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03/15/2018 12:00 AMWhether she’s competing in basketball, track, or crew, Alyssa Parker does it all on the sports circuit at Old Saybrook High School. This winter, Alyssa used her versatile skill set to the benefit of the Rams’ girls’ basketball squad and wound up earning a couple of nice accolades in the process.
Alyssa started basketball in 5th grade and really got into the sport by playing with her friends throughout the ensuing years; she was also inspired by seeing a UConn women’s game in person.
This winter, Alyssa completed her career as a senior captain who played shooting guard on offense and small forward on defense for Old Saybrook. Leading a team that had little varsity experience entering the season, Alyssa came up big by averaging nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals per game on her way to netting All-Shoreline Conference Team Honorable Mention. She was also selected to play in the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game.
“This year was unique, and we had only about five true varsity players, but that helped me earn All-Shoreline, because I was constantly playing 32 minutes on the floor and learning from my mistakes quickly,” says Alyssa, who participates in outdoor track and crew for the Rams during a busy spring season. “I also stepped up quickly into a leadership position and realized how big my role was.”
Alyssa grew in more ways than one during her rise up the Rams’ ranks. She continued adding aspects to her game every year on her way to becoming a solid all-around player.
“I was there as a freshman on JV and just a shooter...I practiced all summer going into sophomore year and was able to be a post player since I also had a growth spurt, and so I was able to play all positions,” Alyssa says. “I was mostly JV for the first three games of junior year, but then it was evident to [Head Coach Steve Woods] I was ready for varsity, and earned a position. Throughout the fall this year, I practiced my shooting and, about halfway through the season, I had a game where I hit four 3-pointers. Coach Woods realized then that I could help the team score more by shooting. The first few times this year I went to the rim, I missed, but I practiced against some of the bigger girls on the team, and I was able to draw contact and make shots.”
Alyssa’s leadership as a captain proved just as instrumental to Old Saybrook’s JV team as it did the varsity squad. Alyssa always made sure that she made time to mentor the Rams’ up-and-coming athletes at their practices.
“I knew my role as captain would be an important one going in,” she says. “We had 18 players on JV fighting for five spots, so we started doing extra practices for JV on Saturdays. I was at each one to not only show my support for them, but also teach them what a true leader should do.”
Coach Woods says that Alyssa brought the perfect blend of athleticism and intellect to the court for Old Saybrook. Woods adds that Alyssa did everything she could to help her teammates improve.
“At 5-foot-8, Alyssa is an excellent athlete in outstanding condition and, due to her size and strength at the off-guard position, has been a real weapon for our offense this year. She goes hard to the basket and can get to the rim with both her physical talent and her intelligence. She also possesses a very good outside shot and rebounds like a post player, but can also go end line to end line with the ball, putting pressure on opponent’s defense,” Woods says. “Defensively, she has been tough on her opponent’s due to the physical talent she possesses, but also due to intelligence. Alyssa is a great teammate, because she always works to blend her talents with her teammates for team success first, and she is very close with her teammates.”
Alyssa has also played a big part in the growth of Old Saybrook crew. She’s been a member of program since day one and has helped the Rams make some waves in recent seasons.
“Crew is easily the most difficult sport. It is so physically demanding and mentally taxing,” Alyssa says. “My freshman year was the team’s first year, and we came in third at states last spring in our first varsity season, which was a huge feat.”
In reflecting upon her basketball career at Old Saybrook, Alyssa feels thankful about how the experience of competing for the Rams gave her the poise she needs to succeed as she marches forward in life.
“Through basketball, I’ve seen such a growth in my character and how I carry myself, because it’s easy to get frustrated in basketball,” Alyssa says. “This program has been so invaluable to me.”