It seems like the basketball court has always been a permanent fixture in the life of junior point guard Nicci Rinaldi '99. As a six-year-old Rinaldi waddled around the court as a ball girl for a high school varsity squad, which her step-father was coaching.
"They were my big brothers and the coolest people. I wanted to be just like them," Rinaldi said, reminiscing.
Rinaldi has played on several teams since her early exposure to basketball and behind each team is an interesting story.
She began playing basketball in the third grade and played on her first AAU team, the Philly Rebels and Bells, when she was in the seventh grade.
James Smith, Rinaldi's step-father, played an instrumental role in developing her love for basketball.
"He is my biggest fan and he has taught me so much about basketball," Rinaldi said.
Later on in her young career, her step-father coached her 14-year-old AAU team, the Redding Fillies, whose name aptly described the team's style of play.
"We were wild and energetic on the court, like running horses," Rinaldi said.
With a smile, she described the bright yellow and purple uniforms she designed for the team.
"Playing on the Fillies is one of the most memorable moments in my career," Rinaldi said.
Her teammates were some of her closest friends from her county and neighboring districts.
"We had so much attitude and spunk. At first teams did not take us seriously because of our uniforms. But when we started winning we earned their respect," she commented with a smirk.
Rinaldi spent her high school years playing for Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington, Pa. Mifflin had the reputation for being a powerhouse in their district. During her sophomore year, Rinaldi started on a championship, record-setting team composed mostly of seniors.
"I was lucky to be able to play on a team with such awesome upperclassmen. They took great care of me and taught me how to be a leader," Rinaldi said.
She describes her junior and senior years in high school as so-so ones, highlighted by the fifth place national finish of her sixteen-year-old AAU team.
Rinaldi's high school awards read like a laundry list -- three- time first team Division I and All-Berks County honors, Street & Smith's honorable mention All-America, College Sports Magazine Top 100 Seniors in the Nation and USA Today Super 25 in Pennsylvania.
Rinaldi ended her career with 1,432 points and set the school and county records with16 steals in a single game.
Rinaldi's career at Dartmouth, like her basketball ability, is an ever-changing masterpiece. Rinaldi considers her teammates her best friends.
"The most memorable moments I have with my teammates are often the things we do together off the court," Rinaldi said.
The team's fun-loving nature took on a competitive edge during a thrilling game of laser tag in Detroit.
"When you have so many women together for such a long time you need a release our you'll kill each other," Rinaldi said, laughing. "It was such a great release, even the coaches played."
Rinaldi has gained credit in her collegiate career as well, sometimes for things off as well as on the court.
"One of the biggest changes I have noticed in Nicci this year is her ability to laugh at herself. I think she has finally realized that mistakes are an important part of growing up and not the end of the world," said head Coach Chris Wielgus.
"She is and excellent defensive player both on and off the ball. She is good in the open court and improving at the slower paced half court game," she continued.
During the spring and summer terms, Rinaldi was out of the country, in Germany and Australia on foreign study programs. Those six months served as a catalyst for her metamorphosis.
"My time away from home and the familiar gave me a chance to analyze my life and mature," Rinaldi said.
She has entered her junior year with a revitalized love and commitment to basketball and a strong focus on her life.
With their two-game Ivy winning streak, Rinaldi and the Big Green take on Yale and Brown at home this weekend in vital Ivy League matchups which will go a long way in determining whether or not Dartmouth catches Harvard in the race for the Ivy title.
"Nicci has a multidimensional personality and many talents. I believe she spent her first years at Dartmouth exploring her possibilities. Realizing that she has a finite amount of time here, she has become more focused on what she wants to accomplish before she graduates," Wielgus said.
It certainly appears that winning an elusive Ivy championship is on Rinaldi's list of things to do before graduation.
