I actually played soccer until 2005. One of the girls I took dance lessons with, as a kid - coached soccer at the Junior High and Raquel tried out for the team. Raquel made the team and the coach and I got reacquainted. She told me she was on a woman’s soccer team and they were always looking for players – so, I went down to play with them. It was an hour on Sunday’s and we played in East Islip, West Babylon and Stony Brook. It was a lot of fun.
It was a 26 and over league – at the time I was in my late 30’s. Just like growing up, I played goalie for the woman’s team. We had a pretty good team and won our division the first year I played. We got a nice duffel bag for our achievement.
How the woman’s league was set up, the top team from our division would move into the higher division and the last place team from the higher division would move down to the lower division. So, we were required to move up to the top division. Of course the top division had a younger, more competitive crowd – making for some interesting games at that level.
I remember one game… in our new division – I came out to make a diving save, cradled the ball in my arms (near my head) and got KICKED in the elbow - inches from my face (leaving a softball sized lump/bruise). I got up (pissed) screaming at the idiot that kicked me – “WE’RE PLAYING FOR A FUCKING BAG!" and continued ranting – "I GOTTA GO TO WORK TOMORROW!”
When I would go to work on Monday mornings (hobbling & bruised), Mike would say “did yous win, at least?”
We didn’t come in first in that division. We finished with a commendable middle of the pack record. No bag though.
Raquel came to all my games and supported me. She played soccer with the school until her freshman year. She was pretty good for it not being her primary sport. I never “pushed” soccer on her because I wanted her to be her own person and pursue what she loved, not what I loved (although I did use some parental influence when she played softball – only because she had the potential to be a great softball player).
After Raquel’s freshman year, she dedicated herself exclusively to basketball.
After Raquel’s freshman year, she dedicated herself exclusively to basketball.
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I never liked basketball. When I was a kid – I tried to play, but after the first time my finger got jammed trying to catch a pass… that’s all I needed to know that it wasn’t for me!
I never liked basketball. When I was a kid – I tried to play, but after the first time my finger got jammed trying to catch a pass… that’s all I needed to know that it wasn’t for me!
Aboy put a basketball in Raquel’s hands when she was in the 4th grade. It was fitting that Raquel would be a good athlete because Aboy and I were both athletic and her brothers and sister played sports and were active too. She was always a tom-boy too and tough was in her blood.
She played with boys until she made the Bay Shore Varsity team in 7th grade. She was not a phenomenal player – but she was a tough, hard worker and her game improved by playing with the older, more experienced girls. She was cold from the 3 point line, her coach at the time chalked it up to her youthfulness and being unaware of the magnitude her shot would have on the outcome of the game.
I remember sneaking to watch the end of a practice and he saw me standing outside the door. When he came into the hallway he told me “I have to tell you, we are very impressed with Raquel. She is getting stronger and learning so much – but, she plays around a lot!”
When Raquel made Varsity, she was 5’1” tall. She weighed almost 100 pounds. She played with boys for so long, when she took a charge – she covered her nuts (not her boobs – because she didn’t have any). Most importantly – she was twelve. She was playing with and against girls that were 5 and 6 years older than her.
So, when the coach said to me “she plays around a lot”… all I could say was – “She’s 12! That’s what 12 year olds do!” For the life of me I don’t know why he couldn’t comprehend that as basketball smart as she was – she was still watching Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel (which, BTW at 20… she still does).
By Raquel’s freshman year – she was a part of a group that got Bay Shore to the play-offs, 2 years in a row; an accomplishment that Bay Shore hadn’t seen in over a decade. She had fire, she understood the game and she was determined. She was a defensive animal and received “the terminator” award for Defensive MVP by her coach.
The only thing about playing for Bay Shore - it frustrated Raquel when girls would miss practice because their primary sport was softball or volleyball and they didn’t take the commitment seriously.
The only thing about playing for Bay Shore - it frustrated Raquel when girls would miss practice because their primary sport was softball or volleyball and they didn’t take the commitment seriously.
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Raquel’s sophomore year (2006), she accepted a scholarship to play at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia (a boarding school). Oak Hill was a known national basketball program for boys – they’d produced names in the NBA like Jerry Stackhouse (Bucks), Carmelo Anthony (Knicks), Brandon Jennings (Bucks), and Rajon Rondo (Celtics) – but they were making a commitment to the girl’s side to have them nationally recognized as well. They played a national schedule against some of the neighboring state’s top teams. It was a no-brainer for her to make the decision.
Raquel’s sophomore year (2006), she accepted a scholarship to play at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia (a boarding school). Oak Hill was a known national basketball program for boys – they’d produced names in the NBA like Jerry Stackhouse (Bucks), Carmelo Anthony (Knicks), Brandon Jennings (Bucks), and Rajon Rondo (Celtics) – but they were making a commitment to the girl’s side to have them nationally recognized as well. They played a national schedule against some of the neighboring state’s top teams. It was a no-brainer for her to make the decision.
She really excelled at Oak Hill. She was the youngest player on the team and it only took her a few games to break into the starting line-up. She helped them win their first National Championship. Not to mention her GPA went up astonishingly – making the honor roll and ranked in the top 5 in her class.
Playing for Oak Hill did wonders for her college recruitment, too. I remember one game she played in (she's #21 in white), there were 40+ college coaches around the court. After that she received letters of interest from programs like Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, and James Madison. Her hard work and commitment really catapulted her to the next level.
Playing for Oak Hill did wonders for her college recruitment, too. I remember one game she played in (she's #21 in white), there were 40+ college coaches around the court. After that she received letters of interest from programs like Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, and James Madison. Her hard work and commitment really catapulted her to the next level.
This picture was taken at the 2007 US Junior Nationals. Her team won the 15 & under Championship
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Aboy and I were separated at the time and since Raquel was the baby and the older ones were pursuing their own lives, I left New York to follow her. Oak Hill was located (literally) in the middle of no-where in Virginia. It’s in the corner of the map where Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia come together – in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The nearest grocery store and gas station was 13 miles away… the nearest Walmart was 25 miles. The only way to get cell phone service was through roaming.
When I looked for a place to live, I went on my Sprint map and found the biggest splotch of green and began my house hunt in that area – knowing at least there were some signs of civilization there. I found a house in Mount Airy, NC (Mayberry). I was about an hour from Raquel’s school and made almost every game they played. I drove to Tennessee, Northern Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina… plus my countless trips to Oak Hill to bring her snacks and supplies. I wasn’t finished watching my baby play.
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Here we are in 2012 and I am still watching my baby play.
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Here we are in 2012 and I am still watching my baby play.
When Raquel took the scholarship to play college ball in Texas, Aboy and I told her we would follow her - to support her. In August of 2009, after her first summer session, we were packed and moved to Texas. Let me tell ya, it’s been a helluva journey!
So, just like we’ve done on many (many) occasions, we’re packing a bag to follow her to watch her play. She has a game in San Antonio tomorrow (about 5 hours away) and we’ll be there – supporting our baby.
And, not for nothing – if she decides to play overseas… we may have to learn a foreign language – cause we’re going there too!
I’ve really learned to love basketball!