Posted high on the wall at the YMCA in Youngstown, Ohio, is a simple verse from the Bible.
"Train up a child, in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6.
It's a creed that encompasses the lessons being taught within the halls of the complex, watching over as local youths gather on the basketball court, in the weight room or in the swimming pool.
But for Lady Lions guard Tyra Grant, whose career began there, those lessons have been reflected in the challenges and adversity she has faced.
With last week marking the one-year anniversary of the hire of Lady Lion head coach Coquese Washington, Grant's time at Penn State has been a regular roller coaster of emotions, but all the while she keeps positive.
From a time-consuming religious upbringing, to balancing her faith with basketball, to dealing with coaching resignations, Tyra's faith has grown leaps and bounds and is instilled in her each time she steps on the court.
Bred on Champion Street
The YMCA sits just minutes from the Grant house. Home to kids from the Youngstown area, the center is a sanctuary, a place to retreat from the everyday pressures of life. But more importantly, the YMCA was the foundation of Tyra's training. Each day after school, she would head over to be with her friends, no pressure, no schoolwork, just a chance to be a kid.
Tyra first became involved there at the age of 5, joining the center's youth basketball program. Her aunt, Wanda Grant, was the coach of the team, adding to the existing pressure of living up to the family name.
Wanda and Tyra's father, Joseph, were both instrumental in helping Tyra find her passion for basketball at the YMCA. Joseph, an All-American at Ashland College in 1976 and '77, instilled the values and skills Tyra says she still holds today.
"It was something where I felt like, I can really do this," Tyra said. "My aunt did one of those basketball camps, and my dad and I would always meet up at the YMCA. We would shoot around and talk about different kinds of defensive and ball handling skills, and just talk about things."
One frequent topic was religion. When she wasn't shooting hoops, Tyra participated in weekly Bible studies, mirroring her family's devout religious practices and charitable works.
With basketball sessions peppered in between a rigorous church schedule, Grant became ensconced in a childhood of religion, a path that helped guide her through some of the difficult decisions growing up.
But Tyra's days weren't all church and basketball, Bibles and jerseys.
Her mother, Faith Grant, worried her daughter would come home too rowdy after school, so Tyra became swooped up in a handful of after-school activities and sports. Everything from soccer to T-ball to drama club kept Tyra running at full speed each day.
But while her days on the diamond and on stage gave Tyra the chance to explore her talents, Tyra knew she was meant for the hardwood. Whether inside watching her favorite player Allen Iverson shine for the Philadelphia 76ers, or outside testing the strength of the neighborhood boys, Grant was sure she could run with anyone.
"I think I've played against more guys than females," Tyra said. "I always did that, ever since I was about 10. It's always fun because they always had that whole 'girls can't beat me' [mentality], and sometimes they would go easy on me.
"I would say, 'Don't do that, you're only hurting me. I need you to go hard against me like one of the guys,' and [when they did] I think that really helped me."
While game against neighborhood boys provided a struggle on the court, Tyra's faith also remained solid. It became clear she had two passions -- playing and praying. But as Tyra matured both on the court and off, those two passions sometimes collided, forcing her to either make a choice or mesh the two together.
Temptation 101
It should come as no surprise a person's faith is tested every day. Temptation lingers like a shadow, always just a finger's length away. For a kid making her way through high school, however, temptation can become a familiar foe, and faith, at one time solid as the ground beneath her, can suddenly seem shakier than ever.
For Tyra, her two passions of religion and basketball became even more demanding. Grant was the star of her school's basketball team, at a school where Saturday nights in the gymnasium took center stage.
No game was bigger than the match between Youngstown Ursuline -- Grant's high school -- and the Spartans of Boardman High.
Both schools' fans flocked to the game, forcing the usually vacated bleachers at the top of the gym to be slid out, raising the wall of screaming basketball fanatics even higher.
On the left side sat the Boardman fans, rowdy and ready to make sure Grant's team would not have it easy on its home court.
The home crowd sat to the right. Hundreds of raucous Fighting Irish fans, decked out in the school's green and gold colors, packed the stands.
The court separated the two student bodies, though, and that was where the real battle took place.
During the week, the gymnasium was a place for weekly worship services. Each Wednesday, students at the school would congregate in the gym, and take part in assorted masses, from Ash Wednesday to a service honoring the members inducted into the National Honor Society.
But come Saturday nights, the robes and Bibles were replaced with jerseys and clipboards. Grant's mentality had to change, from singing hymns to calling out plays.
Though there were four other players on the court for the Fighting Irish, the spotlight was on Grant -- who wore No. 23, paying homage to Michael Jordan -- and rightfully so.
During her senior season at Ursuline, Grant was a double-double machine, averaging 30.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. She led her team to a 22-5 record, and holds the school record for career points with 2,292.
She was the star, and colleges began to take notice.
The recruiting process for Grant was similar to other high school seniors aspiring to play college ball. Ill-timed phone calls, inviting emails and even personal letters sent to the Grant home were all frequent in Grant's senior year of high school. And while a number of schools tried to convince Tyra to play for them, her decision came down to three programs. Penn State, along with Rutgers and Louisville each kept Tyra's cell phone lit up, checking in with her and her family.
"If anybody were to say the recruiting process was easy, they'd be out of their mind," Tyra said. "Just knowing you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. That was me. I was like, 'Can somebody else tell them I don't wanna go there?' It was things like that I really took to heart."
When the colleges weren't running up the phenom's cell phone bill, Tyra was busy traveling on school retreats, where each senior class would take a spiritual trip before graduation. Meshing time away from hoops gave Tyra a chance to meditate and to reflect on the obstacles standing in her way.
One such hurdle was, of course, where to play basketball. Her decision as to where to play college ball, however, would come from her heart, the one tool that had guided her for 17 years.
Then one night, it was Tyra's turn to make a call. It was just past 10 p.m., as Tyra picked up the phone. On the other end was then-Penn State coach Rene Portland.
"Hey Coach," Tyra said. "I know you've been waiting for me to give you an answer, and my answer is yes."
It was the answer both Portland and Faith had been waiting for.
"It was just so emotional and such a weight off of our shoulders," Faith said. "To know that there were a lot of things that Rene believed in and I agreed with was very comforting."
Tyra was on her way to Happy Valley, a place where her basketball talent and her faith would be tested even further.
Resignation
Tyra's faith led her to Penn State, where she looked to be taken under the wing of Portland.
Portland's years in Happy Valley helped the Lady Lions establish themselves as a national power.
Big Ten titles, NCAA tournament appearances, and countless All-Americans graced Portland's time as coach, and Tyra wanted to become the next superstar under Portland's legacy.
Then in March of 2007, Tyra and the rest of the university got hit with the most shocking news in the program's history.
Rene Portland, the face of Penn State basketball since the 1980s, was resigning.
During the 2006 season, Portland had a lawsuit filed against her by former Lady Lion Jen Harris that alleged discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender and race.
Penn State found Portland in violation of its discrimination policy in April 2006 after an internal investigation, and only months after an out-of-court settlement with Harris, Portland resigned for undisclosed reasons following the 2006-07 season.
The news hit the team hard, Tyra in particular.
"I remember something just wasn't right," Tyra recalled. "I can't remember who it was, but I leaned over and whispered to someone and said, 'Is she leaving?' "
Portland had been at Penn State for 26 years. Grant, not even one. Yet it seemed almost expected, like just another roadblock set up for Tyra. Another test of faith for the girl who had endured so much already.
Washington
There was just 30 minutes until game time. Grant was pushing through her pregame ritual, using relaxation methods to send her into that "game focus." She sat in a whirlpool, with no lights or interaction of any form to break her concentration.
The only thoughts that ran through her head involved the task ahead, occasionally interrupted by the gospel sounds of Smokie Norfolk's "I Need You Now" echoing from her iPod. Grant had already finished her pregame meal, most likely steak and shrimp, her favorite comfort foods.
As she lined up at the free-throw line following player introductions and the Pride of the Lions pep band's rendition of the national anthem, Grant used the time to pray. With her hand over her heart, head slouched down and eyes closed, Grant reached down for strength for the game about to begin.
It's her faith that drives her, that gives her the energy and desire to play.
After the opening tip, though, it's all basketball. Varying facial expressions, consoling hand slaps, and celebratory chest pounds after each basket mark her swagger in the game. She's undoubtedly the most energetic member on the team, and though not yet a captain, a leader among her teammates.
Her team struggled this season, however. Penn State had its worst season in school history, losing its final 12 games, a school record, and compiling a 13-18 mark.
At times it appeared the team had lost its faith. Faith in the coaches, faith in each other and faith in itself. Slouched bodies and teary eyes were a familiar sight at postgame press conferences, but Tyra never cried. Somehow, despite all the pessimism and doubt swirling around the team, Tyra remained upbeat.
"It's always looking at the positives for her," Wanda Grant said. "Tyra was always so energetic about everything, and her faith is what has carried her her whole life, and will continue to do so in the future."
Tyra isn't sure yet whether basketball is in her future after her time in Happy Valley. Expected to be a team captain next season, Tyra will leave Penn State in 2010 with a recreation, parks and tourism management bachelor's degree and four years of basketball at one of the country's most prestigious women's programs.
But wherever she goes in her life following college, Tyra will remember where it all began. Led by her family, friends and her faith, Tyra will always look to the YMCA center in Youngstown, Ohio, where that Bible verse hangs high on the wall.
"You always have to have faith," Tyra said. "Have faith and believe. Believe in your teammates, coaches, and fans and [faith and basketball] become one."
