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Valley high school student receiving scholarship offers after picking up basketball 6 months ago

Posted at 10:58 PM, Apr 23, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-24 01:58:13-04

For those of you who may say sports is a waste of timeArizona's own Bryanna Brady would beg to differ.

Just six months ago, the junior at Desert Edge High School in Goodyear picked up a basketball for the very first time. Today, she's guaranteed a full-paid college education.

"I'd never even touched a basketball," Brady said. "I never thought basketball would lead me to get a scholarship or anything because I was introduced to the sports so late."

Better late than never. At 6-foot-4, it's no surprise Brady had heard the same question over and overDo you play basketball?

"Anytime somebody asked me, I always said, 'No, I don't play basketball,'" she said. "But now seeing how much it can do ... I've always wanted to go to college but I didn't know how I would put myself there."

So, Brady decided to try out for the varsity team at Desert Edge High School. She made it. From there, she was invited to play for Jump Athletic, one of Arizona's elite club teams.

Then, she took it a step further. Brady contacted Reel Recruits to help her get some exposure. They put a highlight reel together -- and after one week, the video went viral.

"My dad told me, 'Your video is at 21,000 views right now,' and I was just like, 'Really?'" she said.

Shortly after, Brady was offered a full-paid scholarship from Arizona Christian University. It's expected to be the first of many, as the list of interested schools continues to grow by the day.

But most importantly, Brady is graduated a higher education -- and she'll be the first in her family to receive a college diploma.

"My parents have always told me, 'I want you to be better than me and I want you to be better than what I have done,' so making them proud is really my goal," she said.

Brady has a message for those who may be in a situation similar to the one she was in just six months ago.

"Don't be afraid to try something new. If you really wanted to do something in life, you put your mind to it you can do it. And trying something new is always a good thing."