SPARTA – On the court, she's Highland's stopper.
Scots post player Maddy Gordon became a starter on the Highland girls basketball team this season mostly on the strength of her defensive prowess and her shot-blocking ability.
"Maddy had always been the type of person where she is driven by her defense," Highland coach Whitney Levering said. "You can see in her face how competitive she gets when it's one on one down there on the post. She just likes to play aggressive down in that area."
Off the court, Gordon is preparing to start a new chapter in her life.
She continues to work hard this season improving her post moves. But Gordon is not going to be playing basketball in college. Instead, she will be studying to become a nurse.
"I'm undecided about what school, but I do plan to major in nursing," Gordon said. "My mom's a nurse, so that kind of influenced my decision. I actually worked at a nursing home, volunteering over the summer. I only worked there for a little while, because basketball practice started."
Gordon currently carries a 3.8 GPA, but nursing is more than academics.
"I love being with people, and that's one of the most social jobs you can have," she said. "You get to see family. You get to work with people all day and take care of them."
Levering stresses teamwork, which is also a vital element of nursing.
"You can't win a basketball game on your own," Gordon said. "I feel like my teammates and I all deserve to win. If we work together, we can all score. If somebody is selfish, the other team will know that and they'll know who to guard. If everyone is unselfish, they won't know who to guard, and they don't know who we're going to kick it out to."
Even though Gordon didn't start for Levering until this season, there is no doubt the coach has been involved in Gordon's basketball development for quite a while.
"This is my sixth year at Highland, and we were definitely in a down spot when I came in," Levering said. "(Maddy and her classmates) were seventh-graders when I first started out. The moment I got hired, I was involved with the seventh- through the 12th grade, and I tried to make sure that all the girls were being held accountable."
That nurturing will continue to guide Gordon now and in the future.
"Our biggest improvement has been our team chemistry," Gordon said. "We are working together really well, and it's helping us as a team. It is really about my teammates. We've been playing together since we were younger; so I'm like, 'We should be able to win at this point.'"
