“Cabrini basketball is different from any other team I have played on,” Meghan Martin, senior basketball player, said. “On previous school teams I felt that everyone was just playing for fun, but on Cabrini everyone plays because they love the game.”
Martin has been playing basketball since she was 8-years-old.
“I started because I wanted to try every sport out while I was little,” Martin said.
She loves playing for Cabrini and especially loves that feeling she gets after a good game, when everyone has come together.
“Every one has to contribute in order to win the game,” Martin said. “It’s just a great feeling when everyone works together to accomplish winning.”
Often times athletes will find it difficult to balance all of their school work with a busy practice schedule but she has no such prob- lems. In fact, she attributes the ease of balancing everything to the fact that she plays sports.
“I have better time management,” Martin said. “I know that if I have practice later, I can’t take a nap between class, I have to do homework.”
She also really loves working. Martin attributes a lot of the team’s success to her coaches.
“KP really pushes us to be the best team we can be and is a great coach,” Martin said.
It is a good thing because her coach Kathleen Pearson also enjoys working with Martin. Pearson cannot say enough good things about Martin, from the fact that she is a leader on the team, to her passion and loyalty to her teammates, friends and family.
“Meghan is one of the hardest working players on the team,” Pearson said.
“She plays hard every time she steps on the court and sets the tempo for her teammates in practices and games,” Pearson said. “She is one of the toughest and grittiest players on the team as well. She is the type of kid who is going to play through adversity, and will run through a wall for her teammates and coaches.”
Being a senior this year is somewhat bittersweet for her. She wants to enjoy her time still playing as a Cavalier but it will also be hard to say goodbye.
“It’s hard to imagine never playing for something again,” Martin said. “Everyone says there are summer leagues but it’s not the same. When you play for your school, it’s a different feeling.”
Martin is not the only one who is sad that she is leaving Cabrini. Her teammates also do not want to see her go.
“Meg is so much fun to play with because she’s so encouraging and always has a great time when she plays,” Sabrina Hackendorn, sophomore women’s basketball player, said. “She’s a great leader on the court and I’m really going to miss playing with her next year.”
Martin has found herself a family in the athletics department and has proved herself both on and off the court. People who have worked with her are sure that she will continue to do amazing things going forward, both for the rest of her time as a Cav and in what she chooses to do for the rest of her life.
“Meghan has had to face some hardships on and off the court during her career and I am so impressed by her ability to rise above and never complain or make excuses,” Pearson said. “She has a passion and loyalty for her friends and family that aligns with the Cabrini spirit which has enabled her to thrive here.”
