February 2016 Athletes of the Month: Jordan Rice and Maddie Tudor

Jordan Rice

Ask senior Jordan Rice what life lesson he has learned from his participation in sports and his answer is simple. Never give up. “I’ve learned in life that anything can happen if you never give up,” said the 17-year-old basketball player of the importance of perseverance.

Jordan is in his third year on the varsity basketball team and would like to continue playing basketball at the collegiate level – preferably at a four-year college. And he hopes to continue to be involved in sports for years to come. “I plan to always do something with sports in the future – possibly coach one day,” said Jordan.

One of the challenges Jordan has faced with basketball is the ever-increasing pace of the game. “The game keeps getting faster, and you have to adjust with it,” he said.

As he moves forward to the next chapter in his life, his memories of playing high school basketball will always be a big part of his life.

“I have always loved basketball and love the competition,” said Jordan. “It has made me the person I am today and I’ve made great friends. I always have fun with my teammates and enjoy hanging out with them off the court.”

Maddie Tudor

Maddie is in her first year at Edmonds-Woodway, but has been playing varsity basketball and varsity volleyball for three years. She has had to overcome some obstacles along the way but is grateful she continued to stick with athletics.

“I have had bad relationships with some of my coaches in the past which resulted in me not getting a lot of playing time throughout the seasons,” said Maddie. “The only way I was able to overcome that challenge was by moving to a new school which gave a new beginning with my current coach, and I have a very good relationship with her.”

While Maddie has yet to confirm where she will attend school next year, she said Western Washington University is at the top of her list. Although she considered playing basketball at the collegiate level, Maddie said she will likely play intramural sports instead.

Her career interests include European history. “I have thought about maybe becoming a high school teacher. But I am still not quite sure what I want to do yet,” said Maddie.

Maddie said she loves playing basketball, it helps her forget any stress she has in her life and she is able to focus solely on the game. “It makes me very happy,” she said.

Looking back on her playing experience in high school, Maddie said she is grateful to her current basketball coach for teaching her the importance of never giving up.

“I kept pushing through because I knew that it was going to get better and it has, so I am very grateful that I learned that lesson from my coach.”

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