Sports

Q&A with freshman standout Kathryn Stockbower

In print | February 14, 2008

By any standard, first-year basketball star Kathryn Stockbower ‘11 is having an outstanding season. The six-foot tall forward from Fort Washington, Pa., leads the team in points and rebounds and was recently profiled in the Philadelphia Daily News. She was named Centennial Conference women’s basketball Player of the Week on Feb. 4, following a two-game week in which she averaged 14.5 points and 19 rebounds. Her 21 rebounds in a game against Haverford were the third highest in school history. Seth Green sat down with Kathryn to get the rookie standout’s take on college life and the rigors of varsity athletics.

SG: How long have you been playing basketball? What was your basketball experience before college?

KS: I played AAU basketball for a few years, as well as playing on my high school team for four years. My high school league was pretty competitive, so I think it really prepared to play at the collegiate level.

SG: What drew you to Swarthmore? Where you in touch with the coach beforehand?

KS: I was drawn to Swarthmore for quite a few reasons … the highly academic but non-competitive atmosphere, the diverse student body, the small class sizes, as well as the beautiful campus. Yes, I was in touch with the coach before coming. I really liked Coach DeVarney and the girls on the basketball team, so that was another factor in my decision to come to Swarthmore.

SG: How has the season been going?

KS: This season has been kind of tough. We haven’t won very many games, which can be frustrating, but it has definitely been a learning experience. It has really forced us to figure out what our weaknesses are and work on improving them.

SG: What are your goals for basketball at Swarthmore?

KS: My goal for this season [which is coming to a close] is to pick up a few big wins. Next year, I would definitely like to make the playoffs.

SG: What are your goals off the court?

KS: Off the court, I just want to do well in all of my classes and learn a lot.

SG: What do you like about college?

KS: I like the time schedule at college. I used to have to wake up at 6:30 in high school, and now my first class is 9:30. I also really like choosing my own classes.

SG: Anything you miss about home?

KS: I miss my family (even my little sister), but fortunately my parents get to come to a lot of our basketball games.

SG: Which teams do you root for?

KS: To be honest, I don’t really follow the NBA or college basketball that closely. If the Sixers are playing, I’ll root for them, and if any local Philadelphia teams are playing in March Madness, I’ll root for them.

SG: How did you feel about the Super Bowl?

KS: Well, I wasn’t really rooting for one team or the other, because I’m an Eagles fan. It would have been cool for the Patriots to have a historic season, but I also like to see the underdogs win.

SG: Do you have any advice to people looking to balance sports and school?

KS: Playing a sport is a big time commitment, but it really forces you to manage your time well and be as efficient as possible. I guess my advice would be, just try to stick to a schedule and give yourself time limits to get everything done.