Meet the Basket Wives: Kearstin Harrington

Today I get to introduce you to my friend, Kearstin. Kearstin and I got to know one another the way many of us Basket Wives do: through the internet. We first started talking through our Facebook group for overseas basketball wives and girlfriends. After a few private messages and realizing we had a lot in common, we started e-mailing regularly and really getting to know one another. We shares struggles, victories and prayer requests throughout the last season while I was abroad. A few weeks ago, we finally got to meet in person when her husband, Adam, helped coach a few sessions of Joe’s Crispin Basketball camp. It was like we had been friends forever. It was a joy hanging out and talking, plus it helped that our husbands and sons had so much fun together.

Kearstin blogs over at Life Out of Bounds, so check her out there as well.

How did you and your husband meet?
This isn’t your typical boy meets girl in college love story. Instead, it’s a girl has her first crush at 12 years old kind of love story. Adam was a camp counselor at a local basketball camp I had attended. I spent the entire week admiring him and telling my mom I fell in love! While running a drill, Adam had screamed my name and I fell and broke my wrist. I returned to camp the next day and Adam wrote on my cast, “To my Future Wife, Best Wishes and Good Luck – Adam Harington.” Fast forward more than a decade later and we are quickly approaching our 1-year wedding anniversary!

Where was the first place you lived internationally? Can you tell a little more about the experience?
While in college, I spent my breaks with Adam in Tel Aviv, Israel and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. The first season we spent together was in Bamberg, Germany. It was a very easy adjustment. Adam had known some people in the city before we arrived because he spent many summers training in Germany. Once we arrived we quickly discovered that there were 5 other Americans on the team that were all married/getting married. I quickly became friends with many of the wives and we had a great season getting to know each other. It also helped that we had an American base 5 minutes from our apartment to help with my pregnancy cravings!

How many years has/did you husband play(ed)?
Adam has played professionally since declaring for the NBA Draft in 2002. Our journey looks something like this (I think): Dallas Mavericks; Denver Nuggets; China, Columbus Riverdragons in Georgia; Italy; Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; Tel Aviv, Israel; Bamberg, Germany; Zagreb, Croatia; Tulsa 66ers in Oklahoma; Limoges, France and Kolobrzeg, Poland.

What cities have you lived in internationally?
I have lived in 4 different countries with Adam: Bamberg, Germany, Zagreb, Croatia, Limoges, France, Kolobrzeg, Poland.

If you had to pick a favorite international city, which one was it and why?
As you can imagine this is a tough question. There wasn’t a city I didn’t like. Of course some cities were “easier” to live in but every one of them had their qualities. If I had to pick just one I would have to say Limoges, France. I met a handful of French and American people that will always have a place in my heart. All of them made living in the city with a toddler so easy for me!

Please share one funny moment in your life as a Basket Wife.
Living in Europe has helped me learn to laugh at myself more than anything. Like the time a local gave us a fresh turkey that still had feathers on it for Thanksgiving (needless to say I walked onto the American Army Base and purchased a Butterball Turkey instead). Or the time my girlfriend and I spent the night at the hospital together sleeping on the same tiny cot; all the while I was 7 months pregnant and very big. And lastly, the time I wanted to know if a piece of meat was chicken and I started clucking only be laughed at by 3 of Adam’s teammates that I did not know where behind me.

What was the toughest struggle you encountered in your life as a Basket Wife?
The toughest struggle I still have is to trust God. He would never put us in a city, on a team or in a season of life that we couldn’t handle. I have learned that nothing is guaranteed in this profession and instead of worrying about things that are out of my control I need to pray about them.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned as a Basket Wife?
The lessons I have learned being a Basket Wife are endless. I have learned that our family of 3 can live out of 6 suitcases for 9 months and be as happy as can be. I have learned that a baby doesn’t need toys. A pot, pan and a European water bottle will provide hours of entertainment. I have learned to not take anything for granted: the Internet is a privilege that not everyone has. Most importantly I have learned to be thankful: thankful for the trainer that has left his family for 30 minutes to give my husband a massage, thankful for the team doctor who came over at mid-night because my son had a temperature, thankful for the club to provide us with an automatic car (since I still can’t drive a standard), thankful for amazing neighbors to put up with our early morning basketball games in the hallway and thankful for my husband who continues to provide for our family even though it may not always be easy.