Mickey Hansche has had diabetes since she was six years old, but she hasn’t let it impact her love for basketball.

“It used to be pretty stressful when I was a kid, just learning how to balance it with sports and eating and school, but now it’s routine and I think I have it balanced pretty well,” she said.

Finding a balance doesn’t mean she’s exempt from parental worry.

“My mother is still worried to this day," said Hansche. "She texts me in the morning to make sure I’m awake, to make sure my blood sugar’s under control, and she always texts me before games to make sure it’s OK. But she’s a worrier.

"My dad also has diabetes so he doesn’t worry as much. He knows what it’s like.”

Hansche, a 5-foot-6 freshman, got an insulin pump in fifth grade and wears it during every game. “A pump just makes it easier so I don’t have to get shots all the time and it’s constantly giving me insulin,” she said.

Coe Coach Randi Peterson said the team has been supportive of Hansche. “Everybody has different things that they have to deal with and this is no different,” Peterson said.

Hansche said her biggest struggle has been keeping the diabetes under control after practices and exercising. But according to Peterson, her teammates do a good job of checking in with her.

“She has to just be a lot more conscious of what she puts in her body and when, and the timing of things,” Peterson said.

Hansche attended City High School in Iowa City and averages 10.6 points and 1.7 rebounds for Coe (14-9, 9-3). She set the school record with eight 3-pointers against Luther last Wednesday.

Hansche is more concerned with the games than with her diabetes. “When I first came in I was a little scared that I was the only freshman playing but I think I’ve accepted that role better now,” she said.

With only two home games left, the Kohawks are focused on their upcoming schedule and on their goal of winning the conference tournament.

Peterson attributes the team’s conference successes to a positive outlook and consistency. “They’re playing and practicing hard and we’re getting better at a time when a lot of other teams are getting really tired,” she said.

“My hope for all my players is that they reach their potential, that they get to be as good as they want to be both academically and athletically,” Peterson said.

As for Hansche’s future at Coe, she added, “It really is up to her, what she wants to put in and what kind of player she wants to become.”