I interviewed Michelle Moore, a member of the Women’s Club Basketball Team. This junior majoring in biology filled me in on the team, their accomplishments and her life as a student athlete.
What made you decide to play club basketball?
I have played basketball probably since I was 7 or 8, so it has always been a big part of my life. I played on the varsity team for three years of high school and I didn’t want to stop once I got to college. I knew I wouldn’t be playing on the varsity level, but I was looking for something a little more competitive and consistent than intramurals. I found out about club basketball at orientation and made a point to sign up at Fall Fest. Plus, playing basketball is a good way to meet people and stay in shape.
What is your favorite thing about playing this sport?
I think my favorite thing about playing basketball is that I get to play both offense and defense. I can do well at both of them, but if I’m not hitting my shots or doing my best on offense, I can still fuel my team’s performance by playing good, hard defense.
What does a typical practice look like for your team?
We practice twice a week for two hours. We usually start with two laps around the gym and then we do active stretching like lunges, high knees, bounds, butt kicks, etc. followed by free stretching. In our main season (fall semester) we have a coach at practice and after stretching we go through whatever he wants to focus on for that practice, whether that is offense, defense, plays, etc. Then we usually do a three-man weave and the umbrella drill just to warm up and take some shots. Sometimes we do special drills. The rest of the practice is spent scrimmaging, during which our coach pauses for “teaching moments.”
Tell us about some of your team’s accomplishments.
Our team participates in about four or five tournaments during the fall semester, ending with a championship tournament. We usually win at least half of our games on a tournament weekend, but in the three years that I have been on the team, we have not won the championship tournament. This year we had a very successful tournament at Virginia Tech. We went undefeated that weekend and came in first place. This season we have lost six times out of a total of 18 games so far, but only to three teams (losing to each team twice). Although we haven’t won any championships, we have had a pretty successful season.
What kind of teams do you play?
We play other college club basketball teams such as Duke, Maryland, Virginia Tech, NC State, JMU, Penn State, UNC G, Elon, Wake Forest, UVA, ECU, and a couple others. Overall, we play a pretty talented field of teams. This year Duke, Penn State and UNC G were the three teams that we lost to. They weren’t blow outs so we know that we could beat them, but they definitely challenged us and motivated us to work harder.
What is your most memorable moment playing basketball at Carolina?
It would have to be trying out for the team my freshman year and finding out that I made it. I tried out along with 40 other girls in 2009. I ran my heart out at those tryouts because I wanted to be on the team so badly. As I waited for the email with the new roster, I tried not to get my hopes up since so many people had tried out. But I saw my name on the list, which was extremely exciting! I was proud of myself for making the team and also happy to be able to continue playing my favorite sport on a real team. This moment lead to all of the other moments, good and bad, that I have had with the team for three years.
What’s your favorite thing about playing on your team?
We get along really well and enjoy hanging out with each other outside of basketball- some of us even live together. We know each other on and off the court, and knowing each person’s strengths and weaknesses helps our performance.
What else are you involved in on campus?
Other than playing club basketball, I volunteer at the hospital in the pediatric oncology clinic and am a part of the club CPALS (Carolina Pediatric Attention Love and Support), which is a really awesome organization that provides support for the children and families of the pediatric oncology clinic. I started off just volunteering in the clinic, but now I have a one-on-one pal at the cancer hospital who I hang out with anytime he has an appointment or is inpatient in the children’s hospital.
For more information on Sport Clubs, go to http://campusrec.unc.edu/sport-clubs.
