Need Some Warm Weather

We are in exam week. It is very cold here and on Monday we had snow. The forecast calls for more snow and colder temps, but we are hoping we can miss all of that when we head to Daytona Beach on Saturday for the Daytona Beach Shootout. We will be in Florida from Dec. 18-22. The team will be very excited to be back out on the court and done with their finals. It will be a great time for team development and team camaraderie. We will have two very tough games as well, but they will test our fortitude early this season. Finally we hope to have some fun before the semester break.

Thanksgiving has Passed

It is hard to believe we have just celebrated the Thanksgiving break. We were fortunate that our players had the opportunity to go home and be with their families. Thanksgiving is the best time to remind us that we are truly blessed and it is important to give thanks for what we have. Now we are back at school for the remaining two weeks of classes before exams. This will be a busy time for the players in keeping up with the amount of work that is expected of them for their classes as well as staying fresh as a basketball player. We have a couple of road games during that span and they are tough conference games, too. So we continue to plug away and grow together each day. For that we are truly thankful at all times.

You Want to See Awesome?

This past Thursday and Friday, we had our Wall of Honor installed in the entrance to our locker room. This is a wall honoring the many accomplishments of the very fine players that have come through the Yellow Jacket program. With a generous donation, we were able to get the system honoring our accomplishments in full view of the team, their families, former players and their families and future players and their families. It turned out much better than we could imagine. It is definitely a centerpiece and something we are all proud of as it is the history of Randolph-Macon Women's Basketball. We hope you have a chance to come see it.

Scrimmages Done

Now that we have our two scrimmages completed, we are on our way to the start of our season. It is almost here. We are going to open up with a single game at Marymount on Tuesday and then come back to Ashland for the weekend to host our R-MC Tip-Off Classic sponsored by Riesbeck Contracting. The field this year, Roanoke, Mary Washington, and Ferrum, is awesome with all the teams being pre-season ranked or receiving votes, but us. There will be some great basketball in Crenshaw that weekend of Nov. 19/20. Come on out and support the Yellow Jackets and get them tipped in the right direction for the new season. See you soon. And remember to Think Yellow Jackets!

Getting Closer

Same `ole, same `ole. You often hear that and everyone knows what it means. These last two weeks have been just like that. But I love it! Get up-go to class--get work done-practice at the oddest hours of the day--go to bed late; then do it all over the next day almost the same way. Sounds boring, but believe me my life is not boring. I am so busy that I do not have time to be bored. I love seeing the team every day--they are not boring! Our scrimmage was a great test for our team. We coaches had the chance to see some combinations that we were not sure would work against an opponent. We also had the chance to see what we have to do when the shots are not falling. I was glad it was a scrimmage and those stats aren't seen by anyone. Thursday was the ODAC media day. I'd like to thank the coaches for picking us at #3. We were pleased with that spot considering all the strong teams in our Conference. It should be fun this season. There are a lot of very good players returning from each team, so it will be a tough schedule this season. We have one more test before we open on Nov. 16. More to come later.

Finally writing again...

It has been awhile since I lasted posted some news. No excuses except the start of the season, a quick flight to Maine for my induction in to the Midcoast Sports Hall of Fame, and then Homecoming. We are off to a good start for the 2010-11 season. The players are working very hard and the team is coming together. Our new players are learning quickly the difference between high school and college ball. We will have our first scrimmage on the 31st. Homecoming was this past weekend and it was fabulous to see former players back for their 5th, 10th, 15th, and 25th reunions. Seeing other teams' former athletes back to celebrate the day was just as special. As a matter of fact a former players' dad told me I needed to keep this spot up to date so I promise I will do better. What lovely weather we had to stand around and reminisce about various times through out the different seasons. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with some of my players about their experiences and listening to the older (before 1981) players share their moments. All in all just a super day.

Another Great RMC Open

Our annual Golf Open was a huge success this past Saturday. We had the best event we have had to date. We had more golfers, more sponsors, more friends who joined us for lunch, and more good weather. Our day started with lunch, a silent auction, give-aways, and an introduction of our 2010-11 team as well as comments from me. Katie Williams also spoke on behalf of the team and talked a little about the team's pre-season activities. Then it was tee-off at 1:00. Congrats to Carson and his teammates from UVA for shooting 12 under. They brought some livelihood to the course. Our RMC Open has become as special as our Back to the Hive. We hope you will plan on joining us next season.

ReeseStrong 5k

We are very proud of the team members, Molly Brown and her parents, Taylor Wieczorek, Jill Asay and former baseball player, Adam Carpenter, Jordan Cantrell, Madison Dulaney, Lindsey Sharman, Paige Mills and Christina Phelps who participated in the ReeseStrong 5k this past Saturday. Our new players had the opportunity to meet Reese and her family and there was an immediate bond between them all. Reese certainly has that ability to draw people into her circle with ease.

Congratulations to Jordan for finishing first in her age group and Jill who finished 2nd in her age group. Some of the group posed for pictures with Reese after the event.

They're Back!

The summer has passed and the 2010-11 school year is 2-days old. We welcomed our new Assistant Coach, CK Calhoun, this week as well as our three new players. Already, things are moving quickly and taking shape for our upcoming season. We are trying to generate more interest in our RMC Open golf fund-raiser on Oct. 2, so sign up and come enjoy the day with the team. Also, heard from Molly Ariail--she is safe and sound in Germany and has her first game on Sept. 22. We are working on keeping a connection with her and her pro season over there. I believe she will have her own blog as well. I will keep you updated.

Last week was a sad and celebratory one at the same time. Coach Richter and I did a lot of fun things together to make sure everything for the program was in order before she left. It was hard to believe she had been with the program for four years. We are sad to see her leave, but very excited about her future as a Head Coach. One of the things we did was teaching me how to be a blogger. I am not sure I can top her abilities, but for the time being I am going all out to get into the scene. Fortunately, the blogs are shorter than the newsletters so it will be quicker to get information posted from me--of course Coach Richter already had to remind me to get something up since it had been a few weeks with nothing. So here's to the first blog and hopefully to many more. Thanks Coach Richter!

Why R-MC?

Camp Week

We wrapped up a successful week of our Skill Development Day Camp this afternoon. Our campers worked hard all week, improving their ball handling, shooting, and passing while learning some team concepts and having a blast. To learn more about the basketball camps we offer, check out www.justsportscamps.com/RMC


Coach LaHaye imparts some wisdom to our campers


Buzz the Yellow Jacket makes a surprise appearance!

Graduation Snapshots

On May 29th, R-MC's class of 2010 walked across their names on the Janet Harvey Trivette Alumni Walkway for the first time. Each graduate had their name newly added to the walkway which will in time have the name of every graduate since the early 1900s. Below are a few snapshots from the ceremony. A great article is online detailing Commencement 2010. It also includes some great pictures. (way better than mine :) ) Check it out: http://www.rmc.edu/current-students/commencement.aspx
Congratulations to our newest Women's Basketball alums: Renee Stein & Molly Ariail!


Molly Ariail walks across the stage to receive her diploma from President Lindgren.


Renee Stein on her way across the stage.




Molly & Renee's bricks in the Alumni Walkway


The fountain shoots up at the end of the commencement ceremony.

Quote of the Day

I was just going through a folder of articles and ideas and came across a great Vince Lombardi quote:

Success is not a sometimes thing. In other words, you don't do what is right once in a while, but all the time. Success is a habit. Winning is a habit.

Champions Dinner

The R-MC Yellow Jacket Club (YJC) hosted the Champions Dinner this past Saturday evening. All award winners and championship teams were honored. In addition, all senior athletes were recognized. The Class of 2010 is one of the most successful classes in the history of R-MC athletics. Our two seniors, Renee Stein and Molly Ariail, certainly were big contributors to our team and the entire department.

Toward the end of the evening, Molly Ariail was presented The Susan Locke de Nagy Award. The de Nagy Award is presented to a senior female student-athlete in recognition for her outstanding athletic accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership, and sportsmanship. Molly is certainly a very deserving recipient. It was a great night celebrating our R-MC student-athletes and their many accomplishments.


Renee Stein and Molly Ariail

Research Day

This past Friday was Research Day on R-MC's campus. Many students presented their research with a variety of presentations. Several women's basketball players completed some interesting research this year. Madison Dulaney '13, displayed her research from her FYEC class, The Minding Class. Her First Year Experience class completed work related to Overcoming Disabilities. Jordan Cantrell '13 also had research displayed from her First Year Experience Class, Measuring Athletic Performance: Biological and Statistical Views. Jordan and her research partner focused on Michael Phelps. And finally, Renee Stein, '10 was very busy with two research projects on diplay. Her first, "Money and Politics," was the culmination of her political science research methods course. And her political science senior capstone project was entitled: " Judicial Appointment and the Administration of Justice in the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, and Chile." All of the research projects were very well done; I enjoyed learning some new information as I walked around the library to check out each project.

The afternoon was capped off with our Honors Convocation. During the program, Stephanie Grune '11 was presented with a German Department award for her academic excellence. Congratulations Stephanie!

End of Year Cookout

Last night our team got together at Coach LaHaye's house for an end of the year cookout. It was perfect weather, a great evening to jump in the pool. During the year we split our team into three groups, each was responsible for cooking a team meal throughout the year. The final group got it's turn last night and did not disappoint. We feasted on burgers and hot dogs, cooked up on the grill by Renee Stein '10. Renee made some great burgers marinated in A1 sauce and her own secret combination of herbs and spices. They were delicious. Molly Brown '12, Katie Williams '11, and Jordan Cantrell '13 prepared the side dishes, some mac and cheese as well as a green bean casserole.

We had a wonderful time together, with good food and lots of laughs.

Big Smiles

If someone would have asked me last week, what would put a huge smile on the face of your players at 7:30am on a dreary, rainy, Saturday morning, I don’t think I would have had a good answer. But after our team’s participation in the ASK 5K this past weekend, I know that the answer is Reese! We adopted Reese through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation which matches children with pediatric brain tumors with sports teams. Reese’s family has started a foundation of their own, ReeseStrong, which has already made a big difference in the local community. This all brings us to the ASK 5K. ASK is a local Richmond charity with the mission to Make Life Better for Kids with Cancer. ReeseStrong put together a huge team to participate in the 5K, and our team was excited to be a part of it. There were lots of smiles when our players saw Reese, who eagerly gave them all a hug. It was an inspiring morning, with many ASK Kids participating in the run/walk with their families and groups of supporters. Following the race, there was a victory lap for all the ASK Kids, both current patients and survivors. It was very touching to see all of them get a very deserved ovation for all they have been through.

For more information:
Friends of Jaclyn: www.friendsofjaclyn.org
ReeseStrong: www.reesestrong.org
ASK: askweb.org

Final Four in San Antonio

Coach LaHaye and I just returned from San Antonio where we were attending our national women's basketball coaches convention. While we were there, we attended the DI Final Four. It was fun to watch Baylor and Stanford give UConn a little run for their money, but the end result was never really in doubt. Next year, it will be fun to watch UConn at the start of the season to see if they can surpass John Wooden's UCLA teams record of 88 consecutive wins. Below are some pictures from San Antonio, enjoy!


The Obligatory Shot of the Alamo


Not bad seats!


Outside the Alamodome


National Anthem before the Championship Game


Back of Vice President Joe Biden's head (I really tried to get a better shot, but it seemed the whole place was trying to take a picture!)


UCONN Wins!


78 Straight Wins -- Incredible!

DIII News National Player of the Year!

CONGRATULATIONS to Molly Ariail for being named the DIII News National Player of the Year. Molly had a tremendous career at R-MC, including two ODAC Championships and two trips to the NCAA tournament. Read the full press release on the R-MC site: http://athletics.rmc.edu/sports/wbkb/2009-10/releases/WBKB-10-Ariail_D3_POTY

Final Four Bound!

The R-MC Men's Basketball team is heading to the Final Four in Salem, VA this weekend. They will take on UW-Stevens Point in the second semi-final game on Friday evening. The first semi-final game has Guilford taking on Williams. Both should be great games and we hope that many Yellow Jacket fans will be in the Salem Civic Center to cheer them on. Best of luck to the men's team this weekend!

13 Leadership Goals for All Team Members

On Sunday night, Keith Kenyon from the American Athletic Institute presented the organization's research on athletic performance to a group of R-MC student-athletes. It was fascinating and he provided a number of statistics about the effects of drugs and alcohol on athletic performance including: drinking to intoxication can negate as much as 14 days of training effect and players who drink are twice as likely to become injured. Both drive home the notion that drinking alcohol decreases an athletes performance.

Mr. Kenyon also talked about the leadership that is needed on teams to be successful and how all team members contribute to team leadership, not just the coaches and/or captains. He provided a handout with the 13 Leadership Goals for All Team Members. I think it captures what it means to be a good teammate.

1. Always follow team rules.
2. Try to be the hardest worker on the team.
3. Try to be the most enthusiastic player on the team.
4. Try to be the best conditioned player on the team.
5. Observe and reflect on the leadership traits of the team captain(s) and coaches.
6. Master the plays and team strategy.
7. Care about your teammates; this includes being supportive and never backstabbing.
8. Maintain your sense of composure and balance when adversity strikes.
9. Always put team goals ahead of personal goals.
10. Inspire confidence by demonstrating self-control.
11. Try to be the most coachable player on the team.
12. Reach out to those team members with whom you have little in common.
13. Try to energize your teammates by your positive attitude.

Congratulations to our Seniors!

Our 2009-2010 season ended sooner than we had expected and had hoped, but that does not take anything away from the careers of our seniors Molly Ariail and Renee Stein. Both made lasting contributions to our program. They are always quick with a smile and enjoy having a good time with their teammates. Their fun loving personalities will take them far. We will miss them both.

WBCA Pink Zone

Our WBCA Pink Zone game on Friday was a big success. Our team donned pink uniforms and there was a sea of pink in the stands. We raised money for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund by selling pink R-MC basketball t-shirts (they were a hit, we sold out) and raffling off two autographed pink & white basketballs. Thanks to everyone who helped us make the evening a success.

Wear Pink Friday!

Join us in wearing pink on Friday as we take on the Guilford Quakers in our annual WBCA Pink Zone game. We will be wearing pink in an effort to raise awareness and fight breast cancer. Pink t-shirts will be on sale at the door for $12.

Back to the Hive

Last weekend was the 21st Annual Back to the Hive. A few pictures from the special day.

SNOW!

We got 16 inches of snow here in Ashland this weekend. The second big storm of the winter. A few snapshots from around campus . . .

Ballet!

On New Year's Day our team rang in 2010 with a ballet lesson! It was quite a workout and our players used some muscles that they don't use while playing basketball. It was a lot of fun to watch some of them try something new. For others, it was fun to remember the ballet they learned when they were little kids!

Happy New Year!

Our Women's Basketball Team wishes you and yours all the best in 2010!