It should come as no surprise to anyone that Alaska women can play basketball. Homer High School student and Lady Mariner Allison Horazdovsky is no exception, and this month she’ll get a chance to show off her skills to a wider audience than usual. She’s been selected to travel with the Alaska Lady Hoops, a team of talented high school players from around the state.
Homer News file photo
Allison Horazdovsky, right, drives past a defender at a Mariner game this season. She will travel with the Alaska Lady Hoops this summer.
|
Horazdovsky said she got her start in basketball in the sixth grade, playing “bump” during recess at the Community Christian School. CCS coach Sid Wolford provided encouragement.
“I loved it right away,” she said.
Now 17, Horazdovsky loves the sport as much as ever. But as a high school junior, she has another reason to focus on basketball.
“It’s something I can use to get a free college education, I hope,” she said.
For high school players in Alaska, it can be tough to get the same attention from schools that their peers in the Lower 48 receive. Colleges rely on recruiters to seek out promising players for their teams, and few schools send their recruiters to Alaska. Alaska Lady Hoops, a member of the Alaska Youth Basketball Association, brings the players to the recruiters, a rare opportunity.
“I’m kind of in the first run of Alaska girl basketball players traveling and getting exposure,” Horazdovsky said.
This month, two teams of eight players each will travel from Alaska to Phoenix, Ariz., for the Arizona Elite April Jam Girls’ Basketball Tournament. The event, held at Arizona State University, will feature 160 teams from around the country. Over the course of three days, each team will get a chance to play at least four games. According to the tournament Web site, more than 200 college coaches from around the United States will attend.
Horazdovsky, who was on the 2006 ALH team, said it takes a little while to get accustomed to the tournament environment.
“The competition is faster. You play at a higher level down there,” she said. “I’ll be dead sore, but I’ll get used to it.”
Besides playing in front of recruiters and coaches, ALH members have the opportunity to play with other athletes who are committed to basketball. Horazdovsky said she enjoyed the experience of meeting new people from around the state and playing against them once they returned to Alaska.
“It’s cool to see them after. They’ll probably play in college, too. ... That’s why they pay to travel. They’re all serious about basketball,” she said. “They’re lifelong friends.”
Traveling with the ALH team is not cheap; the trip to Phoenix will cost $1,500 each, and ALH will make longer trips in the summer and fall. It’s also not easy — the team might play two games per day for as long as 10 days. But for Horazdovsky, it’s worth it to pay for a good education.
“By the end of this summer I’ll know where I’m going,” she said.
Horazdovsky said though interest in professional women’s basketball has increased, it still doesn’t receive as much attention as the NBA, and most female professional players spend their careers playing overseas. She said she doesn’t currently have plans to make basketball a career, but isn’t sure yet what she wants to do.
“I’m kind of interested in interior design ... something that makes good money and that I enjoy,” she said.
To sponsor Allison Horazdovsky’s travel with ALH, call 299-0418, or send a check payable to AYBA to 205 E. Dimond Blvd., Suite 545, Anchorage, AK 99515. Please specify “Allison Horazdovsky sponsorship.”
Carolyn Norton can be reached at carolyn.norton@homernews.com.
