Her curly hair, her Dr. Martens, and her almost six foot height accompanying a confident strut leading to a “hello” in no time. You could say it’s hard not to spot Mattie Rice. She’s a senior at OHS that doesn’t stand out just because of who she is, but because of what she’s done. Leadership seems like second nature to Rice with her involvement in student senate and her synagogue. Rice’s leadership was taken to the court this year when she tried out for the basketball team for the first time in three years. During tryouts she also had mono and lots of nerves with three years of lacking experience. Playing on varsity and being captain may have seemed impractical or out of reach to Rice, but that’s just what she’s doing.

Rice said that she knew she would have setbacks but went into it positive and with preparation leading up to tryouts. “I was really really nervous” Rice said, “I got there super early and stretched for super long, but then they were really chill tryouts, and when we were scrimmaging, it just kind of came back to me.” Rice talked about how important it was that she stayed positive throughout tryouts. “I think it really helped that I had a positive attitude and they could tell I was going to be a positive influence there,” she recalled.

Mattie had mono for tryouts, spent three years off the court, and was out of typical “basketball shape,” but Rice still defied her odds. Captain Tori Andrews said Rice brought a lot of energy even when she was sick.

“She would always come to practice and be apart of the team,” Andrews said. “She brings positive vibes and good energy. She never complains and adds positivity,” Andrews said with a smile. The two are friends off the court which they both said helped the dynamic of playing and their captainship. With Rice’s charisma that seems infectious and positivity that’s effortless, Rice’s leadership seems to have stepped up her game along with her teammates sharing some wins.  

Rice talked about how big of a surprise it was that she got to be a captain. Rice has a close relationship with her coach and is humbled that Coach Glover made her captain. “I think my attitude is one of the reasons she made me captain, because I haven’t been doing this for so long it’s not as high intensity and it’s something for fun to help the team and everything” Rice said.

I asked her about her strengths and she brought up the bench. “I love it even when I’m on the bench cheering on my teammates,” Rice said. Looking at pictures from the game Rice said, “I’m screaming on the ground and I think the ability to get my team pumped up and excited for the game, that’s probably one of my biggest strengths.”

Rice brings up how she believes it’s a huge honor for her to be captain. “I’ve had all these leadership opportunities and this was kind of a confirmation of what I could do,” Rice said. Rice said she looks at her captainship as an opportunity to lead the younger girls and be a type of role model. “I look at it as not as much of an athletic thing but a chance to help the freshman navigate high school and talk to them about their lives and basketball, because I’ve been through everything they’re going through and just the ups and downs. It’s fun to help them out,” Rice said.

With a six game winning streak starting off their season Oronos women’s basketball team has started off the season winning. Chemistry has been linked to wins for teams according to breakingmuscle.com and Orono’s dynamic seems to have increased success.

Fellow basketball player Anna Hughes said, “When you combine all the captains together it’s all you would want from leaders and without her you would be missing something,” when she talks about Mattie as a captain. It was a recurring theme when talking to Mattie’s teammates that she exuded positivity and wanted to help the younger kids out.

Mattie thought about her team and said, “I’m meeting all these great new people. All these people I never spent time with and they’re just such cool people, and the freshman are so nice. I wanna get a chance to get to know the JV and C squad team more, but as far as varsity I love my team everyone is so nice and we get along so well.” She told me, “Practice isn’t bad cause you’re spending time with people you like.”

Coach Glover feels the same about the team. She talked about having Mattie on the team and what that means to her. She described Mattie as a positive force and a talented player, but most of all, “Entirely herself.” Glover relates to Mattie and sees a lot of herself in her. Glover said, “She has allowed everyone to be themselves. She loves to dance, and sing, and all these different things gives people the feeling that they can be themselves.” Orono Women’s basketball team has accepted Mattie, and she has made them feel accepted as well.

Glover said, “She does everything and does it with a smile on her face,” she continued, “She’ll dive to get the ball and be the very one to pick you up when you’re down.”