Q & A with Caity Matter – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Notorious for her shots beyond the arc and her dedication to the game, junior guard Caity Matter looks to continually improve her athleticism and humbly play the game that she loves for Ohio State. Matter set Ohio State’s single-season record with 106 3-pointers last season and was awarded the Edward S. Steitz Award as the country’s top 3-point shooter and most recently drained a Buckeye-best eight 3-pointers at the IUPUI game Dec. 1. Matter also was a member of the gold-medal winning 2003 USA Basketball World Championship for Young Women squad and has represented Ohio State and the Big Ten three times on trips abroad. A passion for basketball and the will to play have gotten Matter through three major injuries. Each time, she has returned an improved and more motivated athlete.
When did you start playing basketball?
“I started playing basketball in second grade and joined a league team when I was in third grade. I lived in a small town (Bluffton, Ohio) and had always been around basketball and sports. My grandfather and uncle played in high school and I, along with not having many other things to do, just enjoyed playing and had fun on the court.”
Did you play any other sports while you were growing up?
“I always liked being active and doing something, so I played every sport except for hockey and football. I actually played on boys baseball teams until my seventh grade year. Softball was always a little too slow for me and I liked the faster pace of baseball and all of my guy friends played baseball. I may have been the only girl in the league too, but as I recall, we ended up winning the championships.”
What is your most memorable basketball game in high school?
“My junior year we played at the state semifinals in St. John Arena and then my senior year we played in the finals for the first time at the Schott (Value City Arena), which were probably my two most memorable games in high school. I committed to Ohio State my junior year and was excited to be able to play basketball in St. John Arena and at the Schott before I was even a Buckeye.”
Do you have any siblings that play sports?
“My brother Ricky plays football and basketball as a freshman at Bluffton High School and actually started as quarterback for the varsity team this year. We both enjoy playing sports and he was always involved with my sports growing up. With recreational and high school basketball, he was always our ball boy and enjoyed traveling with my teams and watching me play. On the court, he used to rebound for me and now he can play one-on-one. Now we can fight over the ball and play for the win.”
How does your brother look up to you?
“I think I affected the way he plays and looks at sports. He could always ask me questions, but it was the stuff he saw me do on the court and how I interacted with my teammates that showed him that hard work and sportsmanship are important.”
How was playing basketball at Bluffton and what did you get out of your high school athletic experience?
“Every year we moved up in competition and it was great being able to play with the same girls for so many years. All of my teammates had played together since fourth grade and learned together the importance of communication and how to be there for each other. We learned to build relationships with our teammates and coaches and worked hard together to eventually get to state my senior year. When you work hard for a specific goal every day with the same people, you take your individual memories out of that.”
What did you have to do to go from reconstructive knee surgery to Ms. Ohio Basketball in your last year at Bluffton?
“I blew out my knee in June of that summer (2000) and from the day I found out about my injury, I made a vow to myself that I wouldn’t miss a single game or practice for my senior year. Previously, I had ankle sprains here and there but I never had to sit out any length of time, so it was hard not being on the court. I went to rehab twice a day, six days a week and kept thinking of the day the team started practice. Everyday in rehab, I said to myself, ‘I don’t care how bad it hurts or how hard I have to work, I will be back for the first day of practice.'”
What made you decide to play for Ohio State?
“I decided my junior year that I didn’t want to go through the recruiting process and wanted to stay close to home. Tanya (McClure), LaToya (Turner) and DiDi Reynolds had committed to Ohio State and I saw the makings were there to have a great team and win. I wanted to commit to a team that could win and they were getting the players to do so. Ohio State also has great academics, and for me, there is so much pride in being a Buckeye.”
How did your family affect your choice?
“I am very focused on the court, but another reason I chose Ohio State is because my family could attend all my games. It’s nice that my whole extended family can attend and sometimes even go to away games. In high school, my parents never missed a game and they still haven’t missed a game in college. At the games, I make sure to find them in the stands before the game and give them a quick glance. When my family isn’t there, I just don’t feel whole when I play.”
How was the adjustment from high school to college basketball your freshman year at Ohio State?
“Time management and balancing what I did on the court and in the classroom took some time to adjust to. In high school, I had an hour-and-a-half practice and then I could go home and study. But in college, I had intense, three-hour practices, and needed to lift, get treatment, travel for road games and balance my classes. To help me get through all of it, I had a great group of veterans, including Jamie Lewis, who took me through my year step-by-step. Jamie told me what to do and how to deal with things and to take the time to do my work and not skip out on my other responsibilities.”
What did you do to stay active after your mid-season injury your freshman year?
“They discovered a stress fracture in my leg and I had to sit out for 17 games midway through the season. Like my knee, it was hard to be away from the game that I loved. It was especially hard with my stress fracture because I couldn’t do anything. That was probably one of the hardest things. When you have an injury like that, you can’t get complacent. You can’t think negative and so you find the little things like doing situps or leg-raises, giving the players feedback during practice and paying attention to what your team is doing. You have to stay involved with the team so when you do come back you feel like you are still in the flow.”
How does it feel to play at a Big Ten school?
“It’s a great honor. The Big Ten is one of the greatest conferences in the country. Night-in and night-out it is a battle and you have to come into every game knowing it will be a battle. Every team is good and you have to come out ready to play.”
How do you prepare for playing on the road, especially at Big Ten schools?
“Going on the road in the Big Ten is rough in itself, but they have some rough crowds as well. Purdue and Penn State are two good examples of how you have to be ready when you go to play in their house. What we do in practice prepares us a lot and we stay mentally ready. We know when you go on the road you will not have that much support, so it is just the five of us on the court and we have to stay together and have to talk to each other. You can only think about what’s happening on the court and can’t focus on the outside things.”
You were granted a medical redshirt your sophomore year after fracturing the third metatarsal of your left foot. What was your initial reaction when you learned the extent of the injury? Did you feel disheartened or motivated to come back?
“During our first exhibition game early in the season we were shooting around and I cut out and felt a pop in my foot. They told me I had a stress fracture in my foot and I ended up being out for the entire year. Especially after my freshman year and going through an injury already, I never thought I would have to go through it again. It was hard to stay motivated and I got down on myself in the first two or three weeks, but realized that as an athlete, I couldn’t think ‘How can this be happening to me again?’ I became motivated when I could start putting weight on my foot and really wanted to get back out there for my team. When I knew I couldn’t come back for the season, I knew I had to prepare myself for the next season, so I stood there with my team every day and had to prepare myself and stay in shape. There were two or three other people who were also redshirted that season, so we went through it together.”
You were named co-winner of the Buckeye Power Club your redshirt season, an award recognizing hard work and above-average performance in the weight room. What motivated you during that year to stay in shape?
“I took my aggression out in the weight room because I couldn’t really do anything else. The weight room was my court for that year and I got all my frustration out there. I just wanted to be with the team and while I lifted I got more muscle and got to work out with them at the same time. Now I can do more things on the court and stay out there longer.”
How did it feel to join the 2002 Big Ten All-Stars and play competitively abroad the summer before your sophomore year?
“It was an honor and good for me to play a few games because I had sat out all of that year and needed to get back into playing. It was also a great experience meeting people from other teams and being under a different coach. It was my first trip to Europe. I had some butterflies before the first game, but practiced and felt prepared for the game. We went to Belgium and Holland and it was just beautiful there.”
How does getting injured affect an athlete’s confidence?
“It might at first, but you can’t go into a game worrying about getting hurt because that’s when you end up getting hurt. You have to go out there and play and not even think about it. Once you do that, you regain confidence and it doesn’t affect you at all.”
At the end of last season, you broke Ohio State’s record with 106 3-pointers. What do you account for your success at the 3-point arc?
“Simply, my teammates give me the ball. We get into gaps and my teammates find me there and can give me the ball anywhere. Whether we go inside, or relocate out, if I’m open, they’ll find me. As for accuracy, I’ve always worked hard on my shot. When you are in a small town, you can’t really go to a big mall like in the city. Everyday, my friends and I would go out and shoot. It’s all we had to do and in the long run, it really improved my accuracy.”
What did it feel like to make it to the championship game of the 2003 Big Ten Tournament?
“It was great to make it. We were in the game at the end of it and that showed us we were where we needed to be. It has carried over to this season and we have that taste in our mouth. Anytime you get to a different level, whether NCAA or Big Ten, it is a building block to improving our game.”
What was your reaction to being named to the 2003 USA Basketball Women’s National Team For Young Women?
“I was surprised and honored. USA Basketball is another level up from college and we were going overseas to represent our country, not just the university. I also never imagined getting to travel so much in college. I’ve been to some incredible places and I can’t explain how grateful I am for the experiences.”
How was it traveling abroad with coach Jim Foster as the coach of the 2003 USA Basketball Women’s National Team for Young Women?
“It was a definite advantage, but at the same time, all the girls would come to me because I knew the system and coach Foster. I learned a lot more about him and had a great time playing with different players from around the states in a different setting.”
What did it feel like when you received your gold medal at the 2003 FIBA World Championship for Young Women in Croatia?
“It was incredible just standing on the top platform with the entire team and getting the gold medal. It was truly a great moment when we saw our flag raised and when they played our national anthem.”
What importance does basketball have in your life?
“The court is a place where I relieve my stress and try to be the best that I can be. I love the game and all I want to do is stay on the court and play.”
