July 27, 2009
Photo Gallery
While things may have slowed down in the Lafayette athletic department during the summer months, many student-athletes remain on College Hill to pursue various academic and athletic endeavors. Lafayette College Athletics has decided to catch up with some of the student-athletes to see what they're doing for the summer and to get to know them a little better. Senior women's basketball player Amanda Leone filled us in on her summer and her goals for the upcoming year.
What are your plans for your summer at Lafayette? Are you doing an internship, working out? I am interning for the Lehigh Valley Alliance for Sustainable Communities this summer. Right now, I'm researching and studying community justice and restorative justice practices. I also took Intermediate Painting with Professor Kerns during the first half of the summer. And of course, lifting, running and working out for basketball!
What's your major and what do you like about your major? I'm a double major in Government & Law and Art, which may seem like a strange combination, but I love that I can study both at Lafayette. After graduation I plan to go to law school.
What is your role on the team? I either play the one or two guard position. My strength on the court is definitely shooting.
What is your earliest basketball memory? Lafayette basketball camp! I would go every summer, even before I was technically old enough to be a camper. I was always the smallest, and my camp t-shirts and shorts would drown me.
What can you take from your sport and incorporate into everyday life? There's too much to list! The importance of communication, teamwork, commitment, time management, work ethic - but I think the most valuable thing I've learned from basketball is what it means to make an investment.
A talent I'd like to have is... I think every female basketball player wishes she could dunk. Even if I could only do it once, it would be pretty cool.
The sport I'm worst at is... Probably golf. My dad has been trying to teach me this summer, but I definitely need work.
Something about me that others would be surprised to hear is... My coaches in junior high would have to yell at me before I would shoot the ball - I don't think I even attempted a three-pointer in a game until ninth grade.
What teammate does the funniest impression of your coach? Our coaches provide some pretty good laughs on their own. I don't think anyone's impression of Coach Murphy's dizzy bat would do her justice - it was hilarious.
What is your favorite activity outside of your sport? Spending time with friends and family. I also like to go downtown to the art building whenever I can.
What is your favorite phrase or saying? "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle: when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."
TV show I can't stop watching... Whenever I'm flipping through channels and the show Cash Cab is on, I'm hooked. I've told my friends that my dream is to be on Cash Cab.
What is the greatest thing you can learn from a loss? How to pick yourself up. No one wants to lose or fail, but how you handle adversity says a lot about your character. This past season, we struggled during league play, but our ability to regroup and bounce back led us to the finals of the Patriot League Tournament.
What do you still wish to accomplish (sports or otherwise)? A Patriot League Championship! I'm also applying to law schools this fall, so I hope that goes well!
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? That's tough...there are a lot of places I'd love to visit. Italy is at the top of the list for sure.
You have an entire day to do whatever you want. Where do you go and what do you do? Being a student-athlete means having a very regimented schedule, so I think days with no plans or commitments are the best. I probably would just relax and let the day be spontaneous.
What do you like most about Lafayette? In addition to playing Division 1 basketball, I think Lafayette has given me opportunities that I wouldn't have had at many other schools. I've interned in Washington, D.C., I was involved in the Election Broadcast, I work as a Writing Associate on campus...for a small school, there are so many great things available for students to get involved in.
What is your favorite class and why? It's hard to pick a favorite, but I really enjoyed Professor Crain's Election Broadcast class this past year. It was listed as an upper-level Economics course so I was intimidated at first, but it was an awesome project to be a part of.
Who is the most influential person in your life? My dad. I can always count on him to make great analogies between basketball and life.
Have any of your experiences at Lafayette involved traveling to NYC? If so, what for? Yes...we played Columbia away my sophomore year. I've also been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for class a number of times.
Word Association:
Lafayette: Leopards
Lafayette Athletics: Maroon Platoon
Basketball: Everything!
Early morning practices: Court workouts
Your coaches: Committed
Your teammates: My sisters
Lafayette-Lehigh rivalry: PLC rematch
Preseason: Sore legs!
Strength & Conditioning Coach(es): Hard working
Kirby Sports Center: Home
