Letters From Home: Zach Thornhill
6/18/2020
Dear Omaha,
As we continue to move forward in times of fear and uncertainty, it is important to appreciate certain aspects of life that were given to us the past few months. Although time in the gym, classroom, and with teammates was taken away for a while, I was able to spend a long period of time at home in Kansas City with my family, who I usually only see a small portion of the year.
Initially, it was hard to grasp that our daily lives were going to be isolated and changed so drastically. Once city-wide shutdowns were put in place, I changed my perspective and took each day and viewed it as a new opportunity to get better. One thing I’ve learned as an athlete who has dealt with multiple injury setbacks is to remember someone is always going through a worse struggle than yourself. When I felt bored and frustrated at home, I thought of medical personnel across the world who were putting their lives at risk every day to help those affected by the pandemic, especially my older sister Maddie who is a nurse in Kansas City. Her ambition to help patients along with so many others gave me faith we would make it through this tough time.
What I miss most about Omaha is definitely time with my teammates. Whether it be competing on the court or just being together in the locker room, this long time away has shown the appreciation I have for everyone in our program. I also miss the everyday grind of being a student-athlete. You truly don’t understand how much you enjoy it until it’s taken away so quickly and unexpectedly.
Come November, I am fully confident we will be at back at Baxter playing in front of you guys! Ever since I stepped on campus a few years ago, the support for our program has continuously grown. My teammates and I have been putting in a lot of work and will continue to do so, as we are motivated more than ever to bring a championship to Omaha.
I hope and pray everyone continues to stay safe and healthy. Thank you to all of the Maverick community for your constant support. Tough times never last, we will all get through this together!
Zach Thornhill
Guard • Junior • Lenexa, Kan.
Omaha Men's Basketball
