Farewell

The decisions that I make from this point forward will affect my future in so many ways. I'm still looking for the right internship in the sports field. I go back and forth every day on what field or area I want to go into and then later realize that the longer I mull over my decision, my resume sits waiting to be sent out. I am confident in my abilities and think that I would be a great asset to whoever decides to have me on board next year.. it's just a matter of finding that certain place where I feel comfortable, at ease and at my prime. Soon, I'll be saying farewell to MSJ and college, farewell to my professors who have guided me along my path to discovering just exactly who I want to be, the same farewell that I'll be saying this week to my wonderful, amazing roommates, Lyndsey, Jenn, and Megan. Growing up sucks! (Jk... sorta) When I say farewell to college, I'll be saying hello to a job, lots of expenses and even more debt. LOTS of debt. I can only hope in the next year of my life (a verrry important one at that...) that I will make the most of every opportunity that comes my way, that I will have the courage to go after opportunities that I would have let go by me a few years ago, and that I will have done everything I could and learned everything I can to help me in my future endeavors. That's what college is about. It's the roadmap to future success. And I hope that road is a long and prosperous one. I know there will be a few bumps in the road along my way but I can only hope and pray that I will have the strong conviction and knowledge to venture out and make the most of each day I am given.

Semester's Winding Down

Well, the semester is winding down and summer is around the corner, and I can't believe this year is over. It went by soo fast and I'm about to be a senior in college. It feels like yesterday my parents drove me up to Kenyon for my freshman year, the only year I spent living the dorm life and living 3 hours from my family and everything I've known. I can't believe I'm about to be a college graduate and have to find an actual "real" job. I'm scared and so excited at the same time. I know I'll look back at this time in my life and realize from here on out, how important every little decision I make will be.

The Offseason

I've always loved and hated the offseason. The time of the year that we're about to hit. It definitely tests the athletes. It tests their motivation, their desire, their work ethic, honesty and their character. What will they do when no one is looking? Sit around and let the days pass them by because they've found a new sense of freedom or are they going to get out and work to get better even though they aren't getting credit for it? I hate to say that I used to be the first person. When the season ended, I basked in the new found freedom and time was spent watching tv, eating and trying to regain some of my 'childhood'. You feel like a kid again without the ties and strain of a sport. Fortunately, as I've gotten older and learned more about basketball and myself, I've started to become the second person. Not to say that I am now a person of the utmost, highest character but I think I've just started to become an adult. No longer can I spend time sitting around and watching tv. Instead, I think about school, work, getting an internship, my softball game this week, church, my brother's game, my grandpa and everything else but sitting around. I've started to see that I no longer have an 'offseason' but constantly I'm 'in-season': into something new and challenging. Am I happy about it? Ha, not always, but I know that all the busyness and stress that I'm feeling now will pay off one day so I will continue to build my character and work ethic and become the person who works without reward, without recognition and instead, for my own personal gain.

One B-I-G game of P-I-G

President Barack Obama played P-I-G with the 2009 NCAA Champion Womens basketball team, the Connecticut Huskies. He played with All-Americans, center Tina Charles, guard Renee Montgomery and National Player of the Year Maya Moore. (Photo courtesy of LA Times)

Tina Charles said that Obama won, only missing one shot during the game.


UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said that Obama's shot was a little unorthodox, but he also said he's "never met a bad left-handed shooter." They even went on to say that Obama had a little trash talk going on during the game. Coach Auriemma said, "A typical Chicago trash-talker, but he can back it up. That's all that counts. He's got the swagger."

Good job, Mr. President.

Although I think that maybe the girls might've had a chance if they weren't in their heels... :o)

Dreams becoming reality

Now that my basketball career as a player has ended, I can't wait to begin using basketball as a tool in other kid's lives. Being a coach has always been a dream of mine and now it's sort of surreal that I'm "grown up" enough for that dream to become a reality. My favorite team growing up has always been the Tennessee Lady Volunteers and the only coach that they have had since I was born was my coaching idol, Pat Summitt. I have followed and loved the Lady Vols since I can remember. My favorite players are former Vols, Candace Parker, Chamique Holdclaw, Tamika Catchings, Michelle Marciniak, Kara Lawson, Sidney Spencer, Shanna Crossley (Zolman), just to name a few. I have probably every book that Pat Summitt has written and books about Tennessee womens basketball. You could say I'm a pretty big fan. My family won't watch a Tennessee game with me because I yell at the tv too much. But needless to say, when I become a coach, there's no better model to me than Pat. She has more victories than any coach in the history of college basketball, men's or womens. Her intensity is what I love most about her. She gets some of the best players in the country who have probably been able to play however they've wanted for all their lives to buy into her system and do it effectively. It was interesting this year seeing a Cincinnati basketball player that I played with and against for two years in high school, Amber Gray go to Tennessee. She did a great job for the Lady Vols even in a struggling year where the team's roster included one senior, four sophomores, and seven freshmen. I've looked now into becoming a coach in a lot of different venues, not having decided which one I want to be exactly yet. The high school level brings talented, skilled players that I can then hone their skills and prepare them for the college game. I loved the high school level the best as a player because the freedom and fun that existed in the game. There wasn't as much stress on classes, schoolwork, making money and the real-life struggles and headaches experienced when you're growing up. It's sort of their last years as a child before they enter adulthood and as a coach, I can be a part of that maturation and a mentor to the girls. Then, there's recreational teams, elementary age girls that need fun, spirited coaches that can teach them skills but make it fun and enjoyable. I would enjoy doing this because the kids are so cute and still want to be molded and taught. I know it can be sometimes hard to change skills and habits of 16, 17, 18 year old girls in high school who have done the same things the same way for a long time. Coaching little kids is something I know I would be good at and would definitely enjoy. It would definitely teach me some patience too! The other area of sport that I have looked into is coaching and helping with the Special Olympics. At the YMCA where I work, I have had the privilege of working with some amazing kids. One of them is my buddy Ian who is 9 years old. Ian has cerebral palsy and cannot talk but boy that doesn't mean he doesn't let you know what he's feeling! I spent an entire summer with Ian, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Every day, we learned more and more from each other. He amazed me with things he could do and the way he interacted with other kids and the way they responded to and embraced him was really special to see. That summer brought me the most joy I have ever felt. Even in his wheelchair, throughout the summer, Ian and I played kickball, water dodgeball, went bowling at a bowling alley, and went swimming. The joy and passion that I felt that summer for work, especially working with Ian has never been forgotten and I think about getting involved as a coach with the Special Olympics and meeting all kinds of kids and people just like Ian. It excites me because I know that it's something that I am good at, something that I enjoy immensely and I get to serve and help others. Regardless of where I end up coaching in the near future, I am determined to become involved with special needs children and give back to them the love that I felt when I was growing up from my parents, my coaches, my teachers and everyone that has shaped me into the person I've become today.

"The Climb"

"Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard."
~David Mustaine

"Letting go doesn't mean giving up... it means moving on. It is one of the hardest things a person can do. Starting at birth, we grasp on to anything we can get our hands on, and hold on as if we will cease to exist when we let go. We feel that letting go is giving up, quitting, and that as we all know is cowardly. But as we grow older we are forced to change our way of thinking. We are forced to realize that letting go means accepting things that cannot be. It means maturing and moving on, no matter how hard you have to fight yourself to do so."
~Unknown

"Time heals griefs and quarrels, for we change and are not longer the same persons."
~Pascal

"There's always gonna be another mountain,
I'm always gonna wanna make it move,
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
Somebody's gonna have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side,
It's the climb."

16 years...

Basketball season is over for everyone I know. The Mount played their final game against Bluffton, my brother's high school team finished their season with a sectional loss on Saturday, my former high school team finished their season Friday as sectional runners-up ((which hasn't been done in probably 10 years... :o) so good job ladies)) and basketball season is over for me. For good? I'm not sure yet. I've had 16 good years of playing. I can remember all the way back to my first days on a recreational team with 11 clumsy, little 5-year olds eager to go and run up and down a court even though none of us fully understood the game or had the strength to consistently make a jump shot. When one of us did score, every parent in the gym cheered, even the parents of the other team. And I can remember as I got older (and taller), my dad would work with me in the driveway. For some reason, I can remember this odd, purple and green windsuit that I wore out there all the time to practice and shoot in. My dad and I would play "p-i-g" and 'around the world' for hours and even though at the time, I didn't see any difference in my game, others did. By the time I was 12, I can remember my last year of rec basketball, playing on a team with girls I had played with for the last 4 or 5 years. We had never been very good. I can remember the coach never taking me out of the game because I was 5'10" in the sixth grade and every play revolved around me either rebounding someone's missed shot or them throwing the ball up to me, catching it, and putting it in the basket. We won the Metro recreational championship that year which as I looked back on it was remarkable because for years, our team struggled to even win 2 or 3 games a season and now, we had won a championship and little trophies to go along with it. I think thats when I realized I had gotten better, that all the times I spent in the driveway with my dad really meant something, and that maybe I had actually gotten better. I wouldn't ever play with these girls again. The following year, we entered junior high and with one school team, I was the only girl on that recreational team that made it. I realize now that I might not have made that team if it wasn't for the help of those clumsy 5-year olds I played with who kept the game fun and exciting and the parents who cheered with every scored basket when we won games by a final score of 10-12. I realize I might not have made that junior high team without those recreational teammates who I celebrated with by going to UDF for ice cream after a victory. They made basketball fun and enjoyable. I can remember most of the girls I played with: Niki, Olivia, Whitney, Ashley, Amber, Becky, Alex, Annie and Coach Bob. They were my best friends growing up and they kept basketball what it should be: fun. It wasn't full of pressure; the yelling parents (back then) were funny and a normal part of the game, we practiced one day a week and played one game on Sundays. Basketball was the funnest part of my life but it didn't consume my life. I can't say the same thing now for the last few years of my basketball career. I feel like I've let basketball consume me. It was the only thing I worried about, thought about, dreamt about. The t-shirt that says "Basketball is Life. The rest is just details"... I own it and I lived it. In the sixth grade, basketball practice was the highlight of the week. I would come home from school and couldn't stop talking about basketball practice and getting ready to go and when my dad and I came home from practice, I couldn't stop thinking about it and playing my game on Sunday, but as the week wore on, I would focus on school, Sarah's birthday party on Saturday, homework, playing with my brother. Life didn't revolve around basketball; basketball was a part of life. And I loved it. As time has gone on, the way I look at basketball has changed. In high school, especially by my junior and senior year, everything centered on college basketball. Visiting schools, getting recruited, getting good test scores, playing well, sending out schedules and talking to coaches. Still, in high school, I can say that my happiest times were always on the hardwood. I can remember games as a freshman when I felt so privileged to be announced as the starting varsity center and I can remember my mom and dad so excited when I came home to tell them I was the only freshman to make varsity. I can remember games my sophomore season when we didn't win very many games, but I loved my teammates and my coaches. I can remember senior night that year when I spent hours decorating for my three best friends and cried my eyes out when they walked in, hugging and thanking me. I can remember my junior and senior years as a captain and hearing my name announced would electrify me. And I can remember my senior year when my dad was in the hospital and I had a big game. I didn't know whether or not to play that night, but I visited my dad in the hospital and I'll never forget him saying to me that my team needed me to win and that he wanted me to be there because he didn't know any place that I would be happier. And as much as I didn't want to leave his side, I went to my basketball game. What was probably the most surreal basketball game I've ever played in, I couldn't look back on it and tell you any specific plays or shots I made or any rebounds I got. Every time the game stopped, it was like I could hear my dad in my ear telling me to keep going and coming out of a timeout, I remember seeing him in his hospital bed. I didn't know until the next day that I had set a career high in points and rebounds because that night, that court was more than just an arena for competition. It was a place of peace. It was a place where I felt at home and I felt safe even when so many things felt like they were crumbling outside of it. It was my domain where I felt in control when so many things weren't. When everything else was out of my hands, a basketball seemed to fit into them perfectly. That's when basketball became more than a game or an activity for me. It became my solace. I found something I never had that year with basketball and it was the greatest year I've ever had. It was filled with ups and downs, highs and lows, but I gained and learned more that year than I ever have in my life. I think since college basketball began for me, I've lost sight of that. When I entered college, basketball began to feel like an obligation, a duty. The morning regimens, mile runs, the coordinated meals, coordinated outfits. The politics of the team, power struggles within it, and the win/loss column seemed to consume our minds and somewhere in the last 3 years, I've lost the peace, comfort and solace I once found on the basketball court. The joy is gone. And it saddens me. I love basketball. I can go to the gym with my ipod blasting in my ears and shoot for hours. It's probably the most relaxing, calming, meditative thing I know of. I think about my worries, my fears, my angers. I run, I jump, I shoot and everything else seems to melt away. The longer I'm in the gym, the more I feel alive and in love with basketball. Is basketball season over me? Yes, my playing days may be over, but my love and passion of basketball is not and I want to give as much of that passion and experience to others as I can. After 16 years of playing the game, I want to begin teaching it. Coaching it. Making other young girls feel the same passion, peace and solace within the game that I did. I want girls to look back as they get older and not say that Coach Smith made them better basketball players (which I am confident that I will do) but that they'll see what's really important is what they gained mentally and emotionally. I want my players to feel like I taught them life's most important lessons: the same ones that I found in my years on the basketball court and I hope that they carry on the love for the game for generations to come.

Playing, Learning, Growing at Kenyon

I played at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio my freshman year of college. It's a school about 2 and a half to 3 hours away from home but it had its positives. It was a new Ivy League school which meant that my degree would look very nice and it would be very challenging for me. Probably one thing that impressed me most on my visit was the amazing new athletic facility. The $150 million facility was just opened midway through the season prior to my arrival and it rivaled many small division 1 schools in its size and ammenities. I loved the coach more than anything. She visited me at my high school my senior year and talked with me for 3 hours as we sat cramped up in an empty guidance counselor's office. The minute I left our meeting and went back to class, I was ecstatic. I knew I wanted to go to school there and couldn't wait to tell my parents, coaches, and friends about the school and everything it had to offer. More than anything, I couldn't wait to visit the school, meet the team, and see them play. The campus was everything I had hoped and more. It was beautiful, so beautiful, in fact, that my freshman year, CosmoGirl voted it the most beautiful campus in America. It's old, gothic looking buildings are gorgeous, with stained glass windows and statuettes everywhere. Middle Path is a gravel path that runs from one end of campus to the other, a mile long that stays lit up so you can walk it at all hours.

The year that I spent here made me so much more aware of people and diversity. My roommate was from London, England. Girls in my hall hailed from Orange County, California to Chicago, from Boston to Nashville, from New York to Africa. Kenyon Lady basketball taught me to love diversity, be patient and tolerant of other people's values and differences, and to appreciate and love where I came from. Being away from my family made me appreciate them so much more. I thought my senior year that more than anything I just wanted to get out of Milford and go as far away as I could get. It proved to be wrong. I wouldn't see my parents for months and when they did come bearing gifts, it was like Christmas came early. I never called my mom and dad so many times or got so many letters and packages in the mail. I love and miss my Kenyon Ladies and all my friends from far-off places. I miss that diversity and community feeling. It seems that basketball has led me to some pretty crazy places. I would have never known about Kenyon yet alone spent a year of my life there if I wasn't interested in playing college basketball and my coach had never come to my high school to talk and visit with me. It's crazy how something as simple as basketball can take you to so many places, allow you to meet new people and teach you so many things.

Virgin Islands

Our Little Stow-away

After our final game on Saturday against Bluffton (you don't have to ask how we did.. .it was the same as the previous 10 games), but anyway, after the game, we quickly got on the bus to complete a mission we had been waiting to do all year:

Stick our smallest team member, Abby LaRosa in the compartments above the seats and proceed to convince our coach that we couldn't find Abby and we didn't want to leave her at Bluffton.

Well, mission accomplished.

We swiftly got her up there and she found it remarkably comfortable, which was good considering she would be up there for the next 25 or 30 minutes, until Coach got on the bus and starting counting team members. Abby actually found it so comfortable that she fell asleep while our team and the mens basketball team loaded the bus.

When coach asked if we were all on the bus, we just looked around and said, "I think so..." and she said if we had everyone, we could go.. we said, "I don't think Abby is on the bus!" She got up and looked back at her seat to find she was missing. This may have been a little funnier and a well played prank if we hadn't just lost. Mel wasn't in the mood to get off the bus and find her in the school so she told us that one or two better be getting off the bus to find her. We all sat there for little bit in silence and looking at each other, before I finally stood up and popped open the compartment above my seat like I was getting my bag out and in turn, Abby popped her head out of the compartment and gave Coach the peace sign.

I don't know who was more surprised, Coach or the guys on the mens team who didn't know she was up there. One guy's mouth dropped when he saw Abby's head pop out of the overhead compartment. It was pretty hilarious. Mel laughed it off and then told the bus driver to leave before we even got Abby out of the bag storage. She wanted to get the heck out of Bluffton faster than even we did.

Big Pink Thanks

The Think Pink game turned out to be a huge success. I think we had the most fans come out to support our team than we have ever had. Not only that, but we almost pulled off what would have been our biggest comeback all season. We were losing to the #1 team in the conference, Transylvania University, by 17 points at halftime and trailed by our largest margin of 21 early in the second half before posting a come from behind effort. Leading by 5 with almost 1:30 to play, we failed to score a basket in the closing minutes and Transy pulled ahead on a jumper by Jackie Distler with 10 seconds to go. We got a good look at a basket with one second on the clock and it just didn't fall. We lost by a score of 77-76.



After the game, we went out and took pictures with everyone who was at the game and wearing pink, some of whom were breast cancer survivors. Others were fans there supporting our last home game of the season. I want to thank all of the great fans, family and community members who came to show support. It was greatly appreciated even in a losing effort.

My Family's Battle with Cancer

"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever."
-Jimmy V

A little over a year ago, I lost my grandma to a battle with cancer in December 2007. Because I played my freshman season three hours away at Kenyon College, she never got to see me play a college basketball game. That may be one of my biggest regrets. I know she's watching from up above but it still breaks my heart that she never saw a game.

Ever felt an angel's breath in the gentle breeze? A teardrop in the falling rain? Hear a whisper amongst the rustle of leaves? Or been kissed by a lone snowflake? Nature is an angel's favorite hiding place. -Carrie Latet

My Guardian Angel

Dear Angel ever at my side,

how lovely you must be---

To leave your home in heaven,

to guard a child like me.

When I'm far away from home,

or maybe hard at play--

I know you will protect me,

from harm along the way.

Your beautiful and shining face,

I see not, though you're near.

The sweetness of your lovely voice,

I cannot really hear.

When I pray, you're praying too,

Your prayer is just for me.

But, when I sleep you never do,

You're watching over me.

Before every game, during the National Anthem, I bow my head and pray. I pray for a number of things: for no one to get hurt, for us to win..., and oddly enough, every single game when I look at the flag, I see and think of my Grandma. I know she's there watching me and suddenly I feel a sense of peace. A lot of athletes have pre-game rituals and weird superstitions but that is mine. It's probably the only thing that's a constant before every game. I never stretch the same, warm up the same or do the same routines. I kind of like it that way. I work on whatever I feel isn't doing so well or working that day whether it's my inside game or my outside, my dribbling or my pull-up game. I stretch whatever muscle has decided to hurt that day and the music on my ipod is always changing and I never replay a playlist from a game we lost, but every game no matter how i'm feeling, what is ailing or who we're playing, I look at the flag, pray and think of my Grandma.

Jimmy V's Speech that Changed Everything

With our Think Pink night coming up and the recent death of Kay Yow, it reminded me of my high school playing days. During my sophomore season, my assistant coach showed me this video when our team needed some motivation during a rough patch of the season. The first time I watched it, I cried. I sat in my coach's office and couldn't help stop the tears rolling down my face. The video was of Coach Jim Valvano's 1993 Espy speech. If you've never seen or heard it, I'm posting it in my blog. Like Yow, Valvano coached at NC State and died of cancer after a long, successful career. This speech changed my outlook on basketball and my life.
*If it takes some extra time, please allow it to load and watch its full length. It's worth it.



Valvano wished with everything in his being that he could return the following year to award the Arthur Ashe Award. Unfortunately, less than two months after this speech, Jimmy V lost his battle with cancer.

Inspirational words from a great coach, Kay Yow

When life kicks you, let it kick you forward.
Attitude is the key to success.

Don't wallow in self pity, swish your feet and get out.
It's what's inside that counts.
You can't change the direction of the wind but you can adjust your sails.
Shake it off and step up. Don't panic.
A kite rises against the wind.
Give and Pray for others. Count your blessings.
Accept what you cannot change.
Think positive. Never, ever give up. Don't Quit.
With God nothing is impossible.
Spirits can be lifted together.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Live one moment at a time.

Be thankful everyday.

Think Pink Night at the Mount

On Wednesday, February 18, we are hosting our WBCA Pink Zone basketball game. We play the current #1 team in the conference, Transylvania University. All gate proceeds go towards breast cancer awareness and specifically, the Kay Yow Foundation.

Kay Yow was the head women's basketball coach at NC State from 1975-2009. With more than 700 career wins, Yow lost her battle with breast cancer just last month on January 24, 2009 that she had been fighting since 1987. In its obituary, the Charlotte Observer wrote, "Yow never lost her folksy, easygoing manner and refused to dwell on her health issues, though they colored everything she did almost as much as basketball. Ultimately, her philosophy on both was the same."

Yow planned her funeral before she died and recorded a 25-minute video to be played at her service. She thanked her supporters and ended by saying, "And now I say farewell, and it's been a wonderful journey, especially since the time I accepted Jesus as my lord and savior." Yow was a wonderful coach, a wonderful person and it's an honor and a joy to play in her name on Wednesday in a game that will benefit her foundation and honor her fight with breast cancer and all those who have won and lost in the same fight.

Numb

It's beginning to seem like the same old hat. Another loss and another and another. 5 straight losses since my last post. Hiram, Anderson, Rose Hulman, Hanover, and Manchester. I'm not putting down our team but it's starting to get old. Same things happening every game with no change. We've had team meetings and discussions about what we need to change, what needs to be fixed in order for us to beat these teams. We know we're not a bad team. We have more talent on our team than half the other HCAC teams but we still manage to come out with another L in the loss column after each games. Opposing coaches tell us that we're a good team. Transylvania's coach called ours and said he doesn't know why we we're struggling so much and why we can't pull out wins. We gave his team the hardest game they'd played all year just like we'd done for Manchester at our home floor by taking them into overtime, but always the same outcome. A loss. I've heard coaches say that you learn in losing. Going undefeated all season and then heading into a tournament may not prove beneficial because if a team hasn't faced defeat and had to improve things, hasn't had to change things then they may get upset at the end of the season. 1 loss is ok, 2 losses, 3, 4, but now we're working our way up to 20 losses and it's hard not to get discouraged. It's hard not to hang your head after another loss and it's hard to believe we can win. I know we have the ability and the potential but I don't know if we've seen what our team is really made of this year or we've been able to put a run of plays or good basketball together to get key wins. ....

I started this post about 3 or 4 days ago and set it aside and thought I'd come back to it with some words of wisdom or something would spark my interest and get me writing again, but nothing did. We lost again on Saturday to Franklin and words can't describe the feeling when your team hits 20 losses on the season. I'm at that point where losing becomes numbing and the numbness begins to feel like an everyday occurrence. My friends and family are beginning to see the change in my personality and my passions. I'm changing and the numbness of losing and the team is a huge part of that. As this may be my last year of college basketball, I sit and wonder what has come out of this season. What have I learned if anything about playing basketball and with this team? Have I learned anything about myself? The truth is.. I don't know. It's something I need to think long and hard about because it may be the only way to pull something positive from such a season.

"TRANSFERS!"

A lot of students transfer colleges and here at the Mount, we've seen our fair share of them. Last year, Juli Phelps and myself transferred here from Cincinnati Christian University and Kenyon College. This year, we have two more transfers (seen above): Carolyn Holt who transferred from Defiance College and Codie Gerwe who transferred from Transylvania University. It's a little more interesting for them to play at the Mount because they both transferred from schools in our league (Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference) so we have to play their former schools twice during the season. Transfers transfer for a number of different reasons. I transferred to MSJ after my freshman year because it's a school that's closer to home, offered the degree that I was interested in and also still allowed me to play basketball. Much to my parent's chagrin, I didn't make this decision until late July before my sophomore year of college... after my tuition deposit at Kenyon had been paid and schedules had been set. EEK. My parents weren't really happy with the late notice, but they understood that my decision was something I had been thinking about for a long time and they supported me 100%. I'm happy with my decision. My life wouldn't be what it is now without the switch. I needed the change to be a happier, healthier person. I miss the atmosphere, the people and the life I had at Kenyon a lot but I also love the people here at the Mount that I've met and become friends with and the opportunities that I have now because of transferring.

Getting into trouble... as always

We told the Olive Garden staff it was Coach's 50th birthday party and this is what happened...

Wittenberg Holiday Tournament: Dec. 29 & 30

Leah had them sing "Happy Birthday" to coach and she was really scared of getting in trouble and having to run at practice on Monday.
Tricia and Codie

3 of our freshman =]
Leah, Katie Jo and Lindsay

Gina and Chelsey waiting for dinner at Olive Garden

Codie and Leah are "getting big" in the weight room and it's beginning to show!

Kat and Leah

Abby, Lauren and Gina

Fabulosity Factor???

On our team, we have quite a number of interesting individuals. I've already talked about the style choices of one member, Kat O'Neill. Another individual that I'd know like to pay homage to is sophomore Amberly Rison. Now, Amberly has quite the personality. We like to refer to these commanding traits as our team's "Fabulosity". Her shiny black headbands (as in the picture above) are just one of her trademarks. Today in practice, Amb wore tall white and pink striped socks. Yet another example of what Kat would call "fashion-forward" thinking. Along with Amberly, Chelsey Doellman brings a lot of "fabulosity" as well. I think she'll tell you that straight to your face (I may expand on this in another blog. Lord knows I could fill one talking about Chels =]...) Now, Amberly may be a handful off the court (ask her roommate Brooke Sowards), but her moves on the court are pretty 'fabulous' too. Don't let her blonde hair fool you, this girl has got some basketball smarts. Her grace and finesse as she drives to the basket will amaze and awe you. Come out to our next game to check out Amb and the rest of our 'fabulosity' in action. We could use the support =]

Ok... so if you know whose feet these are... then you know why I'm blogging LOL. This is Kat O'Neill. She has this weird 'obsession' or 'infatuation' if you will with old Grandpa shoes. She proceeds to wear these shoes to class, the training room, games and wherever her velcro and Chuck Taylor's will let her. I have no problem with the Chuck's and jeans but Converse low-cuts and basketball shorts with Kat's pale legs is not the greatest thing to look at. I know Kat doesn't care what people think about her 'style' and this blog is not bashing Kat. I'd just like some comments on if you've seen this or anything like it on a friend, teammate, or whatever or you'd just like to comment on Kat's so-called style.

AAAAHHH another loss...

So, after another nail-biting finish, we lost again tonight to Transy by a score of 80-78. We were up at one point in the first half by 13 before they edged their way back in and we were up 2 points at halftime (35-37). They took the lead to start the second half and we went back and forth the rest of the way (most of the time us coming back)... until the final minute of the game when I hit a 3 pointer that cut the Transy lead to 1. Then, we fouled them. They hit some free throws, then we drove, got fouled and made a free throw. And they were ahead by 2. We fouled their player with 6 seconds left and she missed both shots and we went the length of the court and didn't get a shot off before the buzzer sounded. Disappointing? YES. Another loss. Every game, I believe we can win. It's just getting more disheartening each game to walk away with another 'L' tagged to our record. 2 of my best friends were at the game and they said we played so good and they thought we were going to definitely win. I said 'thanks' and the 'yeah, i thought we were gonna win too.' but the truth is i'm so tired of losing! 2 points or 30 points doesn't make a difference. A loss is a loss and we have the most of them in our league. I know we're not that team that just rolls over and lets people beat them and we'll fight to the end of every game, but for once, we need to come out on top of a nail-biter. Get some confidence back in ourselves. We know we're a good team. We can take the top teams like Transy and Manchester down to the wire but we can't find what it takes yet or put together a string of offense and defense to seal a victory. I'm praying that Saturday is different. I've played Hiram twice in college and both times won handily. I just hope that Saturday we come in with something to prove. We can't play down to any more teams and we have to bring our 'A' game the rest of the way if we want to change our season. I know we can do it. We just have to believe it. More blogging to come about some lighter subjects with the team and hopefully, they are more fun and get a few comments. =]

Big game tomorrow

Tomorrow, we are playing the #1 team in our league, Transylvania University. It's a big game. Huge actually. Currently, we are the last place team in our league. Not because I think we have the least talent or the worst anything.. we just haven't been able to put it all together. We took the defending champions down the wire, into overtime and lost, and we've lost 2 very close games. We need to win this game tomorrow. Our team needs to believe we can win and we need to go out on the court and really play together and play inspired.

MSJ Womens Basketball

I'm going to form this blog around the MSJ Women's Basketball and our season. This is my second season on the team and my third year playing collegiately. Last year is over. Thank God. We have an entirely "new team." Even with a lot of the same faces, we have a new attitude. It's refreshing to be around players who want to be at practices, who want to get better and push each other and to have players who will do anything for the team. Our team is still young as is the season and we each have individual growths that accompany our collective growth and incumbent victories. I have no doubt in my mind that our season will turn around soon enough and we will grow leaps and bounds from where this season began. Although it's a little ironic considering the season did start with a win... so not that badly. This blog will document the visible growth that I see and may later include some commentary or testiment to team growth by one of the coaching staff. I hope this blog will inspire something or someone. It could be someone in the class, on the team, maybe even inspire me. I have no idea yet what the season holds but I'm anxious and excited to see what God has in store for us and I'm excited to share his blessings with everyone else through this blog.

New Media Class

I'm starting this blog because of my New Media in Sports class. I'm interested to see what I can do with this blog and where my reach will extend to. I'm excited to see what the impact of my blog will be (if any) and what I learn from this course and other various networking sites, my favorite site being TWITTER =]