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Sports

Jackson maintains her love for the game after injury

UH junior guard hopes to make it as coach or in the WNBA after she graduates college

by LOURDES CASTILLO
The Daily Cougar

There is one thing that defines the life of Tye Jackson: basketball. Ever since she started playing about 13 years ago, the 20-year-old junior guard for the Cougars has developed an unconditional love for the game.

"I couldn't imagine my life without basketball," Jackson said. "When I hurt myself, I really thought my whole life was over, because (basketball) is my life. Basketball is what I do and love. If I didn't have it I don't know what I would do."

Jackson suffered a meniscus tear on her left knee during an exhibition game against the Houston Jaguars on Nov. 10, during which the Cougars earned a 83-78 win. After undergoing surgery in November and trying her best to recover quickly, Jackson returned to the court on Dec. 6. That night the Cougars defeated Cal State, Bakersfield 78-66.

Though Jackson has loved basketball for most of her life, she hasn't been a Cougar her entire college career.

Jackson attended Purdue for a summer and one semester before returning to her hometown. 

"I transferred to Houston in January (2005) because I was homesick," she said. "Purdue was a great college, the coaches and the people were nice, but I was ready to come home. It was too cold.

"I like my teammates, the coaches and just being at home here in Houston."

Jackson was born and raised in Houston, so it was no surprise West Lafayette, Ind., didn't feel like home.

"The biggest difference was here at UH (head) coach (Joe) Curl puts the time on the clock to practice and we start and finish just like in the game," Jackson said. "Once the clock stops, that's it, there's nothing you can do about it. 

"At Purdue we practiced three to three-and-a-half hours, so it was a long practice every day."

Jackson plans to earn a degree in psychology and become a high school or college basketball coach. 

"The (Amateur Athletic Union) coach I played for let me coach the 12-and-under team a couple of years ago," Jackson said. "I coached the kids for almost the whole summer and it was a great experience. 

"That made me want to coach even more. It was a big step and it taught me a lot. There is a lot that players don't see and coaches do. Now I understand how my coaches feel."

But before she takes on a coaching position, Jackson hopes to get picked in the WNBA draft. 

"Right out of college, my first thing is to try to make it to the WNBA," Jackson said. "It would be great to play here for the hometown, but honestly I'm not going to be picky … I'll go to whichever team takes me. It would be great to just be picked to the draft.

"If I don't do that, then I'll coach somehow, somewhere."

Jackson said her toughest challenge in realizing her dream of becoming a WNBA player will be to develop mental toughness. 

"Sometimes when things get tough, I get down on myself," she said. "It's all about the mental toughness. If I have that, all of the other things will come easy for me."

However, Jackson feels the challenges she has overcome, like her knee injury, will help her confidence in the future. 

"I overcame my injury," Jackson said. "I was down because I thought I wasn't going to be playing anymore. Once I started playing, it's been hard, but I'm getting there. Every now and then it hurts and gets swollen, but I'm working on it."

Jackson's boisterous personality translates to the court, and when others are too serious, Jackson can't help but smile.

"I'll always be smiling on the court," she said. "If I don't have a smile on my face, you know there's a problem. That's my game face."

During her little spare time, Jackson enjoys playing Madden and NBA Live.

"I like to play video games, hang out and have fun. If I'm not playing basketball, I'm watching it or playing it (in video games)," she said. "When I play NBA Live, I'm always Ashlee Joseph."

Jackson may be years away from coaching, but she already has advice for young basketball players.

"Have fun and give it your all every time you step on the floor, because you never know what will happen," she said. "I learned that the hard way when I hurt myself because I kind of took (the game) for granted."

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