When Kara Bartels finished her high school basketball career at Zealand West, she was at a crossroads.
Although she had a stellar career with the Ducks, she didn't enjoy the game as much as she once did.
But rather than give up on her passion, she decided to take the plunge and sign with Lansing Community College to see what would happen.
Bartels had a great season, earning Second Team All-America honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association.
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“At first I didn't even want to play college basketball. Having a year like this made me realize how much I love the sport,” Bartels said. “I've been playing all my life and I'm burnt out.”
Bartels was named Michigan Community College Athletic Association West Athlete of the Year. She averaged 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game.
“The biggest adjustment is the shot clock. I enjoy it more. The pace is faster and I love it. It's so fast. I have to get stronger,” she said.
Strength is something Bartels has been working on. Over 6 feet tall with long, lanky arms and legs, Bartels has added more muscle as a college player.
“I still need to work more. But our coach had us go through a month of conditioning and weight training in August without touching the ball. It really helped me as a player. '' she said. “Coach let me play the way I thought I could. She encouraged me to dribble and drive. She opened up a lot of opportunities for me to be successful. ”
In high school, Bartels used his height to score and defend, but he took that to a new level in college.
“I was surprised because I didn’t know what was going to happen,” she said. “Being able to be both an offensive threat and a defensive threat. I like playing defense better and I feel better that way. It's a lot of fun blocking shots. So the offense had to catch up. , I finally did it.”
“I looked back at the film from the beginning of the year, and it's improved a lot. There wasn't a particular moment.”
But it does happen, and Bartels may end up moving on to a bigger school after his second year at LCC.
“This really prepared me for the next few years,” she said. I love my team very much. That played a big part in why we did so well. We have all been dating for a long time and like each other very much. It appeared on the court.
But she knows the work isn't done yet.
“The next step is shooting outside. If I can shoot outside, it's going to be hard for people to guard me. It's not just going to the basket,” she said. “This experience taught me that I can do difficult things. I was really nervous moving to Lansing, joining a new team, and meeting new people. I learned that I could adapt and be okay. ”
Contact Sports Editor Dan.D'Addona at Dan.D'Addona@hollandsentinel.com.Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDaddona or facebook @HollandSentinelSports.