WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ABBY EMMERT
Winterset High School: 2004
November 2, 2009
Winterset girl's basketball had three wins and 40 losses in the two years prior to Abby Emmert’s arrival. During her final two years as a Husky, her team won 38 games and only lost 10.
Much of the credit that’s taken place for the Winterset girls basketball program should also be attributed to current coach Doug Messerschmitt, who began coaching Emmert’s freshman season in 2000.
“It was really cool to see the enthusiasm for girl’s basketball grow while I was there,” Emmert said. “I just really enjoyed my time there. It’s a great community with a small town feel and everyone kind of gets behind one another and supports each other. It was all-around a really good experience growing up and going to school there.”
Emmert’s successes at Winterset caught the attention of many division-one schools, including Drake, Iowa and Iowa State. Her final decision was between Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeyes, and Amy Stephens’s Drake Bulldogs.
“I knew I wanted to stay in state,” Emmert said. “That’s something I decided early on so that my parents and family would be able to watch my games.”
In the end it was the Hawkeyes who captured the All-State point guard’s interest the most.
“It was just a dream come true,” Emmert said. “My family and everyone have always been die-hard Hawk fans. Plus black and gold were my colors at Winterset and I figured they were working out alright, so I decided to take that route.”
As a freshman Emmert was immediately thrown into the regular playing rotation, starting in 14 games. But she would only start in eight games over the next three years.
“We had a very talented point guard come in the year after me. She was two time All-Big Ten, and a great shooter and scorer,” Emmert said. “So it was just something where I accepted my role and continued to help the team in other ways.”
Situations like this can be frustrating for athletes, especially those as competitive as Emmert. Luckily for her, she had the right people in her life, to give her the sound advice she needed to continue her career successfully.
“It was hard to swallow at first, but I was able to talk to my dad and different coach’s and realized there was a still a lot I could do to help the team,” Emmert said. “I realized I could still have a presence whether it was in games or in practice, or even off the court. And I think I was able to do that.”
Emmert’s mature attitude and team-oriented philosophies were undoubtedly appreciated by the Hawkeye staff. A staff that Emmert is apart of just a year-and-a-half after graduating, she is currently the director of basketball operations for her Hawkeye’s, a team that taught her so much.
“I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with Lisa Bluder at Iowa,” Emmert said. “The biggest thing that you really realize when you’re done is the things you learn about life and being a good person in the community. I’ve only been done a year-and-a-half, but those are the things that really stick with you.”
In May of 2008 Emmert received her degree in communication studies from Iowa, with a minor in journalism. She took a little time off to decide what her next move would be and soon after started working for the United Way doing fundraising for resource development in Cedar Rapids.
After seven months in Cedar Rapids, the director of basketball operations job became available with her alma-mater. She applied and got the job. She started on September 4th and you better believe her Hawkeye’s have been keeping her busy, but she doesn’t mind.
“There’s a lot that goes into it. It’s a lot of the behind the scenes work and day-to-day kind of things that just make the program run,” Emmert said. “I do all the travel arrangements, the scheduling of games and practices. I take care of equipment and uniforms and all the volunteer activities that our women do. It’s all really exciting work that I’m really enjoying.”
TJ Rushing, High School Playbook
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