As the referee tosses the ball up in the air for tip-off, Kariz Alberto (’12) keeps her hands open for a catch, ready to sprint as rapidly as she possibly can to her side of the court and shoot the first basket of the game, even if she is extremely injured.
Alberto is a point guard for the girls’ varsity basketball team. The point guard is the leader of the team who calls the plays that the team carries out. They are in charge of taking the ball from the opponent’s side to their side of the court.
As a starter for every game, she plays for three quarters with brief breaks in between. Varsity basketball coach Martik Ghookasian said that he prefers to play Alberto the whole game, but is not able to due to her numerous injuries.
Alberto has experienced leg, knee, and ankle problems along with a shin splint. These injuries are due to excessive running, strained muscles, and over-exercising.
Alberto splinted her knee when she was in eighth grade due to “the pounding her feet received” from track and basketball which in turn pressured her shin.
Among the injuries she recently acquired is her knee problem where she experiences pain inside her knee cap due to a pinched nerve. She also feels pain on the back of her calves in both legs which hurts the very moment she starts to run.
Though her injuries may worsen, Alberto has not done anything to alleviate the pain; she just “walks it off” and plays again because of her extreme commitment to the sport.
“Kariz has been interested in basketball since childhood and the only thing that I emphasize to her is to take care of herself while playing since she is extremely injured,” mother Cristina Alberto said.
Alberto is labeled by her teammates as “Kariz the beast” due to her short 5-foot inch stature, her speed, and her presence on the court as if “a monster was inside of her.”
“Kariz is a major component of our team,” center player Forever Moon (’11) said. “We tried to play without her and tried to compensate for her loss, but we just need her in every game.”
Ghookasian sees Alberto’s speed on the court as a necessity to the team because it makes up for the offensive skills the team currently lacks. Only a few players from all the league teams this season can “actually match Alberto’s speed.”
Besides speed, Alberto’s shooting skills and jumping abilities are viewed as her strengths in basketball. According to Ghookasian she has the “perfect form” in shooting and only needs to practice to keep consistency within her skill.
On the other hand, Ghookasian believes that Alberto’s use of her left hand is her weakness. Alberto is right-handed and feels awkward when she shoots the ball with her left.
“By next year there will be a whole different Kariz because she improves everyday,” Ghookasian said
Alberto was introduced to basketball by her uncles who played for multiple regional leagues in Manila. As she showed interest for the sport, her uncles taught her their hobby.
“Basketball is a very integral part of Filipino culture,” Alberto said. “There was no football or baseball there; basketball was the only sport.”
When she moved to the United States at the age of 7, the sport became a pastime and a regular activity for the rising star.
It all changed at Roosevelt Middle School when her friend Nicole Nuqui asked her to join the Police Athletic League (PAL) during the winter of 2007. When she joined the league, her interest for basketball amplified.
“I saw her potential in basketball so I encouraged her to join PAL knowing that I could work with her on basketball fundamentals,” Nuqui said. “She [was going to] be an asset to the team since most of the players during that time left for high school.”
Alberto and Nuqui became an instant dream duo, leading the team to victory, defeating every team in the league, and eventually winning the championship.
Besides basketball, Alberto was also on the PAL Track and Field team for Roosevelt where she competed in the 50 meter, 100 meter, and 4 x 100 meter dashes. She was the last sprinter in the 4 x 100 race, also known as the anchor, because she was the fastest runner on the team.
Athletic director John van Patten has been asking Alberto to join the school’s track and field team because he believes that she possesses “one of the fastest” speeds on campus, but Alberto declined.
Alberto has won multiple awards over the past few years in various sports and was most recently honored the “All Tournament Award” for the Hoover Tip-Off tournament last December. She also received the “Coach Award” her last year as a junior varsity player. She was awarded numerous track and field medals and trophies, including the award for excellence in the girls’ division.
According to Alberto, the rewards she has obtained over the years inspire her to do her best in all aspects of her life, whether it be basketball or her studies.
Ironically, the pressure of basketball positively affects Alberto’s education as she manages a 4.1 grade point average. Education is still her number one priority, making sure that she is never behind on any of her school work.
According to Nuqui, Alberto is one of the most disciplined girls she has ever met from the track to the court.
