Basketball started from a different perspective for Amber Bogard. Bogard, then a cheerleader, decided in the eighth grade she would give basketball a try.
Not everyone thought she was serious about her endeavors; Even her parents laughed at her.
“I’ve always been a cheerleader, and in middle school a lot of the girls were
playing basketball so I said, ‘Let me try this and see how it works out.’ And I tried it and it worked out,” Bogard said.
Today, she is a forward for the Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team. One thing that keeps Amber coming back for more basketball is the camaraderie that comes along with close knit teams, and of course, the feeling that comes along with winning.
“I love being with the team and winning,” Bogard said. “I love to win.”
The six-foot true freshman hails from Beachwood, Ohio. She attended Beachwood High School, where she was a four-year letter winner in both basketball and volleyball.
Bogard did not really consider any schools aside from Eastern, which caught her eye for a number of reasons, one being the closeness of the team.
“Since eighth grade I’ve always been on a close team, and I came to visit and the team was really close so I liked that,” Bogard said. “I also liked the coaching staff, and they had my major here.”
In her first season as an Eagle, Bogard has seen action in nine of the team’s contests. She scored a season-high four points on Nov. 14 against Marygrove. On Jan. 25 she hauled down five rebounds against Buffalo.
While at EMU, Bogard is hoping to improve her game so she becomes an impact player in future seasons.
“I want to become a better player and be able to play on a team and have an impact,” Bogard said.
As she works towards that goal, she is still getting used to playing college basketball.
“College basketball is played so much faster than high school,” Bogard said. “You have to be well-conditioned to play here.”
When she’s not on the court, Bogard enjoys the usual activities and hanging out with friends, but she probably enjoys eating more than your average person.
“I like to eat,” Bogard said. “I love food, I’m the biggest food person but I don’t
know how to cook, which is weird.”
Bogard is currently working towards a pre-veterinary degree and, upon graduating wants to work towards opening her own clinic.
