From Manager to Walk-On
Dec 18 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2015
By Tom Luicci
ScarletKnights.com
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – As a freshman, Alana Ferruggiaro tried out as a walk on for the Rutgers women’s basketball team. Although her name wasn't added to the roster, she instead earned a spot as a manager for the squad.
Ferruggiaro was grateful for the opportunity, but she never gave up on her dream. Instead, she dug in, more determined than ever to continue to pursue a goal that can only be described as Rudy-esque in nature.
The 5-4 guard from Maplewood, N.J., un-recruited out of Columbia High School, saw her perseverance pay off a little more than a week ago when the senior – a team manager the previous three seasons – was added to the Scarlet Knights’ roster by head coach C.Vivian Stringer. In last Sunday’s 65-26 victory over Savannah State she logged her first playing time, getting in for two minutes.
The dream had suddenly become reality.
“I’d equate it to hitting the lottery,” Ferruggiaro said.
She meant in terms of the likelihood of a long-time manager becoming a roster player for a major college women’s basketball program (the 8-3 Scarlet Knights host LSU on Saturday), not the jackpot it resulted in – although that probably feels about the same to the Psychology major.
“I knew I wasn’t recruited and that it was a longshot when I started here,” Ferruggiaro said. “But coach Stringer saw me shooting one day and said she liked what she saw and the coaches were very encouraging, telling me `there’s always a chance.’ I just kept hanging around, shooting, working out on my own whenever I could, always hoping there would be a chance.
As a team manager, Ferruggiaro’s role was “to help out with practice, set up, travel, bring all the equipment, do a lot of things that need to be done to help out.”
But managers can’t be on the court for the actual practices. That meant Ferruggiaro needed to get in work on her own to stay sharp. Sometimes that meant shooting alone long after the players had left from practice. Or it meant finding time at night, between study time, to hone her skills.
“I worked out whenever I could, sometimes before practice, sometimes after it,” she said.
Stringer wanted to reward that dogged determination, and the original plan was to elevate Ferruggiaro to practice player status.
“I was very excited. It made all the work I put in worth it,” she said.
Ferruggiaro suited up for the first time on Dec. 13 against Iona, though she did not get in. She then saw two minutes of playing time against Savannah State.
“I know what my role is now on this team and that’s to compete as hard in practice as I can,” she said. “I can’t thank my teammates enough. They have been very supportive. Some of them knew I wanted to play. They’ve been watching me practice on my own and have talked about me possibly getting on the team. So they had an idea.
“But to actually have it happen … it really means a lot to me. I’ve worked so hard for this. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it’s real.”
By Tom Luicci
ScarletKnights.com
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – As a freshman, Alana Ferruggiaro tried out as a walk on for the Rutgers women’s basketball team. Although her name wasn't added to the roster, she instead earned a spot as a manager for the squad.
Ferruggiaro was grateful for the opportunity, but she never gave up on her dream. Instead, she dug in, more determined than ever to continue to pursue a goal that can only be described as Rudy-esque in nature.
The 5-4 guard from Maplewood, N.J., un-recruited out of Columbia High School, saw her perseverance pay off a little more than a week ago when the senior – a team manager the previous three seasons – was added to the Scarlet Knights’ roster by head coach C.Vivian Stringer. In last Sunday’s 65-26 victory over Savannah State she logged her first playing time, getting in for two minutes.
The dream had suddenly become reality.
“I’d equate it to hitting the lottery,” Ferruggiaro said.
She meant in terms of the likelihood of a long-time manager becoming a roster player for a major college women’s basketball program (the 8-3 Scarlet Knights host LSU on Saturday), not the jackpot it resulted in – although that probably feels about the same to the Psychology major.
“I knew I wasn’t recruited and that it was a longshot when I started here,” Ferruggiaro said. “But coach Stringer saw me shooting one day and said she liked what she saw and the coaches were very encouraging, telling me `there’s always a chance.’ I just kept hanging around, shooting, working out on my own whenever I could, always hoping there would be a chance.
As a team manager, Ferruggiaro’s role was “to help out with practice, set up, travel, bring all the equipment, do a lot of things that need to be done to help out.”
But managers can’t be on the court for the actual practices. That meant Ferruggiaro needed to get in work on her own to stay sharp. Sometimes that meant shooting alone long after the players had left from practice. Or it meant finding time at night, between study time, to hone her skills.
“I worked out whenever I could, sometimes before practice, sometimes after it,” she said.
Stringer wanted to reward that dogged determination, and the original plan was to elevate Ferruggiaro to practice player status.
“I was very excited. It made all the work I put in worth it,” she said.
Ferruggiaro suited up for the first time on Dec. 13 against Iona, though she did not get in. She then saw two minutes of playing time against Savannah State.
“I know what my role is now on this team and that’s to compete as hard in practice as I can,” she said. “I can’t thank my teammates enough. They have been very supportive. Some of them knew I wanted to play. They’ve been watching me practice on my own and have talked about me possibly getting on the team. So they had an idea.
“But to actually have it happen … it really means a lot to me. I’ve worked so hard for this. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it’s real.”
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