All-Access: Inside the Texas trip to Tennessee
A written history
Atkins began keeping a journal during high school, and has written about anything in everything in her life ever since. She brings a journal on every road trip, and catalogs different memories or feelings.
“I have never finished a journal. It’s kind of like how you never finish a ChapStick,” Atkins said. “I want to finish one so bad, but then I see a new one at the store and think, ‘Oh God. That is nice. I am just going to start writing in this one.’”
Atkins is determined to fill the final page of the journal chronicling her senior season. Where the Tennessee trip fits into the arc remains to be seen.
Her old journals are tucked away in a closet at home, always available if reflection is needed.
“I do read them, especially when I’m having kind of an overwhelming day,” said the introspective former top-ranked recruit. “I just go back and read them and realize I have come so far and this is really nothing compared to the past.”
After her basketball career ends, Atkins wants to start a business that uses basketball and education to help young children.
“I think it’s important people find ways to reach kids beyond money. If you give a kid $10, they are going to spend it and come back for more. But if you give a kid a different way to view life, they are going to want to learn more. It has more value,” Atkins said. “My mom always told me, ‘Be somebody that you needed,’ and that is what I am trying to do. I just want to be somebody who kids can look up to and be a good role model. I want to show them perfection isn’t a thing, but if you strive for excellence some pretty good things are attainable.”
Atkins and senior backcourt mate Brooke McCarty were the first two McDonald’s All-Americans to sign with Aston at Texas. The native Texans have been the foundation for the program the last four years. Their chemistry and leadership has lifted the Longhorns back to national prominence.
“The vibe is definitely different your senior year. Every day you realize that this could be it. There is more of an urgency,” Atkins said. “Coach used to tell us all the time seniors have more urgency than younger players and I never understood it because I was busting my butt every day and thought I wanted it just as bad as the next person. But now I realize it is my last year and the last time I will be wearing a UT uniform.”
Boosting their spirits
Texas designates one road trip each season to bring donors along. The boosters travel on the charter, ride on the bus and eat meals with the team.
The game against Tennessee was an obvious destination point this season.
Dr. Julia Hickman and her husband, Dr. Cecil Reynolds, have been Texas season ticket holders for 30 years and has traveled with the Longhorns on every road trip for the last 27 years.
They take a seat directly behind the Texas bench at Thompson-Boling Arena and prepare to witness another another game between the top-five winningest programs in the history of women’s basketball.
The Texas team’s slogan this year is “Family Over Everything,” and Hickman is carrying a sign saying “We Believe N Family” with autographs covering every inch of white space.
“I am like the group mom. Whoever needs a hug, whoever needs a smile, whoever needs a ‘Get Em,’ that is what I do,” Hickman said. “We don’t have big families, so the staff, the players and the fans at Texas, they are our family. They are very special to us and we love everything about it.”
Hickman is familiar with this area of the country. She grew up in Alabama and once owned a home in Chattanooga, Tennessee for eight years.
“When it comes to women’s basketball, we feel a bond with the opposing fans no matter who it is,” Hickman said. “Our fans know the parents, kids and grandparents of all the current and former players, and I know it’s the same for most other fan bases. It’s important the kids at every school are supported all the time.”
Her concern goes far beyond basketball.
In 2013, Hickman and Reynolds donated money to establish the Julia Hickman and Cecil Reynolds Team Spirit Fellowship to support female student-athletes who have completed their eligibility and are pursuing a postgraduate degree at Texas.
“Our fan base is behind us no matter what and you need people in your life like that,” Atkins said. “It’s not only the fan base, but everyone that surrounds UT. From the professors to the coaches, everyone here is so supportive of your dreams and goals and what you want to do. It’s just fun to be in a family environment, and Texas pride runs deep.”