Featured March 1, 2024 Tribal Tribune
Rosie Pineda, Senior, Geary High School
(GEARY, OK) Falling back in love with the sport she came to know as a little girl, Cheyenne and Arapaho youth Rosie Pineda, vowed to make her mark on the basketball court during her senior year on the basketball court.
Standing 5’10, Pineda plays post guard for the Geary High School Lady Bisons, out of Geary, Okla.
Born in Oklahoma City and raised in the Geary community, Pineda began playing basketball in the sixth grade. However, Pineda said she had fallen out of love with the sport because of a few coaches at the time. Since having a new coach in high school, Pineda said it’s all behind her and in the past now.
“Once I got older, I kind of just brushed it off my shoulder and didn’t really focus on it but the coach here now, Coach Estep came up to me at lunch time one day and was just asking me to play basketball, so I gave it a shot and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” Pineda said.
Since her sophomore year of high school, Pineda got back into playing basketball and was reminded how much she loved the sport.
“It has probably been the greatest decision I’ve ever made, the friends that I made, the family that I have made, basketball is a whole different perspective for me now it’s like way better than what it was. People say that coaches can make you fall out of love with the sport and that’s really what happened to me and this coach made me fall back in love with it, which was very good,” Pineda said.
Pineda said what she loves most about playing basketball is the connections and bonds she’s made with other players and teammates.
“There’s no I in team, your team is there for you outside of sports a lot, in the Geary community they’re good and the hospitality here is very great, I think the mental benefits you get from playing sports is very great because mentally you can get strong,” Pineda said.
With the team ending the season at regional play-offs, Pineda said overall, the team has learned a lot over the course of the season.
“There’s a lot that we could’ve fixed mentally, it could’ve been better but overall I’m proud of the outcome and I just can’t wait to see the girls get better of course,” Pineda said.
And throughout the course of the season, Pineda has learned it’s important to always be mentally prepared.
“If you’re not mentally engaged, you can easily give up when you’re physically not tired and I think the thing that really helps in basketball is the chemistry that you can build with your team, your team plays a big role in how your team reflects,” Pineda said.
In her senior year as a student athlete, Pineda also participates in cross-country and track while striving to maintain her 3.37 GPA.
“Keep making the grades is not hard, as long as you turn your work in and be there in class you just have to participate in, don’t be hard headed just keep your grades up,” Pineda said.
As a senior on the court, Pineda felt the sentimentalism set in when she stepped off the basketball court for her last game of the season.
“It was hard walking off the court and knowing that’s the last time I’m going to step on the court and wear that jersey and actually be a Lady Bison, it was very upsetting for me,” Pineda said.
At the beginning of the season, Pineda looked forward to seeing how far she’s come since her sophomore year when she decided to play again. From not scoring any points to becoming the leading scorer.
Wanting to leave behind a mark in her senior year, Pineda said she hopes to be remembered as a player that was hard working.
“I feel like that’s what I’m seen as, I don’t know how many games where I played and had no subs, I had to play the whole game, there’s a lot that I want to leave as a mark, but there’s also other opportunities that I can leave as a mark, I feel like basketballs going to be a very big one … I feel like the biggest mark I can leave is probably not giving up.” Pineda said.
Coming back to the sport she loves, Pineda said basketball has taught her to never give up. As long as she’s trying, anything is possible.
“When I play basketball I feel like I’m in my own little world, playing basketball it can frustrate you, it can give you all kinds of emotions, it just depends on how you handle it, basketball is really fun for me, I feel like basketball is really just my escape from reality,” Pineda said.
Geary High School Head Girls Basketball Coach, J.C. Estep said Pineda has been an integral part of the team for the last three seasons. Both on and off the court.
“Her role has increased each year and she has become vital to not only both our offense and defense but more importantly as a leader, going into each game Rosie is a player that teams must game plan for on trying to limit her offensive production and also how to maneuver around her defensive skills,” Estep said.
Estep said Pineda was part of the group that made back-to-back regional appearances along with 10 wins in the season this year.
Pineda averaged over 11 points per game along with nearly eight rebounds and two blocked shots per game.
“She is an athlete with one of the most unique skill sets that I have ever coached in 20 plus years and she is still just scratching the surface on what she can accomplish, she will sorely be missed next season but I can’t wait to see what she does in her future,” Estep said.
Planning to graduate in the spring, Pineda hopes to attend college and further her cross-country and basketball career.
Rosie’s parents are Sergio Pineda and Amy Pineda. Her siblings are Elvia Pineda, Allyssa Pineda, Sergio Pineda, Jr., and Danica Addison.
By Latoya Lonelodge, Senior Reporter
Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribal Tribune 