Paula Sanders: Following Her Dreams
2/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2010
February is Black History Month, and nowhere in major-college athletics is that history richer than at Michigan State University. From Gideon Smith, the first African-American football player at Michigan Agricultural College in 1913, to Steve Smith, an All-America basketball star whose contributions have an impact each day, it would take many months to tell the full story. In this profile, former women's basketball player Paula Sanders is featured.
By basing her collegiate career on hard work, resilience and dedication, former women's basketball standout Paula Sanders was destined for success.
While her fans were primarily focused on the prosperity she found on the hardwood, Sanders' desire to succeed stretched much farther than the game of basketball, and has continued well beyond her time in a green and white uniform.
Sanders, a Detroit native, grew up not even having a desire to play basketball until she reached fifth grade. Although she lacked coordination, Sanders said her parents pushed her into the sport because of her size and the idea that she would eventually grow into her body.
Despite her initial disinterest, Sanders soon found her place on a fifth grade AAU team. It didn't take long for her game to blossom. By the time she was in high school at Harper Woods Regina, she was receiving recruiting letters from several colleges, including Michigan State University.
Sanders, a four-year varsity player, signed to play at Michigan State during the early signing period in October of her senior year. Later that season, she led the Saddlelites to the state semifinals and was runner-up in the Michigan Miss Basketball voting.
"I knew I wanted to go to MSU because it had all the options I was looking for," Sanders said. "It wasn't that far from home, but at the same time it wasn't that close either."
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"I followed my desires in life, and I want to encourage kids to do the same. Follow the dreams that make you happy, and be determined to get what you want out of life one day at a time."
-Paula Sanders
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Before even stepping foot on campus, Sanders said she knew her primary objective for coming to MSU well before she even arrived.
"My main focus all along was to earn my college degree from a top university like MSU," Sanders said. "I knew it was going to take a lot of hard work and time management, but I never lost sight on what I set out to do."
As a freshman, Sanders said the transition between high school and college came fairly easy due to her upbringing and her high school background. It was her performance on the court, however, that really showed just how easy of a transition it was, as she wasted no time making a name for herself in East Lansing.
In her first season with the Spartans in 1993-94, Sanders played in a total of 20 games - starting the first five of the season before a stress fracture left her sidelined for a short period of time. Regardless, Sanders pulled down the second most rebounds on the team, averaging 5.8 per game, and was also the team's fifth-highest scorer with 5.4 points per game. To go along with her athletic talent, many noted her ability as a natural leader on the team, something she said she cannot take all the credit for.
"I played under some great leaders during my first years that I really looked up to," Sanders said. "Players that came before me, like Kisha Kelley, really helped transform me into a leader, and after they graduated and it was up to me to take over that leadership role."
During her sophomore season, Sanders picked up right where she left off. She led the team in rebounds as well as blocked shots, and traveled to Japan with the Big Ten All-Star team. While her success continued to escalate on the court, Sanders said the most important things she was learning she wouldn't even realize until later in life.
"When I look back I can really see how basketball taught me to work as part of a team and work together," she said. "It taught me responsibility and showed me the importance of performing to the best of my ability no matter what I'm doing."
In her junior season Sanders' success only continued. She led the team and ranked seventh in the Big Ten in rebounds with her 8.1 average, while also compiling seven double-doubles. Most importantly, Sanders led her team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the first time she, or anyone else on her team, had been a part of postseason play. Sanders pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds in MSU's 60-57 first-round win in overtime against Massachusetts - the program's first NCAA Tournament victory.
While her statistics could speak for themselves, it was her role as the team's leader that Sanders really became known for.
"I went out into every game just playing with my heart," Sanders said, who still ranks fifth in the Spartan record books with 842 career rebounds and eighth in steals with 195. "I wanted to lead vocally as well by example, and I still strive to do that in my work today."
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Paula Sanders was a key component of the 1997 Big Ten championship team, MSU's first-ever Big Ten title in women's basketball.
After three years of success building upon each other, it was Sanders' senior season in 1996-97 that really became a culmination of her time at MSU. She not only continued to lead her team in rebounding for the third straight season, but also in steals and scoring, compiling 64 steals and averaging 12.6 points per game. Perhaps her biggest accomplishment was leading her team to a share of the program's first-ever Big Ten title, and for the second consecutive year, the Spartans advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For all her efforts, Sanders became just the second player in MSU history to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors.
As her impressive college basketball season came to an end, Sanders did not hesitate on what was to come next in her life. By keeping her degree at the center of her priorities, Sanders was ready to graduate in May of her senior year with a degree in elementary education. Similar to the way she began her basketball career with the Spartans, Sanders wasted no time beginning the next journey in her life.
"Being an educator is something that just fits me best," Sanders said. "I love working with kids and watching them accomplish their goals, no matter what they are."
It was not long before Sanders returned to school and received her master's degree in counseling from DePaul University in Chicago. Shortly after, she was hired as a high school counselor at Redford High School in Detroit. She also spent a year at Lakeshore High in St. Clair Shores before going to Farmington Hills High School, where she has been the last three years. Being a counselor and helping others is a profession Sanders said she "absolutely loves".
The diligence and persistent work Paula Sanders put into her time at MSU was not only seen on the basketball court, but in her education and in her future as well. In her career at MSU, the women's basketball program reached new heights as her leadership and dedication were proven invaluable. Today as a high school counselor, the goals she is now setting are based in helping her students make their dreams a reality.
"I followed my desires in life, and I want to encourage kids to do the same," she said. "Follow the dreams that make you happy, and be determined to get what you want out of life one day at a time."
By Katie Koerner, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant