tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10238609930147714222024-02-23T23:32:22.586-08:00UMPQUA WOMEN'S BASKETBALLA Coach's Look At The Umpqua Community College Women's Basketball ProgramDave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-7442674892735895532012-04-25T10:47:00.000-07:002012-04-25T10:48:46.945-07:00Sophomores Pay It Forward<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VyYpZNHN4KyCXj5CzbLEC_LKbbdq6M8QeJxg6fGnBh89ktD7xSPxRM185dYlDjDOfGEtuePkvbAyh_unMQ5mFVyZ7bWTcp6-c_MtLgVq8lBocZ96DsWeh4lB0bbAP-B69CsaAFHVmxk/s1600/TEAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VyYpZNHN4KyCXj5CzbLEC_LKbbdq6M8QeJxg6fGnBh89ktD7xSPxRM185dYlDjDOfGEtuePkvbAyh_unMQ5mFVyZ7bWTcp6-c_MtLgVq8lBocZ96DsWeh4lB0bbAP-B69CsaAFHVmxk/s200/TEAM.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
When I walked into the gym yesterday to see who might be in there I was happy to see three of our freshmen, Haley Reynolds, Shannon Jackson, and Asia Jordan all working out. At one basket several cones were arranged in a tight diamond formation and Haley was working on her ball handling while Shannon and Asia were practicing back to the basket and face up post moves at another basket. All three players were completely drenched in sweat and had obviously been working very hard.<br />
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But what made me smile the most was watching the one player in the gym NOT working out - sophomore Deanna Tupai. Dee was moving back and forth between the two stations yelling out instructions and providing feedback after nearly every repetition. She looked - and sounded - like a real coach and the freshmen responded by continuing to work harder and harder.<br />
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No one slowed down when I walked in and started watching. Eventually Haley finished her ballhandling and started shooting jump shots both off the catch and off the dribble. Right about that time Samantha Thornton walked into the gym and immediately stepped out onto the court and helped Dee rebound for Haley. Not only did the two sophomores rebound and pass but they also constantly encouraged Haley to hold her follow through, stay on balance, keep her feet still, and concentrate. A couple hundred shots later, the workout finally ended and there were high fives all around.<br />
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Watching the whole experience unfold was a proud moment for me because it reflected the culture that we work so diligently to establish here at UCC; everyone looking after each other and all working hard to help make themselves and each other better. Dee and Sam didn't have to help the freshmen and the freshmen didn't have to listen to them. After all, they will undoubtedly never all be on the same team again. But the sophomores DID help and the freshmen DID listen and respond and in the end <em>everyone</em> was a little better than when they started.Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-75767354916546893382012-04-23T11:54:00.000-07:002012-04-23T11:54:40.080-07:00Samantha Thornton to Play in Alaska<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8uXyjzZ4bkfjk4RCFRZ_55LT9ajM8brQm1Q3xg_NJGHLgg_vHoc24ZWC2LDHByTIH89bkoNq_DCJn4QfzpCEhsq6BFw4IIXK2Z2X1eZ8Hymic7Mzkpk38FqwSXFeSnHSEiTeacN1oNk/s1600/rp_primary_thornton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8uXyjzZ4bkfjk4RCFRZ_55LT9ajM8brQm1Q3xg_NJGHLgg_vHoc24ZWC2LDHByTIH89bkoNq_DCJn4QfzpCEhsq6BFw4IIXK2Z2X1eZ8Hymic7Mzkpk38FqwSXFeSnHSEiTeacN1oNk/s320/rp_primary_thornton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Umpqua sophomore Samantha Thornton has accepted a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Alaska next year. Thornton, who attended Olympic High School in Bremerton, Washington, averaged 18 points and 7 rebounds per game for the Riverhawks. For her efforts, she was named 1st Team All Southern Region and was selected to play in the NWAACC All Star Game. Click here to read the article released by the University of Alaska, including quotes from the Nannoks coach Cody Burgess : <a href="http://alaskananooks.com/news/2012/4/17/WBB_0417122607.aspx">http://alaskananooks.com/news/2012/4/17/WBB_0417122607.aspx</a>Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-31426792949793824062012-03-11T15:36:00.003-07:002012-03-11T15:56:09.582-07:00Swim,Thornton,&Tupai Play Well in All Star GameUmpqua sophomores Kristen Swim, Samantha Thornton, and Deanna Tupai all represented themselves and UCC extremely well in the recent 2012 NWAACC All Star Game. Tupai had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Swim had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Thornton had 9 points and 3 rebounds. Thornton, who sprained her ankle in last week's NWAACC Championship Tournament, was doubtful that she could play right up until game time. Combined, the three Riverhawks were 14-24 from the floor (58%), 6-8 from the free throw line line (75%) and 1-1 from the three point line.Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-28532737059905051462012-03-11T15:21:00.003-07:002012-03-11T15:35:58.112-07:00Former Riverhawks Named 1st Team All ConferenceThree former UCC Riverhawks (Mykiea Russell - Montreat College; Chelsey Christensen - Warner Pacific University; Gretchen Owens - Linfield University) have all recently been named 1st Team All Conference in their respective conferences. This was the second straight year that seniors Russell and Owens received this honor since transferring from UCC. Russell was also named as her conference's Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year.<br /><br />UCC has long had the reputation of developing and enhancing strong offensive skills and this season once again proved that to be true as all three former Riverhawks lead their teams in scoring. Christensen and Owens also lead their teams in rebounding as well and Russell lead her squad in both assists and steals.Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-88164830880591276762012-02-29T21:12:00.004-08:002012-02-29T21:30:33.336-08:00Umpqua Sophs Named to All Academic Team<img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 198px; height: 133px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714796666429463922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRIiTrjovGdtffVTQQw2yEdrUCtH859_MXOMhIopeGYIlq4z2Uo_0UmCr4QlYDdQnU1YWzo-_vLTG33dwmggf1gSl05Lh1Uxb86E8JkGkrj4D8fI2tW-I0fcpyEGCVuixlCeHaeqPNSw/s320/team012.jpg" />Umpqua sophomores Samantha Thornton and Brooklyn Norman were recently named to the NWAACC 2011-12 All Academic Team. Norman, who is from Sutherlin, OR, currently has a 3.28 gpa and Thornton, who is from Bremerton, WA has a gpa of 3.31. Both players are science majors who have aspirations of eventually entering the medical profession.<br /><br />Congratulations Sam and Brook!Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-22665811982330420602012-02-06T15:19:00.000-08:002012-02-06T16:13:29.095-08:00Born To Be Basketball PlayersSeveral years ago we were in a playoff game and everything was going wrong. We were 31-1 and were in danger of being upset by a team we thought we should beat handily.Our best shooter, Jennifer Harney wasn't getting many open looks and it looked like an unbelievable season was going to come to an unexpected and disappointing end. Trailing by two and with the clock quickly winding down, Jen caught the ball on the left wing and hit a 3 with a hand in her face that won the game, avoided the upset and kept our season alive. Three games later we cut down down the nets after winning the championship and finishing the season 35-1.<br /><br />Three years later we were back in the Final Four and ahead by one point with about 30 seconds left to play. When our opponent scored with 10 seconds left we immediately inbounded the ball and raced down court. (We had prepared for situations like this dozens of times before and so everyone knew exactly what to do.) With four seconds left we got the open shot we wanted but unfortunately missed and their center rebounded the ball. There was a mad scramble and suddenly the ball seemed to squirt straight up in the air and into the basket with .2 seconds on the clock. Those of us on the bench had no idea what happened other than we won the game and would once again play for the Championship the next night. Only later in the locker room did we find out that when their center rebounded our miss and pulled the ball down back over her head Nicole Quinn reached up, grabbed it and somehow threw it up and in right before the final buzzer!<br /><br />Three years later we were again in a playoff game and again found ourselves needing a miraculous finish. During a timeout right at the end of the game we drew up a play that would hopefully give us a chance to send the game into overtime. Instead of hitting a game tieing 2, Sarah Coleman ran off a double screen and drained a game winning 3. Four games later we cut down the nets after winning the NWAACC (Pacific Northwest) Championship with a 29-4 record. (We've called that play "Sarah" ever since.)<br /><br />Three awesome finishes taking place three years apart made possible by three great players. And if that's not special enough, each of those game winning heroes share something else in common, even though I don't think they have ever met each other.<br /><br />They were all born years apart on February 6th! Happy Birthday Jen, Nicole, and Sarah! I'm thinking about you!Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-77174611731828506082012-02-02T22:40:00.000-08:002012-02-02T22:47:19.569-08:00Mykiea Russell Named Player of the Week<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1YMmhCUP5EkvDx4rCYHaf90lNcJ53Aj-ZNOjVdBkTORXXaLNdre1px7vSKuPN-38O7pq7qywY59KeofQz4deICCVvR46pIOYibBnEvhacOSUOI3byYFPcqujh05Kkosj2Og88fT-67E/s1600/mykiea_russell_64_wb2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 150px; height: 200px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704796874014322354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1YMmhCUP5EkvDx4rCYHaf90lNcJ53Aj-ZNOjVdBkTORXXaLNdre1px7vSKuPN-38O7pq7qywY59KeofQz4deICCVvR46pIOYibBnEvhacOSUOI3byYFPcqujh05Kkosj2Og88fT-67E/s320/mykiea_russell_64_wb2.jpg" /></a>Umpqua alumni Mykiea Russell, now playing at Montreat University, has been named the Appalachian Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the second time this season. Below is the press release from the AAC and can be found at AACSports.com<div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Mykiea Russell of Montreat (N.C.) is the Appalachian Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.The 5-foot-2, senior guard from Los Angeles, Calif., helped the Lady Cavaliers to a pair of double-digit, conference victories last week. Montreat defeated Columbia (S.C.) 89-74 and Milligan (Tenn.) 81-70. Montreat is 14-6 overall and 7-4 in the AAC.This marks the second time this season Russell has won the award, having received it once before on Jan. 9. She joins Lindsey Waters of Union (Ky.) as the only repeat winners this season.Russell averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 11.0 assists on the week. She netted only seven points against Columbia, but she tied her own school record for assists in a game with 13. Against Milligan, she added 34 points and nine assists. In addition, Russell was a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range and 17-for-17 at the foul line.On the season, Russell leads the conference in assists (6.25 per game) and steals (2.45 per game). She also leads Montreat in scoring at 14.45 points per game.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Congratulations Mykie!</div>Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-27279729737267739322012-01-30T14:51:00.000-08:002012-01-30T15:10:58.093-08:00Chelsey Christensen Named Player of the Week<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ciBEDb7ZNxaiImJmpzksNDdl3GVbn6dnQZX070JCLSOIlAjVyrtpxImK_JHG18Mn0tzdkTEfG4c1t8rUbqPEAuIfIOsbkDa1CB0-BapRJyK3FHllcBcekR3Ez9NzowdgropKTKFq6KU/s1600/chelseypow.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703564909509391090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ciBEDb7ZNxaiImJmpzksNDdl3GVbn6dnQZX070JCLSOIlAjVyrtpxImK_JHG18Mn0tzdkTEfG4c1t8rUbqPEAuIfIOsbkDa1CB0-BapRJyK3FHllcBcekR3Ez9NzowdgropKTKFq6KU/s320/chelseypow.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Umpqua alumni Chelsey Christensen, a 5-9 junior who is now playing at Warner Pacific University has been named the Cascade Conference's Women’s Basketball Player of the Week. Christensen, WPU's leading scorer and rebounder totaled 38 points and 16 rebounds in a pair of victories over the weekend. </div><br /><div>After averaging 6 points a game at Central Catholic High School, Christensen averaged 9 points a game as a freshman at Umpqua and then 23 points as a sophomore. She holds the Umpqua and NWAACC Championship Tournament records for most three point shots made in a single game with 11.</div><br /><div>One of the runner ups for the Cascade Conference's Player of the Week was Southern Oregon University post player Cassandra Tiggett, also an Umpqua alumni, who recorded 23 points and 15 rebounds in her game last Saturday.</div><br /><div>Congratulations to both players! UCC is proud of you!!</div>Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-46231987823798726042011-08-01T14:58:00.000-07:002012-01-23T16:59:44.367-08:00Linda Gets One of Best Assists Ever<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJr8bZ_bS90Zh_ASIuo5m68x-PdMva9zOxcIMha5y0LIrXl9fDMTh8MM4NqDVTbKpyBp3syKv4kk67cpz3WZ484cKrthlhcp3OlSvSyg-LQNgaV9aUS6bJTV_zVn8zHbqMfONyG9NsD4E/s1600/RodmanDiving2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 217px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 137px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636025500481659458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJr8bZ_bS90Zh_ASIuo5m68x-PdMva9zOxcIMha5y0LIrXl9fDMTh8MM4NqDVTbKpyBp3syKv4kk67cpz3WZ484cKrthlhcp3OlSvSyg-LQNgaV9aUS6bJTV_zVn8zHbqMfONyG9NsD4E/s320/RodmanDiving2.jpg" /></a>Many of you know that I have been blogging for www.hoopskills.com about various basketball related topics. Below is part of one of my most recent posts:<br /><br />After an exhausting but fun week of recruiting in California I found myself playing some pickup basketball last night with several other college and NBA coaches. I have no idea why but for some reason I ended up guarding Eric Spoelstra, the coach of the Miami Heat. Eric had the ball out on the wing and I was in a great defensive stance and “D’ing” him up pretty good. He ripped the ball through from right to left and when he did I managed to get my hand on the ball. The ball squirted loose and started heading straight to the sideline. Without hesitating and without ever coming out of my stance, I took one long and low step and dove head first for the ball. Then right before I hit the floor and skidded out of bounds, a hand grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me back.<br /><br />A split second later I woke up and found myself hanging over the side of our bed while my wife Linda let go of my shirt and asked, “What are you doing? Are you okay?” When I told her that I was diving to keep a ball from going out of bounds, she started laughing so hard that <em>she</em> nearly fell out of bed!<br /><br />Thankfully, Linda probably kept me from breaking my nose. . . but I still almost got to the ball!Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-55296071031068449632011-05-22T10:05:00.000-07:002011-05-22T11:40:09.136-07:00What Would You Do?Most of the time, Umpqua sophomore Chelsey Christensen is a typical college basketball player. She goes to class every day, lifts weights, goes to study hall, does individual workouts in the gym, and has a work study study job because she qualifies for federal financial aid. She eats more Top Ramen than she really wants to;not by choice but out of necessity.<br /><br />Chelsey and I have an arrangement. Once or twice a week, I give her $3 and my Costco card and she drives a mile or so down the road and brings us back hot dogs for lunch. She gets and I pay. That's the deal. It saves her a couple bucks and saves me some time.<br /><br />Last Friday I saw Chelsey anxiously hanging out by the entrance of the athletic offices and then saw a man around 40 years old walk towards the building. Chelsey rushed out and yelled "Are you Sam?" Chelsey handed him something, they talked quietly for a few minutes, and then they hugged before each turned around and headed back to where they started.<br /><br />When she walked back into the offices, Chelsey told me that the day before, when she made our Costco run, she found a wallet in the parking lot that contained a social security card, a credit card, a debit card, and $280 IN CASH!!!!<br /><br />So she did what every (well, probably not EVERY) poor college student who has little or no extra money would do - she used Sam's driver's license info to contact him and gave him back the whole thing!<br /><br />Chelsey could've told Sam that she had found the wallet without any cash in it and I'm sure Sam would have still been happy that his credit cards and I.D. had been returned. $280 is a fortune to a "starving" college student. That much money could've bought a new ipod, some Jordan's, or nearly two year's worth of Costco lunches for Chelsey and her favorite basketball coach.<br /><br />Instead, the $280 bought her the peace of mind that comes from knowing that she did the right thing. She even refused a small reward. I don't know how she did in class last Friday, but Chelsey Christensen passed her integrity test with an A+Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-6653359913984510922011-02-07T17:39:00.000-08:002011-02-07T17:48:17.481-08:00Umpqua Alumni Has Monster Week<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UNx_P23JE_g_Y7z9G-8VisJKbxJMB5B_TMfq2QxKLPkkOWc-E-v6ZfqgIaoiww7Xry8BzPrFhFfDpdY220bqEe-a1gYKxy3u_xSBF_3v6N_d0I7h2hMkJEIIA79TN06bQzogM20CY2w/s1600/mykiemontreat.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UNx_P23JE_g_Y7z9G-8VisJKbxJMB5B_TMfq2QxKLPkkOWc-E-v6ZfqgIaoiww7Xry8BzPrFhFfDpdY220bqEe-a1gYKxy3u_xSBF_3v6N_d0I7h2hMkJEIIA79TN06bQzogM20CY2w/s320/mykiemontreat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571129377524840626" /></a><br />ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Former Umpqua point guard Mykiea Russell of Montreat (N.C.) earned the Appalachian Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week award, the league announced Monday.<br /><br />Russell had a solid all-around week, averaging 26.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists last week. The 5-foot-2 guard from Los Angeles, Calif., poured in 37 points in the 83-75 win over Virginia Intermont. The 37 points are the second most any Lady Cavalier has scored in a game. During the game, Russell poured in a school single-game record nine 3-pointers and dished out 10 assists for a double-double.<br /><br />Montreat is 21-3 overall and 7-3 in the AAC.<br /><br />Before going to Montreat, Russell starred at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon where she helped lead her team to a Region Championship,was named to the All Southern Region team and played in the NWAACC(Pacific Northwest) All Star Game.Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-36499770159443016522011-01-31T12:58:00.000-08:002011-01-31T15:55:43.337-08:00Guest Blogger: Jameia McDuffieHello, my name is Jameia McDuffie. My hometown is Long Beach, California and I graduated from Long Beach Poly High School. I am a sophomore and this season differs from last season in so many ways. As a freshman you're not really sure what to expect. How hard are practices going to be? What's it like to live with your teammates? What's the competition like? What are college classes like? But as a sophomore you know the answers to all those questions and so it makes things so much easier from the very beginning.<br /><br />I'm very enthusiastic about our team, what we are accomplishing together, and what we can still accomplish. As we prepare for the second half of the season every game becomes increasingly more important to win. The good thing is that while some teams peak early in the season we are just starting to put all the pieces of the puzzle together as far as understanding and applying what TEAM is all about. I think we are just going to keep getting better and better!<br /><br />Last Saturday we got it done against Portland and the night before came out on top against Mt. Hood. Right now we are in second place in our league are only one game out of first. Before the Mt. Hood game Dave wrote on the whiteboard that if we won we would eat at Outback Steakhouse after the game but if we lost we would have to eat at AM/PM. We were pretty sure he was joking but didn't want to take any chances! We had a pretty good lead for most of the half but lost some of it right before halftime. At halftime Dave told us that for dinner he would recommend AM/PM's jumbo spicy hot dog with mustard and onions. We got the message and came out in the second half and put the game away early. (At dinner I shared a Bloomin' Onion with my roommates and then had the steak and shrimp!! It was delicious!)<br /><br />The more time we all spend with each other the closer we get. Almost all of us are away from home so we have become more than just teammates to one another. We have really formed a family and so it's going to be really hard when I have to leave here.<br /><br />Our next four games are on the road before we play at home again. If we are anywhere close to you come watch us play!<br /><br />JameiaDave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-86286858282056379712011-01-09T21:53:00.000-08:002011-01-09T22:28:57.089-08:00Guest Blogger: Chelsey ChristensenHey everyone! My name is Chelsey Christensen and I am a sophomore from West Linn, Oregon. The past few months have flown by so fast it’s hard to believe we had our first league game against Southwestern Oregon last night. (We won!!) I still remember back in September when all the freshmen first moved to Roseburg and we had our first week of open gym together. It’s interesting to look back at those first few workouts and see how much we have grown as a team since then. We are all really excited to get started with our league play and show people what we can do. <br /><br />This year I live in a house with four other girls on the team, Sam Thornton(Washington), Emily Cook (Washington), Karlie Wilhelmi (Alaska), and Pua Kailiawa (Hawaii). Moving into a house with four other girls was very different from my living situation the previous year. Not only did I not live with any of my teammates but I also lived with one other girl who was about four years older than me. This did have it’s benefits but I am so glad that I chose to live with my teammates this year. It really helped our team grow closer faster with most of us living together and It is fun living with girls my own age who have the same mind set and goals that I do.<br /><br />I remember how nervous I was to meet them and see how the living situations would work out and how we would be as a team. I am glad to say that all of our girls have adjusted really well and get along great. I have to admit I was curious in the beginning to see how the freshmen would handle being away from home since a couple came from as far as Alaska and Hawaii but we have all become good friends and we are gelling more as a team everyday. We have come a long way since that first week of practice thats for sure!<br /><br />I hope all of you reading this are as excited as we are to start playing steadily for the next couple months. We have been working really hard to improve our game as individuals and as a team. Our next two games are at home and we really hope to see a supportive crowd there to watch! Hope to see you there.<br /><br />-ChelseyDave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-82135980421749220442011-01-03T14:53:00.000-08:002011-01-03T16:13:04.470-08:00Every Coach Should Be This Lucky!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D5V9mkL5aijo5PwiwIZSrdAIvrDX_TJFogOjmGezaRMIRqStsHDzZN0XgNJ5oQJgqdIaj3csQnP-GhSRU2NwwGWg5XRCI39pP3R6YJu-4tWVbTH1TtqvgLy06RITs_SXcU-R8p1zxDg/s1600/taybball2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D5V9mkL5aijo5PwiwIZSrdAIvrDX_TJFogOjmGezaRMIRqStsHDzZN0XgNJ5oQJgqdIaj3csQnP-GhSRU2NwwGWg5XRCI39pP3R6YJu-4tWVbTH1TtqvgLy06RITs_SXcU-R8p1zxDg/s320/taybball2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558116082065916386" /></a><br />First of all let me explain why I haven't written in so long. I've become involved in helping put together an online coaching academy that is going to be a HUGE help to coaches at all levels and that has taken hours and hours and hours of work. Fortunately we're down to crunch time and almost ready to launch!<br /><br />But something happened last night at practice that I just have to write about - my 11year old daughter Taylor ran the Fast Break drill and two other drills in practice for the very first time. She was extremely nervous at first but our players were very encouraging and helped make sure she always got to the right spots. She was so excited to play with the "big girls" that she hasn't come off Cloud 9 yet!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnxjbZYUdJftKMn3d-_3UrxRbdVK73TNVMC2KEQ_v8aEYvMNTvaoOzVWuTp4QONw1PtyriyEXwhRxFvmkT_quGwzU4F-w02OYoCLUwDXNOxSsU76HihGoozpqgxqBE4gKHaNV_LoGnXw/s1600/lines.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnxjbZYUdJftKMn3d-_3UrxRbdVK73TNVMC2KEQ_v8aEYvMNTvaoOzVWuTp4QONw1PtyriyEXwhRxFvmkT_quGwzU4F-w02OYoCLUwDXNOxSsU76HihGoozpqgxqBE4gKHaNV_LoGnXw/s320/lines.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558102172556825330" /></a>On the down side I'm not sure I've ever felt older than I did when Taylor was running and filling the lanes on the fast break! It seems like only yesterday when she was watching Disney videos in the corner of the gym while practice was going on and then I would race her around the court while she sat on the ball cart. When she was 2 or 3 she would line up with the players and try to run with them after practice. (See picture on the left) Whenever Taylor would ask if she could actually practice, Linda and I would always put her off by saying, "As soon as you're as tall as the players." Well, guess what? She's now taller than two of our players and so we let her try it!<br /><br />Who knows what the future will bring but for 20 minutes last night I got to walk up and down the sidelines and coach my daughter and my team at the very same time. To all the players on the court,(including Taylor) it was just a few transition drills but to this coach and father it was much, much more than that! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzBXXN8H6elPiWZLGbrFe0GXelUwsyuzN3NEy4ZGXeseCOD8sbkN3_2DV9mwg2q8vnWP8OWIvTctLEZ60vZjgIzZnVjvloclT8bimV0Xzfh-5MeB_zomAciqzVK6JHm8lFgWCiKxBnCI/s1600/TayDuke.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzBXXN8H6elPiWZLGbrFe0GXelUwsyuzN3NEy4ZGXeseCOD8sbkN3_2DV9mwg2q8vnWP8OWIvTctLEZ60vZjgIzZnVjvloclT8bimV0Xzfh-5MeB_zomAciqzVK6JHm8lFgWCiKxBnCI/s320/TayDuke.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558113748110507138" /></a>Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-29131334691064961082010-07-02T12:47:00.000-07:002010-07-02T13:16:10.745-07:00"Coach" T. Harv Eker<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiALeY9ojNxi_LC6vtnjFLAkqOlmNXZW-tyjD-jMD_WuGOrPMH3wJ1dSzAA_JFe8Nri-AwchnP22VOPAuDbFXdmnMZ5Vg9Vobu0end9Gd_PdadL7VuAQTki05mNLPeBrS0GsTV9pGphVY/s1600/MillMind.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiALeY9ojNxi_LC6vtnjFLAkqOlmNXZW-tyjD-jMD_WuGOrPMH3wJ1dSzAA_JFe8Nri-AwchnP22VOPAuDbFXdmnMZ5Vg9Vobu0end9Gd_PdadL7VuAQTki05mNLPeBrS0GsTV9pGphVY/s320/MillMind.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489404183293045282" /></a> The following is taken from page 101 of T. Harv Eker's <em>Secrets of the Millionaire Mind</em>.<br /><br />"I hate to be in your face about it, but the way I see it, that's my job. I believe a good coach will always ask more of you than you will ask of yourself. Otherwise, why the heck do you need one? As your coach my goal is to train you, inspire you, encourage you, coax you, and have you observe in full living color what is holding you back. In short, to do whatever it takes to move you to the next level. If I have to I'll rip you apart and then piece you back togeher. I'll do whatever it takes to make you ten times happier and a hundred times richer. If you're lookng for Pollyanna, I'm not your guy. But if you want to move quickly and permanently, let's continue."<br /><br />Who does this sound like?Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-49049350511996438632010-06-23T23:09:00.000-07:002010-06-23T23:53:40.408-07:00Great Day To Be a Sports Fan!!What a great day to be a sports fan! First USA Soccer's last minute (injury minute) goal against Algeria lets them advance to the second round of the World Cup where either a loss or a tie would have eliminated them from competition. Then the Isner/Mahut singles match at Wimbledon became the long<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 321px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 145px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486226373596619778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj632eW6OJUqNBzF_i3VVLen6w-SvbdUIH2CTC6F3gzHD6o8ylsVSqonDwK8MEH0v4UFeNRpUonOn7522kFgfJqlELFrpvWbtyrMb8jfIrSrbO4ORqb3kCYoGAP0z5NKowFqf0zeAIsCxE/s320/IsnerMahut.jpg" />est tennis match in history and it's not even done yet. The match, which has already lasted 10 hours, was delayed because of darkness and will resume tomorrow. The fifth set is currently tied at 59 games EACH!<br /><div></div><br /><div>I must admit that I'm not the world's biggest tennis fan but I was/am fascinated by the amount of focus and physical and mental toughness that it takes to compete 1 on 1 for that length of time. I'm especially impressed with France's Nicolas Mahut who has never had the lead during the entire 118 game fifth set. I'm really curious to see who can recover physically and then maintain the necessary focus when they start playing again tomorrow.</div><br /><div></div><div>It looked to me like USA Soccer ran the perfect fast break to score the game winning goal. The ball was outletted perfectly up the sideline by the goalie and off they went. The ball was dribbled up the sideline, passed first to the middle and then to the wing. The initial shot was stopped but a trailing Landon Donovan put in the offensive rebound for the win. How many times each practice do we demand that our players never give up on the fast break whether it be an uncontested layup or a 3 from the wing? This was the perfect example of "why!" </div><br /><div><div>Be in great shape. Concentrate on the now. Never give up on the play. Remember the game's not over til it's over. Whether it's soccer, tennis, or basketball - the success principles are all the same!!</div></div>Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-69358563513447810212010-06-06T22:21:00.000-07:002010-06-06T23:23:52.713-07:00What's Up Doc?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafaY97MMSYqM69gEOaBeINgUcHS0OkIOKgAZxpBu8FVIEgSRe4XEunDifRnCI_XuPe1IPnQTb4VcCsZJNUbI7gZNYVPXUxj1RNdeciljYufvESyyahObM0UGNb_Cu-GiOL0T2SK9rC7s/s1600/celtichuddle.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 288px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 175px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479911452859540738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafaY97MMSYqM69gEOaBeINgUcHS0OkIOKgAZxpBu8FVIEgSRe4XEunDifRnCI_XuPe1IPnQTb4VcCsZJNUbI7gZNYVPXUxj1RNdeciljYufvESyyahObM0UGNb_Cu-GiOL0T2SK9rC7s/s320/celtichuddle.jpg" /></a>In tonight's Celtics-Lakers game something happened that may have gone unnoticed by most fans, but certainly made me smile as a coach. With 1:39 to go in the game that was still close, the Celtics grabbed a rebound and had 8 seconds to get the ball past half court. When things started to unravel, Boston coach Doc Rivers ran out onto the court and called a timeout with only a second to spare. Quick thinking by Rivers prevented a momentum killing turnover and allowed the Celtics to keep possession of the ball. Almost immediately, Brian Scalabrine, Kevin Garnett, Nate Robinson and Glen Davis all ran to their coach and bombarded him with chest bumps, hugs, and back slaps in recognition and appreciation for what he just did to impact the game. (Some also laughed since Doc seemed winded after his twenty foot sprnt!)<br /><br />We see that kind of emoton all the time when teammates hit a big 3, get a huge block, or make a great hustle play, but hardly ever is a coach on the receiving end of such "love." When Doc Rivers goes back and watches the game tape he is going to feel closer to his team than ever before. He will undoubtedly rewind that sequence over and over and it will eventually become one of his favorite plays of the season,. It's already one of mine!Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-44279129548124525072010-06-05T20:16:00.000-07:002010-06-05T21:23:14.712-07:00Umpqua Alumni Makes WWE Debut<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8MbX174xRoqI9sHFJxuXHEGTFb7pkDP1xGA2dURPCVtftxxTVUVTPW3AoZndpPw9ZLj6Ra1WURQxi75IxJXlKGsTj6QEJSAhIrpD8BWmWKyIbdtHUp25wxLHju5PG5oljRM8JwrTkHk/s1600/SaronaRaw1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 205px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479507614215754898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8MbX174xRoqI9sHFJxuXHEGTFb7pkDP1xGA2dURPCVtftxxTVUVTPW3AoZndpPw9ZLj6Ra1WURQxi75IxJXlKGsTj6QEJSAhIrpD8BWmWKyIbdtHUp25wxLHju5PG5oljRM8JwrTkHk/s320/SaronaRaw1.jpg" /></a>Former UCC alumni Sarona Snuka has signed a contract with the WWE and recently made her national television debut on the WWE's Monday Night RAW where she teamed with the Uso brothers to take on the Hart Dynasty. Sarona played at UCC from 1997-1999 and then later spent a season as one of our assistant coaches. She came back to Roseburg and spent a few days at practice with us this past season and knocked people around with the same intensity and competitiveness as she did ten years ago.<br /><div> </div><div>A interesting side not is that if you Google "Sarona Snuka images" one of the very first pictures to come up is one of Sarona and my eleven year old daughter Taylor that was taken during Sarona's last visit here. It's funny to see that same picture, which had to be copied off of this blog, displayed on various wrestling web sites.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGc3GJJ7jD20TcbS6KxYXP823ITyZ-nRegGndwonHDB5iKzIpQfkh7MhgibKnqlr51f5Tn-nA8pys2GXY6k4JsHzgfNxHLA0K8AXnvOFkXnfrksMKs4ilpSxwjfxHM-zjZTmnVHg7Vpo/s1600/SaronaRaw2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479508016349789378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGc3GJJ7jD20TcbS6KxYXP823ITyZ-nRegGndwonHDB5iKzIpQfkh7MhgibKnqlr51f5Tn-nA8pys2GXY6k4JsHzgfNxHLA0K8AXnvOFkXnfrksMKs4ilpSxwjfxHM-zjZTmnVHg7Vpo/s320/SaronaRaw2.jpg" /></a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>See the girl laying on the mat? The picture was taken shortly after Sarona hit her! I'm pretty sure anyone who has ever gone through our 2 on 2 rebounding drill against Sarona knows that same feeling!!</div></div>Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-84044540419067435552010-05-26T09:42:00.000-07:002010-05-26T10:58:27.297-07:00Heidi Buehler<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cnuMCRhTjEG812Ypm07n-R1aU9d8MkDqA1ozE6RR0wWTURX8K56E4ezF68UhPE684SdcRxF_zX2Tr36gTHSLYN6EbbjvX6PVUksljx4AKTk_H9XVeW_FP8WfMsD82o2t9x6Mz_ySkDA/s1600/heidi%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475635947014899938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cnuMCRhTjEG812Ypm07n-R1aU9d8MkDqA1ozE6RR0wWTURX8K56E4ezF68UhPE684SdcRxF_zX2Tr36gTHSLYN6EbbjvX6PVUksljx4AKTk_H9XVeW_FP8WfMsD82o2t9x6Mz_ySkDA/s320/heidi%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a>Since today is Heidi Buehler's 28th birthday I thought it would be a good time to remind readers of the legacy that she left on Umpqua basketball. It's been eight years since Heidi graduated from Umpqua but the records that she set still stand today. Heidi currently holds school records for most points in a single game (53), most points in a season (809), most points in a career (1,303), most free throws made in a season (204), most steals in a season (99), and most steals in a career (173). After her sophomore year Heidi was recognized as a Kodak All American and received a basketball scholarship to Northwest Nazarene University along with UCC teammate Julia Barker.<br /><br /><div></div><div>What doesn't show up in the record book is her personality and impact as a leader. She was strong and forceful and direct - traits that are way too uncommon in women's athletics. Many women athletes have such a strong desire to be liked by their teammates that they hold back a little so they don't upset anyone. Much like Sarah Coleman, Denay Martin and other forceful leaders, Heidi treated every practice, every game, every individual workout like the championship was on the line. . . .and wasn't shy about expecting everyone else to do the same!</div><br /><div>When we played in Portland this last season, Heidi came to the game and then stopped by the hotel afterwards and spoke to the team. She told story after story about working hard, about the expectations of the program, and how her Umpqua experience changed her life. It was heartfelt and inspiring and made us all glad to be part of Umpqua basketball.</div><div> </div><div>Happy Birthday Heidi!!!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-77753533045749767512010-05-24T14:07:00.000-07:002010-05-24T14:20:58.832-07:00Pat Riley - "Showtime"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXtZDo6ap4YBt1tLeQEWGN9aUweN4BegHmYrHcGJdDoVk44sYtHnsSaJFuTlJ8cZiqmEx9nnpleypv14L2xnsL7DmN2MuhtpDbbS9e1K8PWUObG4_wiCxwtbywLDC08YLkoq0gSrBEbI/s1600/RileyMagic.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 191px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 131px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474949103031353266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXtZDo6ap4YBt1tLeQEWGN9aUweN4BegHmYrHcGJdDoVk44sYtHnsSaJFuTlJ8cZiqmEx9nnpleypv14L2xnsL7DmN2MuhtpDbbS9e1K8PWUObG4_wiCxwtbywLDC08YLkoq0gSrBEbI/s320/RileyMagic.jpg" /></a>Here are some of the notes I took while reading "Showtime" by Pat Riley. The book (and the notes) are over 20 years old but still very relevant:<br /><br /><div>There are significant moments in every person’s life – and in every team’s life – when breakthroughs occur. If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.<br /><br />Somewhere, someplace, sometime, you’re going to have to plant your feet, make a stand, and kick some ass. And when that time comes, you do it!!<br /><br />Once you’ve been around sports long enough you see how success spoils some performers. To stay on top you have to develop an attitude that defines excellence as always wanting to do better. When you understand what it is to sustain greatness and championship form, then complacency is something that isn’t part of your life. You don’t allow it.<br /><br />The key to success isn’t great talent. The key to success is to learn how to do something right. Then do it right every time. Do it the same way every time.<br /><br />Our philosophy is that you reach a championship with hard work, good organization, and a minimum of distractions. (What is distracting you? Can it be postponed or eliminated for the remainder of the quest?)<br /><br />The privilege of calling yourselves champion is on the line.<br /><br />Effort is what ultimately separates average players from impact players and the one year champions from teams of lasting greatness.<br /><br /><strong>The ones who can really separate themselves from the pack are those who understand what it takes to sustain excellence. To get a way from a “to have” mentality. “To have “is something we develop early in life. To have power, to have prestige, to have a car, to have a house, and all those other things that we feel we need. And then you understand later in life that those things don’t mean anything. When you experience them you realize that the only thing left is to be the very best. You prioritize “to be” instead of “to have.”<br /></strong><br />We have one advantage that most teams don’t have. We have the work ethic. We have worked so hard, given so much to be a good team. As long as we don’t let up in that area we’ll be all right. This is the time for everyone to reach inside and give a little more. This is the time for each one of you to try and get better individually. As long as we concentrate there is no limit to what we can do.<br /><br />Teamwork is the essence of life. It makes everything possible from moon landings to the building of cities to the renewal of life. And a good team multiplies the potential of everyone on it, whether the team consists of a family, a school, a business, or a basketball team.</div>Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-611738399090023842010-05-11T10:29:00.000-07:002010-05-11T11:34:27.860-07:00Another Day Another Assist<a style="font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOb7netNncECPttkMoNVwiMHyD_tJgNUY6dte25ZYeI377NjLlgL3D-JqiMmgFz7ICxdxzHmZl9qnLTz-U-GubmLbkb0HvZ4YMhKv3vA8FHwDNp8h1_UTLdI_kM7RRiewVCy74ubQDAd0/s1600/Roxiepaint1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOb7netNncECPttkMoNVwiMHyD_tJgNUY6dte25ZYeI377NjLlgL3D-JqiMmgFz7ICxdxzHmZl9qnLTz-U-GubmLbkb0HvZ4YMhKv3vA8FHwDNp8h1_UTLdI_kM7RRiewVCy74ubQDAd0/s320/Roxiepaint1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470081501826720594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7HXVNOnWVgJfudDn6JLlG_gbtgUPoRV2Nro6635_o5zS45OHTZnQZ3DEFl6fC7e7p6roBD_Mc_UtHivfHENgIv6abwFAUPeQ-51ds5y97-HLYKFqKsB_md6a9piw5h530HGaSVZ1Cdg/s1600/Roxiepaint2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7HXVNOnWVgJfudDn6JLlG_gbtgUPoRV2Nro6635_o5zS45OHTZnQZ3DEFl6fC7e7p6roBD_Mc_UtHivfHENgIv6abwFAUPeQ-51ds5y97-HLYKFqKsB_md6a9piw5h530HGaSVZ1Cdg/s320/Roxiepaint2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470081094020241378" border="0" /></a><br />When former Umpqua basketball player Micaela (Williams) Leinonen needed some help getting her mom's house ready to sell, it only took one Facebook post and one text message to gather some extra help. I saw the post on FB saying that Micaela and her husband Chris were coming to Roseburg and were gong to try and cram a week's worth of work into one weekend and so I sent out a mass text to the current members of our team. Even though it was the last minute Mykiea Russell, Sparkal Clark, Priscilla Walker, and Jameia McDuffy dropped what they were doing and went with Linda and I over to the house where we spent the day moving furniture and painting. It was great to work side by side and fun to listen to Micaela and Priscilla compare Umpqua basketball stories and experiences. Even though they played years apart, a stranger walking into the room would have thought they were teammates! Jameia thought that working together like that brought us all a little closer and suggested that we find a house to paint as a team bonding event next Fall. Working hard, working together, appreciating the past, and looking ahead to the future. . . .it was a good day!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-31129717582083186432010-05-09T22:36:00.000-07:002010-05-10T02:30:09.876-07:00My Favorite Pair Of Jeanne'sSince today is Mother's Day I want to take a minute to thank and honor two very special women who both died of cancer and who I miss very, very much.<br /><br />The first is my mom, Jeanne Stricklin. While it was my dad who taught me how to play and to compete, it was my mom that made it possible. Quick example: One summer while Dad was working as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, Mom decided that I should sign up for my very first pee wee basketball league at Siglar Park, which was located on the other side of town. The fact that she didn't have a driver's license or know how to drive a car at the time was just a mere inconvenience. When it came time to go to the park we got into my dad's VW Bug and proceeded to drive the entire way while staying in first gear and only making right hand turns. It took forever but somehow we got there! Imagine <span style="font-style: italic;">slowly</span> driving all the way around the block in order to avoid making a single left hand turn and then repeating the process over and over until we methodically made our way cross town one big circle at a time. She eventually learned how to drive and over the next several years she must have driven me and my brothers to thousands of practices, hundreds of games, and even to a few Emergency Rooms. Mom was never an athlete herself and never really completely understood all the little ins and outs of the sports I first played, later coached, and always loved but it didn't matter. If it was important to us then it was important to her! Every once in a while I still catch myself reaching for my phone so I can call her.<br /><br />Jeanne Schell was an elderly widow who lived by herself across the street from UCC. After a year of enduring my persistent badgering she finally agreed to rent a room to one of my players. Lisa moved in and another one started to hang out there. Then that one moved in too and another started to hang out. Before everything was said and done, Jeanne added on to her house and over 40 girls lived with her while playing on our team. She sat right behind our bench at every home game, hosted annual team meetings and dinners, and met every potential player who came on a recruiting trip. The News Review even wrote a feature story about her called <span style="font-style: italic;">Jeanne Schell's House of Hoops</span>. Each year I can't help but think, "Mrs. Schell would have loved this team". . . .mainly because she loved all of them!<br /><br />I could write pages and pages about these two women. It's amazing how much success and happiness can be attributed to a great set of Jeanne's!!Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-69349443748856858362010-05-04T13:22:00.001-07:002010-05-04T15:15:18.993-07:00One Phone CallRandy Williamson, whose daughter Allissa just finished her sophomore season here at UCC, called me yesterday morning and I've been thinking about his call ever since. (Allissa, originally from McKinleyville, CA , was not one of our leading scorers or rebounders and like most competitors did not always play as much as she really wanted to, but she worked hard, was always ready when we needed her, and contributed any and every way she could.) Randy didn't call to compare Allissa to anyone else, to express his disappointment because UCONN never called, or to complain that she wasn't the star game in and game out. Instead, he called to <em>thank me! </em>He thanked me for coaching her, for pushing her beyond her perceived limits, and for helping her to grow and mature not only as a player but as a person as well. He said that he appreciated that his daughter could be part of a winning program and could experience what "real basketball" is all about. Randy assured me that even though Allissa's career here is over he will always be a fan and follower of the program. I hung up the phone with a new enthusiasm and couldn't wait to get back to the gym.<br /><br />To those of you reading this - take a minute and call or email a former coach, whether it be club, high school, college or YMCA, and tell him thanks. I promise he'll walk a little taller, smile a little more, and think about that one call all day. I know I have!Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-28715705864895779232010-04-21T23:35:00.000-07:002010-04-22T00:19:59.944-07:00"Great Players" - Alan SteinA fellow coach reminded me that I haven't written for a while and so I thought I would share something that I recently read. It was written by Alan Stein, the strength and conditioning coach at DeMatha Catholic High School (His web site is www.strongerteam.com) who recently worked with the nation's top high school players at the McDonald's and Jordan All-American Games.<br /><br />"With very few exceptions, elite level players absolutely love to play basketball. They want to play 24-7. Whenever possible they have a ball in their hands and are always trying to get up shots. When they aren't playing basketball they are watching it on TV. The game consumes them. And most of them have been this way since they were young. Do you have the same love for the game? Do you have the same passion? I'm not suggesting that basketball should be the <span style="font-style: italic;">most </span>important thing in your life. . but it should be up there. If you truly want to be great then you have to genuinely love the game.<br /><br />I also noticed that most elite level players are super competitive. They <span style="font-style: italic;">hate</span> to lose. Whether they are playing NBA Live '10 or a game of H-O-R-S-E they always try as hard as possible to win. They never concede. Winning matters. Does winning matter that much to you? How hot does your competitive fire burn? If you want to be great you have to learn how to compete. Winning has to matter.<br /><br />Despite being the top players in the nation, most of them still fit into one of two categories: those who have a tremendous work ethic and those who are lazy. Unfortunately many of the players who are the most naturally gifted are also the laziest because they haven't had to work hard to be successful. Do you enjoy putting in the hard work necessary to be a great player? Or do you constantly look for short cuts and the easy way?<br /><br />It's time to start thinking about making your off season as productive as possible. What you do this spring and summer will determine how successful you are next season. Elite level players are built in the off season."<br /><br />I couldn't have said it better myself!!Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1023860993014771422.post-53364219082625421422010-03-11T22:48:00.000-08:002010-03-12T08:16:38.741-08:00Not Only In The Movies!Something happened today that left me speechless, and those of you who know me can attest to the fact that doesn't happen very often! I was in the office this morning when I received a phone call from a former part time UCC student who made an offer to anonymously help one of our players, Mykiea Russell, continue her education. I had never spoken to this person before but just a couple minutes into our conversation I realized I was talking to someone very special.<br /><br />Evidently this particular student was once in a class with Mykiea and by the end of the term was extremely impressed with Mykie's positive attitude, work ethic, desire to learn, and overall personality. (No surprise here since Mykie is one of the nicest, most genuine people you will ever meet!)<br /><br />Now if you think this offer was basketball related, you're completely wrong. This generous student has not been to a single basketball game over the last two years and even asked me if Mykiea was any good as a player! No, this offer was made to help Mykiea the person, not Mykiea the player. It was simply offered from one classmate to another.<br /><br />Imagine a Caucasian outdoorsperson who has always lived in rural areas giving a large sum of money to help a young African-American from inner city Los Angeles without any desire for thanks or recognition! Up to this point, their life experiences couldn't possibly be more opposite, yet from this point on they will always be connected. This random act of kindness will help Mykie get her degree (she wants to be a music teacher) and then Mykie will help dozens of others who then in turn will hopefully branch out and help hundreds of others.<br /><br />Usually stories like this are mostly found in movie theaters, but this one is real and unscripted and playing out before our eyes. I feel very lucky to have a front row seat and even without seeing the ending I'm giving it two thumbs up!Dave Stricklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048508182879537767noreply@blogger.com1