She started playing basketball when she was 6. “But that was just for fun, just to play a sport,” Talia Harris says. Then in fifth grade, she fell in love with basketball. “And I committed to it.”

Now a freshman at Fishers High School, she’s a leader on the basketball team. “I’m a competitor on the court,” Talia says, a point guard. “I’m a person who will make my teammates better and myself better.” And off the court, she’s a “funny, chill person.” But she’s still competitive when she plays board games with her family.

Talia’s love for basketball started when she was young – “watching my sister play AAU and in high school and college, and seeing her go through the process.” Talia’s sister, Dallas Wings Point Guard Tyasha Harris, is also an investor in SportsLync, a network for athletes, players and coaches to connect.

And although athletics runs in the Harris family, it doesn’t mean they don’t work hard at it. “Sports is in our genes,” says Talia, whose father, Bruce, played basketball and whose mother, Shannon, ran track. “But if I didn’t work hard at it, I would just be average. And I don’t want to be average. I want to be better than all the people around me, so I work hard at it.”

Talia’s future goals include being an Indiana All Star and Miss Basketball for Indiana. “To make it to the college level and professional,” she adds. “And to be better than my sister.” To get there, Talia says, she will work hard every day. “Just pushing myself to be the best I can be and never giving up.”

Talia’s motivation comes from her parents. Her mother, Shannon, says Talia “strives hard to be the best on her team. She’s a very loving person as well.”

Talia’s inspiration is her sister, Tyasha. “I’ve seen her go through the process, and where she is now is where I want to be,” Talia says. “She just inspires me to keep working hard.”

And working hard is certainly what Talia’s been doing. Her routine as an athlete includes several daily workouts and practices. And during the pandemic shelter in place periods, she would wake up at 4 a.m. to train.

Talia’s advice to girls interested in playing basketball: “Keep working hard. No matter what, you’ll face obstacles, and you just have to keep pushing forward and never give up on your dreams.”

And the Harris family always pursue their dreams. “We’re a competitive family all around,” Shannon says. An athlete herself, Shannon says watching her children pursue their dreams has been amazing. “I love watching them do what they love to do,” she says.

Shannon’s advice to athletes: “We all make mistakes, so you have to keep going. Anything you’re about to start to do that you’ve never done before, you’re going to have to practice and learn.” Making mistakes is the way to learn, she says. “You have to make a mistake to know what you need to do the next time, how to correct it.”