When junior Trinetta Moore was being recruited out of junior college, it was important for her to find a school and a basketball program that provided a family atmosphere, because family has always been important to her. The mother of five-year-old Isaiah and Dontae, who will be two in March, Moore found what she was looking for at Florida State.
A native of California, Moore also considered Long Beach State and San Diego State as well as Saint Louis University and Ole Miss. She even looked into attending Life University, an NAIA school in Marietta, Ga., because it was near Atlanta, where her mother, who is caring for her children, lives.
With the added responsibility of having children, Moore is not your typical college basketball player, but with the help of her mother, she's getting the opportunity to experience college life, while earning her degree in social science.
Between going to class, study hall, practice, travel, games and community service, Moore doesn't have a lot of free time. All the people associated with the basketball program, the coaches, managers, staff and players, are who she considers her family and friends and this is where she draws her support from.
"Everyone here supports me a whole lot," Moore said. "My teammates are so happy when the kids are around. I like the way they play with them and talk to them. They don't criticize, they just support me.
Moore is also learning a great deal about herself as a basketball player. A teammate of current Seminole Petra Hofmann's at Cowley County Junior College in Kansas, Moore averaged 10.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game as a freshman, but suffered a torn ACL just four games into her sophomore season. She's recovered nicely from the injury and she's played in all 20 games for the Seminoles while averaging 4.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. She's scored in double figures three times and has led the team in rebounding in three contests. But the team's been struggling as of late and so has Moore. It's these times that Moore turns to her family at home.