Ep 07. Basketball in the USA, nutritional balance and life lessons

Transcript

MEGAN COMPAIN

Kia ora and welcome to the Nutrition Mission with ANZCO Foods. My name is Megan Compain and I am your host for Season 2, Beef, Lamb and Basketball. I've been playing or involved in basketball in one way or another for the past 30 years. It's been wonderful to see such a rise of young Kiwi female participation in basketball. I'm super excited to be hosting this podcast where we'll be talking to people involved in women's basketball in Aotearoa, which we hope will inspire others to get involved. Today we're talking to Tegan Graham. She's a record breaker in more ways than one. Tegan has had an exciting basketball career so far, recently playing Division I college basketball in the States. We're so excited she's joined the Tokomanawa Queens this season. And be sure to listen until the end for our buzzer beater segment, where we will do a series of quick-fire questions. So, Tegan, it's good to meet you finally and great to be here with you on behalf of ANZCO. I met you randomly in the street the other day, but longtime fan. What I've loved about this Tokomanawa Queen's team is that I'm actually getting to meet and see some of the young talent that I've been watching from afar now come home. But how have you been?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Really good, thank you. Yeah, it was kind of funny, yeah, a bit random, like bumping into you, but it was nice, it was really nice, yeah. I feel like I know you, but we've never actually met.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

I'm a little bit older than you, so I do appreciate when young people say, I know you, I know you.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

What do you mean? You're a legend in the New Zealand basketball community.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Oh, you're too kind. Speaking of legendary status in New Zealand basketball, tell us a bit about your basketball career so far. What's the journey been like for you?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

It's been a pretty special one, honestly. I've spent the last six years in the States, so that was kind of the dream when I was in high school. I always wanted to go play Division I. And so, yeah, headed out to New York first, did four years at Colgate University, and then was kind of lucky. It was, well, it was a blessing in disguise. I tore my ACL, so I got another year, an injury year, and so I graduated from Colgate and then transferred to Brigham Young University, and then got an injury and a COVID year. So I actually got my bachelor's and my master's all paid for, which I feel like pretty grateful to basketball as well. But no, I had quite a journey. I think there's definitely a lot of ups and downs in the States. You know, the competition, their intensity, it's a different level. But I ended at BYU and just had the most special time there. And yeah, it kind of propelled me to play professionally. Yeah.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Well, we have two things in common. My last season I played in the States was in Utah for the Utah Stars.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

And you have a record that still stands for Kiwis and three point percent, or three point field goals made in the game. Did you know?

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

I didn't know, well I knew that, but I didn't know about your seven for seven. I was like- Seven for seven.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I think I've still got the highest percentage.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Oh for sure.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

For percent, but yes, you beat my seven three pointers.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

I shot a lot of threes that game. Actually, that's not bad though.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

What were you, you were, if I got my research right, 10 for 17 from behind the arc.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Which is funny because I remember that game very vividly. We were playing Oklahoma. It was at Oklahoma. That's a big school too. Yeah, they were in the big 12s. It was a very intense game. We were ranked, they weren't. So it was our first loss of the season.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

So I remember that game and you poured in 30.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Yeah, I just... There's five, was it?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

No, no, just 10 threes.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Oh, nothing else. Oh, okay. No free throws?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Nothing, actually nothing.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

I shot an elbow jumper and it like bricked off the backboard. Stay behind the three. That's amazing. But I don't remember shooting 17 threes. That was a crazy thing. After the game, I was like, surely not. Like, I can't have shot that many. But, apparently. We kick off, Tauihi Basketball League. Second season kicks off, 12th of July. You're playing the Southern Hoiho. How's preparation going for that?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Really good, yeah. We haven't had a full like team to get the practice just yet, only because we've got the Tall Ferns going away and then we just got American international players. So soon that will kind of, everyone will come together, but it's going really, really well. It's a lot of fun. We've got a lot of youth in the team as well. So that's really cool just to see up and coming, you know, younger players and then other players that are about to go to the States or have just come back from the States. But yeah, good vibes. It's, I mean, it's fun to represent Tokomanawa Queens because, you know, I think our ownership, you included, they look after us really, really well. So we have, you know, a really good structure around us that, you know, making sure that we have everything we need.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

That's great. Well, Walt and Rach are absolute legends.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Yeah, they are. They really are. Yeah. They were mama and papa.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Do you feel any pressure? Obviously the Tokomanawa Queen's inaugural champions, I was lucky enough to be there on the court. I was not on the court, clearly. She was playing. Thought about it for a second, and then I went for a run. But yeah, reigning champions, it was a pretty special year. For all the reasons why even getting the league up and running and you would have been in this environment that women's basketball where it was to where we want it to be and sustain where we want it to be. That's why these things are so important. Partners like ANZCO are so important for the sustainability of the game. But yeah, reigning champions, the target's gonna be on the Queen's back. You guys feeling it or are you dressing it? You walking towards it?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Yeah, I think that it's just part of the game, right? This is a brand new league. It's super, super exciting to just keep generating that hype and that energy around it. And I think it's only going to make the league more exciting. That sort of expectation or pressure, whatever it is, is kind of one of the fun parts of being a professional athlete, right? You do this because you're competitive and you want to win and you want to play and you want to compete at these high levels. So I would just say, for me personally, I feel so lucky that I'm playing back at home. I'm originally from Wellington, so it just seems like just a dream come true and to have that sort of expectation is you know, there's gratitude in that because it means people, you know, respect us and they want us to do well and they, you know, they see us doing well. Yeah, and there is a community starting to build and a community behind the team and it's really exciting. I actually went to a Saints game the other night and there were these two little girls behind us wearing Tokomanawa Queens tops. And they had like cut them into little crop tops. Oh, gorgeous. It was so cute. Well, they didn't like the big box cut. It was probably like one of those like huge oversized ones. There was like eight year old girls that were like, I'm gonna make this mine.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Yeah, that's awesome. I'm surprised it wasn't tied up at the front. There's obviously a lot of key ingredients to success. Yeah. You know, we talk about pillars of success, there's the training, there's other things. So nutrition comes as a big part of that. How do you approach that and what are the ingredients that you have used in terms of your success on the court?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Yeah, for me, I'm the biggest foodie. So nutrition is kind of a joyous part of being an athlete. My biggest thing has always just been, I eat a lot and often. So my nutrition things have always just focused around, you know, healthy foods, you know, a lot of protein, things like that, a lot of carbs, but mine is consistency with eating, because I think as an athlete, individually different things work for different people. Well, ANZCO Foods, and we've mentioned this before, is our partner,  and a really important partner for the Tokomanawa Queens, and we're stoked to have them on board.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

What role does beef and lamb play in your personal development as a high performance player? You've talked about the balance. We talk about protein being so important, but balanced with carbs. When you think about the way you consume meat, particularly red meat, how does that fit?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

For me, I think of it in terms of protein. And I think as an athlete, the more protein you can get in your diet, the better. I had a strength and conditioning coach at BYU, his name's Steven, he's epic, and he would eat the most... like… I've never seen a person eat more red meat in my life. It was just like breakfast, like every meal. Americans love their big steaks. They do, they do. But it was, he was, and he had done a lot of research about it. So he was very, he wasn't pushy, but you know, he always let us know why he was eating things and that sort of thing. So my biggest thing with red meat, I would say, is protein. It's just, it's so important as an athlete to protect yourself too, because a big thing with protein is muscle, obviously, and it's not just for strength, it's also for protecting your knees and your shoulders and your ligaments and stuff like that. I think sometimes that's something that people, it's a key element of athletics or being an athlete that some people miss is like, there's also the protection element, right? Which is feeling your body and making sure you're strong and all that sort of stuff. So that say you go, you get hit a bit weird or something happens, your body can sustain that. Yeah, and then despite what people think, basketball is a contact sport.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Is it not considered a contact sport?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Probably, but officially still no.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

That's wild. You guys are often on the road when you're a professional athlete, and you have to maintain those good nutritional practices when you're traveling. What works for you to maintain that consistency?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Again, I would say my biggest thing is just eating a lot. Like I am constantly aware of, you know, okay, I have to eat before this training, and I have to eat after this training, and I have to make sure that two hours before I've had some sort of meal consisting of this, this, and this. So my big thing is just like, I eat often, and I love eating often.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

And do you feel like you need to prepare differently when you're traveling? Or you just, you know you have to make time, you have to be disciplined.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Yeah, it's more, I think it's more for me at least, it's a self-awareness of, okay, Tegan, how are you gonna perform your best? Okay, eating 30 minutes before something, not the case, right? Stuffing something in your mouth 10 minutes before you're about to run up and down a court, not your best. So for me, it's more just, okay, having the accountability as well to be like, I have to be good about my time management about when I eat and the sorts of things I eat.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Speaking of that, do you have any pre or post game sort of food rituals?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

No, see my thing, I am not a superstitious person at all.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Do you not put one shoe on before the other?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Never, I'm almost scared of that.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Lucky undies?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

No, I'm so scared of being superstitious because I think that- If you lose it, you might lose the undies. Well like yeah, I was watching a netball game the other day a couple weeks ago and they were talking about all their superstitions or something, they had like a little interview thing and all of them had like a lucky sports bra and I was like the anxiety I would get from like needing to wear that, it would freak me out. So I'm like very anti-superstition. I don't have any.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

You put the work in on the court. And what about off season? Is there any difference between your nutritional habits in the off season as they are during the season? When you're in that real high intensity competitive environment?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

That's actually a really great question. I would say for me, in season, I'm just much more conscious of like, if you're feeling hungry, like you almost went wrong, because like, you need to be constantly fueling yourself. And out of season, you're still training, but the intensity and the actual like load management is different. So I would say out of season, I'm a little bit more relaxed, I would say about, you know, my time management when I eat and things like that.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

And it's your time too.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Yeah, relax.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Yeah, have a little cheat meal or whatever. Every day's a cheat meal for me. What is your favorite beef and lamb recipe? If you have one. Are you a cooker? Do you cook?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I do cook. But I would say my favorite beef or lamb would probably be not something that I'd cook, it's probably something I'd buy. I love a good Indian curry.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Nice, I think I'm having that for dinner tonight. Yum. Lamb sag.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I was just gonna say, that's my go-to. I love a lamb saag. Then you don't feel guilty because you're getting the greens as well. Oh, that spinachy, oh, it's so good. Yeah, so that's probably my, I love any food.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN
Cauliflower rice?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I've never had cauliflower rice.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Yeah, you can get it in Little India.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Okay, I'll have to try that out.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Little India does cauliflower rice, and then you've no guilt. Yeah, and then you're like, I'll never stop eating then. What nutritional advice would you give to young athletes, particularly women we're talking about, because as you say, there's so many more, maybe pressures or you know, things that are going through their heads of what to do, what not to do, so many fad diets and things like that. What would you say to aspiring young athletes listening today?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

My biggest thing probably with food is like, don't overthink it. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to have a certain diet or a certain, because that's when we become really controlling and when we have control then this shame, you know, kind of dealt into that because our society wants us to look a certain way and do a certain thing with our body and image and all that sort of stuff. So my biggest thing would be just like trust yourself, have established good food patterns or what's the word - habits, but then just don't put so much pressure on yourself to have some sort of diet or some sort of, like I think nutrition is really, really important, but it can also go the other way where we start to kind of overthink it and become a little needing this, this, this, and this. If you've got your proteins, your carbs, your veggies, everything in moderation's fine. Go have that treat, go do that, go have that snack that you're like, oh, maybe, it's just like, don't overthink it. And it takes the pressure off a little bit, especially young athletes coming up. You're not playing or practicing every single day for one team, it's different. So it's like, little bit less pressure. And then mentally, you can actually enjoy the process, right? Enjoy food, enjoy training, and know that you've actually got everything in balance. Because food is such a pleasure in life. Like, food is one of those things that's just, at least for me personally, I just, I get so much pleasure from food, and I think part of that is I have a really good relationship with food. You know, I'm not, I don't restrict myself from certain things and don't, you know, as a young teenager growing up, I definitely saw a lot of people around me, especially young girls really controlled with what they could eat and what they couldn't. And there was a lot of shame involved with food. And so I think for me, the biggest thing is just that lack of control. Eat what you want to eat. And yeah, if you have bad habits, then that needs to be addressed. But as long as you have your foundational, sort of like fundamental things that you're putting in your body every day, don't shame yourself for having a good relationship with food.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Well, we definitely picked the right Queen to have on this podcast.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I do love my food!

 

MEGAN COMAPIN

We're gonna end with the buzzer beat around. I'm gonna ask you a few questions and you are gonna answer them. The first thing that comes to mind. Are you a morning person or a night person?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I'm a consistent person, so either do mornings or do nights.

 

MEGAN COMAPIN

Interesting. You're on the fence, you're a fence sitter as well.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

What does that mean?

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

You don't want to commit either way.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Yeah, true. I just like consistency. If we're gonna do mornings, we always have to do mornings. If we're gonna do nights, we always have to do nights.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Okay, favourite hobby that's not sport?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I love reading.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Oh, you are a geek.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I'm such a nerd. Proudly.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Own it. Steak: well done, medium, rare?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Oh, I do a medium rare.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Medium rare, so again, in the middle.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

In the middle, I'm a medium rare. I'm right on the fence, yep.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

What's your nickname on the team?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Other than Kiwi. Yeah, not in New Zealand this one anymore. In the States everyone would call me Teague, but back here probably Teagues. And then I have a teammate, Nina, who calls me Teigie-Weigie.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN
Teigie-Weigie. I hope someone calls me Meegie-Weigie for the last two years of my life. It's quite cute, it's endearing. Every time I hear it I go. Not when it's Steve Hanson, the All Blacks coach. That's so good. And the whole entire New Zealand rugby team like cracking up. I love that. Laughing. Hey Meegie, Meegie, shut up. You're off to a barbecue what do you take?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Probably like sausages. I love a good sausage sizzle growing up.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Beef or lamb?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I'd probably go with lamb. Yeah. Yeah, it's very kiwi.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Yeah. You can't really go wrong though, yeah. We won't talk about good sausages. What's the best part of life advice someone ever gave you? Best life advice?

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

Fail big.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Oh, explain.

 

TEGAN GRAHAM

I was going through like a self-doubt sort of era. And I had a sports psychologist at BYU, his name's Tom. He was really just my therapist. He was like, as long as you're moving in a direction, it's like fail as big and large as you can because you always wanna fail forward. So that's always stayed with me, fail big. Like risk is part of life, right? And pushing yourself is part of life. So if you're failing big, it means you're trying. It means you're moving in a direction. So I kind of love that. Cause it takes the pressure off a little bit. Yeah. Fail big. If you're going in the right direction, it doesn't matter.

 

MEGAN COMPAIN

Right. It doesn't matter. You're going forward, you're trying, right? You're putting yourself out there. That's the whole point. You're supposed to make mistakes and muck up and all that. So fail big. I love that. We've reached the final play of the first podcast of The Nutrition Mission with ANZCO Foods, season two, Beef, Lamb and Basketball. Thank you so much Tegan for joining us and thank you for tuning in to The Nutrition Mission with ANZCO Foods. If you enjoyed this podcast and wanna find out more, head to anzcofoods.com/queens. Woohoo, we got our own URL. Go queens. For more insights and news. And make sure you tune in next time. We'll be talking to Maumahara Keelan, Tokomanawa Queen's team physio, about her role in the team and the importance of nutrition for injury prevention, recovery and performance. It's time for me to bounce. I love that. Until next time.