Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?
Alexis Mezzetta: By far what I have enjoyed most about competing in athletics has been the camaraderie and the tradition that goes into being a part of a team. The games are of course the rewarding part but I truly fell in love with the process of being a part of team. All the practicing, planning, team and relationship building is what makes athletics so special. I also enjoy the rituals and traditions that teams make up and create for themselves.
D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?
Mezzetta: After graduating from high school, I went to UC San Diego where I got my degree in Biology (Pre-Med) and was a part of the Women's Basketball program there for four years. When I graduated I was hired as an Assistant Coach at UCSD. I was there for four years until I moved on to coach at Loyola Marymount University (WCC Conference) in Los Angeles for three years. I was just hired at University of the Pacific, also in the WCC Conference, and will begin my first season with the Tigers.
D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Justin-Siena High?
Mezzetta: I have a few favorites: I enjoyed all my classes with Mr. Morrish because he was a unique individual. His classes were like theatre; you never knew what you were going to expect and the students had so much respect for his differences. I also enjoyed my Physics class. I remember building a lot of projects and testing them out near Senior Lawn. It was not an easy class but I enjoyed the class interaction. He was also a baseball fan and if his team was winning the tests seemed a bit easier and we all knew it. I think it was my Senior year that his favorite baseball team won the World Series. Let’s just say that was a great year.
D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Justin-Siena High?
Mezzetta: I think my favorite moments at Justin-Siena were competing in the playoff games. It is that special time of year that you wait for all year long after all your hard work. My favorite moment on the floor was actually when I was in 8th grade competing for St. Francis and playing for Mike Boles where we won the 8th grade tournament. Most of the players we competed against went on to attend Justin-Siena, became my high school teammates and are still my friends today. I will never forget that tournament and the moment that we won.
D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?
Mezzetta: Athletics has made me who I am today. It is not even about the fact that I still work in athletics but that athletics provides you with unique tools to tackle anything in life that comes your way. All of my work ethic and time management skills have come from having to balance athletics and academics. Bruce Halverson and Mike Boles molded me into the woman that I am today. I would not be who I am without all their guidance, faith in me, and pushing me every day to be my best.
D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?
Mezzetta: Both of my parents have been very influential in my life. They always had high standards for me which I enjoyed and took as a challenge. My mom has this way about her where she is able to turn any situation into a personal challenge. She can also turn a negative situation into a challenge. I believe she has passed along this quality to me. My parents were not sports fans originally. Although they rarely missed a game they never watched sports on TV, knew any terminology, nor once did Mom or Dad throw a ball around or go outside and shoot hoops. The only person in the family who truly enjoyed sports was my Grandfather (mother's dad). He loved baseball and football and I fell in love with the way he loved sports.
D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.
Mezzetta: I am not sure but maybe Babe Ruth because it was such a different time. My grandfather talked about this time in baseball often and I think I would like to sit down with him to just hear the stories.
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