It’s Beginning to look a lot Like … Basketball Season!

Well folks, we are officially just NINE days away from the start of the 2011-12 Big Green women’s basketball season. I can’t believe that in just nine short days we’ll FINALLY get on the court against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., aka “The Little Apple” Let’s just say I am one happy SID!

It seems like I just met this group of players and coaches yesterday (well it was, just only about two months ago) but they have grown on me. From the coaches to the players this group gets after it and its great to be around them.  We haven’t really spent too much time together but the first road trip is always the best road trip in my experience.

One can learn quite a bite about a team from that initial roadtrip. For instance, movie selections, choice of card games and seat preference are all good indicators of the group you’re working with.  I’ve heard from an inside source (Nicola Zimmer) that road trips with the Big Green are lots of fun and I’m very excited to experience my first one.

Now when it comes to team travel, I’m a BIG fan of games on the bus. A few of my favorites are Catchphrase and Euchre (I’m very NOT good at this one, but I do enjoy trying to play) but one thing that I LOVE about road trips are the spontaneous dance offs and karaoke.  So I’m just warning you all out there, I do a mean rendition of “I Will Survive” and I learned how to “Dougie” last year, so watch out!

I have to say that there are quite a few things that I love about my job but team travel is right up at the top of the list and I feel like I can count on this group to make each and every road trip pretty exciting.

Getting back to the business of basketball, playing Kansas State has a bit of special significance for me. I spent my college days at the University of Missouri (M-I-Z-Z-O-U) also of the Big 12 and I distinctly remember Kansas State having awesome women’s basketball teams, so it should be a fun game. Plus, it gets me back to my Big 12 roots!

As we embark on the 2011-12 season, I invite you all to follow the blog and stay updated on all things Dartmouth women’s basketball related by following us on Twitter (@Dartmouth_WBB) and “liking” us on Facebook (Dartmouth Women’s Basketball). As always leave us any questions or comments and we’ll do our best to get them answered.

Until next time,

Jess Poole

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Hello Dartmouth women’s basketball fans! First things first, let me introduce myself. My name is Jessica Poole and I’m the new women’s basketball SID here at Dartmouth. I have the pleasure of working with the AWESOME Dartmouth women’s basketball team and staff and let me say, so far, it has been a BLAST.

Let me share a little background about myself, I’m about 713.68 miles away from my hometown of Ann Arbor, Mich., and the Dartmouth women’s basketball team is the fourth women’s basketball team that I’ve had the pleasure of working with in my career. I’ve also worked with the University of Denver, UNC Greensboro and most recently the University of Michigan women’s team.

Needless to say, I am somewhat of a basketball junkie so I think that this group and I are going to get along just fine. Speaking of being a basketball junkie, I have had my eyes glued to the WNBA playoff this season (and not just because coach Griffith presented the trophy at the Western Conference Finals, but that was pretty sweet!) The level of talent in this year’s Finals is just crazy and makes me very excited about the upcoming college season. (36 days until the season-opener at Kansas State:)

I haven’t been at Dartmouth or in Hanover very long, 39 days to be exact, but I do know that the folks at Dartmouth and in Hanover take their women’s basketball very seriously; and honestly who could blame them, 17 Ivy League Championships is quite impressive! I’m very excited to get the season underway and I’m very grateful to Dartmouth and the women’s basketball team for welcoming me with open arms.

I’ll be checking in with you all from time-to-time with the SID’s point of view and we’ll even have some of the Big Green players make guest appearances on the blog this season!

Make sure to keep up with the women’s basketball team by “Liking” our Facebook Page (Dartmouth Women’s Basketball) and following us on Twitter (@Dartmouth_WBB).

Until next time,

Jess Poole

Dreams Can Come True

Dreams Can Come True

Dreams come true at Dartmouth when the vision of the administration and the passion of the alumni join forces. What was once wishful thinking about enhancing the future of the basketball program has been transformed into REALITY.

The locker room has been expanded and (thank goodness) ventilated!! The walls of the team room, reception area and offices are up and painted and the arena itself got a facelift this summer with new lighting, new paint and a new sound system. Leede Arena looks and sounds great and the players and staff will be moving into our new digs in a matter of weeks.

The renovations are awesome and exciting enough, but the icing on my cake is the people that surround me each and everyday. They are a blessing. I have a great staff!!!  Director of Basketball Operations Koren Schram ’09, Assistant Coach Erin Rewalt ’99 TU’04 and basketball legend Yolanda Griffith (WNBA All-Star and Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist) bring passion, enthusiasm, knowledge and energy to work everyday.

Then there are the players. There are a lot of new faces and it will take time to get to know them, but I can’t wait to get into the gym with them.  They love the game and it shows!  So we have a lot in common :)

Finally, there are the alums.  Their passion for Dartmouth is legendary.  They have always been there for me, for the program and for Dartmouth.  They paved the way as undergrads and sustain the program from their perches in the “real world” 

I think its safe to say, I am perhaps the luckiest person in the world because I live my dream each and every day!

Until next time,

Chris

Derby

The Derby

And we are off.  It’s July and basketball’s annual summer recruiting derby has begun.   Out of the gates I am in the southeast (Atlanta and Orlando) and my staff is on the west coast.  We are neck in neck with other division I schools as scour the country for that very special student athlete.

 The track conditions have changed over the years.  Cell phones, computers, iPods, iPads,  GPS and small Star Track type of devices stuck in your ear are now standard derby equipment.  Coaches madly tap messages into their electronically enhanced hand about the latest happening on the “stud du jour.”

Yesterday, I was sitting next to one of division I’s more famous (and needy) coaches.  She could not figure out who was on what court and there was no assistant in sight, so she kept asking me.  I had a small hand made game chart  (on paper) that I had done the night before.  Since I was trying to watch 3 games at once, I had each playing team marked in my book with a colored paper clip.  That way I can just flip to the proper roster via the proper colored paper clip thus avoiding the hassle of going page by page through the enormous and alphabetically challenged roster book. 

After a few game had passed and many questions answered, the famous coach asked me what I was using to keep track of all the games.  I told her I used a pencil and some paperclips.  She thought I was clever and I laughed and said not clever…just not electronically savvy.    She did not know that I had been running in this derby for over 25 years and knew many different track conditions.  Despite all the changes on the track the new ways are not always the better ways.  I gave her some colored paper clips and a pencil.  Then asked her to not tell any other Ivy about my cleverness.

Chris 

Greener Pastures

Dartmouth assistant Leah Foster has been named an Assistant Coach at University of Houston.  U of  H is a top 25 program in TEXAS, a state she loves.  This is a good professional move for Leah and one that puts her closer to her family.

Leah's departure marks the fifth assistant in 6 years to leave the Big Green for even greener pastures.  I am proud that my assistants are able to further their careers.  I will miss Leah, but I am grateful for all she did for us.

A Blogger's Farewell

All,

It is a bittersweet moment as I type up this post, my final entry into the Going Green Dartmouth Women's Hoops Blog. After five years as the assistant sports information director and women's basketball contact  at Dartmouth, I will be leaving the Big Green to pursue other professional options.

For the past two years I have been the behind the scenes eyes and ears, often updating you on the intricacies, ups and downs of the team and its seasons. Overall I've spent five years as the SID, reporter, blogger, and number one fan of Dartmouth women's basketball. Though this past season, my last, was the toughest one we've endured together on the court, I think everyone involved learned a lot about loyalty and finishing what we started together, despite the great adversity. And of course in my five years there have been many, many more great moments - winning two Ivy Championships, two WNIT's and of course the NCAA Tournament in 2009. And so many more moments when it has been just the team, on the road, laughing and enjoying the shared experience together. Those are some of the best memories for me.

First I will thank you readers and fans for engaging us in this blog but also for your unyielding support of the program. Knowing you are reading and watching here and on DartmouthSports.com has given my job an extra purpose and meaning. And your support means the world to the program.

I am incredibly grateful to Coach Wielgus and her assistants throughout the years for giving me the opportunity to be an integral part of their staff. They always made me feel like I had a job and insight that truly mattered to the team's success and that was very special to me. Chris has a way of making people feel welcome and once she knows she can trust you and that you are in it to see the team succeed, you become part of her family. I was fortunate to build that relationship quickly and have enjoyed experiencing it flourish and evolve.

Lastly, and perhaps most of all, I am grateful to the student-athletes — 26 women — that I have worked with at Dartmouth, who have allowed me to be a part of their college basketball experience. You are an incredibly diverse group and I learned more from each of you than you could ever imagine. Again, thank you for sharing the better part of your college years with me. Be it one, two, three or four years together at Dartmouth, I have enjoyed maintaining friendships with you beyond Hanover and for those who are still wearing the Green and White, I look forward to cheering you on from afar. And actually being able to cheer without being unprofessional! :)

So again, thank you to everyone who makes Dartmouth women's basketball so special and Go Big Green. I will miss you all!

- Dara

Dara Ely
Assistant SID, 2006-2011

Professional Development

A bright light shone through my office window. Upon further investigation I saw blue sky and yes the sun was shining!! GONE were the clouds and the downpours. Mother Nature was cutting us a break. It was going to be a nice day.

I immediately convened a staff meeting and told everyone to quickly prepare for a professional develop seminar at the Ledges. The Ledges is simply a beautiful natural wonder formed by True Brook cutting into the rocks. This favorite swimming hole is about 10 minutes from campus.

The seminar was an interactive event involving an investigative study on the art of skipping rocks into rapids, the challenge of balancing and wading through the stream to get to a sunny rock and the drama that ensued when my sandal raced toward the waterfall by itself.

It was an informative seminar with all participants understanding how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place!

- Coach Wielgus