First TCS Jersey to be Retired:

Melissa Mott

Mott, 23, returned to her alma mater Tuesday to see her No. 12 basketball jersey retired. The ceremony took place at halftime of the Alabama Christian Education Athletic Association playoff game between the Tuscaloosa Christian boys and Independent Methodist School.

“Everything you would want in a basketball player, she was it," said Jarrett Vick, Tuscaloosa Christian’s athletics director. “She was definitely a competitor, and she loved the game."

Mott set school records for steals (276), assists (256) and points (1,325). She also had 248 rebounds. She started 107 consecutive games and helped the Lady Warriors win ACEAA championships in 1995 and 1997.

“One of the reasons I’m in coaching is for relationships," Vick said. “Having her come back to be part of this occasion represents the relationship we have with our players, even after they graduate from the school. It’s been a privilege to be a part not only of her basketball career but also to be a part of her life. I think she’s still got great things to do in life, whatever God has planned for her."

Mott started playing basketball for the Lady Warriors as a sixth-grader. She also played softball and volleyball and was a cheerleader. Her father, Mike, was an all-conference football player, and her mother, Amy, was a cheerleader at Andalusia High School.

“I think a lot of times people like to invest their time in just one sport and get really good at it," said Mott, a member of The Tuscaloosa News’ Super 5 in 1997. “Doing all three sports really balanced me as far as my athletic ability. I wouldn’t consider myself super talented in one sport, but I was able to pick up things.

“If it wasn’t for basketball I wouldn’t have traveled as much as I did. I was able to stick with the same girls for four years or more. We became really close. Looking back on those high school memories, I think they were some of the best years of my life."

Mott received a bouquet of flowers and a letter from her parents, who live in Maryland. Her grandparents, Claude and Nina Keenam, made the trip from Andalusia for the ceremony.

Two framed jerseys were presented, and Mott chose the silver jersey to keep. The red jersey will be displayed in the school gymnasium.

Mott, a point guard, earned a basketball scholarship to Indiana Wesleyan. She earned her degree in 2001, majoring in psychology. She is pursuing a post-graduate degree in the marriage and family therapy program at the University of Kentucky.
Vick said Mott’s jersey is the first to be retired by Tuscaloosa Christian.

“It’s probably a little bit overdue, but we’re doing it now," Vick said. “We decided that a candidate had to be out of high school for at least four years. We weighed a lot of factors. We wanted to choose someone who made a significant impact on the team. We wanted a player who exhibited leadership qualifies and excelled in academics. Melissa did all that."

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