"When we accept the title of "Coach", we are accepting a huge responsibility, as it is our job to set the example that leads to a team-first attitude. In many cases, we are working with young people who desperately need a role model, they are begging for love, and discipline even though their attitude may not reflect that at first. Coaches are always under scrutiny by others with a different perspective than ours; any sign of favoritism, nepotism or many other "isms" lead to a divided team and that means failure. "Our integrity and work ethic must be above reproach and we must remember than no matter how many games we win this year, you do not know all there is to know about this great game. "Winning must be the result of what we do and not the reason we do it. "If you are an athlete and not willing to accept the team concept, then I suggest you sit down and ask yourself "Do I really know the meaning of teamwork?" "If the athlete is not happy with their role you have a whiner inside of your "family"...and you have a problem. "If the athlete cannot accept her role on the team, then everyone involved is happier if that person devotes their time and energy to an individual sport". - Ron Crawford - USA Basketball Representative on Youth Development Committee.

This page will be for our former or current Stealers' that have had some great experiences through the game of basketball.

Our first blog will be by current seven month team member Megan Buckland who took part in the USA Basketball's first-ever U-16 Developmental Team Tryout May 28-31, 2009 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Our second blog will be by Jennifer Penley who will discuss her first year at the Naval Academy.

Our third blog will be by Brittany Cox who will talk about her freshman year at Pfeiffer University.

Keep checking back for our player blogs...

GO STEALERS!!!

Megan Buckland, from one of our seventh month teams, recently participated in the USA Basketball U16 Trials in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Below is her day-by-day blog of her experience at the trials. USA Basketball is the highest level of basketball a player can experience as you are trying to secure a Gold Medal for your country. This level is bigger than any all-star game, college basketball or pro basketball experience one can experience. Megan was one of thirty-four girls invited to the trials that were born in 1993 or after.  

Unfortunately, Megan did not make the U16 Team, but she more than held her own at the trials. Click below for the recap of each individual and keep checking back for Megan's day-by-day blog. You can also click this post to learn more about USA Basketball.

Click Here for: Hoopgurlz USA Basketball U16 Athlete Evaluations - Part I. 

Click Here for: Podcast from Hoopgurlz on their mock selections. (Day 3 is where the mock selections can be found.)

Click Here for: Full Court Press Interview From USA Basketball

Day 1 - USA Basketball Trials:

Anxious, Excited, Nervous. I'm sure there are other adjectives I could add to describe how I felt as I prepared for my 7 AM flight to Colorado Springs. I had so much nervous energy that I couldn't sleep on my flight to Atlanta. Once in Atlanta, I went to Starbucks. Little did I know it was the last caffine fix that I would have for the duration of trials. The flight from Atlanta to Colorado was one of the longest flights ever. Would I ever get to the Olympic Training Center?

Once in Colorado Springs, it didn't take long for me to notice the altitude change. I was out of breath by the time I reached baggage claim. There were 2 representatives waiting for all the trial participants and it seemed like everyone was staring at us. All I could do was smile. I was trying out for the U16 National Team. I was here representing every hard-working, consistent yet non-flashy girl basketball player. I was representing Coach R., the Stealers and my high school. I prayed for success!!!

As we gathered our bags, we were led to a bus with "USA Training Center" on the side. I couldn't help but wonder what great Olympians may have ridden that same bus.

The first thing we did upon arriving at the training center was to check in, get our meal card, room key, athlete badge and jersey. OMG!!!! Chills!!! It finally hit me that I was here also to represent my country. What an honor!! This was the biggest thing I have ever accomplished.

We were given a to-do list prior to our first session. We had to take our bags to our room, receive our tour of the training center, have a medical screening, and have our individual photo taken.

Next, we were off to the cafeteria for lunch. While there, Carol Callan, USA Basketball Chair / Director, let us know Michael Phelps was in line for his lunch. MICHAEL PHELPS!!! I bolted from my seat and was first in line to have my picture with him. It was fabulous!!!

Later that day, we went for orientation. I was first in the room and sat right up front and then waited for everyone else to arrive. (I was always early for every session, meeting and optional shooting sessions. Something you learn playing for Coach R.) Mrs. Callan talked to us about expectations and how everyone in the room had the skills to be here. We watched a highlight film of the USA Women's Basketball Olympic Teams. Chills again!! I had to pinch myself. Was I really here experiencing this?!

We were then introduced to the coaching staff and all of the supporting staff, including the evaluators. Coach Barbara Nelson, the Head Coach of the U16 Team, then spoke to us about the opportunity before us and how excited she was for the opportunity she has.

We then went for our first gym session. I had so much nervous energy. Our first drill was a lay-up drill. How many of those have we done before?! Well, not at this speed. This was a whole different speed than I have ever played. My first lay-up was right off the backboard. Not what I was wanting to happen! After that I settled down and began to play like I know I can. We ran through some drills and then began to scrimmage. We played with a 24 second shot clock, the same they use for international competition.

Once the scrimmage was complete, I was pleased with how I had done. I thought I had proved that I should be here. There were some tremendous players here but I felt I had held my own. The competition was very intense.

My dad, one of my biggest fans, was there with me and I got to see him for just a few minutes. Then it was off to dinner. Great food, but not as exciting as lunch... no Phelps sightings. Laundry had to be turned in by certain times or it was smelly jersey for the next day.

We shared a room with one other participant. Once I got back to my room, I took a deep breath (which was still not an easy task due to the altitude). My first day of tryouts was over. It was time for bed as we have more sessions on Friday.

Megan's Day 2 Blog Coming Soon!!!

On Friday morning when I got up, I was still anxious about tryouts.  I still couldn’t believe I was actually in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center trying out for a USA team.  Our first session of the day was to begin at 8:30am.  After I was finished getting ready, I headed down to the cafeteria for breakfast.  The food was all so healthy!  It was definitely going to take some getting used to eat like this.  When I finished eating breakfast I headed over to the gym for our first session.  I got there around 8am and was the first one in the gym.  I was so excited about our first full day of tryouts! 

Around 8:30am, we started stretching for the long day ahead of us.  We started off with some shooting drills to get us loose and going.  After those drills, we were split into teams to learn plays.  We were taught a few offense plays and a few out of bounds plays.  When we finished going the plays, we scrimmaged the rest of the session.  The games were the quickest I had ever played.  With a 24 second shot clock, it made the games even faster.  Every one of the girls there were the best dribblers, shooters, passers, and scorers in the country.  I knew I would have to play my absolute best to have a shot at making the team. 

After we got done scrimmaging, we had until 3pm to hang out and have a break.  During the break, I went to lunch, took a much needed nap, and started some of my homework from the school days I missed.  I also wrote down the plays we went through earlier so that when we would walk through them again, I would be ready.

From 3-4pm, we had team offenses walkthrough.  So at 2:15pm, I headed back over to the gym.  Again, I was the first one there, so I got some extra shooting in while I waited for everyone else to arrive.  During the offensive walkthrough, we went over the few plays we had learned earlier and added a couple more.  When we finished the walkthrough, we had about 2 hours until we had to be back at the gym.  During the short break my friend Malina (from Ohio) and I went to the cafeteria to grab a small bite to eat.  When we finished eating, we walked around the campus of the Training Center to take pictures.

At 5:45pm, our last session of the day started.  We started with the stretching we did before each session. Then we split up as guards and posts to do some drills before scrimmaging again.  We scrimmaged the rest of the night and by the time we were done, I was wore out.  The extreme focus and intensity you had to bring for that number of hours was exhausting.  But I loved every minute of it and knew I didn’t want to be anywhere else!!  When we finished the scrimmages, we went to eat dinner (and trust me I ate more than I ever have) in the cafeteria and watch the Orlando vs. Cavaliers NBA playoff game.  After I finished eating, I went back to the dorms, took a shower, and went to bed.  It was another long day and I had another long one coming up tomorrow.  I went to bed thanking God for such an amazing opportunity he had laid before me and asked that we would help me use it to the most potential.

Day 3 Today was Saturday.  That meant this was my last full day to really impress all the evaluators that were selecting the team.  I woke up refreshed and re-energized.  Our first session didn't start until 9am, so I went to the cafeteria and got a nice, big breakfast.  (The cafeteria was great, good fun and lots of it!)  While I was eating, I realized Michael Phelps was sitting just on the other side of the cafeteria!  This made me realize and remember once again what I was doing in Colorado and what my mission was while I was out there. 

At 8:30am, I got to the gym to do some extra shooting and stretching before another long day.  All we would be doing today was scrimmages so that the evaluators could watch us play.  So at 9:30am, we began to play.  We did about 10 minutes of shooting drills to loosen up then we began playing.  We were put on teams of about 6-8 girls so that there would be more teams and more games.  Once again, the speed at which we played was so fast.  The talent of all the girls was so impressive and was totally mind-boggling when I played with them and watched them when I wasn’t playing.  At 11am, we were done with the first session of the day.  Only two more left until we found out who would make the team!  Out next session of the day didn't begin until 5pm, so we had a nice, long break. During the break, my dad and I went to the gift shop to get some souvenirs.  We got shirts and sweatshirts and then a few things for mom and Michael back at home.  When we left the store, I went to lunch and dad went back to his hotel because I was not allowed to leave the campus. 

After lunch, I went back to my room to do some school work and take a nap.  At about 4pm, I went back down to the cafeteria to grab a snack before going back to the gym.  So after having some fruit and a grilled cheese sandwich (which I ate for every meal except breakfast!), I went to the gym. From 5pm-7pm we had our last session for the day.  A bunch of the girls were beginning to get tired and began to complain about all the playing and scrimmaging we were doing.  They wanted the easy route, but I knew we were not brought out to tryouts for the easy path.  I knew that by staying strong mentally, it would help me in the long run.  During this session, all we did was scrimmage again.  At 7pm, when we were done for the day, I was worn out and sore.  I was asked to do an interview and a quick video for ESPN Hoopgirls!  I had fun with the video!  After that I was ready for dinner then back to my room.  I went to bed early and was anxious knowing that the next day was a really big day.  I would find out if I made the team!!!  I had everyone I knew praying although I knew my part was over with.  It was up to the evaluators at this point!!

Day 4 - This blog is one of the hardest things I have had to do. The emotions of this day are still so vivid and raw but I hope you can understand.

As  you can imagine, I woke up Sunday as anxious as ever. Today we were to find out if we made the team or if we would be heading back home. We only had one session for the  day and it was to begin at 8:30 am. So I went to breakfast and over at the gym at 8:00 am ready to go.

Most of the other girls had given up during the last couple of days at tryouts because they were easy lazy or had in their minds they weren't going to make the team. In my mind, I tried to keep a positive attitude. I wanted to make the team! During the last session, I still went my hardest and gave it all I had in me. For the last session, we scrimmaged the entire teime. When we were done with the scrimmages, we stretched and were to head down to the room where we had had previous meetings during the tryouts.

I was the first one down to the room and I couldn't hardly breathe I was so nervous. As I'm writing this now, I am getting chills and loss of breath because of how memorable this moment was for me. Once we all got into the room, Carol, the team director, came p and talked to us before announcing the team. She reminded us to have composure, whether we made the team or not.

Before she read off the list of those who make the team, she told us she would be reading the list alphabetically according to last name. I remember thinking "Great, at least I would find out quickly if I made the team". Once Carol got past the "B's", I stopped listening. My head was spinning and I couldn't think straight. I was at a complete loss of words and breath.  After she read the list, we were dismissed from the room to go to our parents and back to our rooms to pack.

Seeing my dad outside the room didn't hep me at all. I just ran up to him and gave him the biggest hug ever. He knew by my actions and tears that I hadn't made the team. I felt like I had let him and my family down. I felt like I had let all of my friends and everyone who had been praying for me down. I tried to congratulate the girls who had made the team, but all they got from me was a pat on the back. I was not able to speak because I was so upset.

At this point, all I really wanted to do was get back to my room so I could pack and get out of there. I was completely jealous of all the other girls who had made the team... I still am today. When I got back to the room and was packing, I remember thinking how much I didn't want to go home and see everyone, no matter how much I missed them. I wanted more than anything else in the world to stay out in Colorado until Thursday (which meant I had made the team!)

Once I had my bags packed, my dad drove me to the airport to drop me off for my flight back home. I was still emotional but I had realized I had done the best I could during tryouts. I know what I need to work on now in order to even be able to have the opportunity to go back there again. I had decided to keep on some of my USA Apparel and wear it with pride.

Sure I didn't make the team, but I had the opportunity of a lifetime. I had the opportunity that kids dream of...wearing a jersey with USA on it. That jealousy I carry has sparked determination. I will work even harder to get invited back next year. I know that God put me out there for many reasons, and while I am still trying to figure out some of those reasons out, I know that he has a special purpose for my life with basketball and I can't wait to see where he takes me next!

Thanks to all of you who support me and the young ladies in the Stealers' Program. Your prayers were felt daily and I am thankful to be part of such a wonderful organization!

Jennifer Penley is a former player in our program and was the head coach for our 10-and-under team this spring. Jennifer recentrly graduated from high school and will be entering her first year at the Naval Academy this fall. Here is her first blog on her preparation for what is ahead of her.

Looking forward…

            Training for the Naval Academy is hard. When I had school everyday it was easier to set aside time for running right after school but now that my summer has unofficially started since I am exempt from my exams, it gives me a lot of free time and provides low motivation. But I still try to run everyday and do abdominal and arm workouts but keeping myself motivated when all of my friends are free from staying in shape this early in the summer is tough. My mental perseverance has been tested, especially in the past month with school winding down and my free time expanding itself.

            I have never been a long distance runner or any type of runner other than a sprinter which makes the whole idea of running without a purpose hard to grasp, also adding to my lack of motivation to just run. I have always been decent at push ups and ab workouts but having a weightlifting class that designated an hour a day for me to lift weights and do some core work. Now that I do not have that hour, I have lost some muscle mass because I am not lifting as much or as often. In class, I would lift some and then I could come home and do my pushups. Lifting so much helped me maintain and build a lot of muscle. Its slowly getting there to the point I need it to be at though.

            However, whether I am in the best shape of my life or just barely in good enough shape to survive, Plebe Summer for six weeks will still be grueling. But the way I figure is that if everyone else can do it, then so can I. Surviving Plebe Summer will be my biggest challenge and a lot of people thinking I am going to fail only pushes me to want to endure that much more.

            For now though, my most difficult challenge is staying in shape and working out and not taking that nap that I feel like I need instead of running. I am going to the Bahamas for a week after graduation and I plan on maintaining my running and workout schedule but vacation will be just that much more distraction that I have to put aside for about an hour or two everyday to commit to what I signed up for. But I know deep down that everything I do now will pay off somehow in July and I will be thankful for the work I have done. And then once I have accomplished something rare and amazing, I can be proud of myself for overcoming so much adversity.

This week has been very final. I had packed up the clothes I didn’t want my sister to wear while I was gone away. Plus, not knowing what would officially be allowed in the rooms, I had to guess on what I box up for my parents to bring to me after the summer was over. This process was slow and procrastinated to the fullest extent simply because I did not want to do it and it seemed like I had plenty of time, when in reality I had less than a week.            

On Thursday, I had to get my haircut. I had gotten it cut before vacation and after graduation to the length that I was finally genuinely happy with: short enough to be easy to deal with in the mornings, but still cute and easy to put up and out of my face. My hair is no longer this length. Regulations say that the bulk of the hair can not exceed 2 inches. (Bulk being defined as the distance that the mass of the hair protrudes from the scalp.) I can not honestly say that I am a big fan of my new style but all my family and friends said it looked adorable so I just deal with it and count down the days until it gets back to the length I liked it. This will be the only time I have to get it cut at the Academy because during the academic year, hair standards are much more lenient.            

As far as my physical preparedness, I ran, lifted, and did workouts everyday but 3 while in the Bahamas. I have run about every other day since I have gotten back to maintain my workout. I accomplished 2 miles consecutively which isn’t all that bad so hopefully my training will help some during the summer. I keep thinking the summer will be like the movie Mulan where Mulan goes to camp before war and struggles at first but then begins to succeed and “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” plays in the background. Either way it will be tough. This midshipman who just finished her plebe year told me to “picture how hard you think it will be. Then multiply that by 5 and that’s how tough it actually is.” Her comment scared me a little bit but it was honest and helped me prepare mentally that much more.            

Sunday was a rough day. I spent the day yesterday, Saturday, with all of my closest friends at Wet n’ Wild and then just having a good time for the rest of the day. Then Sunday rolled around. I had spent the night with my best friend and as I left her room to go to church for the last time as a resident in Winston-Salem, I realized it was not any regular “goodbye”. It seemed like this day would never get here after a long busy week and nothing had hit me until that moment. I had endured graduation and the last day of school without a tear shed but today, my last official day of residing in Winston-Salem, my home of 18 years, it has been almost unbearable. I have never been one to show a lot of emotion but it was hard to hold it all back today. Finding myself overwhelmed with emotions, I feel anxious, nervous, excited, melancholy, fear, and so many more that I can’t even identify. I know I will do well at the Academy and survive the infamous ‘Plebe Summer’ but it’s just a matter of preparing myself emotionally at this point rather than physically. I can not even imagine what it will be like to say goodbye to my parents on Wednesday after today; however, today has been like my “goodbye day” because on Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. I will be brushed along with all the other plebes into Alumni Hall for a series of stations to get my started at the Academy.           

It hit me today that today is the last day I will drive my first car or be recognized at the grocery store by a familiar face. It will be the last time I sleep in my bed, take a shower in my bathroom, or open the refrigerator as a resident in my own home. Home is always home but once you move away, it will be different because I will not be spending everyday in my house.            

On a side note, I do not have any access to the outside world during Plebe Summer other than letters from friends and family. I welcome any letters that anyone would like to send to me to keep my spirits up during the six weeks.

My address is: MIDN JENNIFER PENLEY / Class of 2013 / O Company 27 Platoon / Annapolis, MD 214126. If I do not write back, just know that your note was much appreciated and probably helped me get through the day. But from what I have heard, I do not have a lot of time to reply.

Brittany Cox is a former player in our program and recently coached our spring three month team. Brittany's blog about her work leading up to her freshman yaer in college is below.

June 1 marked the first Monday after graduation. It was officially summer. I pictured myself sleeping in and no more early alarms waking me from my sleep; however, that was quite the opposite of how my summer has been going. All of the players at Pfeiffer received a summer workout in the mail that includes shooting, conditioning and plyometrics. The freshmen weren’t given a weight workout but we were encouraged to do as much as possible. After looking over the summer workout packet, I realized how much I had ahead of me and after my past years playing basketball in AAU and high school, I recognized that it’s the time you put in during the off season that helps you the most which explains my first Monday off from school.

Instead of staying up late on Sunday night and sleeping in on Monday, I got my rest and woke up at 7:00 A.M. to go workout. Considering I didn’t even wake up that early for school, my parents thought that I wouldn’t be able to do it everyday but I woke up much more eager than I would for school. Getting to the gym around 7:45 excited me and made me approach the workouts with more enthusiasm. Many people know I’m not a morning person but for some reason I love waking up and shooting first thing in the morning. I may not love it as soon as the alarm sounds in the morning but once I get moving, I understand why I do it. I’ve learned that it takes dedication and time to be able to play at the next level. It’s a top priority so by doing it first thing in the morning, that’s my way of making it a top priority. I’ll be playing with six other freshmen next year as well as eight older players and being the weak link is something I refuse to let happen. When I don’t want to wake up in the mornings, my motivation is earning my spot at Pfeiffer. I want to contribute and do whatever I can to have an important role on the team.

My first week of workouts went well and I was in the gym everyday shooting, running and lifting weights. I’ve made a few new friends who I see everyday at the YMCA, including the majority of the staff. My shooting workout is split into two day segments so between Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday and Saturday, I have to shoot 150 three pointers, 100 free throws, and 75 off the dribble shots. The shooting isn’t too much and when you have to rebound for yourself, you learn to fix your misses pretty quickly. My conditioning workouts vary everyday. I have to do conditioning five days a week and there are about twenty different workouts to do that are assigned for specific days during each week. Conditioning is where I feel like I need to work twenty times harder because I’m not extremely quick and I’m currently not in the best shape. I think that being in great condition is how I can separate myself from others next year. In order to make an impact on the team and show that I can contribute, I have to be in top shape which also means I have to do a weight workout. I mentioned earlier that freshmen aren’t required to lift weights but when you really want something, you do more than is what asked or expected of you. I know that weight lifting will help prepare me for the fall so I’ve added that to my summer workouts. I admit that waking up every morning at 7:00 isn’t fun and can be difficult when you want to sleep in just another twenty minutes but I think it’s completely worth it to meet my goals. I’m sure that I’ll face problems in the workouts or be tempted to take a day or two off but I’ll overcome those obstacles because I understand the opportunity I’ve been given and as everyday ends, I move one day closer to becoming a freshman at Pfeiffer University.

Basketball season is finally here. Now all the hours of weight lifting, conditioning, and individual workouts from pre-season have added up and can finally be put into use on the court. Pre-season was long and it was extremely challenging. In order to get through it, you had to be tough and motivate yourself everyday, no matter how hard it got. I dreaded conditioning but now that we’ve started practice, I can tell a huge difference in my speed and endurance. Weight training with my assistant coach, Coach P, was also tough. He put us through circuits where half the team was in tears just to get through; however, we did get through it and it made us stronger individually and as a team. 

Practices started and many of the drills were familiar for me. The main focuses of our practices were the little things, which is exactly what I’ve been taught is most important while I played for the Stealers. Even though I wasn’t used to practices being over two hours, I loved it. Sometimes it’s easy to get a little burnt out when we have two-a-days but I’m excited to be playing with a new group of girls and learn this program. Throughout the first weeks of practice, I was able to stand out by playing smart and working hard. I’m by far not the most athletic player on the team but I’ve learned in the past that if you play “hard, smart, and concentrated,” you’ll get things done the right way. Our style of basketball is different than the styles I’ve played in the past but I’m getting used to it. Our team is finally meshing together and despite the fact that over half of our team is freshmen, we’re looking like we’ll have a strong season.

We’ve played two games so far and unfortunately they have been losses; however, we showed spurts of greatness in those games and proved ourselves against a nationally ranked team. There are never any excuses to a loss but if we would’ve played a little smarter, those games would’ve been ours. Our pre-season standings poll in our conference doesn’t have us very high on the list. We have just chosen to use that as a motivator to work harder than everyone else so we can prove them wrong. As a freshman playing college basketball, usually it’s hard to be a leader or get a lot of time on the court. With my team being so young, that isn’t the case. I’ve earned a starting position that I’m working to keep and I get to play a lot in the games. I’m working to keep that spot and making sure every time I step on the floor that I’m not complacent. I can always get better whether that means getting quicker, smarter or stronger. After speaking with the coaches, I know that a lot is expected of me this season. My goals are to stay positive and do whatever I have to do on the court to get a win. Some may look at it as pressure to have all of these expectations but this is what I wanted. I’m continuing to learn more about the game of basketball everyday and I love it. I may get tired or frustrated at times, but it’s all worth it in the end. I’m lucky that I’ve had the training and experiences I’ve had in the past because they make it much easier on me now. My past coaches and teammates have really gotten me where I am. As the season progresses, I’m going to keep pushing myself and keep working to get better everyday.