Faith Shelby Sanders is a senior at Herschel V. Jenkins High School, where she plays basketball and runs track for the Lady Warriors. She was homeschooled until seventh grade, which is when she joined her first basketball team. Since then she’s been recognized with multiple Most Valuable Player awards, First Team in the All Region Championships and WTOC’s Player of the week. When asked what she likes most about basketball compared to other sports Sanders says, “The intensity and the opportunities. Like if you mess up and get the ball stolen from you, you can get back down court, block it, regain control of it and everyone forgets that you just got the ball stolen from you.”
Her mother, Angela, says Sanders has always been an athlete and a quick learner. “Faith has always been very focused. So, if she has an assignment of any type, she gives it her full attention. I homeschooled her and she became very proficient in a lot of diverse areas. Because she didn’t have to be in school, I made sure she got lots of exposure to new and varied things. She learned how to ice skate, roller skate, to swim and play the drums and other instruments. She swam on a Junior Olympic team in Ohio, and was the Most Valuable Player on an all-boy baseball team. She’s a natural athlete,” says Angela Sanders.
Faith Sanders’s coach, James Burke, would agree with that. “When she came to me her freshman year, she was this skinny child with a pretty good idea about the game. I saw that she had talent quickly. I put her on as point guard but moved her to position number four where she’s been a double-double since. She’s been able to do whatever I’ve needed her to do. She’s a great rebounder and can jump higher than anyone else on the court. I’ve since moved her back to point guard where she leads the team. She also does the high jump for our track team and it’s like she flies over the bar.”
Sanders’s mother says the same thing. “She can jump so high!” she says. “She went to the state championship for track and field her freshman year in three events. She ran the 100 meter in less than twelve seconds, the 200 meter in less than 26 and when she did the high jump, she jumped 5’4”! When I see her leap really high, it’s so amazing.She just takes off. My 12-year-old, her brother, did one of his science projects on her because he said, ‘I wonder if Faith really flies when she jumps up like that.’ He did a whole experiment on basketball players jumping because she inspired him so much.”
When the 5’10” Sanders isn’t playing basketball, running track, doing schoolwork, or working at her job as a lifeguard at the Aquatics Center, she volunteers her time with local charities.
She volunteers with a homeless ministry in Forsyth Park feeding and clothing the less fortunate and also with Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run is a transformational learning program for girls between the ages of eight and 13 that teaches life skills through dynamic, conversation-based lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event.
Her mother says, “I want Faith to be a citizen of the world, to have a global interest in things. Faith understands completely that this is not just about her. This is about every youngster that comes up behind her. This is about setting the bar for other people to surpass, to help others behind her to meet and exceed what she’s doing.”
Burke also sees this quality in Sanders. “Faith is special. She’s like a daughter to me now. She teaches the young ones and tries to bring them up to her level. She’s popular and not just with the sports crowd. She could have been class president if she wanted. She is truly my most valuable player.”
Sanders has caught the attention of colleges, students and athletes, and she is gaining the appreciation that she deserves. In November, she signed a commitment with Northern Kentucky University to play basketball. She says the signing ceremony was one of the greatest highlights of her life.
“I’m pretty excited. It’s an experience I’ll never forget. There’s nothing else like it. It’s hard to explain but it was like I finally completed what I had been working so hard for,” says Sanders.
Her coach is also extremely proud of her. “It’s not very often you get to coach someone that’s so special. I expect she’ll graduate with over 1,000 scored points and over 1,000 rebounds. Some girls, in their high school careers, may score 1,000 points but 1,000 rebounds – it’s just phenomenal. When she signed with Kentucky, I was really proud of her. The whole place was packed and not just with athletes but also with students, her friends that just wanted to be there to show their support. I’m gonna miss her a lot, but hey, that’s what you work for – to send them out of here giving the world their best. Can I take any credit for it? No. The credit is all hers. I was just part of the program,” says Burke
Jersey: #11
Position: Point Guard, 3-4
Most Favorable Moment: Committing to Northern Kentucky University
Favorite thing to do when not playing a sport: eating or sleeping
Most influential person: My mother
Favorite food: Mandarin oranges
Favorite junk food: Wild Berry Pop Tarts
Favorite subject in school: Science
Player Spotlight/ Coastal Edition/ January 2013
Faith Shelby Sanders
Coach James Burke
Herschel V. Jenkins High School
Savannah, Georgia
Ruby Hilliard
Photography by: Tina Helmly Photography
High Impact
