Kendall Bernbaum '23 Recruiting Profile

I was born in Charlotte, NC but moved to Dallas, TX to be near family which instilled in me a focus on relationships.  I am known for forming strong bonds with family, friends, teammates, teachers, coaches, and mentors and for helping others.  I tried multiple sports when I was young but fell in love with basketball from the moment I started playing and immediately focused on that.  A lot of the love was because it was through basketball that I built many of my closest relationships.

At a young age, I was diagnosed with physical developmental delays and a visual processing disorder.  Basketball was a fun way to work through some of my deficiencies, but I also required significant physical, occupational, and visual therapies.  This forced me to develop time management skills at a young age and understand the perseverance it takes to overcome obstacles. Ultimately, it strengthened many of my capabilities because things that other kids developed naturally, without practice, I developed through countless repetitions.  This increased my ability to be disciplined in training and to appreciate what I have in basketball.  Getting out on the court with a ball, whether alone in my back yard, training in the gym, or playing with my team is what I enjoy most and how I relieve stress.

I have played on teams of varying levels and have had multiple roles on my teams from being the team leader on my high school team, to being a solid role player on some top club teams, to being one of the last players off the bench on teams when playing up a couple of years (e.g., playing 17u when I was 15).  Because of this, I am comfortable in many roles and understand that roles will change over time and with changing circumstances.  This understanding helps me bring value and camaraderie to all my teams. It was especially rewarding leading my high school to its first and second ever district championships in school history with other players who had never been there before.

Academics and basketball are the two highest priorities for me in high school.  I am looking for a college experience that will allow me to emphasize academics while also playing basketball.  I want to be part of something bigger than myself and develop relationships that will last a lifetime.  I would like the opportunity to grow my role on the team and in the community over my career and ultimately leave the program and the community better than I found it.