695HOOPS WHERE IT'S ALWAYS ALL ABOUT THE GIRLS
Alexis Washington, Lady lions
I talked to one of the bright young coaches in the area, Alexis Washington of the Lady Lions, about her playing days and her coaching career as well. Alexis is best known for leading her 1992 Lady Lions to a Maryland State AAU title, but as the founder of SOLE magazine she's about to be known for even more.
695: Tell me about your playing career...
Coach: Growing up I played my first organized ball for Oliver Rec in the 7th grade after playing outside with the boys starting in 5th grade. When I got to HS I played with Freeplay Magic. I was a four-year starter at Mervo from 92-96 and about four years ago when I went back to visit the school the AD told me I was the school's girl all-time leading scorer. I went to Xavier Univ (OH) after graduation and couldn't play because of my knees so they let me work in the athletic department after my freshman year. I had surgery as a teen and it caused me to have problems with my knees. After that I managed the school gym and helped men and women from the teams workout in the late hours after study hall. I worked out with James Posey (NBA), Nicole Levandusky (WNBA) and a host of other players who went on to play pro ball overseas.
695: Freeplay sounds like it was the team to beat...
Coach: At that time Freeplay was the best program out, it was elite. I played up after my freshman year with the girls from Western & SFA. We had one chick from St. Mary's too. It was insane, I think every person on the team went D1. They were all the big-time girls from the 95 Western & the SFA squad was tough too. The Burroughs ran it with Dwayne coaching. I played with Melba Chambers, Kim Smith(Gtown), Jakia Ervin(Syracuse), Anetta Davis(Syracuse), Webb Twins (Pitt & Coppin), Danielle Jackson (Seton Hall), Tesha Tinsley (Northeastern but led the nation in scoring there her senior year), Felicia Burroughs (Neastern), Janell (Hampton), Lisa Jackson. I think that was all of us. Chanel Wirght played too before I got there .
695: How did you get into coaching and where have you coached?
Coach: I got into coaching in 2000 when I returned from school and my niece was playing for the Lady Lions. I took her to practice one day and I picked up the ball and Coach Tully saw me knocking down jumpers and asked if I'd help when I drop my niece off. I agreed and have been doing it ever since. I've coached at Institute of Notre Dame, Institute of Business and Entrepreneurship (old Walbrook) and with the Lady Lions.
695: Who is your biggest influence on your style and philosophy?
695: Who is your biggest influence on your style and philosophy?
Coach: I don't really have a big influencer of my style and philosophy, but Coach Tully has been instrumental in influencing me to continue to coach. I think my philosophy is easy but it's different with each team I have.
695: What do you do to stay sharp and improve as a coach?
695: What do you do to stay sharp and improve as a coach?
Coach: I'm a real student of the game. I go to national coaching conventions, go to college practices, talk to college and pro coaches, read, read, read and watch tons of videos.
695: How do you feel about girls basketball in the area?
Coach: I think our area is as strong, if not stronger than most other areas in the country. We've continuously put out solid college players and I don't see that ending anytime soon. The funny thing is I don't think we get the respect we deserve for the level of players we put out. We're still under the national radar despite all of the college all-conference and all-american players we've had. I think the programs in the area have done an excellent job of developing players capable of playing at the next level.
695: What do you think of MD AAU in general?
695: What do you think of MD AAU in general?
Coach: I think MD AAU is cool for what it is. It's generally a competitive tourney in the middle and elementary school levels.
695: Some teams are skipping the state AAU tournament and opting to play in college showcases only. Do you think that trend will continue?
Coach: I opted not to play AAU with my '92 team because we had no desire to go to Nationals and we could use the money for that tournament to pay for a tournament during the exposure period. With the economy the way it is right now it's about getting the most you can for the money you're spending. Some tournaments are costing over $1000 and that's a lot of money. After 15U Nationals, the large exposure tournaments draw more college coaches than 16U Nationals so it was a no-brainer for us. My job was to get the kids seen by as many college coaches as I could. It's really a matter of how you chose to spend your money and if it's not an issue for you then it's fine the teams choice as to if they want to play or not. I think the trend will continue for the teams who are more focused on college looks rather than local bragging rights. A MD AAU championship don't equal a college scholarship and I'm more interested in the latter.
695: Tell me about the magazine that you put out....
Coach: Sole Magazine is a magazine I put together with a friend of mine as a hobby. We ended up being the first magazine to put Keyshia Cole on the cover, we discovered the first Dominican male supermodel and I've interviewed Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Miguel, John Legend, talked with Diddy and a host of other celebs. We even had Mary J. Blige do a cover with us. It's a women's magazine so we cover all types of female issues but we're heavy on the music tip because I love music. Check it out at www.solemag.com
695: What advice do you give to the girls who are trying to get recruited?
Coach: First thing I tell them is have your grades right. After I couldn't play anymore my academic scholarships provided me with an almost free ride. Second thing I say is, you have to put in the work. Players don't become good from osmosis and always look to get better. Have a plan, set goals for what you want to improve on and be able to do more than one thing well. Always train and learn for the next level. If you want to be a college player practice to be a college player and make college moves, high school isn't the final level so work to be the type of player capable of playing at the next level.
695: Thanks Coach.
Coach: Thank you.
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