Sports
Scholar Stories: Hobbs Emphasizes Personal Connections in … – MGoBlue
11/30/2023 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each week MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Absopure.
By Mya Fromwiller
Junior Jordan Hobbs of the University of Michigan women’s basketball team had a unique journey to both basketball and Ann Arbor.
She grew up in New Hampshire, where she initially developed a love for ice hockey, but when her family moved to Springsboro, Ohio, there were not as many opportunities for her to play. Her family suggested that she try basketball instead, but she was not initially convinced. It was only until the second grade, when her parents offered to sign her up for speed and agility classes — a decision she now laughs at — that she agreed to start basketball.
Despite Hobbs’ initial reluctance, basketball came very naturally to her, and she quickly fell in love with the sport. Although she enjoys many things about the sport, the one consistent thing she has always loved about basketball is the ability to make friends and connect with others.
“I love gaining friends through basketball, that’s what’s stuck with me,” Hobbs said. “From second grade until now, with all the teams I’ve been on, I’ve made so many connections and stayed close with so many people.”
As she continued to play, she began to watch a collegiate team close to her hometown, and eventually developed a dream of playing at the collegiate level. She got her first offer in September of her sophomore year of high school, which made her realize that playing collegiate basketball was a sustainable goal and something she wanted to work even harder for. In October of her junior year, she officially committed to a university to play basketball — but it was not Michigan.
Her journey to U-M began more than a year later, when the head coach of her prospective school left and took several members of the team with her. Hobbs began to explore her options, and eventually decided to formally reopen her recruitment, which left her with a big decision to make. She wanted a school with exceptional academics as well as athletics. Michigan clearly stood out as a perfect fit.
Three years later, Hobbs is now thriving in Ann Arbor, both on the court and in the classroom. She is enrolled in the Ross School of Business where she is working toward a bachelor’s degree in business administration. When asked how she chose to be a business major, she explained that she wanted a career that would allow her to work closely with others.
“I wanted to pursue a career where I really impacted people and really build personal connections,” said Hobbs. “I felt that business was the best way to go about that.”
When deciding to pick a focus area, Hobbs emphasized that she has always been math-minded and thinks that a career in an area like finance or supply chain will be a good fit.
“I have always loved doing problems and solving them,” she said. “I find it so satisfying.”
Hobbs is currently working through her Ross Integrative Semester (RIS) semester, which places a heavy focus on collaboration and group work. Though it has kept her busy, she pointed to a handful of areas that have helped her succeed.
“The connections that I’m able to draw have really helped my groups,” said Hobbs. “I’m a very extroverted person and I love getting to know people. That’s helped me a lot in basketball, being a leader and getting to know my teammates outside of basketball. It helps to build that trust and I think that’s translated really well with RIS.”
In addition to her ability to build close connections with others in Ross, she also attributes her success to her work ethic.
“I came in with a mindset that I was going to succeed at school above all else,” she said. “I can control how I do in school and how much effort I put in.”
Hobbs carries these traits in her time on the court as well and has learned a lot through her past two seasons here. She specifically credits the upperclassmen throughout these seasons for teaching her about what it means to be both a good teammate and leader.
“The people who came before me as juniors and seniors during my freshman year were great to learn from,” said Hobbs, “and I think they taught me a lot about leadership and a lot about hard work.”
Being a member of the basketball team has allowed Hobbs to create a lot of amazing memories, but there is one moment that really sticks out to her. She recalled the team’s appearance at the NCAA Elite Eight during her freshman season and specifically what it was like to be on the court during warmups.
“I was really trying to take in the moment,” said Hobbs. “I had dreamed of (being in the NCAA tournament) since I was a little kid, and especially the Elite Eight is not a stage that most people get to play at. I remember that moment very vividly. It was so surreal.”
As she looks forward, Hobbs is optimistic for what the future will hold, both in terms of academics and athletics. Although it may have been a more unconventional path to Michigan, Hobbs is extremely happy with her choice to attend school here. She loves the culture that the university has cultivated, and it’s is something she has seen both on and off campus. On the team trip to Europe last summer, they heard shouts of “Go Blue!” everywhere they went.
“It just shows how strong Michigan is and how excellent the university is,” Hobbs said. “It also shows the connections that Michigan has; you see how far the block M really goes.”
• Scholar-Athlete Stories Home
