University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Meet the Bulldogs: Junior KJ Weaver
11.11.2015 | Women's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The UNC Asheville women's basketball team tips off its 2015-16 season at East Tennessee State Friday, Nov. 13. As an opportunity to “Meet the Bulldogs,” one student-athlete will be highlighted each day leading up to the start of the season. Today's featured Bulldog women's basketball player is junior KJ Weaver.
A 6-1 center, Weaver appeared in 26 games last season averaging 6.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest.
UNCABulldogs.com recently sat down with Weaver
Junior
Snellville, Ga.
Major: “Psychology with a minor in management.”
Post school plans: “I'm not sure yet. I haven't even had my first job. Hopefully in the future, since I did get married and my husband is going to be moving all over the place, maybe going to Gallaudet to become a psychologist for deaf individuals or cosmetology school because I love to do hair. Gallaudet is one of the biggest deaf campuses in the United States in Washington, D.C.”
What does the KJ stand for? “Klarissa Jaminine. So Klarissa is my first name and Jaminine is my middle name and then Weaver and then Shelton.”
So you got married over the summer? “I've known my husband for about five years, we've been dating since I was a freshman in high school. He proposed Christmas Eve last year and then we didn't want to wait, you know how it is."
Well I'm not married, so I can't say I know how it is: “(laughs) Well apparently a lot of people wait the whole year to get married, but for us we were already like 'well we're engaged, we're getting married' and over the summer is probably when we had the most time to do it so we got married and now we're happy. Except I don't get to see him as often. I actually see him this year a lot more than I saw him when he was not in the Marine Corps.”
Is he still in the Marines? “Yes, he'll be in there for the next three years. He's been in for a year now. He's stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Which is the closest he could possibly be, which is a blessing for sure.”
Since you are the only married person on the team, does that make you the "grown up" or does it change anything? “You would think I'm the grown up but they still treat me the same. Even though I got married, I'm the same person in general. If Coach Petersen asks me for advice on wedding planning I might be able to put in a tidbit. It's kind of interesting because when I was getting married or when I was thinking about it, there was a lot of controversy on 'you're too young,' or this this and that and some of these people have been in a relationship for shorter or just as long as me and they're doing the same thing, if not getting divorced in the next two years. I feel like everybody has different situations. The one thing I can say is I don't think I've let it, let marriage get to my head. If that makes sense. Just because I'm married doesn't mean I don't have my role in this program, I don't have my role to graduate school, or to be a daughter or to be an individual.”
How long have you been playing basketball? “Seriously or just for fun? Just for fun, maybe fourth grade, but seriously actually putting in effort probably 10th grade so 15 or 16 years old.”
Who has been your biggest basketball influence? “My stepdad. I lost my dad when I was one. My stepdad came into my life probably when I was about eight so around the time fourth grade started. I had played so many sports like softball, gymnastics, swimming and he taught me how to play basketball. He was the first one to do it for me. It was that one thing where you play against your dad and you want to beat him so bad. Eventually I beat him but that's my main influence. He puts pride inside me when he watches my games and still comments on them.”
What's your favorite saying from Coach Mock? “My favorite saying would have to be, so on our birthdays she does this thing and she's like '18 years ago, so and so's mom had a sparkle in her eye and that's how so and so was made.' So in my case it would be '21 years ago, KJ's mom had a sparkle in her eye and that's how we got KJ today so let's say happy birthday.'”
So she makes it kind of awkward on your birthday? “Yeah, with the twinkle in your eye thing. (laughs)”
What is your favorite part about UNC Asheville? “The scenery, I love the scenery. I love being around my girls. The people here are really friendly for the most part. I've never met a person and I say 'hey' to them and then they don't respond back for the most part. It's really friendly, really open and more close-knit than most campuses.”
Why did you choose Asheville? “When I came on my visit, I came for two days. They really made me feel included, made me feel special, made me feel loved, and made me feel like this was going to be my family. That's what I carried over from high school, I wanted that family atmosphere I had in high school to transfer over to wherever I went in college. I think it's really grown into something that's even bigger than when I first got here.”
All-time starting five, who would you want on your team? “Okay so I saw Chatori (Major) had fictional characters. I would say Bugs Bunny because I watch Space Jam, Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook, and somebody who blocks shots, Dikembe Mutombo because I love blocking shots.”
Is that five? “Okay I didn't add one more. Who else should I put on there? It can be anybody. Beyonce because she's awesome in everything.”
Most played song on your iPod? “I actually don't play music that much. I don't listen to music that much which is interesting. I have two deaf parents so I never really got into the whole music thing. I didn't even know there was a radio until probably fifth grade, no joke. But if I had to say in the locker room, it would be 'Hello' (by Adele) right now which is annoying but other than that it would probably be 'Do It.' I'll play it for you one day when I see you.”
Biggest takeaway from having two deaf parents? “A lot of people talk about how the physical connection with hearing individuals isn't really used as much, everybody tries to learn by texting or by talking but there's so much more. There's a whole other world and I think that's what the deaf culture has taught me. There's so much more to your words and expressions than you think. When my mom is talking to me she's making faces, she's expressing her feelings, she's expressing her emotions and I think that has really helped me to be more in tune to how other people feel and reading on body cues at the same time. Another thing it taught me was to be patient. When I was in elementary school, I was the interpreter for my mom, it's not like she could hear what my teacher was saying at parent-teacher conferences. I was the one that had to be honest, tell her exactly what the teacher is saying and if I get in trouble, I'm getting chewed out while the teacher is still talking. You have to be patient. You have to be willing to sacrifice for your parents just like they would do for me any other day.”
Do you have a favorite class you've taken? “Abnormal psychology with Dr. Heather Ulrich.”
What's something most people may not know about you? “I like to crotchet a lot. Is that weird? I'm making ear warmers. I'm making Christmas gifts for the team. Hopefully for my mom I want to make an infinity scarf. So I'm just starting to crotchet but I really, really like it.”
When I'm not on the basketball court, I am … “watching YouTube videos or lighting a candle where I'm not supposed to.”
YouTubes of what? “I love hair videos, I love makeup videos, skincare beauty type of things. That's me all day. I could probably watch it for three hours straight.”
What is this lighting a candle about? "So you know you're not supposed to have candles in your dorm room. I don't know what happened but last year I got candles while my husband was in boot camp and I would light them whenever I was doing anything. I think it's just a comfort thing now and I smell them when I come into the room and I'm just like 'ahh,' but you're not supposed to have them in your dorm room. But I just bought two more. I do it as a way to think of him and be more comfortable, it releases some stress too. It makes me feel like I'm home or around somebody who I would feel comfortable with.”
Favorite exercise in the weightroom? “CMS, counter movement squats. I know that's not a regular one. You put the bar on the rack and you shrug up and I have really big traps so it's a lot of fun for me to put the weight on and stack it up the bar and lift as much as I can.”
What are you most looking forward to this season? “Just seeing our chemistry grow some more because we do have five new freshmen. Even with the juniors, a lot of us haven't played as many minutes on the court as some of us have, so seeing it come together is going to be really exciting.”
What are three things you can't live without? “God, my husband, and my family.”
