This October, Aileen Maknati started her first season as head coach of the PHC women’s basketball team. She fell in love with basketball at a young age, and this love brought her beyond a passion for the sport. For Maknati, basketball brought her into a journey of faith. “I took it very seriously from early on,” Maknati said. “For most of my life, it was faith, family, and basketball.”
Aileen Maknati sped down the length of the basketball court. The familiar pound of the basketball thundered under her palm. For Maknati, this was just another day of playing summer basketball. But any observer in the stands of the arena-style court would have seen a distinctly unique situation. She was a 14-year-old girl surrounded by women almost six years her senior. Her teammates shouted at one another in Farsi, some turning to Maknati to explain drills in English. Amongst low-top shoes with laces tied around ankles, Maknati’s red and white Nike high-tops gleamed on the court. Along the bottom half of the shoes were the words “I PLAY FOR JESUS” in bold, black lettering.
Maknati grew up in Clarksburg, Maryland, with four brothers and a younger sister. Maknati first fell in love with basketball in her driveway, playing pick-up with her older brothers.
She spent countless hours playing basketball in her front yard. She played by the light on the front porch and stopped only when it became too dark to see the hoop. In fifth grade, Maknati joined her first team with Amateur Athletics Union (AAU). When she was 14, she played internationally. At the time, Maknati was spending the summer in Iran visiting family. She knew she would play in the fall for New Life Christian School, so she joined a basketball camp to keep her skills sharp. Unbeknownst to Maknati, the national team coach ran the camp.
“She happened to watch me play,” Maknati said. “And then she asked me if I wanted to join their national team.”
Maknati answered with a quick yes, despite the odds. She was younger than all the girls on the team by at least four years, and she could not speak Farsi. She often relied on her teammates for translating drills. Although AAU had prepped Maknati for a high level of play, she realized she still had a lot to learn.
Even though she played in a predominantly Muslim culture, Maknati wrote “I PLAY FOR JESUS” on her basketball shoes. One day, Maknati’s teammate noticed her waiting for a taxi outside the gym. She offered Maknati a ride. They chatted for a while in the car, then the question: “So, what is written on your shoes?”
Maknati eagerly used the opportunity to share the gospel. She sensed her teammate was grasping for answers the Muslim faith could not give.
“In our faith, we have such a peace and a sense of hope that is so beyond understanding,” Maknati said. “Our hope in Jesus is what keeps us going, and I was able to share that with her.”
“I always told myself during this period, if you feel like you’re getting to a point where ego is kicking in, set a hard rule for yourself,” Maknati said.
The rule? If she needed to, Maknati cut off all connections to recruiting calls for two weeks. She focused on keeping herself humble. But when the decision-making process arrived, Maknati felt uncertain. Schools had reached out from all over the country—how would she know which one was right? Maknati’s high school coach, current PHC men’s basketball coach Brian Roynestad, took her aside with some advice.
“Aileen,” Roynestead said. “Never forget where you came from.”
The words resonated with Maknati. She came from a small, private Christian school. She came from a gym where she knew the receptionist by name. She came from nightly pick-up games with her brothers in the driveway. Most importantly, Maknati came from strong family roots. She knew she wanted to remain close to her family. She decided to commit to Marymount University, a Division III college in Arlington, VA.
“Marymount was the door that God did not shut for me during prayer time,” Maknati said.
“Inside my heart,” Maknati said, “I knew I was a five.”
One Sunday in church, Maknati started praying during worship. Lord, she thought. Take anything from me that is a barrier between you and I. That same day, Maknati tore her ACL while playing in a game with her summer league at Marymount. She was out the whole season during her junior year. But she felt peace throughout her recovery process.
"I needed to go back to my identity in Christ,” Maknati said, “and my identity as a person.”
Maknati returned to the court for her senior year of college. She still had the same love for basketball, but the game no longer held as much power over her. Maknati finished her college basketball career knowing basketball was a sport she played, but not her identity.
“PHC offers me the opportunity to cling to two things I love: faith and basketball,” Maknati said. “But at the end of the day, it’s always bigger than basketball. And I’m thankful to coach a group of girls that really understand that.”
This article was originally published in PHC's student-run publication, The Herald.
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