MyCom's High Five Monday with Neighborhood Partner Ni'Tasha Keyes

Making Mental Health an Essential Element of Athletic Fundamentals: Meet Ni’Tasha Keyes

“Success is living by your own terms and being happy with yourself. It means you are flourishing in your own lane, you are self-sufficient, and making an impact. I also think it is important to reach small goals to show improvement little-by-little.”

—Ni’Tasha Keyes

After being introduced to the game of basketball at age 4 by her Aunt Davita, Ni’Tasha Keyes embraced a love for the game that led to a Lake Erie League title and All-Ohio honorable mention as a senior at Warrensville Heights High School, and a college scholarship to continue playing the game.

Today, Keyes owns and operates Keyes 2 The Game, LLC, helping players unlock their full potential on and off the court with attention to mental well-being and mindset being just as important as basketball fundamentals. That focus comes directly from Keyes’ life experiences.

“I played basketball in high school and college and would have gone on to play longer, I think, if I had a stronger appreciation for my own mental health,” Keyes said. “I didn’t identify until I was an adult that I was dealing with mental health issues and using basketball as my outlet to put aside trauma. For a long time I found peace doing that, but it reached a point where basketball wasn’t drowning out stress and anxiety. It got so bad I started losing my hair.”

In college, Keyes’ anxiety led to conflict, bad decisions, and the loss of her love for basketball. “After college I came home and worked miscellaneous jobs. I did nothing with basketball. In 2017, I was working as a secretary at Laurel School. The parents, administration and students loved me, and I got referred to work in several departments with the youth and it circled around to basketball.” Keyes has also trained as a behavioral health specialist.

Read more about NiTasha and Her Story of Success