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Richard Revitalizes Her Game as Paint Presence for Hand Girls’ Hoops

For Abbey Richard, she certainly loves the grind of the physical nature of basketball while banging on the glass for boards. Still, she appreciates additional offensive facets of the sport, and has emerged as a versatile scorer on the outside, while being a force in the paint.

The Hand girls’ basketball team senior center tried almost every sport under the sun growing up, including lacrosse, soccer, softball, gymnastics, and dance. But in second grade, her mother signed her up for hoops, and Abbey was hooked from there. This winter, she has helped lead the Tigers back to the SCC and state tournaments with an eight-win regular season. She is leading the Tigers in points (11.5), rebounds (8.5), and blocks (1.2) per game.

“I love the tempo of the game; it is fast-paced but also strategic. It is a physical sport but also mental. You are always thinking about the next play. I also love the physicality of it,” says Abbey. “I have improved a lot offensively, and I am more comfortable with my game. Before, I would not want to shoot after I missed a shot. Now, I have more confidence, which has helped my aggressiveness on offense. I try to play smart and just take it from there. I keep working on improving my outside shot, too, with trying to improve my consistency and form.”

Quite often under the basket, there are a sea of hands flowing freely on every play. And while they may elicit a ref’s whistle unfavorable to Abbey, it still does not decrease her determination to move full throttle to the hole.

“It can get physical as a center. There is a lot going on down there, and so you may or may not get a call you want because you have so much going on,” Abbey says. “But I find rebounding so much fun, and I am able to do post moves and drive the last few years. I also like to be more shifty with my moves.”

Looking inside her head and the development of her mental game, Abbey explains that she used to try to take things all at once, which would lead to overcomplicating things. She has now discovered a more simplification of the game in her mind–breaking it down to its basic elements.

“I used to get overwhelmed with things, but now I break things down to basics with good defense and rebounding,” says Abbey. “It puts less pressure, and it has led to me taking more shots. I take the game down to its basics in my head and build from there. When it comes to those bad calls, I don’t stress over them because I cannot control them. You have to move on, because it is a fast-paced game and you have to keep going.”

Hand welcomed a big youth movement on its roster this campaign. With that came some inevitable growing pains early on, leading to an auspicious 0-3 start to the slate this regular season. Though Abbey and the Tigers found their form, synthesized their synergy, and righted the ship to the postseason party.

“This is a great team, and I love it so much. Our success has come from the environment created by the captains; we are welcoming and inclusive to all,” says Abbey. “We allow others to be OK with making mistakes. We have so many new players and freshmen this year, and the team chemistry has grown and it’s been great. We all have worked hard to improve our skills. It has been a great job by all of us.”

Hand Head Coach Tim Tredwell notes Abbey takes great pride in being a workhorse for the club, never being discouraged by any physical punishment she takes out there. She also is always looking to get any reps whenever she can, while being a terrific template for others.

“Abbey has grown into a tremendous leader and role model for our younger players. She takes a ton of abuse every game, and never complains or hangs her head; she just keeps moving forward and stays supremely positive,” says Tredwell. “Her attitude is something every one of us could learn from. Meanwhile, she's leading us in almost every major statistical category, and that's due to her outstanding skill set and work ethic. She stays after practice everyday to get extra shots without being asked. While I'm thoroughly enjoying her time with us now, I know for sure that her impact on this program will be felt long after she's gone.”

There may be many variables and factors as to where Abbey’s road will lead her when it comes to her next path in life. Yet presently, the one consistent factor has been the hardwood. Through the floor, she has utilized the importance of interpersonal skills and collaboration with other peers and mentors.

“Basketball has been a constant in my life, and it has forced me to have good time management skills,” Abbey says. “I have learned great lessons about the importance of working with people and coaches, and being friends with others. Basketball taught me about how to deal with things mentally. You just have to put your nose to the grindstone and move on when things happen.”