last year’s team.

Q What has been the highlight of your career? Playing in the European Championships last year as it was my first major competition and I was in the starting 5 for some of the games.

Q What is on your competition schedule this year? I have already finished my club competitions but I’m training with the Under 18 Scotland team for games against the Netherlands in June and a tournament in Houston, Texas followed by games against some top high school teams.

Q What is a typical training regime for a ‘normal’ week? Scotland training Tuesday nights, Friday nights and Saturday mornings. Club training on Thursday nights. Weight sessions in the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays. I also try and do at least 2 to 3 shooting sessions and I will also try and do some general fitness training.

Q What has been your best sporting experiences so far? All of the trips that we go on with the Scotland team have been great. It’s always great to go away as part of a team like that and it has always been great fun despite some of the horrible places we have been!

Q And the one you would rather forget? When I was 13 I played for the North of Scotland team and in the warm up for our first game of the Inter-area tournament at DISC I was going up for a lay up when my team mate jumped into me and I was pushed into the wall and broke my hand. I was then in a cast for 6 weeks and wasn’t able to play for the Scotland Under 14 team on our trip down to England.

Q Do you have any pre-event superstitions or rituals? I have always put my left boot on before my right. I don’t know why but I don’t want to stop just in case.

Q Do you feel you/your sport gets the exposure and credit it merits? I feel that basketball should get a lot more exposure as it is a great sport but it is on the rise and I becoming more popular in the UK.

Q How many hours do spend training each day? My days usually vary but I think I train around 14-18 hours per week at the moment.

Q How does training fit in with your other commitments (studies/work)? It is sometimes difficult as I need to travel to Edinburgh or Stirling for my training but by managing my time I am able to fit it all in.

Q Do you have time for other sports or hobbies? Not really, I throw the discus a bit in school but apart from that I am only really able to make enough time to see friends and family.

Q What do you see as the key area to concentrate on for you to improving as an
athlete? I really need to improve on my strength and I also need to work on my shooting percentage.

Q Technique or physical - which do you spend most time working on to improve? Technique mostly but I am increasing the amount of work I’m doing on physical aspects.

Q What support do you get in training (national governing body programme, family, coach, sponsorship etc)? I am part of the 2012 program in my sport and through that I get loads of support like facility access, funding, contact to GB programs and links to schools in the States. My family have always been a great support. Until recently they drove me all over the country to training and they are extremely supportive of everything I do.

Q How long have you been supported by TFIS and how do we help? I have only been with TFIS for about 3 or 4 months but I have already received a lot of support. I get supervised weight sessions twice a week, I also get support in physiotherapy, nutrition, and sports psychology.

Q Which service/services provided by the TFIS have you made the most use of and how has it helped you? The weight sessions have already been a huge help making me feel a lot stronger on court. I was also helped a lot by the physiotherapists when I had a knee injury last month.

Q Do you think the support offered by your coach(s) and TFIS gives you a performance edge? If so, why? Yes. Being stronger on court is a huge advantage in my position. I have also been helped in my vertical jump, which is helping my rebounding.

Q Which athlete, past or present, do you admire? And why? Loul Deng. He is an extremely dedicated player and trains all the time even if his team isn’t. I also feel that is a great achievement for any British player to make it to the NBA and play big minutes.

Q Are there other sporting figures you look up to? And why? Michael Jordan, Kelly Holmes (because I have read her book and was very impressed by her life).

Q Who has/have had the biggest influence on you as an athlete? And why? My coaches Brian Findlay, Ben Gunn and Donna Finnie. Also my family. All these people have supported me so much as an athlete and have been hugely influential.

Q Do you follow any other sports/admire any other athletes? And why? I have a huge admiration for long distance runners/cyclists/swimmers as it is a completely different type of fitness than my own sport and I don’t think that I would ever be able to complete any of the races they do.

Q Which other young Scottish athletes in your sport should we be looking out for? Becca Allison, Sarah O’brien, Erin McGarrachen, Deanne Hayward.

Q How important are mentors to you? Extremely important…as a player I am never going to know everything there is to know and I think it is essential for me to have someone for help and coaching.

Q What's the best piece of advice you have been given? Always strive to be the best you can be.

Q Where do you see the biggest improvements in your event/game coming from? Increasing my shot percentage and having more one on one moves.

Q Where do you get your inspiration and motivation from? Motivations come from my dreams to play in the States and to play in the Olympics. My inspiration comes from my love of the game.

Q Could you make a career out of your sport or can you combine it with another
profession? I could play in the WNBA or in the European leagues.

Q What is your ultimate ambition? I would like to go on to be a physiotherapist but if possible I would love to play professionally.

Q Do you have to make any sacrifices to be the best that you can be in your sport? If so, what are they and why do you make them? Yes. I have a lot less time to spend with friends and family but I make these sacrifices with the prospect of being able to fulfill my dreams.