Good Read about a Good Kid

Good Morning!

It's Sunday here in Hanover but that's usually not a day of rest for most of us! The team will have practice and a film session to prep for UNH. I'll be working on game notes, game programs and all that good behind the scenes stuff! :)

Thought I'd share a link to a nice story about senior Cassie Cooper in her hometown paper.

A snippet on her role:
Cooper said her role on the team is based on doing all the little things. "It's all heart and desire," she said. "I'm not the go-to scorer or ballhandler."

And her thoughts on her Coach Wielgus:
"I love her," Cooper said of her coach. "She's made the Dartmouth experience amazing. She is a master at her craft."

Sometimes people laugh when I refer to the players as kids — since I've only got about 6-7 years on the seniors! Thinking about the seniors, I met them when they were just freshmen and they were so young to me. With the amount of growth they go through by the time they are seniors, they really aren't kids anymore — especially this group, but sometimes all I can think of is that group of four youngsters that arrived my second year at Dartmouth.

Cassie Cooper has always been someone I described as a "good kid." She works hard, she's unselfish, has a good sense of humor and she relates well to and cares about others. And she isn't a kid anymore, In four years she's matured, found herself and become a great leader.

Obviously you never want to see anyone get hurt, but last season, watching "Coop" cut down after two games was really heartbreaking. She had come back in great shape and determined after being our "sixth man" on the Ivy Championship team in 2008-09. There's no doubt her play would have dramatically changed our season on the court last year, but she still made sure her presence impacted the team. Whether it was crutching around Los Angeles when we played at USC just weeks after her surgery, helping the coaches see things from her perspective on the bench or just being a supportive teammate, Cassie was absolutely involved. So it was no surprise this weekend to watch her help a freshman teammate on crutches navigate Midway Airport and the Northwestern campus. She'd been there.

Knowing how tough it was for her to watch her team struggle while unable to play last season, it was really special to see her back on the court on Friday at Northwestern. I know she is fiercely determined and I'm looking forward to seeing what Coop will do the rest of this season.

Hope everyone has a great, restful Sunday!

- Dara