Advertisement

"It is a commitment she chose to make," said Alicia's father and Ubly boys' basketball coach Joel Leipprandt.

"I fell in love with it since I was little," Alicia explained.

That is why Alicia joined the Detroit Pistons AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team. After a few moments of discussion with her dad, it was decided that Alicia has been playing competitive basketball since first grade.

Mark Krug was Alicia's first coach in the area. Prior to that, Alicia played for St. John Lutheran while she was home schooled. She then played at Ubly in fourth grade and has played there ever since. Alicia played in Clarkston in the 2007 AAU season and played with the Piston squad in the 2008 season.

"I could tell it was frustrating for her" Joel said. "She was used to playing a lot. The minute she plays Ñ she earns."

Alicia and the Pistons AAU team have recently played in the Dean Smith Center in North Carolina, Duke Ñ where 32 teams from all over the county played. The Piston AAU team won the tournament. They have also played at the University of Cincinnati, and will play in Orlando the second week of July. Over the last 50 games, the squad has lost just three games.

There is a huge time commitment. Alicia makes the drive to either Auburn Hills Ñ the Pistons facility or Lake Orion one to two times per week depending on whether they have a tournament on the weekend. "It's not for everybody," commented Coach Leipprandt. He added, "It is a big commitment. She loves basketball and wants to play at the next level. It is a commitment she chose to make. Some people think she's crazy, but that's what she wants. It has been an awesome experience for her."

Alicia has received some offers from schools to play ball for them. "You have to get on an AAU team if you want to play at a big school," Alicia explained. She has visited several campuses including Northwood, Oakland University and West Point to look at the school and their respective programs.