Their “bond” is shared more with our readers and in the sports pages of the Messenger than in reality. It was invaluable for me.”Įlle Ruffridge and Audi Crooks come from different corners of our area. She’s close enough to home (Algona to Ames) and I know she has a strong family support system – that will be big for her. But it could be as simple as going to the movies or reading a good book…whatever it takes to clear your head. For me, it was always school as an outlet to ‘get away,’ so to speak. “There are times where you need to find distractions to keep yourself balanced. ![]() Ignore the outside noise and stay true to who you are as a player and as a person. “It’s a huge adjustment, so when you’re going through it, you need to surround yourself with people you can open up to and communicate with, whether it’s family, friends, current teammates or former teammates. If Ruffridge had a chance to sit down with Crooks - who has signed with Bill Fennelly’s Iowa State Cyclones - she would tell her to “trust the process and buy into the long-term vision the coaching staff has for you.” “It’s tough physically and it’s tough mentally.” “You definitely feel pressure (to perform), and you face a lot of adversity and failure for the first time because you’re at such a high level,” Ruffridge said. Ruffridge admitted the inner struggle of trying to meet - or exceed - expectations after being a high school star weighed heavily in the early stages of her time at MSU. The road wasn’t always smooth during her collegiate journey, though. The Division I Bears twice reached the Sweet 16 during her time in Springfield, Mo. Ruffridge developed into a deft shooter and crafty veteran at Missouri State University. “There are plenty of great players out there, but how do you separate yourself as a person, deal with the hype once you find some success, and in what ways are you going to give back?” We didn’t want to see it end with our team, and I know Audi has talked about leaving a similar (legacy at Garrigan). We always wanted to do things the right way, and hoped other kids would follow in our footsteps. So when I got to high school, I kept in mind that little eyes and ears are always watching and listening. “When I was a little kid, I remembered how much it meant to me when older players went out of their way to talk to me or show me things,” Ruffridge said. It wasn’t about building a personal brand or securing awards, but rather, growing the game for future generations. Ruffridge, like Crooks, also embraced the spotlight for all the right reasons. There were no shortcuts for us or for them, which makes it all the more rewarding. And again, I’m sure if you talked to Audi, Molly (Joyce) and their other (Golden Bear) players, they’d tell you the same thing. “That trust and understanding is built through work and time. None of us cared about (the individual attention). We were friends off the court, and are still incredibly close to this day. “It’s not like we were a manufactured team with players who were just (pooled together). “Our connection (at Pocahontas Area) was real, and it went way back,” said Ruffridge, who is also the state’s all-time leader for assists. ![]() Like Bishop Garrigan’s tried and true mantra over the last four seasons, every teammate served a purpose every player was invaluable in their own way. She shared the wealth of her own fame with the accuracy of a perfect half-court pass, consistently delivering the message that the Indians were victorious because of the sum of their parts. ![]() Ruffridge was always the center of attention at PAC, but she was anything but a one-player show. The Indians had just clinched their second consecutive championship, with Ruffridge shattering nearly every record in the book while solidifying her legendary reputation. Sound familiar? Six years ago, Ruffridge was the main attraction for a Pocahontas Area team that captured both the attention and the hearts of fans from across the state. “I know a lot of people who are close to (the Golden Bears) and have been around the program a lot, and they all say the same thing: Audi sets the tone by treating people well both on and off the court. That speaks to what she’s like as a teammate and as a person. “It would be completely different if Audi was a selfish player who let her own stats or ego get in the way of what they were trying to accomplish. It was easy to identify that right away,” said the 24-year-old Ruffridge, a 2017 PAC graduate who is now a teacher and assistant coach in Spirit Lake. “I could just see how strong their team chemistry was. No one recognized that quicker than Ruffridge herself, who actually sat courtside as the television color commentator for Garrigan’s quarterfinal game last week in Des Moines. There are more parallels than just team records and achievements, though.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |