On Shuttle Tests and Secret Weapons

The “big news” in our b-ball haven is that all but one of our players passed the conditioning test! Testing is something our players understand. There is no place to hide on a conditioning test — cramming results in nagging and annoying injuries. What you see in the test results reflects their effort during the summer. Championships are not won in a noisy Leede Arena in February, but rather in the quiet, solitary workouts in the summer.

Because of the late start of school (we've been in classes less than a week) our conditioning program requires that the players come back to campus in shape. With the skilled guidance of our strength coach Bob Miller, they got the job done. Coach Miller is hands down a great coach. He is one of the best in this department. He knows his material, keeps current and can flat out teach. How lucky are we to have him? He is our secret weapon.

So this week's bottom line, our first step on this long journey — conditioning was a good one.

- Coach Wielgus

Being the Big Green, Becoming a Team

- Coach Wielgus

Our campus is a buzz! Sure we have a new, dynamic President and classes have begun. But the most excitement is coming from our team room where our journey began today with our first team meeting of the 2009-10 season.

I believe that basketball players, especially our players, are stimuli seeking extroverts; so any meeting is lively and always involves a great game of verbal ping pong. The kids are not disrespectful, but they are witty. Their banter is fine with me as it shows they are paying attention. Plus, they know I relish a good volley.

Our conversation started with expectations and goals for the season. Then we moved to housekeeping information on how and what was going to happen with classes, practices, travel, etc. The nuts and bolts of everyday life in Leede Arena were reviewed. 

Then we got to the essence of their journey. The one defining question only they can answer. Will they become a team? Actually, lots of groups I have coached have been very successful, but I would not categorize them as a good team.

Just because you put on a uniform, go to practice and play a team sport does not make you a team. I don't know if the average person knows how very difficult it is to become a team. It is NOT a given … it is a huge challenge. It requires so much effort and sacrifice to care about something greater than yourself. Becoming a good team goes against the very special individual care that got our players to Dartmouth in the first place. Teams are messy conglomerates of humanity that, against all odds, band together for each other and a cause. That's not easy and time will tell if this group becomes that something special — a team.

After all these years of coaching in the same place, in the same league you would think this gig would get old. It never does. I am more excited about it than ever!

Until next time …

Big Green Ballers in the Wilderness

- Dara

One of Dartmouth's many unique traditions are the Dartmouth Outing Clubs freshman trips. Members of the freshmen class report to Hanover in early September to take part in any number of three-day outdoor adventures from hiking to cabin camping to rock climbing. The women's basketball freshmen were no exception and each of the four took part in a different DOC trip: Kelsey Byrd (Saratoga, Calif.), camping; Kylie Kufeld (Billings, Mont.), rock climbing; Zakia Lghzaoui (Alexandria, Va.), canoeing; Faziah Steen (Kalamazoo, Mich.), hiking.

Upon their return, Coach Wielgus concocted a little friendly competition for the rookies to chronicle their DOC trips with the winner getting her story published here. Each provided a great report on her weekend but in the end there had to be a winner and I think you'll see why Kylie Kufeld rose to the top!

Kylie Kufeld ’13 (Credit: Jen Goodwin)

DOC Rock Climbing, Kylie Kufeld ’13
“Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!”

We started at the school
And learned so many names.
Then after we ate
We played lots of games.

We awoke the next morning
To the sounds of Lion King
And remembered the night before
Watching the “Croo” members sing.

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.”

Hiking boots, that is
And nice woolen socks.
We were ready to hike.
We were ready for rocks!

With our packs on our backs
And our faces aglow,
We were ready to hit the trail
Whether rain or (hopefully not yet!) snow.

“You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.”

We climbed up and up
And saw a spectacular view.
We could tell it's almost fall
From all the leaves changing hue.

And oh my goodness!
All the rock climbing!
Whenever you reached the top,
Your friends would praise you by rhyming.

“I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a Slump.”

There is just that one cliff
That you really want to climb,
But your strength starts to leave you.
It's much harder this time.

You feel terrible when you fail.
That feeling everyone hates.
But there is no need to worry,
Good friends and free food still awaits.

“Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.”

A “lodj” near Moosilauke
Is where we go on the bus,
And on that last night,
We learn how much Dartmouth cares about us.

There are dances to learn
And Frisbees to retrieve,
But after all the fun and games,
It is finally time to leave.

“Oh! The Places You'll Go!”

From Montana to New Hampshire,
From trails to streams,
This Dartmouth is the kind of place
I used to see in my dreams.

“Oh! The Places You'll Go!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!”

(Quotes from Oh! The Places You'll Go! By Dr. Seuss)

What to Expect From Going Green

Thanks to everyone who has read, bookmarked and commented on our fledgling Dartmouth Women's Hoops Blog! Please keep reading and passing it along to friends. We are all excited to share the 2009-10 season (and preseason) with you.

Our vision for "Going Green" is to provide a forum where the Dartmouth women's basketball team can share a different side of itself with its followers. We'll go beyond the formality of press releases and game stories. In addition to postings from Coach Wielgus, you'll likely be hearing a lot from me, Dara Ely. I'm entering my fourth year as an assistant director in our athletic communications (sports information) office here at Dartmouth. I have the truly good fortune of working with women's basketball including traveling with the team. I'll be logging on throughout the season to offer my thoughts and perspective on the team and to share our news. The women's basketball team is such a diverse, talented, intelligent and dedicated group of student-athletes and coaches and I consider myself lucky to work with them.

Speaking of those student-athletes — you can expect to hear from them as well on the blog! We have nine letterwinners returning from the 2008-09 Ivy Championship team and welcome four freshmen to the Big Green. Those 13 women hail from 10 different states and two countries, bringing so many different views and experiences to the team. That's what makes Dartmouth women's basketball unique - players from diverse backgrounds coming together with a common goal. Our travels this season will take us all over the Northeast as well as Ohio and California, home states of three players. The Ivy League basketball experience is exhilarating and unparalleled and our student-athletes will blog throughout the season to provide their thoughts.

As always we welcome comments and questions submitted through the blog or via email to dartmouthwhoops@dartmouth.edu

Go Big Green!
-Dara Ely, SID

Welcome to Going Green

- Chris Wielgus, Head Coach

Dartmouth College is one of the world's most endearing institutions — an elite academic school and a proud member of the Ivy League. Okay, all that is true, just check out the website at Dartmouth.edu. For 240+ years this College has done an outstanding job educating some of the brightest students in the world. There is a lot of history and excellence in this beautiful place.

But there is a very big story looming right below the surface of all that is Dartmouth. It is the story of the Women's Basketball program. The purpose of this blog is to bust through that surface and let our remarkable story float about the internet for all b-ball junkies and Dartmouth fans to enjoy.

Our story cannot be told in one sitting or by one person. The remarkable success of our program — 17 Ivy League Championships in 33 years — is the by-product of generations of dedicated players, coaches and staff members determined to leave our program and this college better than they found it. Along the way they learned the value of teamwork, fair play and the meaning of hard work. Our tradition of excellence in Ivy League women's basketball is unparalleled. We have won. We have banners, rings and trophies. We have played on the national level and we have graduated from a great school. In many regards, we have had it all.

The key to our success and the big reason why I love this program is that all these accomplishments have been done with a sense of fun. We compete, have fun and we enjoy each others' company. Sure we go to class, have lots of friends, graduate on time and move onto very productive lives in the real world — but this journey is very special and something to be treasured for a lifetime.

As for me, Coach Wielgus, I have been custodian of this program for a very long time. My career has spanned four decades: the 70's, 80's, 90's and now 2000's. No need to check out my picture on the website - after a certain point we all avoid cameras. But trust me when I say it's been a while.

After all these years the bottom line for me is that I love going to work everyday and I love coaching our players. This will not get me on ESPN, but I don't think life can get much better than this. I am very blessed to be the Dartmouth Women's Basketball Coach.

Stay tuned as we chronicle our journey through the 2009-2010 season.