(EDITOR'S NOTE: Junior guard Taylor Vigil of the Sonoma State women's basketball team will be writing for the Seawolves' Insider Blog all season long. Be sure to check out her posts here to get an insider's perspective into the life of a student-athlete at Sonoma State.)Hello everyone. Let me start off by saying thank you for tuning into the Seawolves' Insider Blog!
Returning as a redshirt junior on the women's basketball team, I am excited as any one of my fellow teammates to get this 2011-2012 season started. Upon arrival, myself and eight crucial returning players are ecstatic to have an additional three transfer teammates, as well as three incoming freshman to begin this new season on our road to success. With these six incoming enforcers, we were grateful enough to have our senior from the previous year, Olivia Larkin, be one of our new student assistant coaches. With the departure of Annie Roeser, a great and fun-loving assistant coach also from the previous year, we were lucky to have our newest edition to our coaching staff, Amanda Hanneman. A former player from Missouri has transformed into becoming an assistant coach on the Cali side.
Our pyramid to success has started with only a few important building blocks; the foundation, aka, our pre-season. This starting path to our journey has encountered many familiar concepts along with some new, different and exciting training drills on behalf of the conjoining forces of Coach Rigby and Coach Hanneman. To the point in which the whole concept of conditioning and intensity has been uplifted to a whole new level: BEASTMODE! This level called ‘Beast Mode’ has been the perfect ingredient to Sonoma State women’s basketball. Precision, persistence and consistency have been our focus, in link with weight lifting, condition and actual practices. This new year is one that I feel to be an exceptional one filled with many opportunities in seeking our goal and, soon enough, reaching it.
While the season is only on the edge of taking off, who says you cannot dream big? Success has a re-defined meaning for this team; it is as John Wooden once stated, “a peace of mind as a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to becoming the best you are capable of becoming.”
Kicking the year off with our first exhibition game against Cal State San Marcos with a W and a locker room chant after the final buzzer (“check ya Cougars”) was a great feeling for our first step toward success. Yet, this game, as well as every other practice from that point on, is a building block we view as a lesson to learn from (regardless of the win) and be cautious of the road ahead.
Collectively, this team, from the players to the coaches, everyone is motivated, confident and eager to see what the future holds. The upside to the future is also known as our destiny, which is held in our hands. Consciously knowing the work that needs to get done is our ambition to stay motivated and always bring out the faith and fight we have within ourselves, but more importantly one another. This team is not just fellow peers that have come together to play basketball. Myself, along with 14 others, are fully capable to look to one another and see more than a teammate, but a friend and a sister. That is just one of the many greatest gifts a team can have that makes them so special.
This team expects many great things this year and with our newest additions, there is no doubt in my mind those ‘great things’ cannot become a reality.
Be sure to follow us online at Sonomaseawolves.com and stay tuned for more news in the near future about our team. Thank you for your support and interest! Also, be sure to watch us tonight at Santa Clara @ 7 pm, and then against Menlo on Thursday @ 7 pm in Rohnert Park.
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2 comments:
You're a really good writer Tay. This whole "beast mode" has been much anticipated and talked about. Was very stoked to have witnessed it myself during the first exhibition game and very curious as to how the rest of the season will play out. Keep it up lady seawolves!
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