Scholar Stories: Crockett Striving to Use Movement Science to Uplift
10/16/2024 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball, Features
By Shira Black
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each week MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Absopure.
Sitting in on her brother's physical therapy appointments as a child, University of Michigan women's basketball player Alyssa Crockett understood what she wanted to dedicate her life to: helping kids feel and move like their truest, fullest selves.
Crockett's younger brother, Caleb, has Down Syndrome and attended regular physical therapy sessions growing up -- many of which Crockett observed. Not only did Caleb inspire her academic and professional journey, but his energy and support have bolstered Crockett for many years.
Reflecting on these experiences, Crockett described being drawn to the profession, but more specifically, to the incredible impact that Caleb's physical therapists had on him.
"Growing up, I went to all of his appointments," she said. "When I saw him get excited and pumped up about going to an appointment just because he loved the people that he was working with, it made me want to aspire to be like those people that were pouring into him."
Now a movement science major on the physical therapy track, Crockett dreams of working in a children's hospital and having that same profound and lasting impact on kids. While she does not yet know where her basketball career will take her, Crockett plans to eventually pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. Through her studies at UM's School of Kinesiology, Crockett is taking classes that deepen her academic expertise while applying to her life on and off the basketball court.
A major like movement science is incredibly beneficial to athletes, who must pay close attention to how their bodies function and recover in order to deliver their best results. Crockett loves how directly the program applies to her life, and she enjoys the fascinating classes that she gets to take each semester, finding that she rarely gets bored. She has forged meaningful connections with her classmates and professors, throughout her time at the university, developing a network that encourages growth. One professor in particular, Michael Mignano, connected her with KidSport, a summer camp where she had the opportunity to volunteer with kids and help them participate in sports and activities in a fun, inclusive environment.
A class that might seem incredibly intimidating to many, but that Crockett has grown to love, is Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy (and its associated lab course). In this class, she learned to identify every bone and muscle that make up the human body, and even worked with real cadavers -- which came as a shock to some of her teammates. This musculoskeletal knowledge constantly comes in handy, whether on the court, in the training room or in the exercise facility.
"When I'm listening to the athletic trainer, I'm able to learn that way as well; when they talk about a certain movement or a certain muscle, it's fun applying what I know from class into the training room," Crockett said. "And when I'm lifting, [it's helpful] knowing the specific muscles to use and how to activate them."
The movement science major touches on three main components: biomechanics, motor control and exercise physiology. The latter focuses on recovery, something that directly ties into Crockett's life on the basketball court. After practice, she finds herself thinking about how the electrolytes in sports drinks like Gatorade will replenish her muscle glycogen, laughing as she talks about instinctively reminding her teammates to do the same.
Her teammates also share their own passions and classroom learnings with one another. Crockett shared what she has picked up from her teammates, including her roommate Greta Kampschroeder, who is a sport management student.
"A lot of it pertains to NIL (name, image and likeness) and how new things are moving and growing across that landscape," Crockett said. "I think it's super fun living with people with majors you don't know much about and who you can learn from."
The 2024-25 Michigan women's basketball team brings back only four returners from last year, making chemistry an immediate priority. To strengthen their bond, the team took a weekend trip before the summer to get to know each other off the court. It was a rousing success, with a night of icebreaker questions that quickly evolved into authentic conversation and interest. Crockett knows the importance of people who make you feel like you belong.
"It was just so genuine and it was a way that we were able to connect with each other," Crockett expressed. "We found out so many new things about each other and we were just so excited to ask each other questions and get to know each other more."
On how that chemistry translates onto the court, Crockett said, "We're just able to lean on each other and hold each other accountable. If you don't know your teammates, sometimes you may feel unsure of how to coach them or talk to them -- knowing each other so well has just translated in a way like no team I've been a part of yet.
"It's all love," she continued. "At the end of the day, we're just here to win, and I think everyone has the same goal and no one's going to get mad at each other if one person's asking someone else to do something or go harder. I think we've really benefited from just knowing each other so well."
Now an upperclassman, Crockett is excited for the upcoming season and eager to play alongside her teammates, especially with the addition of Olympian and former WNBA player Natalie Achonwa to the Michigan coaching staff. A true full-circle moment for Crockett, having watched Achonwa play growing up, she is embracing this opportunity to learn as much as she can from Achonwa.
Balancing basketball with an intense major like movement science is certainly no easy task. But motivated by discipline, consistency, and a passion for her studies, Crockett is more than making it work.
She's ready to make an impact.
