Rosemond's Attitude Is A Plus For The Yellow Jackets

 

Sky Walker teaches Arianna Rosemond how to spin a basketball with one finger. Photo by Thomas Leturgey.

Arianna Rosemond holds center court. Photo by Thomas Leturgey

by Thomas Leturgey

Arianna Rosemond placed two basketballs at center court for a Pittsburgh Hispanic Chamber of Commerce fundraiser on Saturday, April 9. Mere moments earlier, she thought she would be running the four 10-minute-quarter time clock for Jesus Torres' Celebrity showcase. 

But in a last-minute audible, she was asked to operate games that would pull kids and other fans from the audience and be involved in the festivities. She took the microphone, communicated the rules, executed the games, and took pictures with the winners. During intermission, when Torres took a break from playing in the game to hand out awards, it was Rosemond who made sure the presentations went smoothly. It was all on the fly.

Rosemond and fundraiser organizer Jesus Torres (r) with award winners.

A confident and exceptional showrunner, Rosemond would later and surprisingly say she was not confident in her public speaking abilities. "I was afraid of messing up, but it was a new atmosphere and everyone was getting to know each other. It was fun."

That admission is in stark contrast to a confident woman who is the unsung heroine of the American Basketball Association Steel City Yellow Jacket's most-recent successful, 15-2 season. Whether it be collecting jewelry from players before a home game, or recording every rebound and 3D basket for both teams, Rosemond has been assisting the team in a variety of ways for all eight years of their existence. She takes exceptional pride in helping the players. "When I was in college, I lost my graduation ring during a game. I was scared to go home without it, so I stayed a very long time looking for it; but, eventually found it." She also notes that any preempted measure helps eliminate in-game stoppages when flailing jewelry or items cause issues.

Rosemond and game contestants. 

A proponent of positive mental attitudes, Rosemond has been witnessed admonishing visiting-team's coaches for talking about their own lineups in negative terms. "You're only as strong as your weakest link," she extolled. "How outstanding do you expect your team to be if they are being beaten down? If you're not uplifting them first, how do they do that with each other?"

The love and support of family helped paved Arianna's role with the Yellow Jackets. Rosemond had gone to middle school with the home team's CEO and Coach Ace Pippens' cousin Jessica. When Pippens took over the club eight years ago, he counted on Arianna and her crackerjack vantagepoint right away.

"I've always enjoyed the behind-the-scenes activities," the 40-year-old said from her Penn Hills home. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce fundraiser role, "Was amazing, a real confidence builder for me."

When Rosemond isn't holding court for the ABA squad's scoring, time-keeping and announcing table (or taking part in a plethora of other basketball games and tournaments), she is preparing for her roster spot as small forward on the Steel City Queens' Women's ABA unit. That season springs into action in about a month. She plans on being a part of the WABA affiliate for as long as possible.

All of that is in addition to her "real life" responsibilities. A Patients Services Representative for AmerisourceBergen for five years, Rosemond is just as valued an employee by day as she is for the hardcourt set. But her most cherished role is of mother to sons Devaugnghtaye 20, and Arshad 14, who she lovingly refers to as "Batman." The boys are home with an extended family that impresses their mother (she's also a grandmother to a one-year-old named De'Angelo) with their ability to perform daily chores, such as clean dinner dishes and assemble laundry (all in hopes of sleeping in a little later on a Saturday).

With a quick smile and laugh, Rosemond glows when talking about her family. When the Yellow Jackets won the Northeast Region Championship at A Giving Heart Community Center in Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood earlier this month, Rosemond celebrated with "Batman" who had taken pictures with her for previous championship wins. In fact, the team has won three Regional Championships, all in different divisions. 

Now Ace Pippen's #2 seeded team prepares for a trip to the Elite 8, to be held April 21-23 in Baltimore, where they will meet the #7 Las Vegas Royals from the Pacific South division in the first round. Rosemond is looking forward to traveling with the team. This will be her first trip to the ABA championship tournament, as the games have in past seasons been scheduled at the same time as Arshad's PSSA school testing.

Rosemond and her son, Arshad after the North East Regional championship game. Photo from Rosemond's Facebook.

This season is different and exciting in a number of ways for the team.

"This year has been really about business and goals," she says of the Yellow Jackets' hard-fought season. Coach and CEO Ace Pippens has previously said that this is the team's year to go all the way to the championship.

The ABA's Elite 8 to be played April 21-23.

All of the Steel City Yellow Jackets players are eager for the Baltimore trip and the club is fundraising to help alleviate some of the personal travel expenditures. The team is selling championship logo t-shirts and hosting a fundraiser at Fan Club Sports Bar in Wilmerding next Saturday night, April 16 at 9:00 p.m. 

"I think expectations for the Yellow Jackets around the league are high," said Rosemond. "We say 'we're not done yet.'"