Hayden Striking a Balance Between Basketball and Motherhood

A member of the Minnesota Lynx for the last four WNBA seasons, Hayden was traded to the L.A. Sparks earlier this winter. (David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images)

Orlando is known more for its major tourist attractions -- like Disney World and Sea World -- than for producing high-end hardwood talent. But former University of Florida star and current Los Angeles Sparks center Vanessa Hayden says hailing from O-Town has helped prepare her both for a career as a professional athlete and for a whole lot more.

FanAwards.com spoke recently with the 26-year-old Hayden, who is currently overseas in Venice, Italy, plying her trade during the WNBA offseason, to get her take on sports in her hometown, on balancing basketball and motherhood and on overcoming adversity and finding success.

FAN: So you grew up in Orlando? What was life like growing up there? Do you have siblings?

Hayden: I grew up about two miles from the Orlando Arena, or rather what's now known as Amway Arena. Orlando is a beautiful city but the part I grew up in would be classified by most people as the "inner-city," the bad part of town.

I have four other siblings but grew up with my grandmother and two brothers, and five other cousins, and about 15 different "foster children." My grandmother always opened our three-bedroom apartment up to children whose parents weren't around.

FAN: So how and when did you actually start playing basketball?

Hayden: I started to play basketball when I was 11 years old. I was at an Orlando Housing Authority event in another housing projects -- actually playing volleyball -- when a man named Steve Morton approached me and asked me if I played basketball. Before this day, I had never entertained the thought of basketball. I thought I was too "girly" for the sport. But at 11 years old and 5'10", he saw something in me I never would have seen. That is how I began this journey with basketball.

Let me say I had no knowledge of the game before then. I didn't know what a rebound was, what a block was or even how to dribble the ball. Coach Morton jokes that, back then, I couldn't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time.

FAN: Did you play other sports growing up?

Hayden: I was a cheerleader for our housing authority football team. We were called the Griffin Park Eagles. I liked volleyball but I never played it in an organized way. Only for fun.

FAN: Did your siblings play sports too?

Hayden: My youngest brother was a very good football player in the area. Unfortunately, the harsh reality of growing up downtown and the glamorization of the "street" life got to him. He is currently incarcerated for robbery. He was 16 when he was arrested in 2000 and won't be released until 2012. Other than that, my siblings really didn't have much interest in sports.

FAN: What was your favorite sport growing up?

Hayden: I was a HUGE Orlando Magic fan after I started playing basketball... I loved Shaq, Penny, Horace Grant, Nick Anderson, Brian Shaw and "3D" Dennis Scott. The first time I ever cried about a sporting event was when Nick Anderson missed those free throws (in Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals, when the Magic fell in overtime to the eventual champion Houston Rockets)... it was over after that.

FAN: What was it like to be a high school star in Orlando? What was the competition there like? Were there other good teams and other big-time players or programs?

Hayden: Orlando had -- and still does have -- great athletes in the area. I attended William R. Boone High School. I was a huge fan of Marquis Daniels (who attended Edgewater High School in Orlando) until he left for prep school. The competition (in the area) was really good. Evans High School always gave us a tough game and so did Jones High School. I idolized Andrea Gaines and Kizzie Wheeler of Jones High School. Gaines went to Clemson and I didn't hear anymore about her, but she was a great competitor in high school. These girls could play. Lake Mary High School always had a great team also. And so did Winter Park. Shaquana Wilkens played there and went on to the University of Miami. I could go on and on about the competition in the Orlando area.

FAN: When did you realize you might be able to go on to play hoops in college?

Hayden: I realized in 8th grade when I started receiving letters from universities saying that if I continued to work hard that I would go on to college to play basketball. At that point, I knew that I would play basketball at the next level. I guess you can say it was my destiny.

FAN: Tell me about your decision to go to the University of Florida?

Hayden: I went to the State Farm Classic with my AAU team in Gainesville and saw DeLisha Milton and Murriel Page playing. I knew from that moment that UF was the school for me. It's like they had this aura around them and I thought to myself, "Wow, that could be me someday." I've been a fan of DeLisha's ever since!

FAN: You majored in family, youth & community sciences at Florida. What does that mean? And is that a hint at what you'd like to do once your basketball career is over?

Hayden: My major was a specific piece in the more general field of social work. I started in sociology and changed my major my junior year. I've always been passionate about my community. I see so many youth and families in inner-city communities struggling, be it financially or socially. I am a product of that environment and I know how hard it was growing up there. Some people don't have a mom and a dad to go home to and I think that these issues are often overlooked.

When I am finished with pro ball, I plan on developing a program to help our youth and families to be more successful in life. Everyone is not going to grow up to be a pro athlete. My program will hopefully help inner-city kids fill out college applications, prepare for the SAT and ACT, give study help, help older adults with computer literacy and writing resumes to name a few pieces of it. These simple things that we sometimes take for granted can help a child go to college or help an older adult get a better job.

FAN: At what point did you think that basketball might be a viable career option for you?

Hayden: I knew when the WNBA started in 1997 that I would play professionally. I'm not saying that because I'm cocky, but I worked to go to college. And after I got to college, I thought, "Wow, this is harder than I thought it would be," but I wanted to show my young cousins and family another way.... I just always knew.

FAN: In 2004, you graduated from Florida and were drafted by the Minnesota Lynx as the 7th pick in the draft. What was it like making the transition to the Land of 10,000 Lakes?

"Zyon has brought the focus back into my life," says Hayden of her young daughter. (David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images)

Hayden: Minnesota sounded like another country to me when I first heard my named called during the draft. But the people in that state are great. It's not much different to me than Florida… except the weather in the summer is nicer in Minneapolis and the malls are better... lol... the Mall of America, in particular. Minneapolis is a big city and there was so much to do there.

FAN: You missed the 2007 season to have your baby. Was it tough missing a season in the WNBA? And how has having your girl, Zyon Brianna, changed your life?

Hayden: I don't think it was tough missing a season in the league because Zyon has made me a better person and a better athlete. In the league, there were some people who doubted my abilities. And, honestly, before having my daughter, I had gotten comfortable and extremely out of shape. Basketball wasn't the focus. But Zyon has brought the focus back into my life. Now, I want to be the best athlete I can be to show my daughter, "Look, if mommy can overcome odds, so can you." She is a blessing from God.

FAN: So do you like being a mom?

Hayden: Being a mom is my greatest accomplishment. Next to being a Christian, it is one of the things that has made me and my life just that much better. I love being a mother and wouldn't change it for the world.

FAN: You've experienced some injury troubles during your WNBA career? What injuries have you sustained and how did you overcome them?

Hayden: I actually have had minor injuries here and there (I broke both my left and right legs in college) in the WNBA. Of course, I try to take preventative measures so that I don't get injured… things like stretching, proper nutrition and ice baths after tough practices. I also regularly tape my ankles and sometimes my knees.

FAN: In the WNBA offseason, a lot of players go overseas to play. You're in Italy now and played in Spain a few seasons ago. What's it like to play over there? And what's the setup like? Do you bring Zyon and your husband there with you? Is it tough being away from home for so long?

Hayden: Playing in a foreign country is amazing. Who would have ever thought a poor black girl from the inner city of Orlando would travel the world, play basketball and get paid to do it?

Italy is my favorite country that I've visited thus far. I've played in Spain and Turkey, too, but I could play here for the rest of my career. I am constantly taking pictures and thanking God for the ability to see these things. I knew I'd play in the WNBA, but I never could have fathomed playing abroad.

The only big difference between playing in the WNBA and playing in Europe is that over here, you can be on some very unprofessional teams… teams that don't pay on time (like in Turkey) or some that don't even pay your salaries at all. Sometimes your apartment is just like living in the "hood" or the gym doesn't have heat or your coach has no idea what he is doing. That's tough. I haven't experienced those things here in Italy, though!

My daughter has traveled with me since birth and I couldn't be here without her. I'd miss her way too much or worry if she's being properly taken care of. Her father and I are divorced, but we are still great friends and he visits us here in Italy. But most of the year, he works in Gainesville, Florida, as a master welder and can't spend the entire winter here.

FAN: I've read that you hate flying and that you bring a teddy bear with you on every flight. In fact, you have a collection of over 200 teddy bears. First of all, what's up with the fear of flying? And what about the teddy bears? How and why did you start collecting them?

Hayden: Being over 30,000 feet up in the air is very uncomfortable to me. Most of the time, when I'm driving on the ground, I'm in control of the vehicle. But I can't control that plane. I like control... and the turbulence is bad. And after a very big scare in college on a private plane, I haven't been the same. And after that incident, my granny gave me a lil' teddy bear to comfort me and, for some reason, when I get nervous from the turbulence, that little guy is really helpful. Lol.

Also, when I was little, I got teddy bears growing up for every holiday and for every good grade I got in school and for my birthdays. More recently, I got into the beanie baby craze and things just got out of control. I donated most of my bears to the Goodwill when I graduated college, but I still have a huge collection. My grandmother keeps them at her house now because I am a little too old to have bears, but collecting them now is a hobby I'm taking up for Zyon.

FAN: I also hear that you love writing short stories? Where did that come from and what kinds of stories do you write? Would you mind sharing some recent topics with us?

Hayden: I've always loved reading and most people who love to read naturally love writing. It started so long ago. I'd write imaginary stories about being a princess when I was younger (yeah... I know it's probably not happening anytime soon). But now my topics are geared more toward youths and motivation. I write to encourage.

I tell "fictional" stories, but they are mostly based on my life. The last story I wrote was a story to my daughter about her birth called "the beautiful struggle." I changed the names and some of the story lines. It's pretty personal stuff. Recently, though, I've been writing about my life so that one day I can actually publish a group of my stories (that's a huge dream of mine).

I also had the opportunity to write a story called "Keep Climbing" that was published in the recently released book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inside Basketball. I was proud of that.

FAN: With the Lynx, you were very involved in the Minnesota community. In fact, that's a staple of WNBA teams in their communities. What sort of programs were you involved with?

Hayden: I think the best program I did with the Lynx was this past summer where my teammate Kristen Rasmussen and I visited a juvenile detention center and spoke with the girls there about turning the negatives in their lives into positives. I connected with the girls. I could have easily been them. People see me and see a WNBA player, but I had the same struggles they did. I like to quote Robert Frost on that one and tell them I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference in my life.

I also did Lunch Learners with inner city kids at Morton's Steak House to teach the children about table manners at restaurants. I enjoyed that.

Another one I really loved was the WNBA's Read to Achieve program. I think that reading does amazing things for your imagination and your vocabulary.

FAN: So after four seasons in Minnesota, you were traded to the Los Angeles Sparks this offseason. What are your thoughts about heading to L.A. to play with Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker?

Hayden: I'm really excited at the prospect of playing with so many great players. I get to play with the best female basketball player in the world and the heir to the throne in CP. I'm really excited and am working very hard to be the best player I can be to help the Sparks win another championship. And I also get to play with Olympian DeLisha Milton-Jones, my favorite player in the world. I'm focused and ready and willing to do whatever is asked of me.

FAN: What are your hopes for the coming season in the WNBA?

Hayden: A WNBA CHAMPIONSHIP! And, more personally, to perform to the best of my ability.

FAN: What words of wisdom do you have for young basketball players – male or female – who are interested in taking it to the next level? What do they have to do to succeed?

Hayden: I think to be the best basketball player you can be, you have to be willing to learn. Take constructive criticism from your coaches. Work your butt off and don't get discouraged by setbacks. Keep God first and live in the gym. Work on your weaknesses. And have fun...