When Kickapoo fans think of the name Kya Johnson, they probably think of winning.
“You have the Kickapoo lady chiefs, Kya is right there…she is the standard for our basketball program,” said Kickapoo girls basketball coach Leslie Hanchey.
The future MSU volleyball Bear helped the VolleyChiefs reach two straight final fours. Now, the senior has helped the Lady Chiefs basketball team to state for the third time in four years.
“Yes, she is a great basketball player, yes she is a great volleyball player,” Hanchey said.
But according to her coach, Kya is an even better leader.
“She’s president of [the] student body,” Hanchey said. “She does peer mentoring, so when there is conflict and kids need to talk, Kya is the one that helps them navigate that.”
She is a natural, navigating her Lady Chiefs on the court too.
“Postseason, district, each final four I have been to I keep learning experience about how to be a better leader and how to push my team,” Kya said. “But also keep my team calm.”
That is exactly what Kickapoo needed when they lost the lead to Republic in the district championship.
“You know our coaching staff we meet together in between quarters and talk about what we are going to say to the girls,” Hanchey said. “So we had met as a staff and I go over and Kya is already handling it saying everything we were saying as a staff. She was taking care of it.”
The Lady Chiefs walked away with a two-point victory, thanks largely to Kya’s message to her team.
“You mess up? It’s okay. Next ball, next point because it’s not necessarily all about you,” Kya said. “It’s about your school, it’s about who you are playing for, it’s about who you are representing and that is something I try to preach.”
Her leadership may be game-changing, but that’s not the only way Kya plays a key role for the Lady Chiefs.
“I’m in charge of rolling the speaker in,” Kya said. “We’ve got a little speaker that’s on wheels and I am in charge of bringing that on the bus., taking it off, plugging it in., finding an outlet wherever it is. And there are a few songs that we always have to listen to before we start getting going.”
It’s just another part of Kya’s winning personality, whether that’s setting up a play or a playlist.
The Lady Chiefs play in the Class 6 state semifinals on Friday.
