An Interview with Brio Rode

A New Mexico D1 prospect with a bright future in women’ basketball

Brio Rode is a junior guard this season playing for the Rio Rancho Rams. Last year as a sophomore she earned first team All-State honors, first team All Metro, first team All District, and District 2, 5A player of the year. She was also the Gatorade N.M. player of the year and was an honorable mention Street and Smith All American. She has made huge strides in her game over the summer that has caught the attention of numerous college coaches and many that follow women’s basketball feel she may be one of the top D1 prospects in our state. UNM has shown interest in Brio as she was on hand at the Howl. I was able to spend some time with her do discuss her goals and share some of her aspirations with Loboland readers.

Q. Do you feel this season playing for Rio Rancho will be much the same as last year or will we see something different this year?

A. The Rio Rancho team is a strong group of young players. Everyone is working hard with one goal in mind – to win state. For me personally, I have never loved the game more or been as intense as I am now. We all have our ups and downs and I definitely think things are on their way up.

Q. Is there any particular part of your game you expect to see a lot of improvement on this season?

A. I’ve been coached to recognize my strengths and weaknesses and feel as though I’ve improved on things like defense, speed, strength and scoring consistency. Improvement is a never ending process - so no matter where I am, I can always get better. It seems to be more about raising the overall level of my game. There are so many things that go into being a good player on and off the court. That it not as simple of a question as it sounds.

Q. Could you describe your typical workout for us?

A. We workout in class at school with running, shooting and weights. We are getting an all girls weight room so we can really focus on strength training throughout the year. After school we sometimes have open gym. After that, I go to Del Norte Sports & Wellness or Midtown and get my shots in (500 – 1000), and finish weight training. Then, to keep myself from going crazy waiting for the season to start, I play pick up with the guys. Working this hard has been the most fun I’ve had with basketball, ever.

Q. It is no secret you are being recruited heavily by several top schools, including our beloved Lobos. Could you tell us a little about what is going on with your recruiting?

A. Recruiting, for me, just started at the beginning of September. It’s nice to know so many quality programs know who I am and are have an interest in me playing for them. I think getting the Gatorade and Street and Smith’s award has been helpful in getting my name out, but I’d rather earn their interest in person. I’m just now starting to research the schools, coaches and the vision of the programs. Mostly, though, I’m focusing on getting better. I want coaches to see me play in person and be completely confident that I can consistently help their team in every practice and every game. With this in mind, I am very excited to train for and play in the Adidas camp next summer.

Q. Do we have a good shot at getting you to play for us?

A. UNM is a strong program with unbelievable fans and a great coaching staff. It’s all about finding a situation that’s a good fit for both. If they were to offer, I would definitely consider it. I just have to keep working and see what happens.

Q. What will you be looking for in a college program?

A. It’s nice having two parents who coach and six siblings that all play sports. I think we understand the player/team/coach relationship pretty well. This will help when we are evaluating programs. It isn’t any one thing we are looking for, but probably the most important would be finding a head coach that is personally interested in me as a person. In all the sports we have been in, the one’s that were the most fun and rewarding, the ones we got the best at, were the one’s that had knowledgeable coaches that were great teachers and who liked us and believed in us. I think this will hold true in college. With that as a foundation, the other things are kind of obvious - competitiveness, academics, team work ethic, etc.

Q. What do you think you will bring to a program?

A. I am working towards being a complete player. I can run the point, shoot with good range, drive, post up and make most of my free throws. I see the floor well on defense and I’m working at improving my rebounding. Raising the level of these skills to really contribute to a top D1 program is the key. I would like to be the person who can motivate everyone on the team to work hard – even the ones who don’t get to play much.

Q. You obviously have a plan for your life and the work ethic to carry out this plan. What are your short-term and long-term goals and besides a lot of hard work, what else do you think it will take to achieve your goals?

A. I know that the choices I make on a daily basis become habits. My habits develop my character and my character determines my destiny. In order to reach my goals, I just have to make good choices every day. My goals fit into 4 areas – Faith, Family, Future, Fun. I have given my life over to God and I believe my talent is from Him and I work hard at it for Him. I’m a long way from being the person I need to be but at least I’m moving in the right direction. I’m passionate in my training but I know, no matter what I do, my future is in His hands and I trust Him for that completely. I have a strong family and I want to be a part of their lives. My sisters and brothers mean a lot to me and my parents believe in my dreams more than anyone. My future right now is school and basketball. I spend most of my time in the classroom or the gym but I can’t forget about my friends. They encourage me and support me and keep me smiling.

As far as specific basketball goals, I’ll tell you a few.

Q Your mother is a well respected AAU coach in the Albuquerque area that has spent much of her life trying to help prospective athletes. How much of an impact is your mom on your game?

A. My mom is my rock! She is the reason I am as good as I am right now. My mom has pushed me to be the best that I can be and has taught me to be a strong person. I might not always agree with things she does at the moment but I know she loves me. My mom is my # 1 fan and has always been. She has dedicated her life to helping other people. She got into coaching because of me and she has taken her outstanding coaching ability to other kids around alb. She is an awesome coach an, outstanding person, and the greatest mom! I owe it all to her!

Loboland thanks you for your time and we wish you well in your future, a future that looks very promising.