What is the best thing about Caroline Walls as a basketball player?
It’s the fact that she thinks like a basketball player despite the fact softball is her main sport and her future in college.
“You put her on the court, and she’s one that honors the season,” Ravens basketball coach Justin Schmid said. “It’s not like ‘Oh it’s my second sport so it’s not as important.’ The way she thinks it’s ‘I’m here, I’m locked in.’”
It’s all part of Walls’ DNA. If she is competing — no matter what the sport — she is not going to let her teammates down.
“Just because softball might be my main sport I still want to show up for my team and my coaches and put all my efforts into what is important to me,” she said. “It’s something I find important, something I value. Showing up not just for myself but for my teammates. It’s not necessarily something that I’m gonna have a future with, but I still want to give everything I have while I’m on the (basketball) team.”
It is that kind of attitude that has made Walls’ this year’s RHS selection as the NJSIAA National Girls and Women in Sports honoree. Every winter, an outstanding senior female athlete from every New Jersey high school is honored with this special award from the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport.
The award recognizes someone who is not just strong athletically, but also a good person away from the playing arena as well. Wells fits the mold as she has a 4.2 grade point average and will head for Fairfield University next fall on a softball scholarship.
“There are a lot of amazing female athletes in our town,” Walls said. “I’m really honored to represent what being a good person and player can be about.”
The choice seemed obvious, according to Schmid.
“(Athletic Director) Matt Dalessio made the decision,” he said. “He went around and asked a bunch of us who know her. He asked me, the softball coach (Christine Levering) and both of us said ‘Yes, it’s a no-brainer. She’s perfect.’
“Caroline is a positive influence on everybody. Even if I’m feeling down about myself, I’ll have a conversation with Caroline, just a normal conversation, and then I’ll be like ‘Alright, I’m a good coach, I can do this.’ She’s the perfect balance of character and mental toughness in an athlete that you could want.”
Schmid learned that about Walls before ever coaching her in a game. As a teacher in Allentown he has coached there and in New Egypt. He took over the Ravens last year.
“When you get to a new building, you talk to people, you ask the players things you want to know,” he said. “There’s not one person who could say a negative thing about Caroline. It’s so consistent across the board.”
Not surprisingly, Levering had nothing but superlatives for her left fielder.
“She is a great all-around athlete who strives to get better every day,” the softball coach said. “She has an amazing work ethic and has the best attitude on and off the field. Whenever we are in a situation when we need someone to step up, Caroline comes in and makes a huge play whether it be in the field or at bat.”
Schmid is looking for those same contributions this winter. They may not be as tangible as her .517 career average and 40 RBI in softball, as Walls’ value goes beyond numbers on the court. She averaged just five points last season to go along with 56 rebounds, 32 assists and 29 steals.
But her leadership is beyond reproach. Ava Aldarelli led Robbinsville in scoring as a freshman last season, and behind every great scorer is an upperclassmen telling her how good she is.
“Carolyn really helped Ava come along as an athlete,” Schmid said. “That started during last year’s basketball season and they also played softball together. They’re very close now. She just lifts people up. Ava came into her own confidence because Caroline really rubbed off on her and had that positive influence.”
When it comes to Alderelli, Walls feels she is just performing the same favors that she received from others. .
“I just try to do what seniors and older athletes have done for me,” she said. “I want to inspire young kids to be their best on the court or on the field and be the best player and person they can be. It’s been fun to play with her and try to show her what I’ve learned from other players.
“I try to be a leader to the younger athletes, and honestly just show up every day with a good attitude. I want to have the type of energy to bring to the team that will get us to work together well. I think team chemistry and working together and being optimistic for everyone is really important to a team. I try to do that the best I can.”
Walls started putting her energy into athletics at age 4 when she began playing softball. Basketball came about later, but Caroline fell in love with both and puts her heart into each sport.
She happens to be better in softball because of the work she puts in, but Schmid said “If she put her focus on basketball she probably could have been a collegiate basketball player. She’s just the most mentally strong person I know. Nothing seems to faze her, and that rubs off on other kids.”
Walls felt good about hearing those comments.
“I always have wondered if I put as much effort into a different sport; how I could be at that sport,” she said. “I’m flattered to think he thought I would have gone to college for it.”
For now, she will try to be a strong high school player for a Ravens team looking to improve on last year’s 13-15 record. Robbinsville opened on Dec. 14 against West Windsor-Plainsboro South, and in the preseason Walls felt that, “ We are really a hard working team and I think we have a chance for whatever we put our mind to. We’re always giving our best effort. We’re really close, we have a great chemistry, I think we have a very good chance to do well.”
Success usually starts at the defensive end of the floor, and that is where Walls truly makes her mark. Her main role will be to wreak havoc on the defensive end, get steals and guard the other team’s best defensive player. Basically, she is the glue to the D.
“As long as Caroline’s playing good defense, I think that can spur us on to hold other teams down,” Schmid said.
Although she is not a high scorer, Walls does have a nice straightaway jumper and can hit some 3-pointers.
“She’s been clutch,” Schmid said. “Last year in the states our guard Jackie (Maleson) made a great steal and sent it to Caroline, and she made the lay-up to send us into overtime. She usually scores when it’s needed. She comes up with timely buckets.”
At times Walls is also calling out the plays designed by Schmid, who is a self-proclaimed Star Wars geek. He will name numerous plays after something to do with the franchise. Caroline could find herself yelling out “Chewbacca!” while getting odd stares from the defense.
“I honestly thought it was a cute idea,” she said. “I never expected it but it became something that I kind of embraced. I really like doing it now, I think it’s fun. I’m not really a fan, I’ve only seen one of the more recent movies. But my coach loves it and my dad is a fan.”
Walls does adopt some of the Star Wars tendencies. When it comes to keeping calm under pressure, The Force is truly with her.
“She’s always positive; I never see her frustrated,” Schmid said. “Sometimes you can have tough going. She’s gotta cover the best player, then bring the ball up and break the press. She doesn’t get rattled, which is probably why she’s such a good softball player. Softball is a game of failure and you can’t get down. If you’re 0-for-3, you have to focus on the next at-bat.
“And she’s all about having fun too. If we win, instead of a game ball I’ll hand out a victory belt. I got a custom made WWE Robbinsville Ravens belt with our logo. She’s all about it. She just buys in, the kids just kind of follow her, and it gets everybody else to buy in.”
This will be Walls last basketball season before going all-in on softball in Connecticut next year.
“There were a lot of schools I was considering,” she said. “But Fairfield had everything I was looking for in a college. I knew right away I wanted to go there. I fell in love with Fairfield when I toured the campus and met the coaches.”
If the Stags coaches are anything like those at Robbinsville, they fell in love with Walls as well.
Caroline Walls (left) was this year’s RHS selection as the NJSIAA National Girls and Women in Sports honoree.,
