Coming back to practice from basically a week and a half off with a couple of shoot-arounds in between was hard. You think that you are going to just jump on the court and do everything right. Truth is that ain't gonna happen. You may have shot around with your friends during break, but it is nothing like being in an intensified practice. It was no lackadaisical practice; to tell you the truth there never is one. You know you are rusty when you get tired after doing high knees and butt kicks full court. It was going to be a long practice.
It was mental mistakes we kept making. We were doing fairly simple drills and we couldn't keep the lines right or the ball on the right side. We weren't exploding across the middle for the mid range jumper. It seemed like all half efforts, and coach wasn't liking that. We were tired, but it was no excuse. Coach called us all on the baseline and talked to us about overcoming all the tiredness. She said "mind over matter!" She told us that we had to get through this mentality of thinking about when the drill was going to be over instead of just working hard for the duration of the drill and then being able to get a drink of water when we are done. Coach then started to talk analogies. I am one of those players who loves analogies because it makes me look at things from a different perspective. She talked about "hell week" for the Navy Seals and how they go non-stop for three days and then get just 2 hours of sleep! Then they continue the rest of their brutal week. I thought to myself, "WOW". Here we are complaining and panting about sprints up and down the floor and there are people out there doing so much more than us. After we get back from break we have 4 games in 6 days. I am excited; I love playing back to back games, but we have to get our bodies and minds in it first.
Basketball truly is a mental game. If your head isn't in it, you mine as well just make yourself comfy on the bench. It's hard to overcome tiredness. That is where the desire and heart come into play. I sure am guilty of it; there are times where I just want to stop and walk out the gym. But who is that helping? No One. That is hurting me and hurting my teammates. We have learned to be the support team for one another. We are all in the same boat, so if we guide each other through it we should be able to withstand any obstacle.
You have to look towards the future, not in the moment. We have to get ourselves in basketball condition for these next four games. All this hard work will pay off, but it has to be consistent. I have a great team and an awesome coach, what more can I ask for to motivate me to keep going?
It's just mind over matter.
www.nhregister.com
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Surviving For The Game
Every night I thank God for another day on this Earth. It's another day I can spend with me family and friends, and it's another day I get to be on the basketball court. We all, at one point or another, may take for granted the time we have here. It's sad, but it's true. We are humans, who have desires, wants, and needs, and sometimes we go through lengthy measures to fulfill our desires that are meaningless and superficial. All of us want to survive, but for what cost, what purpose, and what measure.
Alonzo Mourning is my inspiration to keep surviving every day for the love of the game. Alonzo faced adversity ever since he was a young boy. His parents divorced around the age of 10, and he was forced to live in a foster home until he went on to be the basketball superstar at Georgetown. Believe it or not, the 6'4 Mourning was bullied all throughout his time in junior high, which led to a major decrease in his confidence. People wanted him to play basketball. I mean who wouldn't want to have a 6'4 eighth grader on there team; that is just total domination right there. Unfortunately, he was very uncoordinated and just awkward, and people teased him day in and day out for the lack of ball player he was. All those negative people turned into his motivation and he worked hard to be an unstoppable player in the post, by junior year he was named the best player in the country by Sports Illustrated. No one could stop him; he was the man. At Georgetown, he was the biggest threat on defense becoming their all-time leading blocker. He was also tremendous on the glass. Behind Shaq, he was second in the 1992 NBA Draft. He went on to play for the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat, the New Jersey Nets, and then returned to the Heat in 2005.
What people may not know is that Mourning suffers from a rare kidney disease known as, focal glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). He continued to play in the NBA, but only managed to last for the 2002 all-star game because his conditions worsened. He had to sit out the 2002-2003 season, and in November of 2003 he announced to the world that he was going to retire. My mother retells the story of how the only time in her life she watched ESPN was the time to watch Alonzo say his goodbyes to the league. I can only imagine what his family and friends were feeling. His dream was coming to an end...but not just yet!
In December of '03 he received a kidney transplant. Not too long after, he realized that he needed to be on the court. Although his body certainly wasn't 100% healthy, he knew that his legacy was not over yet. Mourning went onto win an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006. His glory lasted one more year, and in 2007 he was forced to hang his sneakers in his locker and call it quits, after his knee injury.
I admire this man so much for his resilience. I, myself, suffer from asthma and have irregular breathing patterns, but I continue to persevere because great people before me did. Kidney disease did not stop him from his goal, and asthma will not stop me from mine. He proved to the world that truly nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams. We should all have that determination to never stop. If he stopped he wouldn't have gotten a Championship ring. If he stopped he wouldn't have inspired athletes like me to keep going.
I hope all of us can learn a little something from people like him. Never let adversity hinder you from success. Be resilient. Be determined. Be headstrong.
#33 will live on forever.
Alonzo Mourning Highlights
www.nhregister.com
Alonzo Mourning is my inspiration to keep surviving every day for the love of the game. Alonzo faced adversity ever since he was a young boy. His parents divorced around the age of 10, and he was forced to live in a foster home until he went on to be the basketball superstar at Georgetown. Believe it or not, the 6'4 Mourning was bullied all throughout his time in junior high, which led to a major decrease in his confidence. People wanted him to play basketball. I mean who wouldn't want to have a 6'4 eighth grader on there team; that is just total domination right there. Unfortunately, he was very uncoordinated and just awkward, and people teased him day in and day out for the lack of ball player he was. All those negative people turned into his motivation and he worked hard to be an unstoppable player in the post, by junior year he was named the best player in the country by Sports Illustrated. No one could stop him; he was the man. At Georgetown, he was the biggest threat on defense becoming their all-time leading blocker. He was also tremendous on the glass. Behind Shaq, he was second in the 1992 NBA Draft. He went on to play for the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat, the New Jersey Nets, and then returned to the Heat in 2005.
What people may not know is that Mourning suffers from a rare kidney disease known as, focal glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). He continued to play in the NBA, but only managed to last for the 2002 all-star game because his conditions worsened. He had to sit out the 2002-2003 season, and in November of 2003 he announced to the world that he was going to retire. My mother retells the story of how the only time in her life she watched ESPN was the time to watch Alonzo say his goodbyes to the league. I can only imagine what his family and friends were feeling. His dream was coming to an end...but not just yet!
In December of '03 he received a kidney transplant. Not too long after, he realized that he needed to be on the court. Although his body certainly wasn't 100% healthy, he knew that his legacy was not over yet. Mourning went onto win an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006. His glory lasted one more year, and in 2007 he was forced to hang his sneakers in his locker and call it quits, after his knee injury.
I admire this man so much for his resilience. I, myself, suffer from asthma and have irregular breathing patterns, but I continue to persevere because great people before me did. Kidney disease did not stop him from his goal, and asthma will not stop me from mine. He proved to the world that truly nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams. We should all have that determination to never stop. If he stopped he wouldn't have gotten a Championship ring. If he stopped he wouldn't have inspired athletes like me to keep going.
I hope all of us can learn a little something from people like him. Never let adversity hinder you from success. Be resilient. Be determined. Be headstrong.
#33 will live on forever.
Alonzo Mourning Highlights
www.nhregister.com
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Did It Take 89 Wins for Women's Sports To Be Appreciated?
I just had this on my mind and wanted to share it. I am sure many people may disagree or don't care at all, but this is how I see it. I will keep it short and sweet.
Women rock! Yes they do! History can't get any better than this. Uconn Women's Basketball is just one product of a group of tremendous female athletes. Not everyone can be as great as Uconn, but there are a lot of other female teams to be reckoned with.
Being a female athlete myself I cringe every time a sexist comment is made against women playing sports. "You play against less competition", "women's basketball is not even a real sport", and worst of all "why don't you just quit and be a cheerleader". I hear these sayings all the time. It makes me very upset that men are put on this high pedestal, while the women have to work five times as hard to get the kind of recognition they deserve. Why can't it be an equal playing field? I mean look at how much press Uconn is getting right now. Who really thought that they could really go that far? They beat a Men's Ncaa Division 1 record. I know a lot of people are saying it is not same, and you can't compare men vs. women, but I think you can. Uconn and Ucla both play the same sport with a ball and a hoop. They both have 5 players on the court, who can run, jump, dribble, and shoot. So you tell me where the difference is.
To all the supporters of women's athletics thank you! To all the naysayers keep on hatin' while we continue to break records!
www.nhregister.com
Women rock! Yes they do! History can't get any better than this. Uconn Women's Basketball is just one product of a group of tremendous female athletes. Not everyone can be as great as Uconn, but there are a lot of other female teams to be reckoned with.
Being a female athlete myself I cringe every time a sexist comment is made against women playing sports. "You play against less competition", "women's basketball is not even a real sport", and worst of all "why don't you just quit and be a cheerleader". I hear these sayings all the time. It makes me very upset that men are put on this high pedestal, while the women have to work five times as hard to get the kind of recognition they deserve. Why can't it be an equal playing field? I mean look at how much press Uconn is getting right now. Who really thought that they could really go that far? They beat a Men's Ncaa Division 1 record. I know a lot of people are saying it is not same, and you can't compare men vs. women, but I think you can. Uconn and Ucla both play the same sport with a ball and a hoop. They both have 5 players on the court, who can run, jump, dribble, and shoot. So you tell me where the difference is.
To all the supporters of women's athletics thank you! To all the naysayers keep on hatin' while we continue to break records!
www.nhregister.com
Monday, December 20, 2010
999 Problems, But A KIT Championship Is ONE
Well...I am sure most of you have heard of Jay-Z's song 99 problems. The first lines go like this: "If your having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but a chick ain't one." Friday night I was listening to it before we played our first game in the Kingswood-Oxford Invitational Tournament.
Looking at the rosters of the teams I recognized good caliber players that we have seen in the past. We took it one game at a time and came out with a 70-39 win over KO, the host team, Friday night. It was a great feeling. Saturday was filled with activities of team bonding. Coach Borelli set up an itinerary for us for the day since our game wasn't until 8:30 Saturday night. We had a nice team breakfast, we spent a good 4 hours in the mall, and we went over strategies for the game. It was a long day of fun, but we had to realize that we came here to win a tournament championship. Yes, team bonding and all that stuff is important as well, but we had games to play. So, 8:30 comes and by 10:20, we were done beating Watkinson in the semifinal game. The have one versatile post player that can run the point as well. We were able to contain her, while pushing the tempo, and beating them down the floor every time.The Lady Hornets aren't a team to be messed with.
Sunday morning comes and at 11:51, I get a call from Coach. She told me that I had 999 points and I was going to score 1,000 that night. Tears rolled down my face, in such joy, but in the back of my head that didn't seem to be important because even though that is an individual milestone for me, my team comes first; we gotta win this tournament.
We knew what we were facing came championship time. We had watched Governor's Academy play Saturday, and saw that they were the biggest team in the tournament. Yes, size is something we lack. Their guard play was okay, but those two 6'2 kids were the ones we were keying on. Box Out. Box Out. Box Out. That was the key.
I lost the tap to one of the big girls and from there, we came out flat. Our defense was scrambled, and our offense was stagnant. I was getting frustrated on offense because I couldn't get any calls going to the basket. Finally, I got one. Went to the line first shot rims out, second shot GOES IN. I am a 1000th point scorer! It didn't really even register because I knew I had to get back on D and guard their best player. We simply could not contain her. She had 17 in the first half, and she was the only thing hurting us. At half time, we were ready for the talk. Coach was calm, but said "You want to come out of this basketball game satisfied. I don't care if we lose by 30, just as long as we don't quit." I'm thinking in my head, "I don't want to lose by 30!" I wanted to come back from the 20 point deficit and win. We gave it a final push in the last three min of the second half, cutting the lead down to 12 with 1:31 to go. I thought we could do it. Kelsey McCray, one of our three point shooters, knocked down some big ones tonight. So, it was time for her to get hot again.
We went into our full court press. I was on the ball. They almost got a 5 second count, but I guess the girl got it in at the last moment. The ball is passed in bounds to their shooter. She bobbles it, and my instincts roared. I dived onto the ball, and we got possession! We inbound it, I drive and kick it out to Kelsey she knocks down the three. Cuts the lead to nine. Governors outlets it quickly down the sideline and scores. We tried to get off a couple more shots, but none went it. On top of that i fouled out in the last minute.
We lost the KIT Championship by 14, but in no way am I disappointed. We played hard and we cut the lead and made them nervous. It was a successful weekend. We bonded, we played, we fought. What more can you ask for.
www.nhregister.com
Looking at the rosters of the teams I recognized good caliber players that we have seen in the past. We took it one game at a time and came out with a 70-39 win over KO, the host team, Friday night. It was a great feeling. Saturday was filled with activities of team bonding. Coach Borelli set up an itinerary for us for the day since our game wasn't until 8:30 Saturday night. We had a nice team breakfast, we spent a good 4 hours in the mall, and we went over strategies for the game. It was a long day of fun, but we had to realize that we came here to win a tournament championship. Yes, team bonding and all that stuff is important as well, but we had games to play. So, 8:30 comes and by 10:20, we were done beating Watkinson in the semifinal game. The have one versatile post player that can run the point as well. We were able to contain her, while pushing the tempo, and beating them down the floor every time.The Lady Hornets aren't a team to be messed with.
Sunday morning comes and at 11:51, I get a call from Coach. She told me that I had 999 points and I was going to score 1,000 that night. Tears rolled down my face, in such joy, but in the back of my head that didn't seem to be important because even though that is an individual milestone for me, my team comes first; we gotta win this tournament.
We knew what we were facing came championship time. We had watched Governor's Academy play Saturday, and saw that they were the biggest team in the tournament. Yes, size is something we lack. Their guard play was okay, but those two 6'2 kids were the ones we were keying on. Box Out. Box Out. Box Out. That was the key.
I lost the tap to one of the big girls and from there, we came out flat. Our defense was scrambled, and our offense was stagnant. I was getting frustrated on offense because I couldn't get any calls going to the basket. Finally, I got one. Went to the line first shot rims out, second shot GOES IN. I am a 1000th point scorer! It didn't really even register because I knew I had to get back on D and guard their best player. We simply could not contain her. She had 17 in the first half, and she was the only thing hurting us. At half time, we were ready for the talk. Coach was calm, but said "You want to come out of this basketball game satisfied. I don't care if we lose by 30, just as long as we don't quit." I'm thinking in my head, "I don't want to lose by 30!" I wanted to come back from the 20 point deficit and win. We gave it a final push in the last three min of the second half, cutting the lead down to 12 with 1:31 to go. I thought we could do it. Kelsey McCray, one of our three point shooters, knocked down some big ones tonight. So, it was time for her to get hot again.
We went into our full court press. I was on the ball. They almost got a 5 second count, but I guess the girl got it in at the last moment. The ball is passed in bounds to their shooter. She bobbles it, and my instincts roared. I dived onto the ball, and we got possession! We inbound it, I drive and kick it out to Kelsey she knocks down the three. Cuts the lead to nine. Governors outlets it quickly down the sideline and scores. We tried to get off a couple more shots, but none went it. On top of that i fouled out in the last minute.
We lost the KIT Championship by 14, but in no way am I disappointed. We played hard and we cut the lead and made them nervous. It was a successful weekend. We bonded, we played, we fought. What more can you ask for.
www.nhregister.com
Sunday, December 12, 2010
1-1...We Are on the Move
Last Tuesday, December 7, the Lady Hornets were tested by the Rye Wildcats at their gym. We came up short from victory, but we haven't lost the battle yet. Immediately, looking at the schedule prior to the season, I knew that this would be a tough game, especially to have for our season opener. In practices prior to the game, we keyed on team perimeter defense, as well as getting in to crash the boards. It is kind of funny how practice can help you prepare all you need, but when it comes to the game it is all up to you; you won't have 2 tries to make a missed lay-up, you only get one chance to prove you know what you are doing.Unfortunately, all that we did in practice did not transpire in the game. We were a little stagnant on offense, we weren't physical on defensive and offensive boards, and we let the Wildcats out hustle us and out play us in tight possessions. It left us all with our heads hanging down, but Coach Borelli soon got us to snap out of that, the next day in practice. Each of us set a goal for ourselves for this week to come that we did not achieve against Rye. Coach simply said, "Now that you have set this goal, your focus isn't the loss against Rye...we have to get ready for Chesire Academy."
Yesterday afternoon we visited Chesire Academy at their gym, and came out victorious. From the tap, we were efficient on offense. We attacked every hole in their defense and knocked down key perimeter shots. On defense, we had a lot of ball pressure causing turnovers in the half court set, while keeping them out of the paint for the most part.We got a win, but there is still much to improve on.
It is one win and one loss, but right now I am not really focused on the record, I am focused on the growth of this team. We have to set our focus as a team, not just to go out and win all of our games, but to actually work on those components of our game that will lead us to victory. It is not just the physical things done in the game either, it is the mental part of it all. So far this season, it is safe to say that we aren't consistent in instilling confidence in ourselves and our teammates.As Jack Nicklaus, the professional golfer said, “Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.” With that said, we have to work!
www.nhregister.com
Yesterday afternoon we visited Chesire Academy at their gym, and came out victorious. From the tap, we were efficient on offense. We attacked every hole in their defense and knocked down key perimeter shots. On defense, we had a lot of ball pressure causing turnovers in the half court set, while keeping them out of the paint for the most part.We got a win, but there is still much to improve on.
It is one win and one loss, but right now I am not really focused on the record, I am focused on the growth of this team. We have to set our focus as a team, not just to go out and win all of our games, but to actually work on those components of our game that will lead us to victory. It is not just the physical things done in the game either, it is the mental part of it all. So far this season, it is safe to say that we aren't consistent in instilling confidence in ourselves and our teammates.As Jack Nicklaus, the professional golfer said, “Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.” With that said, we have to work!
www.nhregister.com
Sunday, December 5, 2010
What Does It Take To Be A Winner?
HEART. PRIDE. DESIRE.
3 simple words, one combined answer. These are the keys to successful athletes, and people in general, who want to be winners. If you don't have these three characteristics, then you can just be like Paulie and "forget about it" because winning is not your priority.
Your heart is a physical and virtual representation of your mind and body. You have to have an actual, palpating heart in order to live and you have to have the will to never give up in order to succeed.
Therefore, take pride in everything you do. Be proud of who you have become and who you are destined to be. Whether you made a lousy bounce pass to your teammate or failed a physics test, it is okay! Take pride in failure because it will be the key to your upcoming success. Wear the name of your school, while holding your chest up high. For me, the words "Hamden Hall" are flaunted as i go shopping or go out to eat. I take pride in my school and who they have made me to be.
Desire can be described as having the "eye of the tiger". You want to win so bad that you dive on the floor for every loose ball. don't back down, never refuse to be less. If it is harder for you to do, most likely it is the best thing for you to do. And if you give up, who is going to give you a pat on the back and say "good job"? no one! No one will admire the girl who quit because the team had to run 3 miles every practice or the boy who walked off the court after being yelled at by his coach. Do whatever it takes to win, whether it is drinking pickle juice before every game or doing 10 extra push-ups before you go to sleep. Just think, who is going to tell you to run at 5 am on the weekends to get in better shape? You have to tell yourself. That takes heart. That takes pride. That takes desire. Don't stop believing....only you can control your destiny. Not only are you helping yourself, but you are helping your team. That should be your motivation; if you have won, your team has won.
You don't have to necessarily win actual games to be a "winner". If you have surpassed goals you set up for yourself, you are a winner. If you have fell down and got back up, you are a winner.
The responsibility is on you! So if you want to be a winner, do justice for yourself and follow these guidelines. Wake up every morning and say "I refuse to be less, I refuse to quit, I refuse to back down...because I am a winner!"
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