Sula proves she can play basketball with "big boys"

Point guard uses rugged attitude to excel in sports

 

By Stacey DeFever, Online Forty Niner

Tuesday, November 10, 1998

Reta Sula never enjoyed participating in "girly" sports and games such as tetherball, hopscotch and four square.

"The guys always seemed to be having so much more fun," Sula said.

When Sula was in elementary school, she watched the boys play basketball and learned the game quickly. From that moment on, Sula said she had a basketball with her at every moment.

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"We were young last year but we're bigger and better now."

­ Rita Sula,

LBSU women's basketball, sophomore point guard

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"Pretty soon I was the one all the guys wanted on their team," Sula said.

Out of seven siblings, Sula is the middle child.

"None of my older brothers or sisters were into sports so I never had someone to practice with," Sula said.

Instead, Sula practiced shooting basketballs into a trash can in her backyard.

The only other person in Sula's family who enjoys sports is her younger brother who plays football at Jordan High School in Long Beach.

At the age of 10, Sula joined a football league, where her athletic abilities earned her the position of quarterback. She played for two years and then moved on to play basketball and volleyball competitively in middle school and high school.

During these years, Sula played shooting guard. Today, Sula plays point guard for the Long Beach State's women's basketball team.

At first, Sula said she did not want to make the transition between the two positions, but her coach insisted. Now, Sula cannot imagine playing anything but point guard.

As a returning starter and recipient of the Big West Conference all Freshman Team award, Sula said she is anxiously awaiting the start of the new season.

"The team this year is new and improved. We were young last year but we're bigger and better now," Sula said.

One of the main things Sula said the team is working on is its defensive strategies. She said she wants the other schools to walk out of the gym saying they were not able to complete any of the plays they wanted to.

Sula is confident that the team has the skills and talents it needs to have a successful season. There is a strong sense of team spirit and confidence among the players, she said.

Although she does not have much free time, when she is not on the court, Sula enjoys playing volleyball with some of her teammates.

Sula said she also enjoys singing in the choir at the church where her father is pastor. But since she keeps so busy, Sula is not able to sing as often as she would like.

A kinesiology major, Sula said she looks forward to coaching and teaching one day.

"I'm not really sure what age I'd like to work with, but I've definitely ruled out elementary and college students," Sula said.