Deb's Aunt Nikki for washing all the uniforms the other day...that was a very nice gesture and much appreciated by all....and a BIG thank you to Deb's Uncle Andy for all his love and support from the stands!!! We thank you both for showing your support to all our girls!!
A BIG Thanks!!!
I just want to say thank you to Cathy and Regina for Chaperoning the trip. They have been spectacular! They have the girls ready to go for game time, getting them to bed each night and no funny business when its lights out. They have prepared all the girls meals and provide snacks on team outings. Their uniforms have been washed and hair braided for games. The girls have been well taken care of by these ladies and I can't thank you enough. They have also taken very good care of us coaches and it is much appertained!
Talaya and Tracy
Special thanks to Norrell for being our designated driver. We have 2 vans of girls and his van is always ready to go on-time. He has driven to all games, team dinner, outing on the 4th of July, and to the beach. He has not missed a beat and we appreciate it!
Thanks to Ragahvan for taking pictures of the girls at all the events. I know he did not sign up as team photographer and just came as a parent watching their child play, but he has stepped into the role nicely! Thank you capturing all of the moments these girls will remember for a life time.
By SBE | July 03, 2009 at 01:56 PM EDT | No Comments
Our girls made is safely to Florida! A big thanks to our chaperone's!
When they arrived at the hotel, they were greeted with decorated room.."baller style" which included a welcome sign, players name decorations and door hangers. They were also surprised to "Baller" gift bags that included, cameras, "baller socks" orange flip flops, lanyards & lots of fun basketball items...
Today is day 1..and they are off and moving...after breakfast. They were off to registration, where they received a FREE T-shirt AAU and an AAU goody bag!! After registration, they had
A short practice...and then it was time to get ready for opening ceremonies. Thanks to Cathy for hookin up the girl’s braids! The painted their toes and faces blue...decorated the vans with markers, showing off their "Baller Pride" and then they were off to the opening ceremonies...where they enjoyed pin trading with teams from across the US and Canada...some of the teams included NYC, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, New Mexico and even a team from Canada...
After all the excitement at opening ceremonies, they were off to dinner at a nice Seafood Restaurant...and then back to the room for lights out..
Game 1: was a WIN 67-55 against Boo Williams team from West Virginia..the girls played great and now are watching a game (checkin out the next team they play) then they are off to lunch back at the hotel and some RR before the next
Game 2: Was a lose 56 to 54 vs. the El Paso Suns.
Game 3: Was a WIN!! The girls beat the OH-Dayton Lady Hoopstars 47-45..we are now in the Championship bracket and go onto play for the National Title....
Game 4: Was a BIG WIN!! The girls beat the NJ CNBS 50-47! We are now on our way to the "Sweet 16"!!
Game 5: The girls played they're hearts out, but could not pull off a win over the VA Wizards. The final score was 33-40. We play again today at 6:00 for a shot to play for 5th place...GREAT JOB GIRLS! We are all so proud of you!!!
A Note from Coach Talaya
Day 4...
Today the girls only had 1 game at 12noon. Although very tired they were able to pull out a win. This win put them in the Championship bracket to start bracket play on Monday. There four teams in each pool and th top two teams went to the championship bracket and the bottom two teams went to the Classic bracket.
After the game we came back to the hotel packed up and went to the beach! We went to Barefoot beach, where the sand was white and the water was about 80 to 85 degrees. It was beautiful! We all hung out at the beach for a while and everyone got in the water.
We left the beach and went back to the hotel where we lounged in and around the pool and got set-up for the BBQ. There was music and relaxation and Norrell prepared hamburgers, hot dogs, and links on the grill. Cathy and Regina put together a wonderful spread which included pasta salad, watermelon, chips, and corn on the cob. We were later joined by Fencor a team staying in the same hotel from Philadelphia, PA. The team and parents are sat around and mingled as we all enjoyed the BBQ.
The girls later got in the pool as it was West CoastBaller against Fencor in a game of get the watermelon and put it on the other teams goal line. The girls has tons of fun as they splashed, fought, and swam with this watermelon.
The girls then returned to their room prepared for bed and made themselves ice cream sundaes. After the girl ate their sundaes we then watch game film of the days earlier game for preparation of Mondays two games. As coaches went over mistakes and things to improve upon the girls were very receptive and ready to go for tomorrow.
It was a fun, relaxing eventful day and I believe all enjoyed the day.
Check back for more a recap of the days evens an more game info..
Notes from the parents...
A hectic 11 days of basketball is officially over with an exhausting 34-36 loss to the Delaware Angels. Our girls officially had nothing left in the tank but the closeness of the game and the fact that we missed at least 15 of our free throw attempts left even our opponents marveling at how we came this far with only 7 girls. They acknowledged that if it were not for fatigue, this game would be a 20 point blowout. But the girls took home some hardware today - 8th place in the National Championships ain't too shabby. I believe this could be the beginning of something special in the next season. We have a strong foundation of players to build from and as long as everyone continues to work on their game in the off season, next season can be even better. Obviously the bar for this group has been raised and we will undoubtedly expect more from them in the Fall and beyond for those that choose to continue. Coach Tracy gave a passionate, from-the-heart speech to the parents and players and had everyone reaching for the Kleenex. At the end of it all, there was not a dry eye in the room how could there be! 14 games in 11 days, flying over 2000 miles to do it.
I see this as a new beginning rather than the end. The girls were definitely relieved that this was over but will probably also acknowledge that the reward was well worth it. They carry with them the experiences of a life time and hopefully some lasting friendships as well. For me, the camaraderie and togetherness I witnessed truly epitomized what team work is all about and how we can make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. This group certainly did that. Now it's off to the beach and then to a flight home. Thanks to everyone for tuning in and rooting for the team from across the country.
-Raghavan
The girls are running on fumes now but they still have one more game to play. Everyone has given it 100% and then some but obviously one cannot fight the laws of physics. We were too short-handed to give enough rest to the kids and the extreme effort it took to get the Elite Eight finally took it's toll today. We lost to the KY Tigers, a bigger team with a bigger bench (10 players) 29-38. The bodies were flying around and the girls played yet another very physical game. If it appears that our being shorthanded has become a recurring theme in all my blog it is because it is impossible to not be one. Every team that we've played has 10-12 girls and the only other short handed team is in the classic bracket. Getting to the Elite Eight for the first time and being the top eight teams in the country in our division is pretty darned good. We will leave FL with a winning record when most would not have expected that. Hopefully, next year, we can get a few more committed families on the team so we don't have to put the girls through this ordeal again. Knowing that we could be playing for the championships or at least the final four with a full roster has been a constant source of disappointment and frustration for all of us. But that is in the past and we are playing for 7/8 place tomorrow at 9AM. No matter what, these girls are winners and have tremendous character.
Raghavan on Game 2 July 7
The girls have been absolutely wonderful!! I kicked the patents out for 10 min today just to thank the girls for being so great. It was an absolute pleasure to take care of these girls. The bond that they have formed I hope will last a lifetime. I'm sure these memories will last forever!! They have literally left their hearts on the court. We should be so proud of each and every one of them. They have definately become their "sister's keeper"
-Cathy
Congratulations Strong Seven you have much to be proud of!!!! These 7 girls came along way to challenge the best from all over the nation and they did fantastic. 4-3 so far, you couldn't ask for more. One more to play!! It's a lot to ask 7 girls to play thru getting knocked down and banged around. Only if they had more help. A tank can only last so long and the girls ran out of gas against these last two opponents. The chaperones and parents of the Strong Seven are very very proud.. The Strong Seven made it to the Elite 8, REALLY!
-Norrell
Well I am usually not one for a lot words... but this trip has been a great experience, not only for girls but for myself as well... I haven't had any problems with the girls doing what I've ask, they are all very nice and polite and a great group of girls... it's a reflection that comes from there parents. I know some parents are here, but there not in the room with us at all times... This is the first time the girls have played almost 8 games in 4 days... that is something they have never been through and to watch them grow with this experience was great... and our schedule daily was like noon and 6pm.... basically lunch and dinner... so we had to work with that schedule... that is tough when the girls need to relax and needed to get feed before and after both games and then off to the showers and bed... They have played with there hearts out on the court... like others have said, everyone gave there all... And I give around of applause to Cathy for her cooking... she is a great cook... Lorrie and Sue have been great with getting things organized and Norrell the driver awesome... just gotta make sure you buckle up! hahah kidding... Tracy and Talaya are great with the girls, I know Talaya had to be with her daughter in Oregon... Tracy has been doing a great job with the girls the past 2 days, with his pre-speeches before games and after games... and Julie, I want to thank you for being so great with all the blogs and the little things that makes this trip a whole lot more unique... and getting to know the other parents like Raghavan and Peggy has been great... If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't hesitate to raise my hand and chaperon again :0)
Life's not about running from storms, but learning how to dance in the rain, and the girls learned that this past week... I believe ~
-Regina
The amazing run we were having finally came to an end with a tough 33-40 loss to the VA wizards. The score does not really tell the whole story, it was 31-33 with 1:30 to go in the game with most of the remaining points coming via free throws. We were down throughout the game but never out. The girls gave it their all against a team that had 3 girls 5'9" and taller, but they did not let the size difference intimidate them. However, there's no time to mourn this loss since we still have a chance to play for 5th place and the girls need to put this tough loss behind them.
Watching the girls grow in front of my eyes in these last few days has been nothing short of amazing. They're all business and are taking the responsibility towards basketball on this trip very seriously. Curfew is being adhered to without being enforced. The dogged determination to tough it out and the discipline they're showing is a sure sign of their growing maturity. The team motto is "Seven Strong" and the adversity they had to deal with just days ago is quickly fading into a distant memory. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Cathy's cusine (sorry for abusing these alliterations) and Regina's help with the girls which has made this trip seem like a breeze. Like everything that looks easy, the behind the scenes hard work is never visible and this is definitely one that does not show up on the stat sheet but has played a big part in our 4-2 record on this trip.
Thanks
Raghavan
The amazing Cinderella story continues as we march onto the elite 8 with a hard nosed tough 57-52 victory over the UBA team from North Carolina. Everything that could go wrong went wrong starting with a player missing her jersey, early foul trouble for Jourdyn but the team kept the lead through most of the game. With the team down to a rotation of 5 until the jersey arrived, Coach Tracy put on his best dancing shoes yet to keep things moving along until the jersey arrived. While the game itself may not have been the prettiest from a basketball perspective, the excitement in the stands and the tension in the atmosphere were palpable. The beauty of this tournament so far has been that a different person has stepped up each time to carry the team through adversity. Today's hero was undoubtedly Debra, who in spite of being hit on the nose in the previous game, put up a dominant performance, perhaps the best I've seen her play for the Ballers. Given the run that we're having, We have two games tomorrow at noon against the VA Lady Wizards and at 6 PM for the final 4 game. The girls need to dig deep for the last 3 games - we've come this far and we will not be denied.
Raghavan
Wow! It's been an amazing two days of basketball, probably more off the court than on it. This is the first time, I think for all of us, spending an extended period of time together outside of the games - parents and players alike and the bonding, camaraderie and chemistry of this group has been fantastic. There's been a lot of fun, non-basketball activities without losing sight of our primary objective. The girls have been disciplined in their off court activities. Each one of them seems to have internalized the extra responsibility that they have to shoulder due to the fact that they've been left short handed on this trip. But they're adjusting as well as they can. Adversity is a true test of ones character and these girls have displayed that they are tough. There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that they will all be very successful in everything they do. Despite being in serious foul trouble and being left with no bench (Debra and Kendahl fouled out) in our first game, we pulled out a victory in the first game - the final score does not tell the story of how dominant we were. The second game was a tough two point loss, the last ditch 3 pointer from Annanya rimmed out reminding us all of the heartbreaker from last week at Oregon. Foul trouble and fatigue were factors in this game and the girls fought valiantly. A couple more free throws and we'd have had a bye for our first round. However, to see the girls battling, fighting and bonding with each other - building relationships and memories that will last a lifetime, has been a sight to behold and will definitely stay with me for a long time. These girls are giving new meaning to the adage "Less is more".
Raghavan
The team was tough as nails today. Even though the effort at times left much to be desired, the team scratched, clawed and dug their way out to a 50-47 win over the New Jersey team. After being down for much of the game, the girls came storming back with good defense and some nice coaching adjustments (and the late effects of the B-12 they took in the morning). However, there is no rest for the weary, with more basketball coming up in the next couple of days. It's on to the sweet sixteen now - hopefully they have enough left in the tank.
Raghavan-on Game 4 Monday July 6
They won!! I wish everyone could see how these girls are playing. I think their hearts are shaped like basketballs because they are definately playing with all heart!! Their legs are like jello but they keep pushing through it. We have the rest of the day off so we are off to Barefoot Beach!
Cathy Caradonna-on game 3
I don't know how much more I can take!! Another squeaker!! But this time WE WON!! The "Strong Seven" pulled it out. 50-47
Cathy Caradonna-on game 4
Hangin out in Florida
Practices will start July 14th and go through August 31st.
