Emily Robinson recently transferred to the University of Arkansas to play basketball.
She was a starter at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa for the two seasons before the transfer, making this her second Division I school during her college career.
While she is a long way from the Bokchito, Oklahoma, dairy farm where she grew up, Robinson said she always dreamed of taking her sports beyond high school.
“I think just the way I grew up, my parents taught me and also showed me what a good work ethic looks like,” said Robinson. “When you get something in your mind that you want to achieve, you work hard at it and always believe in yourself.”
Her work ethic showed early in her sports career. She was a standout in both basketball and softball at Caddo High School, pitching a no-hitter in the state championship to win the first girls’ state title in school history.
She also scored over 2,200 career points in basketball, ranking her in the top 30 among Oklahoma girls in high school.
According to Robinson, she was recruited from a basketball camp her senior year of high school, but she still tried to stay grounded about her abilities.
“My freshman year of college, I didn’t really want to set a lot of expectations for myself. Honestly, I didn’t know if I would even play,” said Robinson. “So, the fact that I was able to start every game, play good minutes and give ORU some solid averages is amazing. In the back of my head, I always wanted to achieve freshman of the year, but I didn’t know if that was possible.”
Not only was she named the Summit League Freshman of the Year, Robinson also led all Summit League freshmen in scoring and was the only player averaging double figures, with 10.3 points per game.
Robinson attributes this success to the coaching she received.
“I’ve had amazing coaches pour into me and believe in me. And that really is the main factor, having good coaches that trust you to just play well,” said Robinson. “When you’re down, they fill you with confidence instead of tearing you down. I’ve had that in high school and had that in college, I’ve been lucky to play for some amazing coaches.”
According to Robinson, transferring to Arkansas was one of the most difficult decisions she has had to make. Moving to a bigger school in a different area, further away from home, was intimidating, but her faith kept her grounded.
“In the moment when I was nervous to get into the transfer portal because I didn’t know what that would look like,” Robinson said. “I just had to rely on knowing that God is going to place me wherever I’m called to be.”
Robinson is excited to see what her time at Arkansas holds while putting her faith in the Lord for the future.
“Seeing where I am now and seeing all that he (God) has fulfilled and seeing that there is going to be way more down the line,” Robinson said. “I still have two full seasons to play, so hopefully those go well. But I think just relying on him and allowing him to guide you has been a big thing for me.”
You can keep up with Robinson and the Razorbacks Women’s Basketball team at arkansasrazorbacks.com/sport/w-baskbl/.