Preparation + Hard work = Success

Preparation and hard work are two things that you hear over and over again in the sports arena and you hear it because it’s true. You can’t be successful without preparation and you can’t become prepared without hard work.  It’s really a very simple equation and I think that the women’s basketball team has embraced this motto.

The grind that is college basketball at the Division I level at an Ivy League institution nonetheless, is based on these two principles and this summer I’ve seen a tremendous amount of preparation and hard work from the players and coaches this summer.

As most of you know, my office is in the main corridor of Alumni Gym and most times, I get to see the players both coming and going from practice or workouts. This summer I’m seeing them A LOT (Granted, I wasn’t here last summer, so I’m really not sure if it’s a lot or not but we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt:)

I’ve seen Eve Zelinger and Nicola Zimmer, sweating it out on multiple occasions and from what they tell me the newcomers and other players are going just as hard on their own.  That is both preparation and hard work at its finest.

The coaches are working equally as hard just in a different way. July is recruiting month for collegiate basketball coaches. They pack up and live out of a suitcase or suitcases as they crisscross the country looking for the next member of the Dartmouth women’s basketball team.

If you think about it, that’s a lot of hard work too! There are TONS and I mean TONS of youth women’s basketball players out on the summer circuit (Thank you Title IX, for making this possible) so it takes a lot of prep work to see who will fit in with our system, culture, etc.   Again, preparation and hard work at the highest level.

The hard work and preparation that I have seen from the players and staff this summer can only mean good things are to come in the fall and winter. I smell Ivy League title No. 18 in the very near future.

Jess Poole

The Comeback Kids

Koren Schram '09 and Erin Rewalt '99 TU'09 were awesome players.  For four years they made up the fabric of this program and left a great legacy for the athletes that came after them.  They garnered tons of accolades, a few Ivy titles and several trips to the NCAA's.  They were hardworking and lots of fun.  I was so sorry to see them graduate and I knew I would always cherish my time with them.

Then the unbelievable happened. These talented and gifted women came BACCCKKKK!!!  Can you believe it!!! And they came back so different.  They were all grown up and full of life experiences and knowledge. They were no longer wide-eyed players waiting for the next game to break out.  They were coaches ready and eager to take on the challenges of Division I basketball at an Ivy school.  And they are good at the craft of coaching and have mastered the art of keeping the silly paperwork flowing in the right direction (Away from me!).

It is so special to have them back in Hanover.  I love seeing them everyday and because I see them everyday I know things will never be dull.  They are genuine in their love the game of basketball and their love of Dartmouth.  They are wonderful teachers, caring people and truly professional.  They are great ambassadors of Dartmouth women's basketball.  

It is the highlight of my career to work with them. I am beyond blessed and so are our players

Until next time,

Chris

Graduation 2012

Dartmouth has tradition down to a science.  This fact is never more evident than during graduation.   Graduation is beautiful, thoughtful and efficient.  It is as much about fellowship and family as it is about degrees and graduation 2012 was no exception.

Sasha Dosenko was our lone senior and her Dartmouth family gathered to bid her “so long.” on Sunday.  As President Kim said, “At Dartmouth we never say good-bye.”   One of our traditions occurs at the beginning of graduation when the President, the Board of Trustees and faculty walk through two lines formed by the graduates.  It is symbolic of the graduates honoring the people that have taught and mentored them.   

I was watching the procession when I spotted Board of Trustee Gail Boudreaux ’82 break rank and hug Sasha Dosenko’12.    It was a very special moment for me and for the women’s basketball program.  I recruited and coached both these women.   I am very proud of them, but never more proud then when they hugged.  They were two centers from the same program, but generations apart.  One had successfully navigated the real world and one was just entering it.   Despite their differences, they were family and they knew it.

 That’s best of Dartmouth’s traditions!

Until next time,

Chris

Getting Ready for 2012-13

Hello Dartmouth women’s basketball fans! It’s been awhile since we posted something on this blog and I thought we would give you a little insight as to what’s going on in the program these days!

I’m a big fan of spring and summer and despite what the weather has been doing here in New Hampshire, spring and summer are on the way, I promise! Spring and summer symbolize rebirth and growth to me and I think that’s what’s happening with the Dartmouth women’s basketball team.

I have the pleasure of having an office that most of the players have to pass by on their way to the locker room or the gym and I have seen every single one of the players getting after it this spring. Between lifts, individuals and pick up, this group has showed me that they are serious about putting the 2011-12 season behind them and I’m very excited for the 2012-13 season.

Anyone who is associated with sports knows that losing is NEVER fun. I don’t care what people say about moral victories, growth, etc., etc., losing is something that competitors hate to do and this group from the support staff, to the coaches, to the players, HATE TO LOSE, so you can imagine that last season was tough for all of us that are associated with Dartmouth women’s basketball.

For those that don’t know, I’m from Michigan and I am proud to say that I am a Detroit Lions fan and have been one since birth, meaning that I’ve been with them through the, shall we say … lean years and trust me the lean years have been more than any fan should have to endure. Now that the Lions have started to turn things around, I have to say it is so much sweeter to cheer for them and see them do well because I know exactly how far they have come.

This is the same sentiment I feel with our basketball team. I joined this team that had one senior, one junior, a BUNCH of underclassmen including five freshman and I saw them struggle mightily at the start of the season, but as the season progressed so did they and despite being hit by the injury bug late in the season. I think the last month of the season, was some of the best basketball from this group. I saw some chemistry on the court that was lacking in the beginning, I saw smiles out there on the court and I saw a group of players and coaches having fun playing and coaching basketball. 

I know the players and staff are not interested in repeating the 2011-12 season and I see the players putting in the time and effort on their own to make sure that 2012-13 is the start of a new, better chapter in the story of Dartmouth women’s basketball and I can’t wait to be apart of it.

Make sure to check in with our blog throughout the summer. We’ll have some posts throughout the summer as we head toward the 2012-13 season!

Jess Poole

And Just Like That … The 2011-12 Season Is Over

Well here it is … March Madness and while I will say this is my favorite time of year, I also can’t believe that our season is over, I really feel like it just started yesterday.

With that being said, the season really is over. Rookies are no longer rookies (this means you guys: Kamala, Nicole, Abby, Tia, and Milica) and our senior Sasha Dosenko is moving on to the “real world.”

My first season as a member of the Dartmouth women’s basketball family was one that surprised me, in a good way. I’ve been doing this a few years and first seasons can be challenging and full of change, but this first season was different, I felt like I was automatically apart of the family and that made things so much easier. So I want to thank the players, who welcomed me with open arms, and coach Wielgus and her staff who made me feel at home from day one and who I wouldn’t trade for the world.  This group of coaches has become more than just colleagues, but friends and when you get to work with friends, what could be better??

I’m sure when I first met the players back in September, they were like “Who is this, chick?” but now that we’ve been through a season together I think we’ve got a much better understanding of each other. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed spending time with this group.  The laughter, jokes and good-natured ribbing that happen with this bunch provides constant laughter and makes me really happy to be where I am!

I’m going to miss the bus trips (although we can delay the Columbia-Cornell trip as long as possible, that is one of those trips that is just not recommended more than once a season).  I love giving Nicola Zimmer a hard time about having (or not having) the essentials, namely her shoes! I also love giving both Faziah and Nicola a hard time about their “travel buddies” Carl and Tamsun (sorry if I spelled this wrong, Ziggy!) aka Pillow Pets. We’ll be adding another to the mix next season – his name is DC and he’s a Moose!

Although the season that had some lows, we did end on a high note sending Sasha out with two wins at home and then playing Harvard tough as nails in the finale. I’ve seen this group grow and it was fun seeing it all come together over the course of the last month of the season and I know big things are in store for next season. Honestly, I can’t wait for next season to start! Only 195 days until the first practice for the 2012-13 season!

Jess Poole

Front Row Seat

“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.”

-Winston Churchill

This season has been anything but storybook for the Dartmouth women’s basketball team. We’ve endured a 13-game losing streak, injuries and just quite a few “growing pains,” but though all of this the idea of effort hasn’t been lost.

Effort is something that one can give no matter what the circumstances and this past weekend against Yale and Brown, I saw so much effort out of our team. In both games we only dressed seven players for those of you reading this … yes, we only dressed seven players, meaning our bench went two players deep but despite that I saw some of the best effort of the season and I really think the effort made all the difference against Brown.

In the first game against Yale, the team had a transformation in the locker room at halftime. They came out with an intensity that I hadn’t seen this season. The best example of this was sophomore forward Arianne Hunter, who despite struggling with sore knees, threw her body around chasing after loose balls, so much so that she went flying into the bench, but she was out there giving 110 percent. Classmate Eve Zelinger was also a perfect example of this. Zelinger, who was battling strep throat all week, pulled it together and got out on the court and gave it her all. She took a shot in the nose, not just a shot, a HARD shot but she didn’t stop, she kept going (after being checked out by the athletic trainer, of course!)  That effort from Hunter and Zelinger was infectious and in the second half, the Big Green just got after it and even though the game was decided they didn’t give up, which was good to see.

The win at Brown, who had just defeated Harvard the night before, was so fun to watch. The effort from the Big Green was there from start to finish. There were bodies flying around, folks going after rebounds and most of all I saw smiles and body language that told me; not only were they working hard, but they were having fun. In a season like ours that has been filled with ups and downs it was really neat to look on the faces of the players and coaches and see fun.  It’s those moments that really make me feel blessed to be apart of this team.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this group and I’m glad I’ve got a front row seat for the growth.

Until next time,

Jess Poole

SUPER FAN

Our fans are the envy of the Ivy League!!  They are loyal, positive and fun.  We are beyond grateful for their support, but there is one fan has led the charge for us for years. 

Jamie Lowery is our super fan and luck y charm.  By day, Jamie works on the recruiting databases for the athletic department and by night he is at our games cheering us on.  He has been there when we cut down the net and has stuck with us through this season of growth.  This year his messages of encouragement to the coaches and players have been greatly appreciated.

Jamie is not only hard working employee and super fan, he also an athlete himself! Recently, Jamie won the silver medal in bowling at the Special Olympics!!!  We are so proud of Jamie and his accomplishments.  He is an inspiration to all of us and we are delighted that he is part of our Dartmouth family!!!  We rely on his lucky charms but I know this weekend all his positive energy will be going toward getting the Patriots a Super Bowl Championship!!  We just hope he is not too busy on Friday and Saturday night. We will need his good wishes as we travel to Columbia and Cornell for some important Ivy League games. 

Until next time,

Chris