Marcia Alvarado: Suncoast girls basketball player of year

By SCOTT MASSEY

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 16, 2000

TAMPA -- Sometimes, it's mother, not father, who knows best.

When Brandon senior guard Marcia Alvarado's mother, Rebecca Jones, was asked to reflect on her 17-year-old daughter's high school career, she immediately replied, "She's proof that keeping your grades up and doing the juggling act between school, basketball and work are worth it.

"Everybody makes their choices, and she's made excellent choices. She has the type of focus and desire to take her to the pro level, whether it be in Europe or here."

Focus and desire merged with a dead-eye shot and an uncanny feel for the game to make Alvarado the hands-down choice for the Times Suncoast Player of the Year.

"She's tremendous," Eagles coach Joe Brown said. "She knows when to shoot, when to pass, when to set a screen and when to pull the ball out for a delay. Her maturity level is amazing."

There is a tangible, undeniable love for the game burning inside Alvarado, who took an unusual route to Florida.

An inherent part of Jones' career was an Air Force security officer was travel, and in a 12-year span, Alvarado made stops in Louisiana, England, Germany, Illinois and Texas before settling in Brandon five years ago.

"My mom is great. We're like sisters," Alvarado said. "The moving around helped me grow up quicker."

But with every move, the love for the game never went away.

"She's walked around with a ball in her hand for as long as I can remember," said Alvarado's grandmother, Mary Sanders. "When I think of Marcia, I think of basketball."

Alvarado's senior year was a season of both giving and receiving. With the Eagles adding more players to a team that went 10-9 last year, the team's offensive philosophy changed. And as Alvarado gave out more assists, she received more recognition, culminating in a 24-2 record and an appearance in the regional semifinals.

"She's taught us to play every game like it's our last game," said Courtney Kearse, a teammate and friend of three years. "To come out and leave everything we have on the court."

Off the court, Alvarado executes a practical joke as deftly as a crossover dribble.

"We were at our post-season banquet, and Marcia had Coach Brown paged away from our table," teammate Reneisha Brown-Lewis said. "And when coach was gone, we poured salt in his drink. He came back and took a big gulp. It was hilarious."

However, no salt can be poured on Alvarado's game.

"She never gets upset during a game," Brown-Lewis said. "If she turns the ball over, it never shows on her face. She can step up and make the shot or the extra pass."

Coaches from Louisville came to an AAU game July 17 (her mother's birthday) and offered her a scholarship that she accepted on the spot.

"I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but it felt like the right decision," Alvarado said.

"I'm so excited. I can't wait."

No need to worry, Mom. She won't forget to write.

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