By Tucker Paquette
@tpaquette17
Alexis Castro’s basketball journey has taken her many places, from western Massachusetts to various stops in Europe.
Castro now finds herself as a graduate assistant on the Springfield women’s basketball staff. She has developed a sense of fulfillment over the course of her decades-long basketball escapade through a rewarding blend of playing and coaching.
Growing up in San Diego, Calif., Castro was first introduced to basketball when she was five years old. While she immediately enjoyed the game, it was not the only sport she had a passion for, as she liked softball as a kid, too. This forced her to make a difficult call on which sport to stick with long term.
“I had to choose at one point when I was a child, probably when I was 13 or 14, between basketball or softball,” Castro said. “They were both played at the same time in California, so from there I chose basketball because I loved it so much.”
This decision started to pay off as Castro began her college recruitment. She was heavily recruited by the University of Vermont, a school that appealed to her for a couple of reasons.
“I actually came down to two schools, it was either University of Vermont or Long Beach State,” Castro said. “I didn’t want to be close to home in California, so I chose UVM. It also helped that the University of Vermont said I would play as a freshman. Obviously as a kid, I just wanted to play, right?”
Castro only spent two years at UVM, but certainly made her mark, as she was named to both the America East All-Rookie Team and an America East First Team All-Conference team during her time there. Her experiences there proved to her that she had what it took to hang, even when the competition got more serious.
“I got to play at a very competitive level, and it was something that I didn’t know if I could actually do,” Castro said. “Being such a young person, 18 years old, and playing at that level was eye-opening for me because I didn’t know how good I was.”
An added bonus for Castro during this time was that she got to be around her family, even though she was almost 2,500 miles from home in San Diego.
“My family actually moved with me,” Castro said. “Both my parents moved out there. We lived in Vermont for about six years. They followed me everywhere, so that was definitely exciting.”
However, after a couple years, she felt like it was time for a change. The rules at the time dictated she couldn’t go to another Division I school without having eligibility restrictions.
“I wanted to transfer out but back then you couldn’t go from a Division I school to a Division I school without sitting out a year,” Castro said. “[But] I wanted to continue playing.”
So, Castro made her way to American International College in Springfield, Mass. She spent two years there, and the on-court results mirrored what she produced at Vermont. Castro earned numerous honors at AIC, including making the All-Northeast Region Team twice and being recognized as the Daktronics Player of the Year in her senior year.
The decision to transfer to AIC presented issues around her graduation, prompting Castro to make a key decision.
“With the transfer, I lost a year academically so I didn’t graduate after my four years of school,” Castro said. “But during that time I had the option to play overseas and I chose to go there because I knew I wouldn’t stay in shape if I just did school. I was like, ‘school is always gonna be there, I can always come back.’”
This choice to play overseas marked a pivotal moment in Castro’s life, one that would shape her lifestyle and experiences for the next 14 years.
Castro played in a number of countries, including Finland, Portugal, Spain and France. She was struck by the disparity in the style of play between the United States and Europe.
“Playing overseas was definitely a different experience because the style of play is completely different,” Castro said. “I feel like here in the United States It’s more of a slower pace; in Europe it’s very fast.”
The emphasis on specific positions in U.S. basketball also stood out to Castro, especially in comparison to the way lineups are constructed overseas.
“In the United States, there’s more distinct positions as far as guards and forwards,” Castro said. “In Europe, everybody can shoot, everybody can run at a good speed. I feel like it’s more of a freelance type of play than it is here.”
A versatile player herself, Castro favors the structure of the European game.
“I really like the type of style that it is in Europe, just because I feel like that’s more of [my game],” Castro said. “I’m a post player, but I can shoot outside. I can handle the ball. It’s a much faster pace, and like I said the demands are way higher. It’s eye-opening, but you have to adjust.”
During this portion of her career, Castro also suited up for the Mexican national team, which held significant weight for her.
The reception Castro and her teammates received at the 2011 Pan American Games made the experience all the more special, and the value of playing for Mexico’s national team hit home for her at this moment.
“Playing for your country in your hometown, we would walk in and feel like a superstar,” Castro said. “People were cheering for us and asking to take pictures with us.”
While Castro made the most of the various luxuries her playing career afforded her, she was still mindful of the fact that she did not yet have a degree. Castro was looking to coach once she stopped playing, making a degree virtually essential.
Castro returned to AIC, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Athletic Administration and Leadership with minors in Communication & Sport and Recreation Management.
Once she reached her goals at AIC, the search for an internship intensified. At this time, a Springfield College connection with head women’s volleyball coach Moira Long helped land Castro on Alden Street, where she was put in touch with head women’s basketball coach Naomi Graves.
“Coach Long’s husband Joe worked for AIC, and I had gone to a job opportunity [event] and I met him and told him what I was looking for,” Castro said. “He’s like, ‘I have the perfect person for you. It’s coach Graves, you will love her.’”
Castro met with Graves, and the two hit it off immediately. As Castro began to contribute to Graves’ staff, she made a positive impression.
“I was impressed with a lot of things that she showed me that first year in that internship,” Graves said. “She was very committed, and wanted to be a coach or an administrator.”
Shortly after, Graves had two graduate assistants leave her staff. This gave Castro the chance to take on that role.
Castro currently balances coaching with her pursuit of a Master’s degree in Athletic Leadership. She is thrilled with her current situation, and is appreciative of the path that has led her to Springfield College.
“I was given the gift of playing overseas and having that experience, but I feel like I’ve also been given the gift of being here at the birthplace of basketball,” Castro said.
Graves believes Castro has been a seamless fit with the program, and thinks Castro has blossomed into a leader while working with the Pride.
“I have watched her grow immensely in different areas and her confidence,” Graves said. “I think when she first came here, she was a little unsure, and now she’s much more confident with the players.”
Even with all she’s accomplished and all the places she’s been, Castro still wants to learn more. Being open-minded allowed Castro to experience so much as a player, and she has this same mentality as she progresses in her coaching career.
“I’m still learning and will continue to learn different things in coaching, how to handle certain situations,” Castro said. “I can have a hundred years of experience playing overseas, and it’s still not going to change. You can always keep learning.”
(Photo courtesy of Viva Basquet)