LITTLE ROCK-Shardé Collins has undergone a recent transformation from Sun Belt Player of the Year in women's basketball to Director of Player Personnel at her alma mater, the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
Collins finished 2016-17 with solid numbers : fourth in scoring, sixth in field goal percentage, 10th in 3-point field goals per game, sixth in assists and third in minutes played. Her stellar senior performance left voters no doubt as to whom should be named Player of the Year.
Collins also helped lead the Lady Trojans to the Sun Belt's regular season title and received a spot on the conference All-Tournament team, for the second year in a row.
The impressive collegiate record is an extension of Collins' high school career at Liberty-Eylau High School, where she was named an All-State and state champion guard.
"It was exciting to win the Player of the Year award," Collins said. "It's somewhat something I spoke into existence. After my junior year, I said that I wanted to become not only the tournament most valuable player, but I also wanted to win the conference player of the year. I put up a lot of shots and ran a bunch of pick-up games with girls who were from Little Rock that went to bigger schools."
Collins relishes her new role for the UALR Athletic Department. She made a smooth transition from leading the Lady Trojans on the court to being the Director of Player Personnel.
"I'm enjoying it so far," Collins said. "I haven't had a difficult task yet, but I know it's coming. Basically, my job is to keep everything structured and at the same time, guide the girls so they can catch on quicker than I did is the main goal."
Being able to relate and understanding are key behavioral patterns that have been beneficial for Collins in her short amount of time in her new position in the Little Rock Athletic Program.
"Growing up, my parents instilled structure and accountability at a young age. They taught me right from wrong, like any parent would. When I got to college, coach Joe Foley's program was an extension of that. Everything is structured here, and he expects all of his players to do what they're supposed to do. My maturity in college, came from being within this program.
"I was diagnosed with scoliosis in the ninth grade. I played through it that season, but had surgery in the offseason and I was down a few months. Honestly, my back has never been a problem for me. Other than crunches, maybe, I've never had any issues with my back."
Collins' honesty is hard to miss.
"UALR knew about my condition and my surgery during the recruitment process," Collins said. "I worked hard after the surgery and got myself where I needed to be physically and mentally."