Rising Stars: Meet Ni’Tasha Keyes of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ni’Tasha Keyes.

Hi Ni’Tasha , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story really begins with me being a student-athlete. I had talent, I had basketball, and from the outside it may have looked like I had everything I needed to succeed. Internally, though, I struggled with confidence and mental health issues that I didn’t understand at the time. Basketball became my outlet. It was where I could escape what I was feeling and just be myself. Eventually, basketball wasn’t enough. I found myself dealing with stress and emotions I couldn’t explain, even experiencing things like losing my hair. It wasn’t until I got older that I was able to look back and understand that a lot of what I was experiencing was connected to my mental health.

Those experiences became a major part of my purpose. I knew that if I ever had the opportunity, I wanted to help young people understand themselves earlier than I did. I wanted to help them build confidence, develop healthy outlets, have positive people around them, and understand that you can be talented, gifted, athletic, smart and still be struggling internally.

The vision really started coming together while I was working as a receptionist at Laurel School. I started simply doing my job, but I naturally began building relationships with the students, families and staff. They took a liking to me, and I took a liking to the environment and the young people I was serving. One opportunity led to another. I went from working the front desk to helping with aftercare, working in food service and eventually receiving an opportunity to coach. Being around those students every day reminded me of how much I loved working with young people. More importantly, it showed me that what I had to offer them went far beyond basketball.

Keyes to the Game was established in 2018, but around 2020 the vision really began to take off. What started through basketball developed into something much bigger. It became about mentoring, mental health, social-emotional learning, education, enrichment, confidence building, after-school and summer programming, fitness, recreation and simply giving young people a safe place to grow and be themselves.

The journey has required a lot of resilience. I’ve experienced success, setbacks, disappointments, lessons and moments where I’ve had to rebuild and figure things out all over again. Through all of it, the mission has never changed. I want to give young people some of the support, understanding, confidence and positive outlets that I wish I had when I was their age.

Today, Keyes to the Game allows me to take everything I’ve experienced, both the good and the difficult, and turn it into something meaningful for the next generation. I want young people to understand that who they are mentally and emotionally matters just as much as what they can accomplish on the court, in the classroom or anywhere else in life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. One of the greatest lessons entrepreneurship and working with youth has taught me is that you have to be willing to live what you teach. I can’t constantly tell young people to be resilient, believe in themselves, make sacrifices and never give up if I’m not willing to apply those same principles to my own life.

There has been a powerful contrast throughout this journey. Professionally, I’ve watched Keyes to the Game continue to grow, expand and reach more young people. We’ve built amazing relationships, connected with incredible people and experienced opportunities that remind me that God continues to show His favor over this journey and mission. At the same time, personally, these last few years have been some of the most challenging of my life. I’ve experienced life-changing deaths, car accidents, surgeries, physical setbacks and a lot of personal loss and purging. There have been seasons where it felt like so much was being removed from my life personally while so much was being added to the mission.

Through all of that, I’ve continued to grow right alongside the organization. Resilience, sacrifice, faith and perseverance are no longer just things I talk about with young people. They are principles I’ve had to live. Life is still life, and there will always be ups and downs, but through every season, the mission has remained the same: Work Hard. Believe in Yourself. Have Fun.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What I do is much bigger than sports. Through Keyes to the Game, I specialize in youth development, mentoring, social-emotional learning, mental health support, confidence building, enrichment and recreational programming. We use things young people naturally connect with, including basketball, fitness, games and other activities, as tools to build relationships and create opportunities to teach life skills.

What sets us apart is our ability to meet young people where they are. We understand that every child is different. Some kids need structure. Some need confidence. Some need an outlet. Some simply need somebody they trust who will listen to them, hold them accountable and consistently show up. We create an environment where young people can learn, have fun, be active and receive support without feeling like everything has to be a traditional classroom or counseling setting.

I am most proud of the relationships we have built with our youth and families. I have watched young people come into our programs shy, angry, unsure of themselves or struggling to communicate and eventually begin opening up, developing confidence, making better decisions and discovering things they are good at. Those moments mean more to me than numbers or recognition because that is the real work.

I’m also proud of how Keyes to the Game has grown. What began with basketball has expanded into after-school programs, summer programming, behavioral health services, school and community-based programming, educational enrichment, mentoring, field trips, career exposure and experiences that allow young people to see possibilities beyond what they encounter every day.

I believe another thing that sets us apart is that this work is personal to me. I’m not teaching young people from a textbook about challenges I’ve never experienced. I understand what it feels like to have talent and potential while still struggling internally. That allows me to connect with young people from a place of experience, compassion and understanding while still holding them accountable and pushing them toward their potential.

At the end of the day, we’re not trying to create only better athletes. We’re working to develop confident, emotionally healthy and prepared young people who believe in themselves and understand that their circumstances do not determine their future. That is what I want Keyes to the Game to always be known for

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’ve been a risk-taker my entire life. I’ve always been willing to go against the grain, trust my instincts and create my own path. I truly believe there is no reward without risk. At this point, I don’t even know what life looks like without taking risks because it has always been a part of who I am.

Growing up, I was able to see life from different perspectives. I saw people work traditional nine-to-five jobs and build stable lives, but I also watched entrepreneurs and people who were willing to bet on themselves. I watched people leave jobs, start businesses, struggle, figure things out and eventually turn something they created into their livelihood. I saw people create opportunities when there seemingly weren’t any. That taught me early that there isn’t just one way to build a successful life.

I also believe there are levels to risk-taking. There is a difference between taking a calculated risk and simply moving blindly. A calculated risk may still be scary and there are never guarantees, but you’ve done your homework. You’ve researched, studied your competitors, asked questions, looked at the numbers and educated yourself enough to make an informed decision. I believe in faith, but I also believe faith and preparation can exist in the same room.

Building Keyes to the Game has required me to invest my own time, money, energy and resources into something that initially existed as a vision. Some things worked exactly how I imagined and plenty didn’t. I’ve lost opportunities, gained better ones, made mistakes, started over and learned along the way. Some of my greatest opportunities came because I was willing to say yes before I had every detail figured out, then do the research, build the relationships and put in the work to make it happen.

Risk-taking is embedded in my DNA. It’s how I was raised and part of who I am. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned that courage and due diligence should go hand in hand. I would rather take a calculated chance, learn from it and grow than spend my life wondering what would have happened if I had tried.

And I know I’m nowhere near finished taking risks. I have a lot more in store.

Pricing:

• School & Community Programs: Custom pricing based on program length, frequency and number of participants.
• After-School & Youth Enrichment Programs: Pricing varies based on programming needs, staffing and services provided.
• Basketball Training, Camps & Clinics: Individual and group rates available.
• Custom packages available for schools, organizations and community partners.
• Sponsorships, community partnerships and customized programming opportunities available.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.keyes2thegamellc.com
• Instagram: Keyestothegame_
• Other: https://Hurdfoundation.org