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!

Princess Tea Party

Our Princess Tea Party on Sunday was a big hit. Our guest of honor, Reese, seemed to have a lot of fun throughout the afternoon. Reese brought along several friends to enjoy the activities with her. Our team did a phenomenal job putting it all together (and I think they had a lot of fun too ;) We started off with some snacks, then belated birthday gifts for Reese. After gifts, we all got a chance to decorate some cookies. We wrapped up the afternoon by going down to the gym and giving everyone a chance to run around. It was great to see our team interact with the kids. All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon.

Helicopters Hovering Over Campus

After last week's non-stop rain, our football field here at R-MC resembled more of a pond, than a playing surface. In preparation for "The Game," the newly created pond had to be transformed into a football field. "The Game" is the long standing rivalry between R-MC and Hampden-Sydney. This year was the 115th edition of "The Game" and was played here in Ashland in front of over 5,000 fans.

Thanks to some very generous R-MC supporters, 2 helicopters hovered over the field to spray the water to the periphery. Mr. John Irby got a great shot of the whole scene.


Photo by John Irby

Congrats R-MC Volleyball!

Our Yellow Jacket Volleyball team won it's first ODAC Championship over the weekend and now stands at 28-6. They are heading to Texas this week to take on Trinity in the first round of the NCAA touranment. Go Jackets!

The Newest Yellow Jacket

We finally were able to meet Reese, the adorable soon to be 7 year old we adopted through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, on Friday afternoon. Our team was very excited to meet Reese afer hearing so much about her and posting on her Caring Bridge site. There was an instant connection between Reese and our team. She had a sparkle in her eyes when we talked about what number she would like to be. Reese chose 16 for her birthday. The team baked brownies (Reese's favorite) and made a sign welcoming Reese to the women's basketball family.

Friends of Jaclyn was created to improve the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors and their families. You can learn more by checking out their website: www.friendsofjaclyn.org.



Welcome Reese!


The '09-'10 Yellow Jackets

Homecoming Queen

This past weekend was R-MC's 2009 Homecoming Weekend. Despite the cold, rainy weather, many alums, family and friends were on campus to celebrate everything Randolph-Macon. You can read more about it on R-MC's website: www.rmc.edu/Alumni/Gala.aspx.

Our very own Molly Ariail '10 was named 2009 Homecoming Queen. Molly is very deserving of the honor as she is a good friend to many on campus and represents the College well in many capacities. Congratulations Molly!


Photo by John Irby

And We're Off!

We are in our first full week of practice now; it's exciting to see the progress we are making! Our returning players are back on the court with another year of collegiate basketball experience under their belts and our newcomers are catching on quickly. I really enjoy watching our team come together each year with players stepping into new, bigger roles. Just one month from today is our first game, can't wait :)