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AASU'S ARPINE AMIRKHANYAN PROVIDING WORLDLY LEADERSHIP
By Donald Heath
Savannah Morning News
http://savannahnow.com/sports/2011-01-27/aasus-arpine-amirkhanyan-providing-worldly-leadership
Jan 27 2011
Arpine Amirkhanyan steps on the basketball court with a world of
experience, much more than most of her Armstrong Atlantic teammates.
And not because she's the team's lone senior.
The Pirates' 5-foot-11 high-scoring forward arrived on the Southside
by way of Arizona Western Community College, by way of Van Nuys,
Calif., by way of Los Angeles.
She was born in Armenia and, at 18 months old, moved to the United
States with her family.
"When Armenia was part of the Soviet Union, it was easy to move,"
Amirkhanyan said. "There was a lot of poverty. My mom would tell
stories about how she lived, how she grew up. How they walked miles
and miles to go to a store. How they had to milk cows themselves. And
now how much easier it is (in the United States) to get in a car and
go to the grocery store."
Amirkhanyan can't match those stories, but she and her Pirates
teammates are going through their own hard times. They've lost four
games in a row (heading into Wednesday's matchup with Clayton State)
and seven of their last nine.
But Amirkhanyan's work ethic is not lost upon most who have seen her
play. She's accustomed to doing the little things on the basketball
court. She sets the screens at the top of the key and bangs with
opposing centers and forwards underneath the boards.
She leads AASU in scoring with a 13.8-point average and her 8.9
rebounds per game is tied with Mauri Wells.
And when the scoreboard hits zero, Amirkhanyan takes on another job -
providing leadership for an inexperienced squad with seven freshmen,
three sophomores and one junior.
"I like to lead. I like being in that position," she said.
Amirkhanyan said she tries to be positive and encouraging.
No doubt, she can draw strength from the Armenian proverb, "The sun
won't stay forever behind the clouds."
"We talk on a daily basis about our program and her teammates," AASU
coach Matt Schmidt said. "Arpine's responded really well. She's done
a great job as the only senior on the team."
Return to roots
Last summer, Amirkhanyan traveled to Armenia, stayed with relatives
and played with the Armenian national basketball team. She learned
a little about herself in the process.
"We went sightseeing and (my relatives) showed me around where I grew
up," she said. "It was pretty poor there. To see my (relatives) and
how they lived was kind of heartbreaking, considering what we have here
and what they have there. You learn not to take anything for granted."
Amirkhanyan and another recruit from the U.S., Christine Kepenekian
of Cal State Bakersfield, helped Armenia post a 6-1 record and finish
second (losing to Malta, 74-65) in FIBA Europe Division C competition
to advance to Division B play.
Kepenekian averaged 22 points per game. Amirkhanyan was a force around
the boards, averaging 9.2 rebounds per game.
Both women were recruited by former Cleveland State assistant Carl
Bardakian, who reportedly boasted after the tournament, "Christine
and Arpine represented Armenia with great pride."
If Armenia can finish in the top four of Division B, it will move
into Division A where countries compete for placement in the Summer
Olympics.
"It was a great experience," Amirkhanyan said. "We had great support.
(Armenians) don't know a lot about basketball, but just because we
were representing their country, they loved it."
Unique heritage
With tanned skin and curled black hair, Amirkhanyan knows her physical
features frustrate guessers of her nationality.
"I get everything, 'Are you from Iraq or Iran?' I hate being
stereotyped," she said. "Hispanic, I get everything but Armenian.
Armenia, where's that?"
Amirkhanyan laughs because maybe she's more Californian than anything
else.
Kabobs? No, gimme chicken and rice, she says.
"My teammates make fun of me because everywhere we go that's what I
get," she said.
Amirkhanyan is enjoying her stay in the South while she works on a
degree in criminal justice. She plans to head back to Arizona to work
on a master's degree.
Between then and now, her world focuses on helping Armstrong Atlantic
win basketball games.
"I see a lot of maturity in Arpine, not only as a player but as
a person," Schmidt said. "She's ready to go on and take her next
step in life and that is what this is all about. Wins and losses are
important, but at the end of the day it's about getting your education
and getting a job afterward.
"Someone's going to be lucky when they hire her. They'll be getting
a great young lady."
From: A. Papazian
By Donald Heath
Savannah Morning News
http://savannahnow.com/sports/2011-01-27/aasus-arpine-amirkhanyan-providing-worldly-leadership
Jan 27 2011
Arpine Amirkhanyan steps on the basketball court with a world of
experience, much more than most of her Armstrong Atlantic teammates.
And not because she's the team's lone senior.
The Pirates' 5-foot-11 high-scoring forward arrived on the Southside
by way of Arizona Western Community College, by way of Van Nuys,
Calif., by way of Los Angeles.
She was born in Armenia and, at 18 months old, moved to the United
States with her family.
"When Armenia was part of the Soviet Union, it was easy to move,"
Amirkhanyan said. "There was a lot of poverty. My mom would tell
stories about how she lived, how she grew up. How they walked miles
and miles to go to a store. How they had to milk cows themselves. And
now how much easier it is (in the United States) to get in a car and
go to the grocery store."
Amirkhanyan can't match those stories, but she and her Pirates
teammates are going through their own hard times. They've lost four
games in a row (heading into Wednesday's matchup with Clayton State)
and seven of their last nine.
But Amirkhanyan's work ethic is not lost upon most who have seen her
play. She's accustomed to doing the little things on the basketball
court. She sets the screens at the top of the key and bangs with
opposing centers and forwards underneath the boards.
She leads AASU in scoring with a 13.8-point average and her 8.9
rebounds per game is tied with Mauri Wells.
And when the scoreboard hits zero, Amirkhanyan takes on another job -
providing leadership for an inexperienced squad with seven freshmen,
three sophomores and one junior.
"I like to lead. I like being in that position," she said.
Amirkhanyan said she tries to be positive and encouraging.
No doubt, she can draw strength from the Armenian proverb, "The sun
won't stay forever behind the clouds."
"We talk on a daily basis about our program and her teammates," AASU
coach Matt Schmidt said. "Arpine's responded really well. She's done
a great job as the only senior on the team."
Return to roots
Last summer, Amirkhanyan traveled to Armenia, stayed with relatives
and played with the Armenian national basketball team. She learned
a little about herself in the process.
"We went sightseeing and (my relatives) showed me around where I grew
up," she said. "It was pretty poor there. To see my (relatives) and
how they lived was kind of heartbreaking, considering what we have here
and what they have there. You learn not to take anything for granted."
Amirkhanyan and another recruit from the U.S., Christine Kepenekian
of Cal State Bakersfield, helped Armenia post a 6-1 record and finish
second (losing to Malta, 74-65) in FIBA Europe Division C competition
to advance to Division B play.
Kepenekian averaged 22 points per game. Amirkhanyan was a force around
the boards, averaging 9.2 rebounds per game.
Both women were recruited by former Cleveland State assistant Carl
Bardakian, who reportedly boasted after the tournament, "Christine
and Arpine represented Armenia with great pride."
If Armenia can finish in the top four of Division B, it will move
into Division A where countries compete for placement in the Summer
Olympics.
"It was a great experience," Amirkhanyan said. "We had great support.
(Armenians) don't know a lot about basketball, but just because we
were representing their country, they loved it."
Unique heritage
With tanned skin and curled black hair, Amirkhanyan knows her physical
features frustrate guessers of her nationality.
"I get everything, 'Are you from Iraq or Iran?' I hate being
stereotyped," she said. "Hispanic, I get everything but Armenian.
Armenia, where's that?"
Amirkhanyan laughs because maybe she's more Californian than anything
else.
Kabobs? No, gimme chicken and rice, she says.
"My teammates make fun of me because everywhere we go that's what I
get," she said.
Amirkhanyan is enjoying her stay in the South while she works on a
degree in criminal justice. She plans to head back to Arizona to work
on a master's degree.
Between then and now, her world focuses on helping Armstrong Atlantic
win basketball games.
"I see a lot of maturity in Arpine, not only as a player but as
a person," Schmidt said. "She's ready to go on and take her next
step in life and that is what this is all about. Wins and losses are
important, but at the end of the day it's about getting your education
and getting a job afterward.
"Someone's going to be lucky when they hire her. They'll be getting
a great young lady."
From: A. Papazian