By Heidi Sanders
Reporter
For former Kentwood High School girl’s basketball star Kylie Huerta, playing for the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters was beyond her wildest dreams.
But, after being selected by the organization on June 23, the 22-year-old Covington native has the opportunity to be a part of the elite team.
“It was all kind of out of the blue and unexpected,” she said. “It wasn’t really a dream or anything.”
Huerta said her aunt, Anne Bean, got her interested in the Globetrotters.
“She (Huerta’s aunt) said, ‘I think when you are done playing college, the Globetrotters would be awesome for you,’” said Huerta, who helped Kentwood win the Class 4A state title in 2009.
Huerta was surprised when the Globetrotters reached out to her a couple of months ago after she and her aunt contacted them.
Huerta and her parents will head to New Jersey the end of July to meet with the team and discuss a contract. The Globetrotters feature a couple of female players on their touring teams.
“There is a little tryout – just normal basketball shooting, dribbling,” the 5-foot-1 point guard said. “I don’t have to know how to do all their cool tricks. If I decide to take their offer, they will teach me all that.”
After graduating from Kentwood in 2011, Huerta played three seasons at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, before transferring to Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu to finish her collegiate career. She was named to the All-PacWest Conference first team and led the Sharks to a 25-5 record and the school’s second-ever berth in the NCAA Division II tournament. She averaged 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds and 1.4 steals per game her senior season. She shot 42 percent on 3-pointers and 86 percent on free throws.
Huerta was studying elementary education and planned to return to Hawaii Pacific in the fall to complete her degree.
“That was the plan pretty much until that (being selected by Globetrotters) all came about,” she said.
Huerta said her plans won’t be final until after she meets with the Globetrotters, but the opportunity to play with the team seems too good to pass up.
“At this point, I have only good thoughts and feelings about taking the position they are offering me,” she said. “If I had to choose at this point in time, this is a once-in-lifetime opportunity that hardly no one gets.”
The Kentwood graduate would love the chance to play basketball as a career.
“I am not ready to be done,” she said. “This could be next step up to playing basketball.”
Huerta is most excited about the opportunity to travel with the team and perform for audiences around the world.
“The Globetrotters are looked up to,” she said.
Huerta has enjoyed sharing the excitement of being drafted with her friends and family. She is the daughter of Travis and Mary Huerta and the oldest of six children.
“They are so supportive,” Huerta said of her family. “It means the world to me to have all the support. They are just as happy as I am. That really says a lot.”
Even if Huerta accepts an offer with the Globetrotters, she hopes to someday be able to pursue her dream of being an elementary school teacher.
“Having so many brothers and sisters, I love having kids around,” she said. “That is still a huge goal and dream of mine. I have always wanted to do that since I was very, very young.”
