Telegram & Gazette Colleges: Warburton a welcome addition at Anna Maria
Jennifer Toland, Telegram & Gazette Colleges
jtoland@telegram.com
One day last spring, Trafficia Warburton brought her 8-year-old son Kayvaun to G's Barber Shop on Pleasant Street for a haircut. In the chair next to Kayvaun, Anna Maria women's basketball coach Kevin Bigelow was getting a trim.
Warburton and Bigelow had never met, but they struck up a conversation that included basketball. She found out he was AMC's coach. He discovered that she was a former star at Burncoat High and that she had played for two seasons at Quinsigamond Community College.
Warburton was interested in continuing her education and her basketball career. Bigelow was enthusiastic about giving her an opportunity to work toward her bachelor's degree and add some talent to the AmCats squad.
"Coach was very persistent," Warburton said with a smile. "What I like about him is he cares about his players on and off the court. You could feel that. When I needed help with how to do things to get the process going he was hands on helping."
Warburton, 27, enrolled at Anna Maria last fall, and, while helping the AmCats to nine wins so far, the 5-foot-8 junior guard is leading the team in scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.8 rpg). She has posted eight double-doubles.
"She brings experience and she's talented," Bigelow said. "Like I told her in practice Monday, 'Shoot!' She could score every time down the floor. It helps to have someone like that."
Warburton, who is majoring in social work, achieved a 3.2 GPA first semester. This semester, she is balancing basketball, six classes, two part-time jobs and, most importantly, motherhood.
She is doing it with determination and dedication.
"It's a challenge," Warburton said, "but my son motivates me. We definitely don't want him to be part of the statistics — young mom, single mother. I'm definitely trying to get him a better life and you can do it no matter the obstacles."
Warburton, who was a T&G Division 1 all-star during her playing days at Burncoat, took about five years off from school after Kayvaun was born. She worked and moved to North Carolina for a time, but decided to settle in Worcester. When Kayvaun was school-age, she enrolled at Quinsigamond.
Kayvaun is now a third-grader at Vernon Hill School and quite a good student and basketball player himself. Warburton and Kayvaun live with her mom. Kayvaun goes to the Boys & Girls Club after school and on nights like Tuesday, when Anna Maria played at Mount Ida, is with his grandmother when she gets home from work.
Kayvaun comes to most of Anna Maria's home games and to some practices.
"He loves it," Warburton said.
Spending so much time apart from Kayvaun — and missing his games — has been difficult for Warburton.
"The first day I started school here and realized the time demand, I thought, 'Oh my goodness. I'm going to be away from him so much,' " Warburton said. "I've had a couple talks with him. At his last teacher-parent meeting his teacher pointed out just seeing me go to school that education doesn't stop — you keep going. He understands, but sometimes he gets bothered. I make sure I talk to him."
Warburton said Bigelow, who is in his second season at his alma mater, has been a big part of her support system.
"I'm motivated," she said, "but I do have my downs. I get overwhelmed, but Coach is always right there, (saying), 'You gotta go.' I really appreciate my coach."
"Sometimes I'm too matter-of-fact — I'm like, 'Hey, this is the deal. What's your other option?' " Bigelow said. "I hope I'm sympathetic enough that it comes across that way, but I want to see her succeed. That's the bottom line for me."
Warburton is one of two transfers and nine new players on the AMC team this year. The AmCats are working toward what they hope is their first winning season since 2000-01.
"It's definitely been a growing experience," Warburton said. "It's different junior college to college. There are still things I need to learn. 'Another day to get better,' as Coach always says."
