Tech Women’s Basketball has come to an end with a 15-10 overall record, 12-8 Ohio Valley Conference, but they did not go without a fight. They made it to the OVC tournament and lost their last game to 22-6, 17-2 OVC, UT Martin 69-56. However, obstacles like COVID-19 did not stop them from making it all the way.
This year of play marked the first time a season had been discoursed by a pandemic for these coaches and players. It did not stop them from continuing to do their work while also staying safe throughout the season.
Head Coach Kim Rosamond spoke about how important her job is to her.
“There is an old definition of coach that I love. It is kind of the way I view what I do. The old definition is a vessel used to transport really important people to their destination. That’s my job. The really important people are our players. It is my job to help them achieve and reach their goals, not as just players, but as people,” Rosamond said. “We try to recruit great people that make great players. At the end of the day, I have a job, and I am here because of these young women. It is really all about them.”
She talked about how “adaptable and incredible” the Women’s Basketball team was this year with everything that had gone on through the season.
“This was the most challenging year for all of us, not just in coaching. What we dealt with in basketball was secondary to what people were dealing with from a health standpoint, the loss of life that our country saw… however, in the scheme of what we were trying to do to have a season, it was the most challenging thing that I’ve been a part of as a coach,” Rosamond said. “The commitment, the sacrifice, I don’t believe people understand the sacrifice… students from across the country [made]. The respect I have for them, what motivated me every day, [was] them.”
Anna Jones, red-shirt junior power forward, who transferred from MTSU, spoke about her transition from MTSU to Tech during a pandemic year.
“It could not have been at a harder time, but the transition was pretty easy I would say… [We were all] sent home from COVID-19 for six months. Right when I started to get comfortable and in the flow of things, we got sent home, but the transition was easy,” Jones said. “We have a very veteran team. I came in with good, strong leadership. It was easy for me to fit into my role because I had so many people around me who knew what they were doing.”
“We actually did a really good job of handling the uncertainty of this year. No, it’s not fun getting up at 7 a.m. three times a week and getting a COVID-19 test up your nose or not knowing is our game going to make this week… are we going to practice today… but I think we did a really good job just taking it day by day. You can’t look ahead when this happens. You have to look at it one step at a time,” Jones said.
“A couple of times, I thought they could lose their mind here, but they were really calm, they were understanding, they were supportive. They did a great time getting us through it,” Jones said regarding how the coaches did with the pandemic transition.
“I would like to start off with this: I never promise it is going to be easy, but I do promise it will be worth it. I think the really cool things about sports is the life lessons. Anything in life we’re doing doesn’t come easy. You have to fight for it… Most seniors will say that freshman year was the most challenging year… There is a light at the end of the tunnel, [though],” Rosamond said regarding if someone is interested in Women’s Basketball.
As a freshman, do not give up hope in trying to get on the team. She believes that if you are working hard and determined to get in, there is a possibility for it to come true.
Jones spoke to everyone to always focus on time-management when it comes to Women’s Basketball. She wanted to let everyone know that they have to make sure to do things ahead of time. She also spoke on how important it is to keep motivation and continue to do the best possible.
For more information about Tech Women’s Basketball team, visit the website https://www.ttusports.com/sports/wbkb/index
Photo provided by Thomas Corhern
