Hey,
Hola, Salut, Aloha, Ciao, Olá, Hallo!!!
Coaches
lead, teach, and inspire. Their position amongst a team is essential for
success, as they are like a compass pointing the way to a desired goal. Frequently
in athletics, players don’t care how much coaches know until they know how much
they care. Coach Belle understands this concept well, and will lead the
Dartmouth Women’s Basketball with her passion, preparation, and positive
energy. We are thrilled to welcome our new bright spark, Coach Belle, to the
Big Green family.
In
our initial meeting with Coach Belle during the interview process, I was
immediately impressed by her respect for Coach Wielgus, our previous coaching
staff, and Dartmouth women's basketball's tradition of excellence in the Ivy League. Coach Belle’s kindness
was projected through her appreciation for Coach Wielgus and all she has done for
collegiate women’s basketball. As the meeting with Coach Belle proceeded, we
developed a sense of her core values (which she expressed were respect,
attitude, and preparation), observed how her kindness and positive energy would
motivate our team, and acquired an idea about the basketball style (up-tempo,
high intensity) she hopes to implement within our team. Daisy’s (Jordan) first
impression of Coach Belle was that she has “high energy,” while Sofia (Roman)
said that “she is very positive and friendly—it’s comfortable to have a
conversation with her.” Kasey (Crockett) asserted that she seems to “definitely
have a plan.”
Coach
Belle, since the announcement of her hiring, has been able to spend a week on
campus. Changes have already been made within our strength program-- they are
“much faster” (Lauren Taiclet) and “very efficient” (Kamala Thompson). In our first
small groups workout with Coach Belle, we were able to pick up the intensity.
“Our first skills workout with her was high paced with high energy,” claimed
Milica (Toskovic). Jordyn (Turner) added that the session was “also fun.”
The
team is thrilled about the potential for next season. “There’s going to be a
definite positive change, and I’m excited about it,” said Tia (Dawson). Incoming
seniors Eve (Zelinger) and Nicola (Zimmer), despite being off campus this term
in Washington D.C., also have positive things to say about our new coach.
“Although I haven’t yet met Coach Belle [in person], I am excited by her energy
and passion--I am really excited for a great last season,” commented Eve. Nicola
shared, “she has a contagious energy and I’m super excited to be coached by a
former point guard.”
As
we continue with the remainder of our “pre-pre-season” (a term Coach Belle used
to describe our current workouts), we are looking forward to what is to come
for our Dartmouth women’s basketball family. We have "growth opportunities"
(another term Coach Belle uses in replacement of “weaknesses”—she doesn’t like
negative words) that we are working to improve. With higher intensity, an
increased accountability toward positive attitudes and respect, a new vision of
preparation, and a giant spark of energy from Coach Belle, we have begun our
journey back to a tradition of success. Ivy League Championship No. 18… we
are coming for you!
Tah Tah For Now,
Kaitana
Martinez #21 (Hailey, Idaho)
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