Being able to communicate well on the court makes for a strong player and team. Keeping the communication lines open and allowing new ideas into an old mix will lead to the success of any team. Freshman Kristi Cirone has come to Illinois State to add her talent to create the best possible team this season.
"I just want to get better each time I step on the floor," Cirone said. "I want to be able to have good communication with my team to help make everyone else better, which then will make myself better."
By putting her team first Cirone continues to show her ability to strive for success. Being a point guard has placed her in a leadership role, giving her the confidence to step up when needed. Adjusting to her new home at Illinois State was not really a big change for Cirone but more like the perfect fit.
"Right when I got here I felt like I had been here forever," Cirone said. "The coaches made me feel so comfortable and the players get along so well. I just felt like this was the right choice for me."
Cirone's grandfather always asked her to do the sign of the cross when preparing for a game to protect her from injury on the court and to also give her the strength to play well. She has carried over the ritual and continues to do this before every game.
Not only has she become comfortable with the women's basketball team, she has been able to find a role model in one of her fellow teammates.
"I look up to some of the girls on the team," Cirone said. "I look up to Megan McCracken, who is also a guard. We shoot together, and she has made me feel really comfortable."
Comfort has become a key ingredient to being able to perform well. Along with adjusting to a new team, Cirone had to get accustomed to her new surroundings.
"I thought classes were going to be real different," Cirone said. "When I walked into a lecture I thought `WOW! 300 people!' I also attended an all girls school and it is very different having boys in my classes. It is different that high school, but I have been adjusting really well. "
Cirone is thinking about majoring in nursing at Illinois State. She feels that basketball will always be a strong influence on her life and may even look into coaching as well. When Cirone wants to step away from basketball she has a few thing that she does to relax and even some that she couldn't live without.
"After basketball I like to relax," Cirone said. "I love to hang out with my friends and watch my favorite TV shows, One Tree Hill and The O.C. The Internet is something that I could not live without because I talk to so many people I know. Without that connection it would be hard."
Good communication and an increasing familiarity with her new school, teammates and coaches has led to early success for Cirone.
