Born 12 weeks early, Anderson County player Faith Hyatt has overcome obstacles and looks to end her high school career in the same manner as her father.
By Bridget Chilton Wells
Aesop, the Greek storyteller, who wrote many memorable fables read during childhood, once said, “Good things come in small packages.” That is certainly evident in the life of Anderson County Lady Bearcat Faith Hyatt, a senior member of the basketball team.
Faith’s father, Bryan Hyatt, who coaches the boys’ basketball team, recalls the day Faith was born twelve weeks early, weighing in the small package of 2 pounds and 14 ounces.
“It was Saturday. I was at the gym. Ciara (his wife) called and asked me to come home because she didn’t feel well and went to Frankfort Hospital. She was in labor and was rushed to Lexington. I went home to get us some clothes. She was put on bed rest at an incline for 28 days,” he said.
According to Obstetrics and Gynecology information, the Trendelenburg position is used to elevate the patient’s feet and legs above the level of the heart in a supine position. During pregnancy, medical staff do not allow the patient to get out of bed in this position because they need to alleviate the pressure on the patient’s cervix to keep the baby from being born too early.
Faith added, “When mom started bleeding early with me, she grabbed her Bible before her phone and prayed over me, ‘She will be loved. She will be strong,’ then called the doctor.”
Watching Faith on the basketball court, one simply concedes that Ciara’s prayers were answered. Not only did Faith survive her early arrival, she inherited the strength needed to defend girls much bigger than herself.
Faith validates that having faith is important to her life now “not only because he saved me as a baby”, but also because “you need to love everyone like Jesus says – even those who come from a different walk of life.” In her own spiritual walk, Faith shares that her mother has been the greatest influence. “Mom has molded me. We always prayed before bed. She’s been strong for us. I want to be like her.”
As a senior leader on the team, Faith demonstrates her devotion to Christ. “We say the Lord’s Prayer as a team before every game. I also pray during the National Anthem for everyone to stay safe and keep in mind that every loss is a learning experience and every win is something I know we worked hard for.”
Hard work is something Coach Hyatt knows something about, too. As the original No. 55 on Glen Drury Court, he thinks his daughter and he share that competitive DNA. “We are similar in doing whatever it takes for our team to win. She’s gonna fight. She has that toughness… not gonna back down.”
While her dad has never coached Faith in basketball on the sidelines, he has worked with her on post moves and defense down low because of their similarity on the court in guarding players bigger than them. “She is playing the defense I was asked to play. Her strength (for a female) really helps her,” said Coach Hyatt.
“I am a short post trying to guard the big girls, but my strength helps me to get in there and push around with them,” Faith added.
Like many Lady Bearcats before her, Faith’s goal is to get to Rupp Arena this year by winning the regional tournament. She appreciates the culture of the program that Coach Clay Birdwhistell has established at ACHS. “Our job is to want it more than other teams. Clay says if you want it bad enough, you can take it,“ Faith said.
Coach Hyatt, who also played at Rupp when the 1997 Anderson boys’ team won the Eighth Region title, reiterated, “It would definitely be cool for her and a big deal for teammates and Clay. Our community is fortunate that we have someone (Coach Birdwhistell) that cares about girls’ basketball like he does.”
And if Faith’s goal comes true this March, Coach Hyatt and his daughter could be one of only a few parent/child combinations to ever make it to the Sweet Sixteen stage from Anderson County.
Faith understands her role on the team and credits Jacie Chesser and Paige Serafini as two former teammates to emulate. “Jacie took care of the team and lifted people up. Paige, too. They set a high standard for us and never quit. As an upperclassmen, I try to keep a positive vibe and make sure that standard stays,” she said.
Additionally, Faith takes a lot of pride in being a Lady Bearcat and a student at Anderson County High School, realizing that having high standards for herself in basketball and in life will create success. “The last name Hyatt is well-known in this community. I have a lot to live up to, which is why I have high standards,” she said.
Sharing the name Hyatt and the number 55 with her father is not the only meaningful part to Faith regarding her relationship with him. They both stated that they are similar in personalities, too. “I try to be like him,” she said. “There is no one in this world that I am closer to than my dad. I wanted to be in it (jersey no. 55). I’m supposed to be wearing it.”
And after each game, there is no one Faith would rather discuss her performance with than her dad. “We talk about everything in the game. He talks to me about how he used to play, and we look at ways for improvement. He’s always said to ‘try harder if you want to get in,’” she said.
While Coach Hyatt “always tried to tippy-toe” around the subject of basketball because he never wanted his kids to think they had to play just because of his experiences, he values those long car rides and conversations with his daughter about the game. “Faith always has to have the truth,” he said. “She can take it. I enjoy talking with her because I see her wheels turning on something I care about.”
And it is no surprise that Faith shares her father’s passion and commitment to the game, as she made her grand entrance into this world during the heart of basketball season. Regarding her legacy at Anderson County, Faith hopes that her teammates know that she will always be there for them. “I want them to be successful. I would absolutely ‘lay it all down’ for them.”
That mentality of hard work and never giving up are qualities which directly come from her Hyatt blood. “As her dad, I hope she takes away the accountability of it. Somedays you gotta go to practice even when you don’t want to. Somedays you gotta set the screen instead of scoring. People take for granted the lessons in competitive sports… learn to share and encourage people around you.” reflected Coach Hyatt. “Being a part of a good team that’s well-coached and thought of in high regards shapes you.”
As does life. For Faith, being a NICU baby, having to overcome the adversity of her beginning has shaped her future plans. She aims to attend Bluegrass Community and Technical College and then transfer to the University of Kentucky to become a neonatal nurse. “They are the ones who worked to save me,” she said.
Well, those medical staff members, her mother’s prayers, and a discerning Father in Heaven saved her because they knew, in this life … we gotta have Faith.
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