With Veterans Day approaching on November 11, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is proud to honor and celebrate the brave men and women who serve our country. This year, the AAU connected with eleven (11) veterans who are involved with the AAU today to reflect on how their experiences in AAU sports helped shape their futures. 

Today, all of these veterans hold a significant role in AAU relations as well. Many of them are coaches, chairmen or chairwomen, officials, and event organizers for AAU today.

For this edition, we honor AAU Sullivan Award Semi-finalist, Kelsey Minato.

Growing up in Southern California, Kelsey Minato’s childhood was surrounded by basketball. From elementary to college, Minato lived to play the sport and competed in AAU Girls Basketball. Her abilities on the court saw her dream fulfilled when she committed to play college basketball with Army. In her sophomore and senior year, her team even made it to the NCAA tournaments. In 2016, Minato was a semi-finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award and ended her career with Army Basketball holding the leading spot in scoring, points per game, field goals made, and three pointers made.

After graduation, Minato commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery branch of the U.S. Army. Her inspiration for enlisting came from her great grandpa who served in World War I and her grandpa who served in World War II. Having held many roles during her tenure in the U.S. Army, Minato says the role she learned most from was being a platoon leader.

“I had the opportunity to lead 30 to 35 soldiers; it was a very rewarding experience. I learned so much about leadership and how to inspire and motivate others,” she said.

Minato expresses the importance of teamwork, whether it’s on the basketball court, or on the battlefield. She emphasized how motivating being on a team is and how it allows for a sense of community. “I really enjoy being around a group of people with different strengths, different ways of approaching things, that diversity is always a fun environment to be around,” Minato said.

She stresses that the most important part of leadership, whether it’s in sports or in the army, has always been impacting others by having a positive influence on their lives through support and encouragement.

When asked about advice for youth athletes today, Minato discussed the large pressure on young athletes, mentioning how social media today adds another layer of pressure. “Believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who believe in you too,” she encourages. “Those people want to see you succeed, and they’re going to do everything they can to help you do so.”

Being a strong example of an amateur athlete herself, Minato’s military career and athletic career are excellent examples of how being involved in youth sports can leave a lasting impact, building strong characteristics embedded within you for life.

To watch Kelsey Minato's story, click here.