Amber-Lyn May

One More Time, With Gratitude

A fifth-year player arrives determined to make the opportunity felt.

Amber-Lyn May’s mom used to tell her to “greet the day with gratitude.”

It became more than a pleasant saying. During a difficult period with her mental health, basketball stopped feeling like the place she loved. Adversity made her want to step away. Learning to express herself, accept help, and change her perspective helped her find a way forward.

She came to understand vulnerability as a strength. Speaking honestly could open the door to support—and remind someone else they weren’t alone.

“Always express yourself,” she says.

There is something generous in the lesson. Opening up can help the person speaking receive support, but it can also help someone listening recognize a struggle they have kept to themselves. Amber-Lyn wants that possibility to remain part of her experience rather than something she leaves behind now that she has another season to play.

Her mom’s advice about gratitude offered a related way to begin again. Tomorrow could be a new day without requiring her to pretend yesterday had been easy. Changing the way she met a situation gave her something she could practice when the circumstances themselves felt harder to change.

Now entering her fifth and final year of eligibility, Amber-Lyn wants St. Mary’s to feel her gratitude through the way she works.

“They gave me the opportunity to go one more time with my last year,” she says.

She intends to leave an impact through leadership and effort, on the court and beyond it.

That is how she wants to say thank you. St. Mary’s has offered the final-year opportunity, and Amber-Lyn wants the team to feel her appreciation in what she gives it. A leadership goal becomes practical when it reaches the next practice, the next difficult game, or the way she responds to a teammate.

Her parents’ example helps set the standard. They give full effort to what they do, and she wants to carry that approach into the work available to her. She hopes to finish proud of the effort itself, with memories that include the people sharing this last collegiate season.

Basketball first arrived unexpectedly, when she made a senior team in Grade 7 without previous experience. Soccer had been her sport. Basketball began giving her a sense of peace, and the community around it helped turn that feeling into commitment.

By Grade 9 club basketball, she knew she wanted to take it seriously. The higher pace, pressure, and competitive atmosphere gave her something she wanted to keep testing herself against.

Her parents’ effort remains the model. Whatever they do, they give it everything. Amber-Lyn wants to finish her own work knowing she can be proud of the attempt.

She also comes from a family with plenty of people to remember: ten siblings, and currently eight nieces and nephews. Connection has never been a small part of her life.

Her advice to younger athletes is to enjoy the days, make memories, and stay themselves. The difficult ones can shape you, and the whole experience moves faster than you expect.

She has one more season available. Amber-Lyn plans to meet it with effort, openness, and the gratitude her mom helped her name.