Bailey Moody will start studying at The University of Alabama next season. The 18-year-old has had one of the fastest rises to the top of the wheelchair basketball world in recent years. She made her debut for Team USA at the World Championships in Hamburg two years ago. She has since gone on to win an U25 World Championship in Thailand last year and has been selected to represent Team USA once again at Tokyo 2020. Rollt.’s Dylan Cummings spoke with Bailey about her upcoming move to Alabama.
Why did you choose study and play at Alabama?
“I based my decision-making process on criteria that was important to me. This was; basketball, academics, proximity to home and campus life. Out of these categories, I believe The University of Alabama checked the boxes for me in the way that I needed them to. So many universities have absolutely incredible basketball programs with incredible coaches, and I would become a better player at any of them, but my college experience means more to me than just basketball.”
What made you choose Alabama over the other university programs in the States?
“I chose Alabama because I believe it is the best option for me. It has a very competitive basketball program, a brand-new adaptive sports facility, great academics with all of the classes I would like to take, is close enough for me to drive home and has many things to offer in terms of ways to get involved outside of basketball. I was impressed because the University of Alabama treats adaptive athletes with the same respect as any other able-bodied athlete on campus.”
How do you intend to fit into the team?
“I still have a lot to learn, but I believe that I can be an all-round player for the team. I can give a little bit of everything in terms of speed, strength, agility and shooting, but also simply give my all to be the best teammate I can be on and off the court.”
What does it mean to you to be able to play for Alabama next season?
“It means a great deal to me to get to play for my school again. When I gave up able-bodied sports after my amputation, I began to miss all of the school spirit that came with being the one who actually gets to compete. There is something special about playing a sport for your school and I am incredibly excited to get back to that.”
What will challenge you in the intercollegiate league?
“I think a definite challenge and blessing will be to get to practice with people again. Currently, I do most of my training on my own. Once I get started with college ball, I will need to adjust to a new way and schedule of training. However, I believe that this adjustment will be monumental for my game.”
How different do you think the intercollegiate league will be compared to the league you previously played in?
“Just getting to train with people every day instead of on my own is going to be very different. I also, with the exception of the national team, play mostly with guys, so getting to play the female game all the time is exciting to me.”
How do you think the styles of play will differ between your previous teams and Alabama?
“I have been fortunate to play for one of the most competitive junior teams in the United States. There are a wide range of ages and ability levels and the specific roles of the different classifications is not well understood in juniors. The University of Alabama has a number of international players at all classification levels and they perform at a very high level. Each player focusing on their responsibility on the court is exciting and it makes for very good basketball.”
What goals do you want to achieve at Alabama?
“I would like to not only be a successful athlete and teammate but be a successful student as well. In addition to eventually filling a leadership role on the team, I would like to get a master’s degree in psychology, so that I can pursue a career as a licensed counsellor and public speaker.”
How do you think the culture in Alabama differs from the culture in Georgia?
“I really don’t think that it does. The culture across the south-eastern United States is relatively similar.”
What will you miss the most about Georgia when you’re in Alabama?
“I will definitely miss my family back home. I have four younger siblings and we are all very close. It will be hard to not get to spend as much time with them as I am used to.”
You’ve been selected as part of Team USA for Tokyo 2020; how have you been preparing for the Paralympics?
“I feel like every aspect of my life is mentally and physically preparing me to be the best athlete, teammate, and person I can become by competition time. To be an elite athlete, my body needs to be in peak shape in order for me to perform at my best. Every day I get stronger, faster, and smarter because I am working harder than I have ever worked before in order to accomplish my goal.”
You ascended to the top of Team USA fairly quickly within the last couple of years, as a young player how has that felt personally?
“It’s an honour to get to play at this level being so young. At first it was intimidating, but my teammates have been terrific in allowing me time to learn and adjust. These women are some of the best female players in the world, and the experiences that I have had on this team have been absolutely incredible. Not only do I get to play basketball for my country, but I get to travel the world doing what I love. To get to be doing that and learning so much in the process, at just 18 years old, is amazing.”
How would you describe your style of play?
“I’m not sure that my style of play has fully developed this early in my career. I continue to focus on perfecting fundamentals, getting stronger, and raising my IQ on the court. I have discovered that speed and defence are strong aspects to my game so far, but I hope to develop my offensive game in order to be considered a complete player in the years to come.”
Has anyone specifically influenced you to play the way you do?
“My understanding of the game up until a few years ago was very basic. I was young and relatively new to the sport and had a lot to learn. I still have so much to learn. Trooper Johnson has been an amazing coach because he is incredible at teaching both fundamentals and tactics. He has spent a lot of time really helping me to understand wheelchair basketball at a higher level. I’ve also had the blessing of playing for Dave Kiley. So really, I’m pretty fortunate. As a young player, I’ve been getting basketball training from some of the best players of all time. I’ve also learned an incredible amount from my Team USA teammates. I think I’m still evolving as a player and it is going to take some time before I truly settle into what will eventually be ‘my style’ of play.”
What piece of advice has stuck with you throughout your career?
“My parents were both college athletes and they have always reminded me that these opportunities I have been given are so much bigger than basketball. There is a chance for me to build relationships, work hard, and influence people in ways that I could not have done without this platform. There’s a much bigger purpose in the responsibilities and blessings that I have been given, and through Team USA I can show people that hard work pays off and facing adversity can lead to incredible opportunities.”
If you could do a training session with three other players from anywhere in the world male or female to improve your skills, which players would you choose and why?
“This is a very difficult question to answer. There are so many athletes in the history of our sport who have made a huge impact. I don’t know how I would choose. I hope that I am able to have a long career, so I think I would enjoy training with athletes who work hard to be the best, but who have also managed to find the life balance that allows them to be a better athlete for the long-term.”
Thanks for your time Bailey!
Rollt. would like to thank Bailey Moody for the interview.
Bailey Moody Profile
Date of Birth: 16/11/2001 (aged 18)
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Started playing: 2014
USA senior debut: 2018 World Championships – Hamburg, Germany
Classification: 4.0
Disability: Single-leg amputee
Future Club: The University of Alabama, USA (starting September 2020)
Former Clubs:
_Blazesports Hawks Juniors, USA (2014-20)
_Charlotte Rollin’ Hornets Women, USA (2017-20)
Career Highlights:
_2019 U25 World Championships – Suphan Buri, Thailand – Gold (Team USA)
_2019 Parapan American Games – Lima, Peru – Silver (Team USA)
Interview: Dylan Cummings | Photo: Steffie Wunderl