University of Minnesota Athletics
Meet the Gopher WBB Freshmen - Micaella Riche
9/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
This is the third profile in a series that looks at our Gopher rookies to see how they're doing. Today's freshman, Micaëlla Riché, spent her summer playing for the Canadian Junior National Team, helping it earn a bronze medal at the FIBA Americas U18 Tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo., and recently joined her teammates at the U. Riche' is a 6-2 forward from Gloucester, Ontario (Louis Riel HS).
What were your thoughts as you prepared to drive away from home and head to the Twin Cities for your first year of college?
I don't think it had kicked in yet! But I am definitely very excited and looking forward to everything coming up and hanging with the girls, meeting new people, training and games, road trips, campus life...everything! I will definitely miss my brothers and mom, my friends and life back at home. I also wonder how I'm going to react to this new lifestyle, but I like to think I'm moving on to bigger things and that this is another step in life.
What was the last thing you wanted to do before you left home for the Twin Cities?
Seeing my friends! Believe it or not, I've been really busy with work and training and they've been working a lot, too, so we haven't seen each other since prom! One last day together before our first years is going to be a lot of fun.
If you could only pack one thing for college, what would you make sure to bring with you, and why?
My laptop. With the team we get gear so I could wear that all year and the clothing/basketball side of things would be taken care of. My computer is my academic tool.
What do you think you'll miss most about home?
My younger brother. We've gotten really close this past year, and he is just such an amazing person. Having him around is always a pleasure and I'm going to miss it so much.
Do you have an iPod? If so, how many songs are on it, and what's playing on it when you're traveling, or preparing for a game?
Yes, I have an iPod that I'm quite addicted to. I don't have that many songs, just about 350, but I can say I listen to everything on it. When I'm preparing for a game I need to listen to slower songs because if I listen to pump up music I get too amped and it doesn't turn out very well. And, when I travel, I usually listen to my sleep time playlist and by the end of the first song I'm asleep.
While the other freshmen were in the Twin Cities this summer, you were competing for Canada's Junior National Team. What do you take away from that experience, and how do you think it will help to prepare you for your collegiate career?
I definitely got to see different styles of play and the top players for eight different countries, so that was very interesting and gave me a good idea of the competition out there. Also, the demands both physically and mentally along with the time we had to put in as a team for both bonding and practice is a lot more than what I'm used with the school, club or provincial teams. I find it was good preparation for this upcoming year because of the higher expectations from the coaches and teammates. It was a great challenge and undeniably an experience that will benefit me in the future.
What was it like to earn a bronze medal for Canada at that FIBA tournament? Do you have aspirations of one day playing for Canada in the Summer Olympic Games?
It was an amazing feeling and an honor to represent Canada in the tournament. At the same time, it was slightly disappointing because of the way we lost in semis - by one point, when we were leading over Brazil by 10 the whole game. That just shows how you need to play until the final buzzer and not take the game for granted. It's a building block and another step towards a higher level of competition. Playing for Canada in the Summer Olympic Games is definitely in the back of my mind and an option for me. At the moment, my energy and intentions are focused on this upcoming year with the Gophers and Worlds in Chile next summer.
Have you had a chance to meet the other freshmen in the Gophers' recruiting class, or to communicate with them at all over the summer? If so, what are your thoughts about your new classmates, or of the upperclassmen you've had a chance to meet?
I haven't met any of the freshmen yet, because our visits were differently scheduled. Although, communicating with them and getting to know each other a little was not an issue through Facebook and Skype. The upperclassmen girls I met on my visit last year were very nice and welcoming, but also genuine. We really seem to have a great group of girls and I can't wait to really get to know them better and bond as a team.
What have you heard from others about campus life and class in the United States? Do you expect it to be significantly different than your schooling in Canada?
When I visited, the older girls were telling me how much fun they had doing all sorts of things, but that it was important to stay focused on their school work and training. I don't think it's really that different than in Canada, because it's the same general idea just with different people in a different location and different competition.
How do you feel now that you're officially a Golden Gopher, and will soon be taking part in campus life?
It's unbelievable to think that I'm finally in university. I feel like I made it, but then, I think I have four years of amazing coaching and training coming up, I'm not even half way to my full potential! Relationships will be the backbone of our success and I know we will build friendships to last a lifetime. It's a really empowering thought. I couldn't have made a better decision than being a Gopher and I can't wait to get started.
