Septembre Russell – Copy editor. The Linfield women’s basketball team finished 2-14 in Northwest Conference standings during the 2008-2009 season and was in desperate need of a point guard.
The summer before the 2009-10 season, then-head coach Robyn Stewart began to scout a talented point guard from Simpson University in Redding, Calif. It was going to be a turnaround season.
One week into the season and a month before the first game, however, junior Cianna Pringle’s season came to an unexpected end.
Pringle was slated to take over as starting point guard, an appointment she was more than suited for. Returning players were working hard to develop their respective games. Confidence in the team’s ability to improve its standings was on the rise.
Characterized by her leadership ability and propensity to work with a team, Pringle’s presence provided a promising outlook for the team’s success.
“My coach called me after talking to the athletic compliance coordinator,” she said. “He told me I didn’t have enough credits to play.”
Head coach Casey Kushiyama, who replaced Stewart pending her resignation, explained the policy to her on the phone, Pringle said.
Sports participation at Linfield requires third-year students to have 48 credits or more. For transfer students, this policy has the potential to create problems similar to Pringle’s.
“I had between 55 and 60 credits,” she said. “The school only accepted 29 of them.”
In Pringle’s eyes, she still had hope. After her initial conversation with Kushiyama, she researched the situation and came across the guidelines from the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which are different from Linfield’s. Before the predicament arose, Pringle said neither she nor Kushiyama were aware of the variance between two sets of prerequisites.
“According to NCAA, I was eligible to play,” she said. “My coach took the information to the athletic director, and that’s when he learned that there were two separate policies.”
And with that, Pringle’s season was officially over. She realized there was no escaping the ordeal.
“At the time, I felt a whole whirlwind of emotion,” Pringle said. “Had I known beforehand, I would have gone to summer school. I knew I had 29 credits, but I didn’t know that they would affect my eligibility.”
The news caught her parents off guard, too, she said. They knew how much basketball meant to their daughter; she has played the game since she was in preschool. When she broke the news to some of her teammates, it left them in shock, as well, she said.
Losing a season as a result of a technicality is a true test of character, yet Pringle said she is using her time wisely by working out and preparing for the 2010-2011 season, in which she will be eligible to play.
“I’m taking this year to polish my skills and work on the little things that will develop me into a better player,” she said.
On the court, Pringle said she considers herself a competitive and unselfish player.
“I love to give my teammates the ball and set them up so they can score,” she said. “I feel better when I know I set them up to make a good play — it’s a cause-and-effect thing; that’s how I see it.”
Watching the team will be a trial for her emotions, she said, but it will not deter her from attending every game possible.
“I’m still going to support my team,” Pringle said. “I think if the girls keep working hard, they will have a successful season.”
There is no blame to place on anyone, she said, however unfortunate it is that she cannot play this season. She said she realizes that she can actually benefit from the circumstances.
“I’m just learning to appreciate basketball a lot more now that is has been taken away from me,” Pringle said.