Dedication to Excellence

There’s no rah-rah, no it’s-about-me, no look-what-I’ve done.

 

Sure, Amani Kimball-McKavish, a three-sport senior captain and scholar athlete, is proud of her accomplishments, and there have been many during her four years at Collegiate.

 

Sure, she’s proud of her honors, the tangible rewards for superior achievement through her time in the classroom and her four varsity seasons of basketball and lacrosse and two of field hockey.

 

In her way of thinking, though, the journey speaks for itself, the effort is the reward, and the true joy comes from playing a role, large or small, that enables her and those around her to become better.

“I’m very team-driven,” Amani said one day recently as she reflected on her time at Collegiate. “If my position is to sit on the bench and cheer for people, I’d be just as happy as long as they’re successful. I like to see other people thrive and grow. What fuels me is seeing people put in the work and improve because that inspires me to do my best. A successful team to me is when every single person feels like they’re valued.”

 

Competitive sports have always been part of Amani’s life.

 

Her dad Randy McKavish played football and basketball at Division II Slippery Rock University. He was, in fact, a two-time All-American quarterback and a 2010 inductee in his alma mater’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Her mom Elizabeth Kimball played soccer and earned academic honors at “The Rock.” Her brother Collin, a Collegiate junior, plays soccer (goalie for the 2021 Prep League/VISAA champion), basketball, and baseball for the Cougars.

 

Before she narrowed her athletic focus in high school after transferring from St. Michael’s, Amani played competitive golf, soccer, hockey, basketball, and lacrosse and ran cross country.

 

“We really had the freedom to do whatever we wanted,” Amani said of her and her brother’s sports choices. “I also did piano lessons, dance, and gymnastics. Our parents let us explore the arts as well. Whatever we had a passion for, they let us pursue, which was awesome. It’s my nature to push myself. I’m a student of the game. I love learning more about the strategy. That’s just how I’m wired. I think in sports, you can’t ever stop learning.”

 

A one-season field hockey starter, Amani played center back, the last line of defense before the goalie, for the 2021 League of Independent Schools champion.

 

Amani: “Field hockey is a sport that pushes me because I haven’t had as much exposure to it. There’s a lot of strategy on defense that aligns with the other sports I play. At the same time, the offensive strategy is different, and I find that very interesting. When I’m on the hockey field, I’m constantly taking in what Coach (Karen) Doxey and Coach (Kelsey) Smither say because it’s all so interesting to me.”

 

Coach Doxey: “Amani was a standout back-up as a junior, honing her skills, learning concepts, asking questions, and building relationships. Her hard work paid off, and she became a starter using her athleticism, sports IQ, and an amazing transformation in skills.  She was a major contributor to the team culture of focus, hard work, humility, and appreciation of field hockey.”

 

A four-year basketball starter, usually at either the 2 or 3 position, she twice earned All-League of Independent Schools honors and as a senior averaged 12.7 points, five rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 1.6 assists per game.

 

Amani: “Basketball is really challenging mentally. You can’t be good without having fundamental skills specific to the sport. Basketball pushes me a lot more in those areas than a lot of other sports because it’s so technical. I really like that aspect, and I really like that it’s such a physical game.”

 

Coach Rives Fleming: “Amani was our leader on the court. She set the tone on defense with great full-court, on-ball pressure, and she was the one we went to for a basket on offense. What really made her stand out was her attitude, work ethic, focus, and love for the game. She’s everything you want in a varsity athlete. She’s always on time, communicative, dependable, committed, and coachable. She never knew a second gear. She always played as hard as she could and never seemed to get tired. This energy and the plays she made were a strong force for our team.”

 

Then there’s lacrosse, which she says is the sport she picked up most recently, which means 6^th grade. She’s played for both the Richmond Storm and Richmond Strikers club teams and as a Collegiate junior earned All-LIS, All-VISAA, and All-Metro honors. She’s a midfielder whose stat line through 11 games this season reads 18 goals and 40 draw controls. In November 2020, she committed to play for Ohio State, where she’s projected as a defender.

 

Amani: “I just love lacrosse so much because it’s a combination of all the sports I play, both strategically and technically. It’s similar to basketball in the strategy realm. I like how fast-paced it is because I like running and gunning and using my speed to my advantage.”

 

Coach Christina Dobson: “Amani is a tremendous athlete with a very high lacrosse IQ. She acts as the thread that intertwines the group. She understands angles and team play and does all of the little things that allow our team to function from one end of the field to the other. She is one of the most selfless players I’ve ever coached. She’s humble and the epitome of a team player. She leads by example with a contagious energy about her and seamlessly has the ability to raise the level of those around her.”

 

See some themes here? Coachability. Selflessness. High sports aptitude. High energy. Humility. Dedication to excellence.

 

“It’s a passion for everything I do and a desire to get better,” Amani said of the forces that motivate her. “There’s a lot of competition within myself to know that I can always be better.  I’ve never been one to celebrate my individual successes because I see myself as part of the team first and any contribution I can make to the team is how I value myself. And I have fun, which is good because that balance is always necessary.”

 

Amani is hardly one-dimensional.  She’s a Cum Laude inductee and the president of the Darr-Davis Investment Advisory Board. She designed the website for the Hearth Journal, the school’s online literary offering. She’s a member of the OneLove Club and serves as a peer mentor tutoring students in Spanish.

 

“Coming to Collegiate,” she said, “I was blown away by the opportunities I had. The facilities are amazing. The coaches are amazing. What’s caused me to be so successful are the coaches and teachers who have pushed me to be better. And seeing students who have gone on to be successful gave me the confidence to pursue the idea of becoming a college athlete. Coming to Collegiate was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m so excited and grateful that I had the opportunity.”

~Weldon Bradshaw