Dudley High School Girls Basketball Coach Frank McNeil on the loss/death of Lakiya (KK) Rouse…KK Rouse, a former outstanding girl basketball player for the James B. Dudley Panthers…And Lakiya (KK) Rouse will always be a part of the James B. Dudley girls basketball program…..
Coach Frank McNeil:
(In this time of grief and mourning, this is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life, but here we go.)
Lakiya (KK) Rouse was one of most beautiful people I knew.
She was smart, charming, witty and special. The reason I say she was special is because she won a special place in my heart amongst all of my players.
Her commitment to excellence and dedication to hard work is what I admired the most about her. She worked hard no matter the task. She always pushed for excellence in her everyday life.
She was the epitome of what success looks like. As a player that is why she became my #24. The number 24 is a special number to me because it was the number that I wore when I played basketball and not everyone could wear this number. This number meant discipline, integrity, value and character; all of what she represented.
As the leader of my team during her time at Dudley, she became my rock. She was someone who I could always count on when times got tough. She led with a level of confidence that made others around her better. She made my program better. To be honest she made me better.
She paved the way for Panther Basketball to thrive. She gave it life. Panther Basketball could not have been what it is today without Lakiya Rouse (#24). If anyone were to ask me what Panther Basketball is, I would say, “take a look into the life of my #24 (KK) and you will see all that it entails!”
You will see, dedication, you will see passion, you will see work ethic, you will see resilience, you will see that beautiful smile and that infectious laugh that she embodied. You will see what Panther Basketball is all about. So, my heart breaks over again knowing that this beautiful soul is gone too soon.
I was not ready for this. I was not ready for my #24 to not be here to cheer us on. To be honest Panther Basketball will never be the same.
Rest easy #24! Rest easy Lakiya (KK) Rouse! Rest easy! Love Always!
With a grateful heart!
Frank R. McNeil
Head Women’s Basketball Coach
James B. Dudley High School
Panther Basketball