Amber Rice Excels On Court While Serving Her Country
Senior guard sets the pace for the Tigers with her play and her actions.
Springfield, Ohio – Few players in the history of Wittenberg University women's basketball have made more dramatic improvement than Amber Rice, who has gone from a junior varsity player as a freshman to an all-conference standout as a senior. Her journey on the court, however, tells only part of the story.
A senior guard from nearby South Charleston, Ohio, Rice has spent the last two years balancing life as a student-athlete at Wittenberg with her commitments to the National Guard, an organization of citizen-soldiers who hold civilian jobs or attend college while maintaining military training part-time. It has been no easy task, but Rice is nearing the finish line of her collegiate journey thanks to a combination of extraordinary personal work ethic and the support of friends, family, teammates, coaches and professors.
"My experience here at Wittenberg has molded me into the person I am today," said Rice, who is majoring in psychology. "The past four years have been the best four years of my life, but I have also had many struggles.
"My experience has taught me how to approach any situation with an open mind and to make the best of it. Those who have been around for my experience have helped me in many ways and, most importantly, they have helped me become successful."
Amber Rice is averaging 16.7 points per game in her senior season for the Tigers.
Photo by Erin Pence
Rice joined the National Guard in April 2012, shortly after completing a sophomore basketball season in which she became a key player off the bench for the Tigers. She spent four months in basic training, which required significant alterations to her class schedule, as Rice completed spring 2012 classes a week early and started the fall 2013 semester one month late.
Rice said she signed up for the National Guard after taking out student loans during her first two years at Wittenberg. She receives approximately $9,000 in scholarships from the National Guard each year, and in exchange Rice is committed to duties for at least two days each month.
The National Guard has allowed a certain amount of flexibility in completing those duties, and as a result Rice has not missed many classes or practices. Her commitments to the National Guard have required flexibility on Wittenberg's part as well. Rice credits her advisor, Associate Professor of Psychology Stephanie Little, with providing guidance and encouragement in overcoming scheduling issues, and Women's Basketball Head Coach Sarah Jurewicz and her staff with "helping me develop into a better person and student."
One of Rice's most memorable days on the court at Pam Evans Smith Arena actually began on a training day with the National Guard. After completing her duties on Saturday, Jan. 11, Rice arrived at the HPER Center just a few minutes before the start of Wittenberg's game against Wooster. She proceeded to score a school-record 36 points while leading the Tigers to a 90-45 victory.
The performance was a culmination of years of hard work and overcoming obstacles. Jurewicz encouraged Rice to go for the record late in the game as a tribute to her contributions to the program and the role model she has become.
"What I have seen in Amber is a person of courage, determination and perseverance," said Jurewicz, who has guided the Tigers to a 12-9 overall record through Feb. 14. "She embodies the spirit of overcoming the odds.
"Her commitment to serve in the National Guard proves her willingness to make sacrifices for others while providing an opportunity to learn more about herself and learn self-discipline."
Not surprisingly, Rice was selected as a team captain before the 2013-14 season started. She has responded with one of the finest seasons in program history, leading the team and ranking third in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) with 16.7 points per game (school record is 17.0 points per game). She has hit 54 three-pointers, the second-best single season total in the Wittenberg annals, and she is averaging nearly five minutes more than any other player.
For her career, Rice has scored 786 points and ranks third in school history with 128 three-pointers. Her 2.6 triples per game top the NCAC and rank 32nd in all of NCAA Division III this season, while her 41.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc is tied for second in the league and ranks 28th nationally.
It seems that nothing can slow Rice down. She even maintains a campus job through Wittenberg's work-study program.
Teammates have supported Rice throughout her four years at Wittenberg.
"My Wittenberg experience has allowed me to develop many relationships with people who have become a positive light in my life," said Rice, who earned second-team All-NCAC honors a year ago. "Professors, teammates, coaches and family have all helped shape my last four years into such a memorable experience, which has helped me have a quality experience that I will never forget."
Rice has three games remaining in the 2013-14 regular season, capped by what is sure to be a special Senior Recognition Day on Saturday, Feb. 22. Rice will share that moment with two other seniors in the program, student assistant coach Lily Watson and guard Kiley McCollough, who has been limited to a mere five varsity games in four years due to a series of knee injuries.
Rice hasn't followed a traditional route to graduation. But she wouldn't discourage others from following the same path.
"Anyone can make their dreams come true with hard work, dedication and the will to do whatever it takes," Rice said. "I was only able to accomplish this because I had amazing people who supported me and guided me the whole way.
"The struggles and obstacles are worth facing and overcoming when the reward is so much greater at the end. My advice (to others) would be to follow your dream and never stop until you reach it. I would also advise those who are considering to be a student-athlete to take the opportunity to be a part of something that is much bigger than themselves and enjoy every moment of the journey."
Written By: Ryan Maurer