COVINGTON, Ga. — Family members, coaches and teammates were on hand as Lizzie Teasley signed her letter of intent to Emmanuel College to play basketball. The signing ceremony took place on April 27 inside Eastside High School’s media center. 

Teasley, who played both basketball and soccer as a Lady Eagle, said the decision to pursue a collegiate basketball career was a no-brainer. 

“I asked my mom, ‘What do I pick up in the morning? A basketball or a soccer ball?’” Teasley said. “She said, ‘A basketball.’ And I was like, ‘Right.’ The passion level is just a little bit different. I would not be miserable or mad if I played soccer, but as of right now, basketball is where I’m at.” 

The recruitment process wasn’t an easy one for Teasley, though. She stressed how many offers and opportunities never came to fruition plus the added obstacle of the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t help either. 

With the intense process, Teasley had many questions come to mind and she wondered what would be next for her. However, after one conversation with her dad, things became clear. 

“Before COVID, I had calls come from other schools and everything just kept falling through,” Teasley said. “I asked my dad, “I don’t know why it’s working out like this?’ One thing my dad told me was ‘I’ve been praying for God to make it super clear on where you’re supposed to go.’ And I think God shut all the doors that he didn’t want to go and he made Emmanuel wide open.” 

The opportunity to play college basketball was a big factor in Teasley’s decision-making process to sign with Emmanuel College. There was another reason, though, that carried a lot of weight in Teasley’s final decision. 

Teasley aspires to begin a Christian ministry during and after college, hence her planning to major in Christian ministries while a student. Specifics haven’t really come to light for Teasley yet as to what she wants to pursue in that regard, but having the opportunity to explore multiple avenues went a long way in saying “yes” to Emmanuel. 

Nevertheless, Teasley acknowledged her Eastside coaches, for both soccer and basketball, as well as her teammates as her support that has helped prepare her for the next level. 

“All of my coaches taught me that I can step up and be a leader,” Teasley said. “The coaches have taught me perseverance, too, which will prepare me for college when I’m dealing with being a freshman on an older team.”

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