Unlike many college athletes, NIU women’s basketball player Gena Stubbs knows what she’ll be doing when her collegiate career comes to an end—the same thing. Well, almost anyway.

While the 5-foot-8 senior won’t be feeding the post or driving the baseline, she will be performing the same kind of leadership role she has fulfilled on the court.

In the same way she has helped NIU coach Jane Albright’s five-year-old basketball program mature, Stubbs hopes someday she can steer troubled children onto the right path.

And if she has the same kind of touch with kids as she has demonstrated with the basketball, she’ll be a great success.

“I’d like to work with kids from ages six to 12 and help show them things that their parents might be neglecting to teach them—for whatever reason,” Stubbs says.

While Stubbs hasn’t exactly taken on the teaching role on the court at NIU, she has been a team leader as the 1988-89 Huskies have streaked to a 21-6 record. As one of the team’s co-captains, Stubbs has had the kind of season that will leave her name all over the NIU record book.

Stubbs, who will be the first player to complete four seasons under Albright, currently ranks third in career scoring (1451 points), third in career assists (335) and eighth in career rebounds (568).

Add to that the fact either Stubbs (151 assists this season) or Denise Dove (155 assists) will establish a new single-season assist record this year. Jill Sawin had 152 in 1981-82, and Stubbs has had herself quite a career.

“(The achievements) make me feel really good,” Stubbs says. “But I had no intention of having those accomplishments. What really makes me happy is that now we’re at the point where we can go out there every night and work hard and we’ll have a good chance of winning.

“When Carol (Owens, who was recruited with Stubbs but had to redshirt her sophomore year) and I first came here, we only won eight games, and those wins were hard to come by. Now, all we’ve had to go through is worthwhile.”

Albright, whose teams posted a 33-49 record during Stubbs’ first three seasons, says Stubbs has seen the program at its best and worst extremes.

“Gena was the first kid that I signed when I came here, and basically, she’s started every game since she’s been here. She’s been there when we’ve lost by 35 to whoever, and she’s been there when we’ve beaten N.C. State,” Albright says.

“Compared to the other three years, this year has been like a dream,” Stubbs says. “I’m just hoping we can take it a step further and get into the NCAA tournament or the NIT. And then I’ll be able to look back on my career and be able to say I helped Northern get this far.”