The newest feature on the Hartford Hawks Women’s Basketball Blog returns for its newest installment. The Where Are They Now section will be updated every few weeks with an update from a former member of the Hartford women’s basketball team. Cedric Quackenbush, women’s basketball manager, will catch up with former Hawks and provide an update on their life after basketball. If you have a question or a possible topic for a future Where Are They Now feature, email athletics@hartford.edu.
Where Are They Now: Checking in with former Hartford guard Allison (Macca) Reyes!
It’s been eleven year’s since Allison Reyes (formerly Macca) put on a Hartford jersey and stepped onto the basketball court for Hawks. Heading into her senior season, which also served as the first year for head coach Jen Rizzotti in 1999-2000, Reyes wasn’t sure what to expect. When she returned back to campus for the fall of her final college season, she and her teammates were greeted with a new set of standards and expectations from their new coach.
“Looking back I remember how hard Jen (Rizzotti) worked to get to know all of us on a personal level off of the court and it made embracing her very easy,” Reyes said in a recent interview. “We were all very excited to have her and she was received well by the team. That year was an all around great experience.”
Her playing days may be over, but she has still managed to stay involved with the sport she loves. After her graduation from the University of Hartford with degrees in both math and education, Reyes served as a graduate assistant coach at Hartford in 2001.
She relied on that experience when she took over as the head coach for the varsity girl’s basketball team at Ledyard High School in Connecticut in 2006 while also teaching math at Wheeler High School in Stonington. In four years as head coach, Reyes transformed Ledyard from a one win team in her first season to a team that went to the state tournament in two of the past four years.
“It was tough to get the players to buy into the work ethic and intensity that I brought with me from my playing and coaching days at Hartford,” said Reyes of her experience at Ledyard. “The first year was very challenging but over time the girls bought into it and it turned into a great experience.”
While teaching at Wheeler, Reyes had the opportunity to teach current Hawks junior Keyokah Mars-Garrick in the classroom. “She was one of my favorite teachers,” said Mars-Garrick when asked about having Reyes as a teacher. “She was really good at getting through to her students and made class really interesting and fun.”
Despite a busy schedule which also includes coaching varsity girls lacrosse, Reyes still enjoys following the Hawks and say’s she’s not at all surprised about the level of success Hartford has reached over the past years. In the past, she has brought her high school team’s to games and still tries to follow them online.
This past spring she and her husband Michael welcomed their first daughter Ella on March 10th. Reyes plans to take a break from coaching this year to enjoy more time with her daughter and her husband, who also serves as the varsity boy’s basketball coach at Stonington High School.
It’s been eleven year’s since Allison Reyes (formerly Macca) put on a Hartford jersey and stepped onto the basketball court for Hawks. Heading into her senior season, which also served as the first year for head coach Jen Rizzotti in 1999-2000, Reyes wasn’t sure what to expect. When she returned back to campus for the fall of her final college season, she and her teammates were greeted with a new set of standards and expectations from their new coach.
“Looking back I remember how hard Jen (Rizzotti) worked to get to know all of us on a personal level off of the court and it made embracing her very easy,” Reyes said in a recent interview. “We were all very excited to have her and she was received well by the team. That year was an all around great experience.”
Her playing days may be over, but she has still managed to stay involved with the sport she loves. After her graduation from the University of Hartford with degrees in both math and education, Reyes served as a graduate assistant coach at Hartford in 2001.
She relied on that experience when she took over as the head coach for the varsity girl’s basketball team at Ledyard High School in Connecticut in 2006 while also teaching math at Wheeler High School in Stonington. In four years as head coach, Reyes transformed Ledyard from a one win team in her first season to a team that went to the state tournament in two of the past four years.
“It was tough to get the players to buy into the work ethic and intensity that I brought with me from my playing and coaching days at Hartford,” said Reyes of her experience at Ledyard. “The first year was very challenging but over time the girls bought into it and it turned into a great experience.”
While teaching at Wheeler, Reyes had the opportunity to teach current Hawks junior Keyokah Mars-Garrick in the classroom. “She was one of my favorite teachers,” said Mars-Garrick when asked about having Reyes as a teacher. “She was really good at getting through to her students and made class really interesting and fun.”
Despite a busy schedule which also includes coaching varsity girls lacrosse, Reyes still enjoys following the Hawks and say’s she’s not at all surprised about the level of success Hartford has reached over the past years. In the past, she has brought her high school team’s to games and still tries to follow them online.
This past spring she and her husband Michael welcomed their first daughter Ella on March 10th. Reyes plans to take a break from coaching this year to enjoy more time with her daughter and her husband, who also serves as the varsity boy’s basketball coach at Stonington High School.
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