Written and interviewed by Matt Queen.
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine— Matthew Kenna is a Southern Maine Community College’s (SMCC) male student-athlete spotlight of January. At six feet, four inches tall, Kenna is a small forward/power forward on the men’s basketball team who thrives on keeping the team energized at all times in practice and on game days. Kenna also takes pride in helping his teammates perform at their highest level. “Sometimes the team might be lacking that confidence boost, so making sure I bring it every day and having them feed off of me is something I enjoy to do.”
Kenna, entering his sophomore year in the sports management field, is enjoying his time here at SMCC and plans to pursue his education afterwards. I asked him of his plans after graduation—he remains undecided but knows he wants to continue his education in pursue of one day becoming a sports agent. “Understanding the business side of sports, knowing the players and their goals, and helping them succeed is something I want to do.”
At 21 years of age, Matthew is from Titusville, Florida and with over 14 years of experience playing basketball, his father has been one of his biggest supporters every step of the way. “When I was little, he used to get me out of the house and make sure I was always staying active. That motivation sticks with me today.” Kenna has a love and passion for the game, “I like it because you’re never perfect and there’s always room to improve.”
When asked about his role as a SeaWolf, he told me everyone’s is a little different in their own way. “Energy is what I thrive on. When the five on the floor don’t have it, I pride myself on being that guy. Lifting people up is such an important element of the game.” Kenna thinks of his teammates as family, and he’s sort of the jokester of the team. He loves doing goofy things that will let his teammates know sometimes there’s more to life than just the game—that sort of relieves the pressure on everyone.
I asked Matthew about something he felt was important for me to include in this piece, and he mentioned that when he graduated high school he weighed 295 pounds. During that time, he lost an astonishing 90 pounds. “It was a struggle, but the constant work and effort I put in motivated me to go harder and that’s where I am today.” He continues to stay fit and mentioned during pre-season, there’s always work to be put in which includes running the beach, the hills, and outside the gym. In his free time, he also does weight lifting and cardio. Kenna is someone who believes there’s always something you can be doing to improve yourself not only an athlete but to be a better human being.
Finally, Matthew spoke about people he looks up too and strives to emulate. The first person he mentioned was Kobe Bryant, a five time NBA champion and former Los Angeles Lakers legend. Kenna went on to speak volumes of Kobe’s work ethic and how he conditions and treats his body. He spoke about the injuries he dealt with as his career progressed and how he came back to be a better version of himself. “I love to watch Kobe videos for hours on end, even sometimes before I go to bed. Kobe’s one of the best to ever do it.”
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