Athletics: Liz Wood maximizes the student-athlete experience
Transcript
Liz Wood:
I was kind of born into it. My mom’s side of the family is a huge basketball family. Everyone played at least all the way through high school. As soon as I was old enough to pick up a basketball, my mom was out there with me. She was actually my first coach.
Becoming a DI athlete probably became a goal for me in middle school. I realized that money doesn’t grow on trees, and the fact that I could get a scholarship and pay for my entire undergrad was really appealing to me. I had been around basketball long enough to realize that I had the talent, so I just really started working hard for it.
I chose UMaine for a couple of different reasons. Obviously at first, when I thought of Maine, I thought it was pretty far away from Virginia. I wasn’t sure, but then when I came on my visit and I talked to Coach Barron and the staff, I really loved the vision they had for me and the program. I really thought that I could make a difference here.
The community was ripe for it. They were ready for women’s basketball to make a comeback, and I think we have. I love the people, I love the campus. Maine’s a beautiful state. Being here at UMaine, I definitely think the Honors College was a big part of my experience here. It definitely opened my eyes to things I had never thought of before.
It was different type of a class style than I was used to, being a science-minded person. I was reading a lot of original texts, books I would never have opened, but I love now. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read them and discuss them with people who really think deeply about things that matter.
Being a student-athlete, it’s shaped me for the rest of my life. I think all student-athletes are really lucky, because the things people struggle with when they go into the professional world, student-athletes already know. Things like time management, communication, leadership skills, all of those things are ingrained in student-athletes, because we have to use them every day. I think it set me up for a really good future.
Living in the moment used to be pretty hard for me. I always have a thousand things running through my head. I think Coach Barron has really done a good job of stressing that for us this year, especially playing — just play in the moment, be in the moment. Don’t think about the next play. Don’t think about the last play. I’ve tried to take that to my life, too. Don’t think about all the things you have to do. Don’t think about whatever happened that day. Just try to be in the moment with people you’re with. Be in the room that you’re in.
I think the one word that describes us is family. We always have each others’ back. It hasn’t always been easy. We’re not best friends all the time, but I think that at the end of the day, we’re a family. We care about each other so much, and if we’re hard on each other, we know it’s because we expect a lot out of each other. I think that makes us even closer. This is a team chemistry I’ve never had.
I’m not really sure when exactly I decided I wanted to be a doctor. It’s definitely been in my head for a long time. I think what really sealed the deal for me is I got to shadow in high school, and I picked an orthopedic surgeon. I also got to see an open heart surgery in high school.
Some people are kind of squeamish, but I was locked in the whole three hours of the surgery. I was fascinated. As an athlete, the human body’s always fascinated me. Getting to learn about how it works, and when it doesn’t work, and how I can fix that has been really fun.
I try not to think too far ahead right now. Obviously, you have to be planning. I want to get into med school. I want to become a doctor. I’m not sure what kind of physician yet exactly, but my goal is, I just want to do something that I love and be good at it.
Whatever type of doctor that is, I want to be happy, but I want to be competitive. I’m a competitor as an athlete, and whatever I go into, I want to be the best at what I do. Once I find that thing, I’m just going to put my nose down and grind like I know how.