Hoop dreams coming true for Highland basketball player Alix Henderson who plays for Scotland and Great Britain and is now gracing the college courts in the United States
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ALIX Henderson has seen her basketball career bounce to incredible heights since first learning the game as a pupil at Balloch Primary School.
From playing with the Highland Bears in Inverness to going on to represent Scotland and Great Britain on the international stage, she is now playing college basketball in the United States.
The 19-year-old, from Gollanfield, plays for Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, in the PacWest conference.
The ex-Culloden Academy pupil travels across California and Hawaii taking on top college teams from the region in front of big crowds.
“My advice to anyone who would like to follow my footsteps is to persevere when you set your mind to something and to take opportunities when they arise.”
It is a world away from where she started playing basketball in Inverness. But Henderson, who plays as a point guard, says she is relishing playing the sport at a higher level.
“Playing college basketball is quite different from Scotland,” she said.
“There are higher attendances in college basketball in the United States as the sport generally has a bigger following.
“Our crowds are mostly filled with students from the university, and people from the community, so it creates a good atmosphere.
“I think in Scotland the spectators we had were mainly family, and I definitely miss that aspect of home games.
“Most of our games are in California and can be all the way up to San Francisco in the North while we’re in San Diego in the South.
“The team also travels to Hawaii for about a week every year as there are three Hawaiian teams in the PacWest conference.
“We play each team at least once at home and once away throughout the season.”
Henderson first got involved in basketball while playing for Balloch Primary School in a school league in Inverness. She then went on to join Inverness club Highland Bears where her talent for the game soon caught people’s notice.
“I learned a lot from being at Highland Bears and it’s where my basketball career really started,” she said.
“I had great coaches who taught me the fundamentals of basketball and encouraged me to play to my potential.
“The club is a great way to get involved with basketball, and it can also provide a pathway to national team opportunities for players in Inverness.
“I first played on the under-12 Scotland team which was in the same year I started playing for Highland Bears. I played for Scotland until under-18 level.
“The Great Britain team now has age groups ranging from under-16 to under-20, which began when I was under-18 and I have been fortunate enough to be selected each year since then.
“I was still playing for Highland Bears during the first year that I was selected for Great Britain.”
Despite proving herself as a talented youngster, Henderson knew if she wanted to improve her career, she had to go to the United States.
When the opportunity came to study at college across the Atlantic, she couldn’t turn it down.
“While I was playing for Great Britain at the European Championships, I got an offer to go and play at a school in Florida,” she said.
“However, there was a short deadline to make a decision and I hadn’t thought of it as a possibility since I had already started university in Edinburgh.
“When I told my Great Britain coaches about the offer, they felt that going to the United States to pursue basketball would be beneficial to my playing career.
“My GB assistant coach Jamie Smith had experience with the American basketball system and he spent a lot of time and effort to help me attain scholarship offers. I visited schools in Texas and California and loved the vibes and campus at Point Loma, so I made the decision to accept the offer there.”
Studying international development with a minor in economics, Henderson says she is handling the basketball/academic life balance fine and enjoying American college life.
“The university system is quite different compared to in Scotland.
“I spent two years at The University of Edinburgh and during my time there I had daily lectures with hundreds of different students. In comparison, each class at Point Loma has roughly 15 to 30 students.
“Our grades depend on multiple exams throughout the semester rather than one heavily weighted exam at the end, like in Edinburgh.
“I didn’t think I would like this style of learning initially, but I actually feel like I’ve been able to learn more with this format.”
Henderson was selected for the Great Britain Under-20 squad to compete at the European Championships this summer. But the tournament, along with other sporting events, was cancelled due to Covid-19.
However, she is focused on achieving success on the court with Point Loma and is looking to play at a high level as long as she can.
She advises anyone who is presented with the chances she has been given to take them.
“Right now I’m focused on improving different aspects of my game and helping my team win our conference.
“Ideally, I’ll play at a high level for as long as possible, but it depends on what opportunities present themselves in terms of basketball, education, and career.
“My advice to anyone who would like to follow my footsteps is to persevere when you set your mind to something and to take opportunities when they arise.”
