As the end of the school year nears, senior student-athletes look to pursue athletic opportunities at their respective universities. This year, players from the Pinewood girls basketball team are currently surveying all their options, with offers and interest at the Division II and III levels. One player in particular, senior guard Sachi Urushima, has already committed to play basketball at Chapman University.
When going through the college recruitment process, Urushima received significant support from the Pinewood coaching staff, citing assistant coach Kiki Nakano as a huge help.
“Kiki knew the Chapman coach because she was going to transfer to Chapman,” Urushima said. “So she gave me the coach’s number and introduced us.”
While most people only care about a school’s name or prestige, Urushima stressed the importance of fit, which is why her main goal was to learn about the program from the head coach of the team itself.
“I texted her and I said, ‘Hey, I’m interested in playing for your program,’” Urushima said. “And then I went on a visit, she talked with me and that’s how I got in touch with the team.”
Another important factor to consider was whether or not Urushima actually enjoyed being at Chapman, considering that this would be her new home for the next four years.
“I initially visited the campus when I was a sophomore,” Urushima said. “I wanted to go to [Southern California], so I wanted to see Chapman.”
While visiting, Urushima was heavily impressed by not only Chapman University’s campus and girls basketball team, but also its overall student population.
“It was a very diverse campus,” Urushima said. “There was a large Asian American population on campus, which I really enjoyed. The whole vibe of the campus wasn’t too big and it wasn’t too small, which I really loved.”
Despite Urushima’s excitement for college, she will miss being a part of the vibrant Pinewood community that welcomed her two years ago.
“I’m gonna miss everyone,” Urushima said. “But I’m excited to see what I can do at Chapman.”
