Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 13, 1994 TAG: 9410140058
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS KING SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Crystal's values are, in a particular order, God, family and school.
They have been instilled in her from day one. In the Hubbard homestead, everything starts with their faith and then trickles down.
"I believe every child can make it with prayer and good study habits," said William Hubbard, Crystal's father. "That's what I'm most proud of [the fact Crystal has made the honor roll every year at Radford High School]. The first thing she does when she gets home is her homework, and then everything else falls into place."
'"Everything else" includes basketball, a sport William Hubbard knows a little bit about. A prolific scorer and rebounder at Auburn High School from 1967-69, he once grabbed 28 rebounds in a single game, a record that stood for several years. He averaged 16.6 points a game as a senior.
William continued playing during a stint in the Army and most recently in local recreation leagues, and he has passed his love of the game on to Crystal.
"It tickled me to death when she first showed interest," he said.
That interest apparently started very young. Crystal has been playing since she was old enough to hold a ball.
But things have not always gone as smoothly as they have this season, in which her scoring average has risen from fewer than four points a game last season to 14.6. Last year was a struggle for the 5-10 junior, who had difficulty finding a clearly defined role on the team.
"She was uncomfortable last season," said Radford coach Brenda King. "She had trouble finding her niche."
"I was too tall to play guard and too skinny to play post," said Crystal. "Now I am developing my game so I can play both places."
That developing process has not been an easy one for Hubbard. To develop her game, she spent hours playing with her brother Chucky, who also plays basketball at Radford, and his friends.
"The roughness of those games helped me," said Crystal. "I had to stand my ground when I got knocked around. It taught me to be sneaky."
The hard work put in over the summer has paid dividends, with the largest being a 34-33 victory over Rocky Gap. In that game Hubbard scored a career-high 25 points, including a length-of-the-floor drive for the winning basket with less than 20 seconds remaining.
"She plays with the mentality of the boys," said King. "She brings that savvy and toughness with her to the court, especially offensively. She doesn't mind going to the basket and taking hits.
"She improved a ton [over the summer,] and she is really comfortable with her role. She has the green light. Sometimes we would rather see her take a bad shot than someone else take a good shot."
Crystal remains modest about her new-found success, giving the credit to a higher power and her teammates.
"With God there is nothing you can't do, and I have also had a lot of help from my teammates," she said.
That attitude makes her enjoyable to coach.
"They [Crystal and Chucky] are both good kids who get the most out of themselves," said King. "You do not have to worry about them getting in trouble. They are good role models."
How has William Hubbard, a man considered a recreational league mainstay, made the adjustment from player to spectator?
"I enjoy it," he said. "I had my years to play. I get a big kick out of watching my daughter do this. She is doing things now that I was unable to do."
The bond between William and his kids runs much deeper than the field of play.
"We [William and his wife] have been blessed," said William. "You couldn't ask for better kids. We enjoy spending time with them. You can't put a value on what they're doing."
by CNB