Student-Athlete of the Week-Reeves Moor

Reeves Moor has been passionate about basketball since the age of eight, but, for complicated reasons, he decided to take up tennis instead after moving from Chicago to Niwot before his sophomore year. That paid off in a state championship during his senior season, but Moor still missed his time on the hardwood. So in January, he dusted off his sneakers and joined up as a "rookie" senior for Niwot basketball.

"I came back this year because of COVID, and it was a new chance," he said. "I grew up playing basketball, 365, mostly every day, and then taking a three-year break, not even touching a basketball, it gets to you."

Moor acknowledged that he was going through a "stubborn" period after the relocation, and it took him some time to adjust to life in Colorado. But under the influence of sunny skies and skiing, he eventually came to love his new home.

"I was in Chicago, basically my whole life, so it was a big change," he said. "But after meeting a lot of people and experiencing Colorado, I love it, especially for the outdoor stuff."

Moor filled part of his basketball break with two seasons on the Niwot boys tennis team, playing either No. 3 or No. 4 doubles. In 2020, he captured his second Region 5 doubles title and then went on to help Niwot clinch its first-ever Class 4A state team title, an experience he called "awesome."

"The group of guys we had, we're all tight-knit," he said of the 2020 state championship team. "We just got together and everyone just worked in the off-season. And we got some luck at the state tournament, but we never really gave up, especially through COVID."

Moor's next stop was Niwot's three-day basketball tryouts in January, where he won a spot on the 2021 varsity roster as a guard. He admitted coming back to basketball was "an adjustment," but he did enjoy some new lateral quickness, thanks to his years with the tennis team.

"Conditioning in basketball is obviously way different from tennis, so it took a lot to get into conditioning."

Unfortunately, he picked a challenging time for his basketball comeback, as the Cougars were in the midst of what might be termed a "transition" season, after most of the 2020 varsity lineup graduated. There were also health restrictions, schedule changes, and a whole host of complications brought on by the pandemic. Niwot ended up with just one win in 2021, and the highlights were few and far between.

Making Niwot head coach Clayton Wittrock all the more appreciative of Moor's decision to relaunch his basketball career as a senior.

"Reeves is a competitor, and his competitive spirit was a good addition to our team," the coach said. "He worked through a steep learning curve considering he had not been part of the program for the last couple of years. I'm glad he decided to come out for his senior year, and I appreciate his contributions this season."

When he's not on one of the courts for Niwot, Moor is taking a mix of regular and AP classes, with English among his favorites. After graduation, he plans to attend college, though hasn't decided between the University of Vermont, University of Wisconsin-Madison, St. Lawrence, or maybe one of the Colorado schools. He is also considering a gap year, if the pandemic is still causing disruptions on college campuses. Wherever he ends up, he plans to study either "economics or English," but he hasn't yet settled on a career path.

In his free time, Moor enjoys traveling, reading and writing, and skiing "as much as I can." This summer, he will be teaching tennis at a kids camp in northern Michigan.