Arielle Collins stands outside her alma mater August 20, 2015.
A green banner hangs upon the wall of the Steinert High School gym, the list of 1,000-point scorers. Emblazoned in white, one name stands out above the rest—Arielle Collins, 1,732.
That’s the name and number Spartan basketball players may be chasing for a long time.
In the 2007-08 basketball season, Collins became the school’s all-time scorer for both boys and girls, surpassing NBA player Dahntay Jones. Earlier that same school year, the goal scoring exploits of herself and Jess Babice helped power the girls’ soccer team to an NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championship.
Collins fashioned an outstanding athletic career in high school and college, so it’s only fitting she is now working in the fashion industry.
After graduating from Steinert in 2008, spending a post-graduate year at Hun and then graduating from Fordham University in 2013, Collins is now an assistant buyer for the Burlington Coat Factory. Based in Burlington and Manhattan, she buys missy sweaters and swimwear for the company’s sportswear department.
“I have always wanted to work in fashion,” Collins said. “It wasn’t until college after an internship with Steve Madden that I realized I wanted to be a buyer.”
If she is as aggressive in her buying as she was in athletics, Collins is spending a lot of BCF’s money. A four-year varsity player in both sports that she played, Collins had 89 career goals in soccer, which was her second sport. As a basketball player, she could not only score but was one of the Colonial Valley Conference’s best passers along with being a dynamic defender.
She was strictly a playmaker growing up because she played on her brother’s teams against older boys. Because of her height disadvantage, she became a passer and a defender.
“I always had a passion for defending,” Collins said. “I took great pride in challenging the point guard and stealing the ball for quick two points or making eye contact with one of my teammates on a back door cut for an easy layup. I actually always found creating my own shot or driving to the basket to be the most challenging. It wasn’t until high school that I found my team looking to me to score, so I adapted.”
Did she ever. The record says it all, and it’s a mark that has gained significance for Collins as the years have gone by.
“In the moment, I don’t think I realized how much it would mean to me,” she said. “Looking back now, I can truly appreciate the moment. It is a great memory to have, and I hope one day I hear that a young, aspiring athlete has broken my record.”
Collins went back to being a playmaker during her post-graduate year at Hun, and became a defensive star at Fordham. As a senior, her 79 steals were the third highest for one season in school history. She made the A-10 All-Defensive team, and helped the Rams to the conference tournament championship game. It was the first Fordham team to ever reach the A-10 finals.
“My teammates’ confidence in me is what really made me the player I became,” Collins said. “We would come out of a timeout, and my teammates and coaches would look at me and say ‘Ace, we need the ball, go steal it.’ The power that can have on a player is unexplainable.”
Collins still laces up the sneaks at times, filling in for a women’s league in Pennsylvania and sometimes playing in a men’s league in Monroe. She is looking to fill a void in her life.
“I started playing basketball when I was five years old and never stopped until I was 23,” said Collins, who still lives in Hamilton. “It was really hard to give up something that has been such a big part of my life. I miss it every day, mostly competing. So I try to play as much as I can, even if it’s just shooting in my driveway or playing some pick up.”
She can also proudly point out that basketball helped get her the Fordham education that has led her into the profession she has always wanted.
“I have been working at Burlington for two years now, and I have already learned so much in a short amount of time,” she said. “The company has a lot to offer young aspiring buyers who hope to climb the corporate ladder. I hope to become a buyer sometime in my career but for now I try learn as much as I can from my co-workers.”
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