Maddie Trainor Scores 1000 Career Points in Women’s Basketball Career During COVID Year
Portsmouth Christian Academy (PCA) senior Maddie Trainor scores her 1000th point during varsity women’s basketball game against Oyster River.
Covid has put limitations on many things, both in how we’re able to carry out our everyday activities to how we can connect with others. Athletics has been no different, facing some of the most significant challenges, whether it be the games filled with empty bleachers or the cancellation of games altogether. Despite this, Madison Trainor 21′ has met an incredible achievement earning the 1000th point of her high school basketball career at PCA’s Varsity Women’s basketball game this past Wednesday.
“Maddie went into the final game of the regular season at Oyster River, only needing 5 points to reach 1000 career varsity points. She would accomplish this feat before the end of the first quarter. It was a great scene as her coach, teammates, and family celebrated with her.” Says Derek Summers, PCA Athletic Director. “Despite many challenges and a Covid shortened senior season, Maddie reached this monumental milestone anyways while helping to lead the Lady Eagles in a successful season! PCA is so proud of everything Maddie has accomplished, and we can’t wait to see what amazing things she will do in the future!”
“Hard work and perseverance paid off.” Coach Wall, Trainor’s varsity coach, remarks to her. “You deserve this and all the great things in your future.”
Trainor shares how she has grown in confidence to be where she is today. When asked what she attributes her growth and shift in confidence to, without hesitation, she relates this to the support she has received – all the encouragement from her friends, family, and teachers. She mentions how her preschool teacher emailed to congratulate her, and how she continues to talk to many of her Lower School teachers even into her senior year. “There’s just a really good support system here. Just learning how to be challenged and how to challenge myself here has been amazing for me. All the experiences I’ve had here have made that possible.”
“There’s just so many experiences in being an athlete, there’s so much to learn. And I think that there’s always a lesson that can go from the court to life.”
She paints the picture for us of what this challenge looks like. “When [the 1000th point] happened, I thought I needed 12 points, but I needed five, and my coach told me I had 12 to trick me. Or to push me. I don’t know. But I scored… and I was like, ‘Why is everyone freaking out? What’s going on?’ But when I look around, he just had a basketball plaque and a bouquet of flowers.”
However, Trainor was not only challenged by her coach, but challenged on a deeper level by her circumstances. “I think that going into it, not knowing how many games we had and if it was something that I was going to be able to figure out was stressful. But I have really good teammates, coach is really inspiring, and they’re all really helpful. [Coach and I] had a count, and when it was getting to the end, we [realized] I need to start averaging 15 points a game instead of 11 because of the missed games.”
“At one point, we had two games left, I think, and I was 33 points away… It got to the point where I was like, let’s just pretend I’m not going to do it. And then we’ll just see if it can happen. Kind of preparing myself. But then when I was able to get 22 points in our second to last game, I rolled my ankle at the end of it – a little added pressure. We had a game the next day, but I taped it up. And I was so thankful I could even have a few of my family members there for it because that was really important because they’ve always supported me.”
Trainor recalls first making the team in fifth grade and the excitement behind it all for her. However, due to living farther away from school, attending practices became a challenge. Believing in her potential, Trainor’s coach at the time did everything in her ability to make playing the game possible for her student.
“She was one of my first coaches, and I just remember how she went out of her way to make sure I could play… I remember days where she would take me all the way home so I could go to practice. And when my parents were busy, she took me to UNH games, and I would hang out there. And that meant so much to me, and it just kind of stuck. I was really inspired to be an athlete and to do what it took to get there – the leaps and bounds that she went to be able to make that possible, really stuck with me. I could never find basketball shoes the right size so, she even gave me her old shoes and I would wear them. The impact she had was insane. I still talk to her today.”
“And that’s also when I realized, the whole atmosphere [of basketball] – that’s me. That’s what I want in my life. And I just went from there… I was able to improve in ways that I didn’t even think [I could]. I didn’t think I was going to be able to make a layup, but you know, here we are! I guess it’s just that inspiration from a young age, and it’s always kind of carried me.”
Though most may view COVID as a substantial obstacle, Trainor’s gratitude mindset allows her to value the game even more, pushing herself with each moment she has on the court. She says, “It’s crazy to think about, in the last year, how much more important it’s become to me…realizing maybe you can’t [always have] this. And [thinking], ‘wait, that meant so much more to me than I ever thought it did’. Because sometimes you take [these] things for granted.”
Trainor’s resiliency in the game, translates to her life off the court as well. “This year has been really different, but I feel like a lot of good things have come from it as well… Change can be hard, but seeing all the benefits I’ve received from it, it’s cool and exciting to think about.” Trainor discusses how being away from friends and teachers has strengthened her independence as well as her gratitude to continue coming to school. “Just being able to come to school, I was really happy and felt blessed that we can all be here. Which really made me want to do my best in school, because I’ve talked to a lot of my friends who can’t be. The opportunity to be here has pushed me to do the best I can do.”
When asked what being an athlete meant to her Trainor answers, “Well, I think that it’s more than just the sport. I have so much added to my life because of basketball,” She goes on to describe the friendships that she’s developed with many of her teammates that she has known since she began playing in 5th grade and how the responsibility of being on a team has shaped her. “Sometimes I think: It’s so cool, like yes, we have a ball, and we’re dribbling around and shooting it… but it becomes so much more than that when you’re playing. I love getting to know my team, developing with and alongside them, and meeting new people.”
“There’s just so many experiences in being an athlete, there’s so much to learn. And I think that there’s always a lesson that can go from the court to life. It’s cool to discover how many ways that those arenas are similar and then go forward to use what you’ve learned from that. I love the sport and I’m so excited to see where it takes me. I don’t want to be done yet. There’s still so much more to do, so much more fun [to be had], and so much more to learn. It’s a gift. It’s a blessing.”
Several photos have been taken prior to the pandemic.