Marquette University Athletics
Leading by Example
12/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2001
by Kirk Bey, LaCrosse Tribune
Some people might look at Kristi Johnson's physician's assistant studies major and wonder if she's making the right career choice.
If anyone has earned the right to start shaking at the sight of stethoscopes and tongue depressors, it's Johnson. Heaven knows the Holmen High School graduate has had to deal with her fair share of trips to the doctor since she became the starting point guard for the Marquette University women's basketball team three years ago.
And if the injuries - a broken cheekbone her freshman year, a severely injured left ankle last season - weren't enough, Johnson had no time for the doctors who told her she had to sit out longer than she wanted to. It was her body, and if she wanted to play basketball at less than 100 percent, she was going to do it. Period.
Believe it or not, Johnson has the same kind of passion about going into the medical field that she has about making a pinpoint pass to a teammate under the basket or draining an open jump shot. Johnson can't wait to do her clinical studies in two years - close to home, if possible - and she's looking forward to eventually helping as many people as she can.
"When I was in high school, I went to a career fair my sophomore year, and I went online to find out more about (being a physician's assistant)," Johnson said. "I've always wanted to do something in the medical field.
"When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a doctor. But now, I don't want to be a physician just because of the amount of time it takes. I want to have a family someday. I like dealing more in preventative medicine. I want to take more time and spend it with my patients."
If Johnson can do anything to help those in need, the 5-foot-6 senior will do it no matter what she feels like. Talent might have helped Johnson earn a spot in the Golden Eagles' starting lineup as a freshman, but it's sheer determination and heart that have helped her stay in the lineup whether she was healthy or hurting for 96 consecutive games.
Marquette coach Terri Mitchell will tell you without hesitation that words cannot describe what Johnson has meant to the Golden Eagles. Mitchell believes that whenever Johnson is diving for a loose ball or playing through pain, her message -spoken or unspoken - of playing hard no matter what is coming through loud and clear.
"Kristi has always led by example, and now she's become a more vocal leader," Mitchell said. "She tells her teammates when they need to step it up, and they really respect her. I told the younger players on the team, 'K.J. is somebody who has good things to say. You need to talk to her more.' "
Anyone who asks Johnson to tell her story of how she went from small-town star to being an NCAA Division I basketball player can't help but be impressed.
Johnson, the daughter of former Holmen boys basketball coach Gary Johnson, grew up in the ideal atmosphere for learning the finer points of the game. Johnson was more than prepared to become Holmen's starting point guard as a 14-year-old freshman in 1994, and she was an integral part of the Vikings' WIAA Division 2 state title in March, 1995.
By the time Johnson graduated from Holmen, she had been a two-time AP second-team All-State selection. Mitchell knew she was getting a top-notch player when Johnson arrived at Marquette in 1998. But over time, Mitchell has seen Johnson provide Marquette much more than solid play on the court.
"I think Kristi has gotten better from the standpoint that she has taken on more of a leadership role over the last couple of years," Mitchell said. "Stat-wise, we know she's going to give us about seven points a game, and she can play 39 minutes a game.
"I told her, 'K.J., we need you out there.' I know she's going to be on the court day-in and day-out. As she goes, the team goes."
Although the Golden Eagles seem to be stuck in neutral so far this season - Marquette was 2-5 entering Saturday's nonconference game against LaSalle - more often than not, Johnson has kept them moving forward. In Johnson's first two seasons at Marquette (1998-99, 1999-2000), she averaged 8.4 and 7.6 points per game, respectively, as the Golden Eagles went 44-15 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament twice.
Beginning last season, however, Marquette has struggled. The Golden Eagles finished 13-15 last year, and prior to Saturday they had lost games to Michigan State and Wisconsin by a combined three points. The Golden Eagles blew a 15-point halftime lead against Wisconsin, and Johnson missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer.
But Johnson isn't discouraged - and she hopes her teammates aren't, either. She knows Marquette is playing the third toughest schedule in Division I, but she believes the Golden Eagles are strong enough to survive.
"If we can just keep looking at the big picture instead of our record right now, we'll be OK," said Johnson, who is averaging 8.1 points. "People look at our record and say, 'Oh, you're only (2-5).' But they're not at practice with us every day. They don't see all the hard work we put in. Even if we lose a game, we need to look at it as a learning experience."
When it comes to injuries, Johnson admits she probably never will learn to let her body heal properly. And that's even after she make several visits to the hospital and trainers' room.
Johnson broke her left cheekbone during the first round of Marquette's 1999 NCAA Tournament game against Kansas when Jayhawks center Nakia Sanford fell on her during a battle for a loose ball. Johnson played the entire 2000-01 season on an injured left ankle that required surgery in April. And Johnson has played with a brace on her right hand the last four games after she partially tore ligaments while battling for a loose ball with a UW-Milwaukee player.
"One thing I've told Kristi is, 'K.J., you've got to pick and choose your battles,' " Mitchell said. "I've told her that I need her in there, and that the whole team understands that it's OK to let someone else dive for the ball.
"K.J. only knows one way to play, but she's just got to be smart about it. It only takes one time for someone to hurt themselves badly, and I don't want that to happen to Kristi."
Then again, Mitchell knows that when Johnson broke her cheekbone and was told to wait six weeks before resuming her training regimen, she was back on the court in less than a month. And after Johnson was told to wait eight weeks while she recovered from her ankle surgery, she felt like she was ready to go sooner.
"In retrospect, I probably came back too soon (after ankle surgery)," Johnson said. "Sometimes I'm not always smart when it comes to injuries. I got sick of riding the (stationary) bike, so I would go running and then I'd feel it the next day."
Johnson doesn't want any of her teammates ending up in traction, but she hopes they are paying attention to what she does and says during practice and in games.
When Johnson first came to Marquette, she watched and learned from players such as Heidi Bowman, Keisha Oliver, Abbie Willenborg and Lisa Oldenburg - all of whom were 1,000-point career scorers and starters during Johnson's freshman season. Now that Johnson is the only player left from that group, she wants to show Mitchell that she can be an effective leader.
"Terri stressed to me that she expected me to be a leader this season," Johnson said. "I know that this is my team now. The last few years, we've had other people to look up to. Now, it's my turn, and (being a leader) is actually kind of neat.
"Last year, I struggled sometimes and asked myself, 'What do I say?' I didn't know if I was getting through to my teammates. I know people are looking to me, and I want them to trust what I say. Yeah, that's a lot of responsibility, but I'm getting used to it."
Mitchell thinks Johnson has more than settled into the role. It's a role Mitchell knows will be difficult to replace next year when Johnson's eligibility is up.
"When Kristi leaves, it will be a big hole to fill," Mitchell said. "I don't think people truly understand the bond K.J. and I have, she's like a coach on the floor. When you're a point guard, you need to know when to run the fast break, when to fall back and who to give the ball to. K.J. is a great leader, and there's no way you can replace that overnight."
As painful as it will be for Mitchell to say goodbye to Johnson, it's nothing compared to what Johnson will feel. As much as she's looking forward to treating other people's injuries, a part of Johnson will miss risking life and limb doing something she's loved since childhood.
"It feels like I've been here a long time, but yet the time has gone by fast," Johnson said. "I feel like it's been forever since I was in high school, but sometimes I ask myself, 'Where have the last four years gone?'
"Sometimes I think I'm getting older and that it's time for me to move on. Sometimes, though, I can't believe that I'm going to be done playing basketball in four or five months."
reprinted with permission from the LaCrosse Tribune
