By Joseph Staszewski
Karin Robinson is getting a second chance at playing Division I basketball after she nearly let it get away. It is an opportunity the former Mary Louis star deserves.
Playing at that level was supposed to happen two years ago, but academic issues kept her from attending George Mason after her senior season at The Mary Louis Academy. Robinson, who played her travel ball for Positive Direction, persevered, learned and matured to turn a failure into a success story by committing to Providence.
Redemption isn’t something everyone earns.
“There are a lot of young ladies and young men who go to junior college and don’t do that,” Positive Direction Coach JoAnn Arbitello said. “They go to junior college and that’s the last you see of them.”
Robinson’s path to Providence, a Division I basketball school, began with a season after high school at Coffeyville CC in Kansas, a school set up by George Mason. Robinson said she didn’t feel comfortable with the team’s style and approach and left the safety net of George Mason. With no other college really interested, Robinson move closer to home at Monroe CC in Rochester.
It was the best decision she ever made.
Robinson found a coach in Monroe’s Tim Parrinello that reminded her of Arbitello. She got an up-tempo style and the discipline and structure she was looking for to help her succeed on and off the court.
“It was like, ‘Yes, this is who I want to play for,’” she said.
Robinson earned All-American honors averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 steals, showing the ability to affect a game in multiple ways that made her an all-city talent for the Hilltoppers. She earned a 3.1 GPA this year.
“Karin has always had the intelligence to do the work — what she lacked was focus,” Parrinello said.
She credits Parrinello, Arbitello, trainer LaRon Mapp and Positive Direction Coaches Jason McLeish, Carlos Avila and Stanley Milien for never giving up on her and pushing her to not give up on herself. Robinson began to trust and listen to them more than she had in the past and talked about getting her master’s down the road — a big step for Robinson.
“When she was reaching out to me more, it showed me that she’s understanding that everyone has a place in her life and that there are certain people who need to be there when you are making a decision,” Arbitello said.
It was loyalty that landed her at Providence over Seton Hall, Eastern Michigan, Pittsburgh, Indiana State, Rutgers and Ohio State. First-year Friars assistant Dario Hernandez has watched Robinson play since she was in high school and keep a constant eye on her.
“He followed me unlike everybody else,” Robinson said.
She, however, doesn’t want everybody else to be like her. Robinson regrets the path she took. Robinson maturely sees it as a chance to teach younger players not to let that happen to them, saying it’s nothing anyone should want to go through.
She’s worked her way past it all now and doesn’t see herself going backward. Just like when Robinson turns her defensive rebound into a coast-to-coast layup, it’s full speed ahead for her from here on out.
“It’s a wonderful feeling,” Robinson said. “It feels like I’m still achieving things and it’s only the beginning.”
