November 23
When you’re having an off day, you can’t afford to make many mistakes. If you’re not hitting shots, everything else you do must be done very well in order to stay in the game.
Today, in a 47-32 loss to a defensively-minded Mount Holyoke squad, we couldn’t hit a shot. Every team has its shooting woes, but ours unfortunately didn’t end at any point today. After coming out early and grabbing a 7-2 lead, we didn’t hit a shot for a very long stretch of time and managed just 11 first-half points.
Our inability to score wasn’t solely a case of poor shooting. Similar to Saturday’s game, we struggled to execute our plays, and therefore forced shots. When you get in a slump, you have to work your way out of it, and we in no way did that in the first 20 minutes of play.
The second half was definitely an improvement- our intensity was greater and we were much more efficient with the ball. Unfortunately, our shooting slump continued. Despite that, we still managed to hang in there and lost the second half by just two points. But we had dug ourselves a hole we couldn’t climb out of.
With over a week to go before our next game, it was disappointing to go into that stretch with a loss, particularly in a game we thought we should have won. There were some sequences, where our execution and patience was what we expect from ourselves. For us, it isn’t a matter of having the effort or the ability. It is a matter of keeping those consistent throughout a game instead of just showing up in spurts. We have the pieces, but we have to put them together in order to get the results we want. This isn’t an uncommon issue in teams as young as ours. We are definitely asking a lot of people who have never been in situations like this before. But the bottom line is that making excuses doesn’t get us the wins, so why make them? We must instead overcome the difficulties of being such a young team and surprise people with what we are capable of accomplishing.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Seven Sisters: Round One
November 22
In our home-opener this afternoon, hosting the prestigious Seven Sister’s Tournament and squaring off against Wellesley in first-round play, we again came out on the wrong side of a very close, hard-fought game. After overcoming a seven-point deficit with under a minute and a half left in regulation to force overtime, we were edged out by the Blue, 65-61.
Again, our ability to stay in the game and never give up was incredible. A strong defense at the end of regulation along with an Emily Haeuser jumper and a Kristyn Tempora 3-ball put us down two with about fifteen seconds left and the ball. This gave us just enough time to get a good shot up, after which I was able to track down the rebound and lay the ball in just before time expired. While our junior captain Emily Haeuser again did everything she could to keep us in the game, nailing numerous shots in the overtime session, we couldn’t match the offensive prowess of Wellesley in the final few minutes, as our opponent didn’t miss a single shot in the five-minute overtime.
Emily, or “House” as we refer to her most of the time (if you’ve seen her play, you understand why), played truly incredible in today’s game and did everything possible to get us the win. She scored 20 points while hauling in 10 rebounds to go along with an impressive 5 blocked shots and 5 steals. Her leadership was outstanding and she certainly showed not only her ability as a basketball player, but also her ability to lead an extremely young team and keep them together in very intense and sometimes stressful situations. This is my second year playing with House and her improvement as a leader both on and off the floor is definitely noteworthy.
While we obviously lost the five-minute overtime and hence the game, we all agreed that we didn’t lose the game in those last five minutes, but actually in the first five. We failed to execute in the first half and instead forced shots while having bad rebounding position. We were able to stay in the game with a couple of threes at the end of the half from freshman Brittany Parks, who netted a career-high 16 points. We seemed complacent and somewhat lethargic, the exact opposite of how we wanted to start the game off.
But when we came alive and executed, we could not be stopped. We were able to run our offensive sets much more effectively in the second half and in doing that, were able to get into the paint and get some open looks on the perimeter. Our defense looked pretty solid as well, as we managed to contain their running game for the most part and force 30 Wellesley turnovers. It was the boards that killed us in the end though, as the Blue outrebounded us 53-36.
While we did many positive things in this game and got a lot of “you guys look great this year” after the game, that isn’t enough for us; we’re too competitive. We’ve lost two heartbreakers in a week that could have gone either way, and we all knew that we could have got the win today had we played a better first half. A difference between a good team and a great team is not settling for being ‘in’ games. Great teams don’t want to just hang around and keep the score close, they want the win. We’ve come so close to those wins over this week, we can practically taste it. In tomorrow’s game against Mount Holyoke at 2 o’clock, we’re not just looking to come close. We need to come out strong and play the entire game as if it were the last five minutes. Most importantly, we need to come out on top, no matter what it takes.
In our home-opener this afternoon, hosting the prestigious Seven Sister’s Tournament and squaring off against Wellesley in first-round play, we again came out on the wrong side of a very close, hard-fought game. After overcoming a seven-point deficit with under a minute and a half left in regulation to force overtime, we were edged out by the Blue, 65-61.
Again, our ability to stay in the game and never give up was incredible. A strong defense at the end of regulation along with an Emily Haeuser jumper and a Kristyn Tempora 3-ball put us down two with about fifteen seconds left and the ball. This gave us just enough time to get a good shot up, after which I was able to track down the rebound and lay the ball in just before time expired. While our junior captain Emily Haeuser again did everything she could to keep us in the game, nailing numerous shots in the overtime session, we couldn’t match the offensive prowess of Wellesley in the final few minutes, as our opponent didn’t miss a single shot in the five-minute overtime.
Emily, or “House” as we refer to her most of the time (if you’ve seen her play, you understand why), played truly incredible in today’s game and did everything possible to get us the win. She scored 20 points while hauling in 10 rebounds to go along with an impressive 5 blocked shots and 5 steals. Her leadership was outstanding and she certainly showed not only her ability as a basketball player, but also her ability to lead an extremely young team and keep them together in very intense and sometimes stressful situations. This is my second year playing with House and her improvement as a leader both on and off the floor is definitely noteworthy.
While we obviously lost the five-minute overtime and hence the game, we all agreed that we didn’t lose the game in those last five minutes, but actually in the first five. We failed to execute in the first half and instead forced shots while having bad rebounding position. We were able to stay in the game with a couple of threes at the end of the half from freshman Brittany Parks, who netted a career-high 16 points. We seemed complacent and somewhat lethargic, the exact opposite of how we wanted to start the game off.
But when we came alive and executed, we could not be stopped. We were able to run our offensive sets much more effectively in the second half and in doing that, were able to get into the paint and get some open looks on the perimeter. Our defense looked pretty solid as well, as we managed to contain their running game for the most part and force 30 Wellesley turnovers. It was the boards that killed us in the end though, as the Blue outrebounded us 53-36.
While we did many positive things in this game and got a lot of “you guys look great this year” after the game, that isn’t enough for us; we’re too competitive. We’ve lost two heartbreakers in a week that could have gone either way, and we all knew that we could have got the win today had we played a better first half. A difference between a good team and a great team is not settling for being ‘in’ games. Great teams don’t want to just hang around and keep the score close, they want the win. We’ve come so close to those wins over this week, we can practically taste it. In tomorrow’s game against Mount Holyoke at 2 o’clock, we’re not just looking to come close. We need to come out strong and play the entire game as if it were the last five minutes. Most importantly, we need to come out on top, no matter what it takes.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Win Within the Loss
November 18
We opened our season tonight at Brooklyn College with a thrilling game in which we played extremely hard, but came out on the wrong end, in a 78-76 loss.
It was hard to stay upset about the game because of how well we played. It was our first game, we played in a small, hostile gym against a team that boasted six transfer students who were incredibly athletic and could really shoot. As a small, young team that hasn’t played much together, we faced our fair share of difficult moments but when it looked like we were down for good, we always managed to climb back and stay in the game. We displayed a lot of heart and character, and despite coming out on the losing end of a game that could have gone either way, we definitely made it clear that we will play every minute of every game this season with a ‘never-die’ attitude.
We were again led by our frontcourt, with freshman Kristyn Tempora going off for 23 points, while our junior captain Emily Haeuser had 19 and grabbed 12 rebounds herself. Freshman Brittany Parks had 11 points as well, while Jenica Law had a great game shooting 5 for 9 from the field for 10 total points.
Turnovers plagued us, particularly in trying to break their hard-nosed full-court trap. The guards we played tonight were quicker than most I saw last year, and their ability to pressure the ball was impressive. Although we did have trouble breaking the press, when we did beat it we were able to execute and get an easy bucket out of it. We proved we can break a press, it is just matter of consistency, which will improve as the season goes on.
Naturally, we were all disappointed about losing the game. We’re competitive, we work hard and we wanted to show everyone how we’re turning this program around by winning our first game. But despite not coming home with the win, anyone who watched that game and had seen teams of years past would definitely agree that it’s an entirely different team dynamic. We come to play, we don’t back down, and we definitely don’t give up. I’ve always thought that the worst thing an athlete can experience is sitting on the bus after the game thinking about the things they wished they had done; how they wished they had played harder or hadn’t given up so easily when the game got rough. Not one person on this team could have said anything like that; we came to play and we left it all on the floor, what more can we ask of ourselves?
While a little sad about losing, I spent most of the ride home thinking about how much we are going to progress as a team as the season goes on. We have so much potential, and the more we play together and learn in practice, the better we’re going to get. If we combine that with our work ethic and ‘never give up’ attitude, we’ll be surprising some teams this year. We may have taken the loss tonight, but I’m confident that won’t always be the case.
One last thing about tonight- I really enjoyed playing basketball. I didn’t score a lot, and I made my share of mistakes, but it didn’t affect the excitement I felt. I appreciated playing and competing with my teammates, knowing that whatever happened we were in it together. We never got down on each other and whether someone played all forty minutes of the game or not even one minute, we always supported one another. To be a part of this team is a privilege and something I feel extremely grateful for.
We opened our season tonight at Brooklyn College with a thrilling game in which we played extremely hard, but came out on the wrong end, in a 78-76 loss.
It was hard to stay upset about the game because of how well we played. It was our first game, we played in a small, hostile gym against a team that boasted six transfer students who were incredibly athletic and could really shoot. As a small, young team that hasn’t played much together, we faced our fair share of difficult moments but when it looked like we were down for good, we always managed to climb back and stay in the game. We displayed a lot of heart and character, and despite coming out on the losing end of a game that could have gone either way, we definitely made it clear that we will play every minute of every game this season with a ‘never-die’ attitude.
We were again led by our frontcourt, with freshman Kristyn Tempora going off for 23 points, while our junior captain Emily Haeuser had 19 and grabbed 12 rebounds herself. Freshman Brittany Parks had 11 points as well, while Jenica Law had a great game shooting 5 for 9 from the field for 10 total points.
Turnovers plagued us, particularly in trying to break their hard-nosed full-court trap. The guards we played tonight were quicker than most I saw last year, and their ability to pressure the ball was impressive. Although we did have trouble breaking the press, when we did beat it we were able to execute and get an easy bucket out of it. We proved we can break a press, it is just matter of consistency, which will improve as the season goes on.
Naturally, we were all disappointed about losing the game. We’re competitive, we work hard and we wanted to show everyone how we’re turning this program around by winning our first game. But despite not coming home with the win, anyone who watched that game and had seen teams of years past would definitely agree that it’s an entirely different team dynamic. We come to play, we don’t back down, and we definitely don’t give up. I’ve always thought that the worst thing an athlete can experience is sitting on the bus after the game thinking about the things they wished they had done; how they wished they had played harder or hadn’t given up so easily when the game got rough. Not one person on this team could have said anything like that; we came to play and we left it all on the floor, what more can we ask of ourselves?
While a little sad about losing, I spent most of the ride home thinking about how much we are going to progress as a team as the season goes on. We have so much potential, and the more we play together and learn in practice, the better we’re going to get. If we combine that with our work ethic and ‘never give up’ attitude, we’ll be surprising some teams this year. We may have taken the loss tonight, but I’m confident that won’t always be the case.
One last thing about tonight- I really enjoyed playing basketball. I didn’t score a lot, and I made my share of mistakes, but it didn’t affect the excitement I felt. I appreciated playing and competing with my teammates, knowing that whatever happened we were in it together. We never got down on each other and whether someone played all forty minutes of the game or not even one minute, we always supported one another. To be a part of this team is a privilege and something I feel extremely grateful for.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Excitement Builds
November 16
Four and a half weeks of preseason is a very long time, longer than the preseasons of most other sports. To practice for four and a half weeks without competing (outside of the two scrimmages we’ve had) is hard; it begins to feel monotonous and redundant.
But the bottom line is that the repetition is crucial. Four and a half weeks is necessary in order to prepare our bodies, improve our skill sets, and get used to playing with one another, never mind learning plays, offensive sets and defensive schemes. I have to admit that during preseason, it only got harder and harder to keep this mindset. But with our first official game of the season approaching fast, I’m very appreciative of all the time and effort we’ve put in thus far. Our last few practices have been intense and it is clear that our opening game is on everyone’s mind. While we attempt to treat practice like a game every single day, the fact that in just a few days we will actually be in a game situation makes this easier to do and it has definitely created a very special practice environment.
The overall excitement within the team to finally start playing has definitely improved our chemistry. Everyone is on the same page as far as preparing for Tuesday night’s game and what we need to do to win it. After a pretty tough, conditioning-oriented practice on Saturday morning, the majority of my team grabbed some food and came back to the gym to support our men’s team as they opened their season with a tight 65-62 win over Southern Vermont. One of my teammates and I joked before the game started about how absurd it was that we were so excited just to watch the game and cheer them on. But thinking back on how ‘into’ the game we were (I think we started every ‘DE-FENSE’ cheer there was), it really isn’t so absurd. These guys have been doing the same thing as us for the past month or so, and they were finally on the court starting their season. We not only can relate to what they’ve been through, but we also can understand the excitement of playing in the first real game of the season. In a lot of ways, I think I was envious that they were able to actually play on Saturday and the closest thing to playing in the game for me was supporting them. My excitement for our game was actually showing while I watched their game.
But Tuesday night at 7 o’clock at Brooklyn College, we won’t be watching. We’ll be competing, and it will mean something. If we’re this excited about practicing and watching games, imagine how we’re going to feel as we get ready to step on the court Tuesday night? I think excitement would be an understatement for that one.
Four and a half weeks of preseason is a very long time, longer than the preseasons of most other sports. To practice for four and a half weeks without competing (outside of the two scrimmages we’ve had) is hard; it begins to feel monotonous and redundant.
But the bottom line is that the repetition is crucial. Four and a half weeks is necessary in order to prepare our bodies, improve our skill sets, and get used to playing with one another, never mind learning plays, offensive sets and defensive schemes. I have to admit that during preseason, it only got harder and harder to keep this mindset. But with our first official game of the season approaching fast, I’m very appreciative of all the time and effort we’ve put in thus far. Our last few practices have been intense and it is clear that our opening game is on everyone’s mind. While we attempt to treat practice like a game every single day, the fact that in just a few days we will actually be in a game situation makes this easier to do and it has definitely created a very special practice environment.
The overall excitement within the team to finally start playing has definitely improved our chemistry. Everyone is on the same page as far as preparing for Tuesday night’s game and what we need to do to win it. After a pretty tough, conditioning-oriented practice on Saturday morning, the majority of my team grabbed some food and came back to the gym to support our men’s team as they opened their season with a tight 65-62 win over Southern Vermont. One of my teammates and I joked before the game started about how absurd it was that we were so excited just to watch the game and cheer them on. But thinking back on how ‘into’ the game we were (I think we started every ‘DE-FENSE’ cheer there was), it really isn’t so absurd. These guys have been doing the same thing as us for the past month or so, and they were finally on the court starting their season. We not only can relate to what they’ve been through, but we also can understand the excitement of playing in the first real game of the season. In a lot of ways, I think I was envious that they were able to actually play on Saturday and the closest thing to playing in the game for me was supporting them. My excitement for our game was actually showing while I watched their game.
But Tuesday night at 7 o’clock at Brooklyn College, we won’t be watching. We’ll be competing, and it will mean something. If we’re this excited about practicing and watching games, imagine how we’re going to feel as we get ready to step on the court Tuesday night? I think excitement would be an understatement for that one.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Final Pre-Season Scrimmage
November 12
It’s hard to explain the feeling of playing a college basketball game on your home floor. It’s an extremely unique experience. There isn’t a huge stadium of people watching and we don’t play in a big arena, but there’s something about the atmosphere that makes me feel like I’m about to play the biggest game of my career. There may not be as many people at our games as say, Tennessee’s or UConn’s, but the close relationships we have with those who come, and also those who are kind enough to help out with game duties, make the experience particularly special.
So when I walked on to the floor to start our scrimmage tonight against Bard College, I welcomed that feeling of playing at home for the first time this year. With this ‘homecoming’ energy, our goal was to come out strong, grab a quick lead, and put them away early. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite go as we had hoped.
We were able to grab a lead, and although we led the majority of the game (along with an extra ten minute period tacked on at the end) by about 10-15 points, it rarely felt that way. There were definitely bright spots; freshman Brittany Parks had a solid, all-around game at the point guard position and again our frontcourt proved itself productive on the offensive end. Yet we were out of sync as a team; our communication lacked and our sense of urgency came only in spurts. It’s not that we didn’t play hard – I truly believe we all played hard, but it was a matter of playing together and playing with emotion. We didn’t do much of that tonight, and the most frustrating part about it is we didn’t have an answer as to why. It wasn’t one of the generic reasons teams struggle: the players cared more about their own statistics so they played individually or they just didn’t really care that day so they didn’t play with emotion or energy. Sometimes, there is no concrete reason. It was just a funk that we never managed to pull ourselves out of. But the important thing isn’t that it happened, because it happens to every team, it’s that we learn from it, and we come to practice tomorrow with the same energy, emotion, and enthusiasm for the game and for each other that we always have. We can’t replay the scrimmage tonight, but we can make sure that what held us back tonight doesn’t hold us back in our opening game next Tuesday at Brooklyn College.
To feel frustrated after a 15-point win may seem strange, but what it shows about this team is that we hold ourselves to a high standard and we won’t accept less than that from ourselves; we know we are better. Experiences like tonight test our ability to not make excuses for ourselves and just come out tomorrow and flat out do better. And we will.
It’s hard to explain the feeling of playing a college basketball game on your home floor. It’s an extremely unique experience. There isn’t a huge stadium of people watching and we don’t play in a big arena, but there’s something about the atmosphere that makes me feel like I’m about to play the biggest game of my career. There may not be as many people at our games as say, Tennessee’s or UConn’s, but the close relationships we have with those who come, and also those who are kind enough to help out with game duties, make the experience particularly special.
So when I walked on to the floor to start our scrimmage tonight against Bard College, I welcomed that feeling of playing at home for the first time this year. With this ‘homecoming’ energy, our goal was to come out strong, grab a quick lead, and put them away early. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite go as we had hoped.
We were able to grab a lead, and although we led the majority of the game (along with an extra ten minute period tacked on at the end) by about 10-15 points, it rarely felt that way. There were definitely bright spots; freshman Brittany Parks had a solid, all-around game at the point guard position and again our frontcourt proved itself productive on the offensive end. Yet we were out of sync as a team; our communication lacked and our sense of urgency came only in spurts. It’s not that we didn’t play hard – I truly believe we all played hard, but it was a matter of playing together and playing with emotion. We didn’t do much of that tonight, and the most frustrating part about it is we didn’t have an answer as to why. It wasn’t one of the generic reasons teams struggle: the players cared more about their own statistics so they played individually or they just didn’t really care that day so they didn’t play with emotion or energy. Sometimes, there is no concrete reason. It was just a funk that we never managed to pull ourselves out of. But the important thing isn’t that it happened, because it happens to every team, it’s that we learn from it, and we come to practice tomorrow with the same energy, emotion, and enthusiasm for the game and for each other that we always have. We can’t replay the scrimmage tonight, but we can make sure that what held us back tonight doesn’t hold us back in our opening game next Tuesday at Brooklyn College.
To feel frustrated after a 15-point win may seem strange, but what it shows about this team is that we hold ourselves to a high standard and we won’t accept less than that from ourselves; we know we are better. Experiences like tonight test our ability to not make excuses for ourselves and just come out tomorrow and flat out do better. And we will.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Finally Back on the Court
November 7
We had our first scrimmage of the season tonight, at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. I don’t think we could have been any more excited. We’ve practiced six days a week, three and a half weeks straight, including a week of double sessions; naturally we were pretty anxious to get into a game situation and put everything into perspective. Even though it was just a scrimmage, it was such a pivotal event for us because we had no clue what to expect. Were we in good enough shape to run the floor well? Have we played together long enough to be in sync with one another? Could we remember, never mind execute, our plays and sets? All sorts of questions linger before a team actually gets on the court in a game-like situation, but there was one thing we did not question: we were going to play as hard as we could.
That is exactly what we did as soon as we stepped on the floor, and we ended up notching an 82-46 win. My teammates and I were happily surprised with the scrimmage. We were in much better shape that we thought, we worked together well despite the fact that our season is just over three weeks old, and we played more poised and composed than one would expect of a young team like ours playing in such a “run and gun” offense. The game was very physical, with lots of fouls and pushing and shoving under the basket, but we held our own and made sure to stay relaxed in situations that often get teams flustered. We were led by an incredible frontcourt duo of returning Liberty League Honorable Mention forward Emily Haeuser and freshman Kristyn Tempora, who poured in 17 points in her college debut. But the win was truly a team effort with everyone contributing and playing their role.
What I found most impressive about the scrimmage tonight was the selflessness with which our entire team played with. Just about every team I’ve played on in my basketball career has had that one girl who cares more about getting her twenty points every night than making sure her team walks away with a win; the girl who puts herself in front of her team. Sometimes, that one girl can ruin the entire chemistry or dynamic of a team: no one wants to play with someone so selfish. But it was clear tonight that we were not dealing with that kind of problem in the least. We knew that we could best exploit the defense through our post play so everyone looked to get the ball inside whenever possible, and those playing on the blocks played like we needed them to. Nobody was trying to jack up their own stats or look like the game hero, even when the lead grew to more than 20 points. That kind of unselfishness often goes unnoticed, but it is instrumental in any team’s success, and it definitely will be a major part of ours.
As well as the scrimmage went, there were, naturally, things that we definitely need to work on. There are certain concepts of the game both offensively and defensively that we will need to focus on. But tonight we realized that we had the work ethic, the desire, and the unselfishness to be successful this year. Everything else will stem from that.
We had our first scrimmage of the season tonight, at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. I don’t think we could have been any more excited. We’ve practiced six days a week, three and a half weeks straight, including a week of double sessions; naturally we were pretty anxious to get into a game situation and put everything into perspective. Even though it was just a scrimmage, it was such a pivotal event for us because we had no clue what to expect. Were we in good enough shape to run the floor well? Have we played together long enough to be in sync with one another? Could we remember, never mind execute, our plays and sets? All sorts of questions linger before a team actually gets on the court in a game-like situation, but there was one thing we did not question: we were going to play as hard as we could.
That is exactly what we did as soon as we stepped on the floor, and we ended up notching an 82-46 win. My teammates and I were happily surprised with the scrimmage. We were in much better shape that we thought, we worked together well despite the fact that our season is just over three weeks old, and we played more poised and composed than one would expect of a young team like ours playing in such a “run and gun” offense. The game was very physical, with lots of fouls and pushing and shoving under the basket, but we held our own and made sure to stay relaxed in situations that often get teams flustered. We were led by an incredible frontcourt duo of returning Liberty League Honorable Mention forward Emily Haeuser and freshman Kristyn Tempora, who poured in 17 points in her college debut. But the win was truly a team effort with everyone contributing and playing their role.
What I found most impressive about the scrimmage tonight was the selflessness with which our entire team played with. Just about every team I’ve played on in my basketball career has had that one girl who cares more about getting her twenty points every night than making sure her team walks away with a win; the girl who puts herself in front of her team. Sometimes, that one girl can ruin the entire chemistry or dynamic of a team: no one wants to play with someone so selfish. But it was clear tonight that we were not dealing with that kind of problem in the least. We knew that we could best exploit the defense through our post play so everyone looked to get the ball inside whenever possible, and those playing on the blocks played like we needed them to. Nobody was trying to jack up their own stats or look like the game hero, even when the lead grew to more than 20 points. That kind of unselfishness often goes unnoticed, but it is instrumental in any team’s success, and it definitely will be a major part of ours.
As well as the scrimmage went, there were, naturally, things that we definitely need to work on. There are certain concepts of the game both offensively and defensively that we will need to focus on. But tonight we realized that we had the work ethic, the desire, and the unselfishness to be successful this year. Everything else will stem from that.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Value of Competition
November 3
To compete is defined as ‘to strive against another or others to attain a goal.’ Upon first hearing the word ‘compete’, people often think of an opponent, or a “win-lose” situation. Competing is something we do with our rivals or those challenging us for something we want. Competition in basketball at Vassar is the 20 to 25 games we play each season.
But what isn’t always clear is that in order to really ‘compete’ in those 20 to 25 games, we need to compete every day. If we want to win games, we must not only strive against the teams we play, we must strive against one another. The only way we get better is to push ourselves and to push each other.
This was one of the main things we discussed in the locker room over our past few practices. We had to push each other in practice if we were going to compete in the Liberty League, or in any game we play. If I play laid back defense against my point guard in a scrimmage, I’m not preparing her for the smothering kind of defense she will see when we begin the season. If our post players aren’t pushing and battling back and forth in practice, they are not getting each other ready for the unbelievably physical and tough post play they’ll see in games.
It was impressive how well our team, as a whole, responded to this idea. It is much easier to say to each other “hey, let’s really push each other every day in practice” than it is to keep the high level of energy and focus needed to compete with each other in a 30 minute scrimmage after an hour and a half of sprints, full-court drills, and 5 on 0 work. It is not easy, physically or mentally, to keep that competitive attitude through the entirety of a tough two-hour practice, six-days a week. After Friday afternoon’s practice, my teammates and I were discussing how tired we felt, when it didn’t seem like we ran anymore than we usually do. We realized that the exhaustion came from the effort we are giving to make one another better – it’s much harder than it might appear. But knowing that we’ve worked hard after each and every practice reassures me that we’re improving on a daily basis.
On Saturday before practice, my coached talked about ‘playing for a job.’ We define our roles on this team by coming to each practice, giving everything we’ve got, and showing what we can do. My teammates and I played very hard when we scrimmaged on Saturday after a long week of practice. We kept the level of competitiveness high throughout practice without letting up. I’m sure everyone was inspired to show the strengths that they had and how they can contribute on the court after talking about playing for a job. But more importantly, everyone knew that the best way that each of us can contribute is to compete against each other and make our teammates better. If we push ourselves every day, we will be more prepared to compete and win when it really counts. Knowing this, we’re prepared to compete with one another each and every day we play.
To compete is defined as ‘to strive against another or others to attain a goal.’ Upon first hearing the word ‘compete’, people often think of an opponent, or a “win-lose” situation. Competing is something we do with our rivals or those challenging us for something we want. Competition in basketball at Vassar is the 20 to 25 games we play each season.
But what isn’t always clear is that in order to really ‘compete’ in those 20 to 25 games, we need to compete every day. If we want to win games, we must not only strive against the teams we play, we must strive against one another. The only way we get better is to push ourselves and to push each other.
This was one of the main things we discussed in the locker room over our past few practices. We had to push each other in practice if we were going to compete in the Liberty League, or in any game we play. If I play laid back defense against my point guard in a scrimmage, I’m not preparing her for the smothering kind of defense she will see when we begin the season. If our post players aren’t pushing and battling back and forth in practice, they are not getting each other ready for the unbelievably physical and tough post play they’ll see in games.
It was impressive how well our team, as a whole, responded to this idea. It is much easier to say to each other “hey, let’s really push each other every day in practice” than it is to keep the high level of energy and focus needed to compete with each other in a 30 minute scrimmage after an hour and a half of sprints, full-court drills, and 5 on 0 work. It is not easy, physically or mentally, to keep that competitive attitude through the entirety of a tough two-hour practice, six-days a week. After Friday afternoon’s practice, my teammates and I were discussing how tired we felt, when it didn’t seem like we ran anymore than we usually do. We realized that the exhaustion came from the effort we are giving to make one another better – it’s much harder than it might appear. But knowing that we’ve worked hard after each and every practice reassures me that we’re improving on a daily basis.
On Saturday before practice, my coached talked about ‘playing for a job.’ We define our roles on this team by coming to each practice, giving everything we’ve got, and showing what we can do. My teammates and I played very hard when we scrimmaged on Saturday after a long week of practice. We kept the level of competitiveness high throughout practice without letting up. I’m sure everyone was inspired to show the strengths that they had and how they can contribute on the court after talking about playing for a job. But more importantly, everyone knew that the best way that each of us can contribute is to compete against each other and make our teammates better. If we push ourselves every day, we will be more prepared to compete and win when it really counts. Knowing this, we’re prepared to compete with one another each and every day we play.
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