Hi All,
Well, I must admit, we are 29 hours from tip-off against Harvard and I'm pumped! As coach said, there is truly nothing like the Ivy League and I'm excited for my fourth Ivy season with this team to start. Game preview, notes and all the important links are here.
There's a buzz around campus about the game — after all it's Pack the House night! We gave a big crowd a great show in last year's season finale against the Crimson and I think our fans are ready to come back for more.
I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of turnout we get and how our players rise to the challenge. We've certainly had some tough games in the non-conference, but I believe the experiences were slowly building to make our 13 players into stronger individuals and a stronger team. Facing such talented opponents forces you to dig deep and build an inner-fortitude that has definitely served many of our teams well in the past.
One of my graduate classes this term is about leadership in sport, and we were recently given a quote that said: "The most successful leaders will be the ones who assume the mindset that everything is temporary." I think this is an interesting concept that applies to us in that the success Dartmouth has had in recent years (and our long history) is something to be proud of and build from, but it's not a guarantee. Each group has to build its own story of success. And, conversely, the setbacks we've been through are fleeting as well, but they will have a lasting impact if you grow from them.
People often refer to us as a young team, and I agree with that to the point that we have several players stepping up for the first time and a lot of combinations on the court that have not played too much together. But we also have three seniors who have been through this Ivy gauntlet three times and each has a lot of inner strength that will lead us. They are ready to fight for this. Our four juniors who have won two titles in their first two years have a determination that is showing through more and more each game and practice.
This is a really exciting time to be a part of our Dartmouth women's basketball program. I have a lot of belief in our players and coaches and know that they have something to prove and will dig deep to do so.
Can't wait for Saturday and the next two crazy months! Go Big Green!
- Dara
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It's the start of what people are now beginning to call, "The 14-game tournament."
ReplyDeleteThis was a remarkable team effort, repleat with leadership. Way to go Green!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. Thanks for the support. I'll have some more thoughts on the game later this evening. Tremendous effort by our players to execute a spot-on scout by our coaches.
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