Lady Raider wants to keep making a difference

Tiana Johnson is all about making differences, whether it’s following her dream of a career of criminal justice or setting an example for her younger L.D. Bell girls basketball teammates.

“If I can major in this field, I can get out in the real world and make a difference,” she said of her planned college major.

“I’ve been thinking about this a long time, and it just seems like the right profession for me. There’s a lot going on in the world, a lot of people need help, and this is a way I can help.”

The next step in reaching that goal is fast approaching for Johnson. She will graduate from Bell soon, saying goodbye to friends she has had for years. Though a part of her is eager to take that next step, she understands it will be tough in several ways.

“I’ve created a family with a lot of these girls, especially Lexi [Gordon],” she said. “We’ve been playing together since seventh grade. We’ve known each other since second grade.”

And there are the younger players on this year’s Bell varsity. Johnson and Gordon are the only seniors, so the team’s success depended largely on the impact they had with the youngsters.

“When your parents tell you, ‘I’ve been there and done that,’ well, now I understand what they’re saying,” Johnson said with a smile. “Just like they tell us, we tell the younger players, ‘If you’d just listen, it’d be so much easier.’ I also remember hearing those words.”

One thing Johnson learned is that the lessons never stop. Many of those lessons have to be self-taught, such as earlier this season when she admits she almost caved in to outside pressure and considered giving up basketball.

“I was tempted. I thought maybe if I quit basketball I can do these things,” she said. “But then I told myself, if you don’t finish today, your kids are going to go through what you did, and you want to be able to say you set the right example for them.”

Again, making a difference — with someone who hasn’t even yet been born.

“I was overwhelmed, but then I realized this is my family and I’d be turning my back on them,” Johnson said.

Her staying has definitely made a difference, Bell coach Brock Pembleton said.

“You learn from your mistakes instead of giving up, and now she understands why,” he said. “She gives them encouragement. When they have tough times, she’s been there and can talk to them about it.

“X’s and O’s are a big part of coaching, but if I’m doing my job right, I’m preparing these kids for life after high school. I feel good about her and I think she’s a good example of that.”

Johnson said she got the idea to enter the criminal field from watching her favorite TV show growing up. It was an ironic choice, she said, given her strict upbringing.

“My dad was real strict, and a lot of TV shows we weren’t allowed to watch. ‘Law and Order: SVU’ was one he let me watch and I fell in love with it,” she said.

“Even though I know it’s a TV show, it has a very real-life feel to it. It made me want to be like them and find criminals, help put them away.”

And now, as she prepares to put away four years of being on the Bell varsity, she’s getting nostalgic. Mostly, though, she said she is appreciative of the things being on the Lady Raiders gave her besides on-the-court success.

“Bell basketball has given me character,” she said. “I remember when I was a younger player, I didn’t know how to bite my tongue. I had to learn how to not let stuff outside basketball affect me on the court.

“It’s taught me a lot of patience. When I go off to college, I’ll be the younger player again, but hopefully all I’ve learned will make it easier for the seniors and juniors at my new school to help me transition.”

Johnson has not decided where she will go to college, though she does want to play basketball. She is also a successful high jumper in track, and said she will also do that sport given the opportunity, but her first love is basketball, and academics is the highest priority.

As a freshman she helped the Lady Raiders win district and advance to the regional finals. That, she said, is her favorite experience as a Lady Raider — so far — but there are numerous that are also high on the list.

“I remember how big the crowd got, how intense, the good energy,” she recalled from that 2014 playoff run.

“When we finally beat Trinity this year, it felt really good.”

The Lady Raiders defeated the Lady Trojans 46-42 at home on Jan. 3. Johnson had seven clutch points in that win over the state’s No. 2 team at the time.

Then she returned to thoughts of camaraderie.

“I remember us all going to Camp Carter,” she said. “That was a really good bonding experience, something I’ll never forget.”

But her greatest accomplishment? That’s simple, she said.

“Not giving up, creating a bond with people I remember my whole life,” she said.

Pembleton said the spirit that kept her battling in high school will serve her well as she heads toward her chosen profession. It will also help the team of any college coach who decides to give her a chance at the next level.

“She’s very determined. She’s a fighter, and I’d rather work with a fighter,” he said. “She’s never going to stop. Someone’s going to get a good player if they get her.”

This story was originally published February 3, 2017 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Lady Raider wants to keep making a difference."