Taylor Vigil: The Fight Through Adversity

First I would like to apologize for not being able to make my blog posts consistent, keeping all of you following fans updated like I would have liked to. However, as the saying goes, better late than never. Again I am sorry to have kept all of you "anticipators"waiting, but I hope this blog will make up for the ones I have failed to post.

I believe the last time I left off, I spoke about “The Right First Steps” and we were underway to play the Humboldt State Lumberjacks in late November. Now three months later, the women’s basketball team holds a record of 8-12. Having overcome a huge win against the Chico State Wildcats at Chico was a tremendous accomplishment for the Seawolves, who had not beat the Wildcats at home since 2002.

Throughout my four years playing, I have realized that in this league, anything is possible no matter what the match-up may be; one should never underestimate their opponent and be ready and alert to play any team, any player and at any place. It is what makes this conference that much more enthralling to know the outcome is always unexpected. With that being said, on the other hand, the outcome I find tend to be what you put in before the end result comes. For a team that works the hardest on and off the court, takes care of the little details and ensures their team and them as a player have a vengeance and passion to never give up whether in the practice situation or game situation. Now that does not mean the harder you work the more likely things shall be handed to you. We are in an environment of competition and that is what makes the game a challenge we love to tackle down.

I have learned that throughout this season, no team can escape adversity- and well, the Seawolves have been a victim of adversity. Whether it be injury or sickness or even having to deal with the stressors from day to day that simply make it life. As a result we have learned the term “bounce.” A common term used in the locker room after any game we have lost has been a term that has seemed to carry over in our daily lives on and off the court as a team. Down to the final stretch of the season, we have learned that we are a support system that thrives on one another and if we want to be successful, we have to want success for our teammates before we can want it for ourselves. We have learned that we have to want it for our teammate ahead and behind us- from the bench to the floor, in order to really be called a success. We have done just that and have come a long way since.

Now when I say success I do not mean by the number of games won compared to the games lost. I simply mean doing the things we have talked about and gone over and played the game to the best of our capabilities as a player and teammate. If you have done all that you can by working hard and being all that you could have been by bringing all your talents to the table with pride, heart and urgency then the final numbers on the score board is not what makes your success positive or negative. It is simply your effort driven with a purpose relative to your teammates and the accomplishments made in the process. Of course as a player, I want nothing more than to win- who wouldn’t? Yet aside from that the true moments of pure happiness come from the simply great defensive plays that turn into steals, that turn into great passes, that turn into great execution and great baskets made which all then have a domino effect for every possession. The one great rebound, the hustle play, the perfect pass, to the most amazing three point shot are the possessions of bliss. The Seawolves have learned that it is no longer about one but about many working together as one. Our success has not just been by the five players working out on the floor but every person from the bench to the floor. The rebound that lead to a pass that lead to a shot are the successful plays the Seawolves have learned to make consistently.

The game against San Bernardino will be a battle between two aggressive teams. I know the focus for the Seawolves lies within us and what we can do to be successful. This game is has a lot on the line for the Seawolves. If we win, we are entered into the playoffs, but if we lose then we are automatically out at having a shot at the playoffs. For our team, however, we understand that this is an opportunity for our seniors they will never get back. The sense of urgency becomes greater- from a freshman to a senior. We have all the tools it takes to be the dictator of the game. We have discovered it is want to over have to that will get the job done. After persevering through adversity we plan to go to great measures in fighting for the W. Regardless of what happens I have full faith that we will fight and deploy all we can to have a shot at the playoffs.

We all are many but together we form one ready to fight side-by-side 'till the final buzzer sounds. Be sure to come out and support your lady Seawolves!! The game is at The Wolves' Den TONIGHT @ 5:30pm!! And thank you again for all your support.

Taylor Vigil: The Right First Steps

Welcome fans, family and friends!! If you have been following Sonoma State women’s basketball, then I am sure you have been excitingly informed of our victory in overtime over the Colorado Mesa Mavericks with a 55-54 score on Saturday. Your support for our team has been greatly appreciated and speaking on behalf of the team and coaching staff, we only hope to see you in the near future at our upcoming home games!!

Starting this season off on the right foot has been key for our team collectively. In my last blog I talked momentarily about where success began for us and how the foundation, aka our pre-season, is vital. It is something to build on in hopes to potentially reach our destiny and it showed on Saturday that by building on everything we have worked for, victory becomes a reality.

Saturday's win over the Mavs felt immense. It was not until Saturday night that I recall back to the time during in pre-season when, not only my teammates, but my coaches constantly reminded me that with hard work comes reward. The times of hard training and conditioning, the times of working so hard that you had to look to your teammate beside you to try and pull that second wind out of you to go on, and the times of realizing how important it is to take care of the ‘little details’, that I realized and felt those times paid off. Apart of this reward of winning through hard work and perseverance to never quit, was the simplest fact that I was endowed with this win alongside my teammates and coaches. They were the people who helped me get to this point in time, who helped me push myself to get to gain such an accomplishment like beating the Mavs, who helped me to allow the mistakes of the game only be used as my incentive to bounce back and be a difference within the next play and who helped me instill the confidence that I needed to do so.

The wins we have accomplished and, especially the win over the Mavs, was never about one individual, nor one individual for one play; it was about all five individuals out on the floor working through each possession together. It was about the bench working as a unit talking about the flow of the game, being engaged in the game by cheering on their sisters, and by using words of encouragement to help them realize what needs to be done on the offensive end as well as the defensive end. It was about the coaches who helped us get set up in the right positions and who gave us the confidence to know we would, and could, be successful during the times we were. It was about the fight we had together to never give up for 40 minutes. This team has had a small taste in just a short time of what it is like to not only ‘talk’ about being successful, but actually become successful.

Before every game I like to write some words of encouragement to my teammates to remind them about what our main focus was on during the past week in practice. I let them know that myself, as well as the other girls on the team and the coaches all believe in them and that they are capable of bringing their talents to life during the game. This last game, I used a basketball quote by an unknown author to start off my letter. The quote says:

“Love the game. Love the game for the pure joy of accomplishment. Love the game for everything it can teach you about yourself. Love the game for the feeling of belonging to a group endeavoring to do its best. Love the game for being involved in a team whose members can't wait to see you do your best. Love the game for the challenge of working harder than you ever have at something and then harder than that. Love the game because it takes all team members to give it life. Love the game because at its best, the game tradition will include your contributions. Love the game because you belong to a long line of fine athletes who have loved it. It is now your legacy. Love the game so much that you will pass on your love of the game to another athlete who has seen your dedication, your work, your challenges, your triumphs and then that athlete will, because of you, love the game.”

I used this quote as a metaphor to implant this idea in my sisters that we are a team just like any other team out there, working for a common goal and doing what we love. With that, I went onto say that while mistakes are bound to happen throughout the game, it is how well we deal with those mistakes. It is our “love for the game” that takes away the possessions of frustration and miscommunication. Our love of the game is what brings us to where we are now, our love of the game allows us to compete and have this sense of urgency to simply get the job done and it is our love of the game that allows us to never quit on ourselves or one another and it is our love of the game that lead us to victory. I am so proud of my teammates for everything they have done, been doing and helped me with. I only look forward to what the future brings.

I hope all of you fans stay tuned for more information regarding SSU women’s basketball and come watch us play at our next home games. But, be sure to check us out when we travel to Humboldt to play the Lumberjacks on November 26!!

Taylor Vigil: A New Season, A New Opportunity, A New Family

(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.

Taylor Vigil: Job Description

It has been a while since my last blog and I apologize. A lot of thought had gone into this post, so I hope it provides the same lesson I learned from it to also help you!!

Throughout this year there has been an ongoing test of adversity. Nevertheless, getting the short end of the stick is never an excuse, but it is a repetitive factor that is hard to be foreseeable for this team.

Recently, I was told I had Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (b.p.p.v). A condition that creates a person to become dizzy, thought to be due to debris which has collected within a part of the inner ear. There can be repeated episodes of positional vertigo, that is, of a spinning sensation caused by changes in the position of the head. A person with this problem never knows when the dizzy episodes will occur or when they will go away, so it can be a matter of a waiting game when you have them.

The treatment for them are particuar head movements that make you more dizzy to try and get the "ear rocks" back into place, which amazingly enough sometimes helps these episodes. Just a week and a half ago, I had a long episode where I had to sit out of two games, about two weeks. When I went to get the treatment, the specialist noticed something wrong with my eyes. A specialist was brought in and realized the "ear rocks" could have been moved into another canal creating a more intense vertigo, called "Horizontal Vertigo." With this different type of vertigo, "ear rocks" can evolve out of place more easily and more can be released at a time causing treatment to be longer and more intense episodes. So you can imagine the frustration I felt. A condition out of my control and to be told it was one type of vertigo and now it is something new and different made everything worse.

Although I was frustrated, I did not feel discouraged for my team, but excited because I knew the faith I had in them and I knew what they were capable of doing, all they had to do was want it more than our opponents. Taking these past few weeks, they served as a flashback to high school for me in a way. While playing basketball, I was a player who could have played, but went from a practice player, to a bench warmer, to a player who could only hope to play and value the precious few minutes I actually got to play. From high school to now, not being able to play, to being able to play and on the court to on the bench I learned a few valuable lessons.

Basketball like everyday life have jobs involved. Their are the big jobs such as corporate to little jobs such as your once-a-week dumpster man. Within every job you receive and income. I would hope the job a person has is a job that makes you happy and the income you recieve by doing your job serves as a bonus making your job worthwhile and fun. And for the people who stick around a job they hate is initially, in my opinion, their own fault. Yet yes, some people may have it rough and may not be happy with the job they have, but then why sink yourself into a job you don't like and, on top of it, with a negative attitude. Life is not a realm of perfect, therefore, you might not always get the ideal job you would prefer. So in any case, why not have fun with the job you have and take pride in doing your job and as an end result maybe you'll help yourself and those around you! It would make your job worth working and in a positive way! So why not try doing your job in the positive way before soiling yourself in the negative aspect.

Just like basketball, a redshirt to a post to a wing guard and to a point guard, EVERYONE has a job. Even from the starters to the people off the bench, they ALL have a job. It should not matter how big or how little one's job is, but rather how much compassion you have for your job. Why stick around with the job you have by only going through the motions? The job you have on the team should involve your heart, your pride and your encouragment to each other. Would you respect someone doing their job for the sake of getting it done only through the motions or by a person doing their job with a sense of urgency and passion everyday? I could tell you who people would respect more.

By doing your job full heartedy, you receieve a bonus or 'income', which in this case helps those around you be successful. In order to help not just yourself, but the team, because it is in fact a TEAM, just try doing the job you have at hand with some life and desire because isn't it a game or 'job' you ultimately love? You signed up for this game or 'job' long ago because you loved being apart of it. So just because their are different types of jobs now, that doesn't mean the love or the life you once had for it go away- right??

Every job is a valuable one and when it comes to a team, how people go about their job is a big factor that matters. One day your job could or will change but don't wait for it to END to realize you wish you could go back and do the big to little jobs differently!! It is like the saying 'motivate to participate'. You could be surpised at how effective you could be just by cheering loudly, talking loudly on defense, setting a good screen or even going crazy on the bench when your teammate makes a play. Realize it is a game of mistakes, BUT it is not about how many great plays you HAVE to make as an individual but how many mistakes can you limit yourself to. Every posession is a rightous one that shall not be taken for granted.

Find the WANT in every play and every 'job'. It is not a game of perfect either, but it is the want to over have to that makes a player 'perfect'. And it is not about how many points you put up as an individual either since we aren't playing for the greatest stats, but it IS about the love of the game- that's why they call it love and basketball!!! It is about the compassion that a real team player plays with for those and with those around her that a team becomes successful.

Take the lesson of doing a job with a sense of life and playing the game with your heart for the people around you; the people who have the same common goal of being successful collectively and not individually. With that, a team can prevail. Thing's can become easier and success can become possible.

Taylor Vigil: Rigby's Christmas Carol (Twelve Days of Christmas parody)

So after our East Bay game, we went on break for Christmas, and being the holidays and everything, myself, along with my mom, felt in the Christmas spirit and decided to write a song! A song that would get everyone motivated into the Christmas spirit and a new winning stretch of the season!! So I hope you all enjoy!

"On the first day of Christmas, our coach once said to us, score, steal and rebound please?

On the second day of Christmas, our coach once said to us, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please?

On the third day of Christmas our coach once said to us, play defense, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please?

On the fourth day of Christmas our coach once said to us, transition too, play defense, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please?

On the fifth day of Christmas our coach once said to us, you--- must----- have---- heart---, transition too, play defense, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please.

On the sixth day of Christmas our coach once said to us, make the easy play, you---- must---- have---- heart----, transition too, play defense, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please?

On the seventh day of Christmas our coach once said to us, we have to want it, make the easy play, you--- must--- have--- heart----, transition too, play defense, know your roles, and score, steal and rebound please?

On the eighth day of Christmas our coach once said to us, put forth the effort, we have to want it, make the easy play, you--- must--- have--- heart---, transition too, play defense, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please?

On the ninth day of Christmas our coach once said to us, control your attitude, put forth the effort, we have to want it, make the easy play, you--- must--- have--- heart---, transition too, play defense, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please?

On the tenth day of Christmas our coach once said to us, echo the play's, control your attitude, put forth the effort, we have to want it, make the easy play, you--- must--- have--- heart---, transition too, play defense, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please?

On the eleventh day of Christmas our coach once said to us, keep your eye's up, echo the play's, control your attitude, put forth the effort, we have to want it, make the easy play, you--- must--- have--- heart---, transition too, play defense, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please?

On the twelfth day of Christmas our coach once said to us, raise the intensity, keep your eye's up, echo the play's, control your attitude, put forth the effort, we have to want it, make the easy play, you--- must--- have--- heart---, transition too, play defense, know your roles and score, steal and rebound please?"

Well, there you have it!!! Hope you liked it and sorry for the delay!!!

Taylor Vigil: Bounce.

Hello Everyone! So if you’re reading this now, I am sure that you have heard/read about the tough two losses we were faced with this weekend against Stanislaus and Chico State, either on the web or by Olivia Larkin’s blog post. There were many factors that went into the losing aspect of the game; things within our control and things we wished we had in our control. Things such as decision making within our offense to certain calls the refs made. While they were losses that happened they are lessons to learn from. In the words of Oly directly, “if we wanted it to be easy, this isn’t the way, we should have tried out for intramurals,” is in fact the truth. It is what makes the word COMPETE such a powerful one. It is a particular word that seems to be of importance in the context of this team for this year.

While we were given the short end of the stick this weekend with things out of our control we have to face the truths when we say that we may have taken few little details for granted that were actually in our control during both games. Yet rather than carrying the burden of the losses with us collectively it has to be, more importantly the lessons from those losses that we take with us to build on and learn from.

By going 0-2 this weekend there is one of two ways to look at it. One, we can buy into what the next day’s website said about the previous games and point fingers to only burry ourselves deeper into the negative aspect or two, we can use those negative losses similar to how we used Oly’s accident as a spark of motivation and desire to push through it all to create a will and make a way to get better. The harsh reality of it is that when a loss occurs it isn’t one person singled out but instead, for example, "Seawolves Can’t Stop Warriors in OT", or "Seawolves Fall Cold in Loss at Chico." With that being said, what do you do about it? Do you get angry and take it out on each other not realizing by doing that you’re only headed down hill? Or do you allow yourself to get angry and remember that feeling during the final seconds counting down at the end of the final buzzer, seeing the other teams faces light up with excitement knowing at the end you had been defeated, and use it against your next opponent? Or are those feelings forgotten in a few hours, or a day or even a week? These are factors my team and I are faced with, but there is no doubt in my mind that I believe full heartedly that my teammates will remember, BUT remember for the better!

With everyone’s thoughts and mindset that happened within the aftermath of the losses, it is the true meaning of the word ‘bounce’ that will get us where we need to be in our near future. Bounce is defined as something that leaps away suddenly; refuses to accept and sends back; spring away, spring away from an impact. A word that became popular after both our losses back to back this weekend within the locker room, yet should be a word ALWAYS remembered. A word that when we hear we think of those specific feelings of the final buzzer counting down with just seconds to go, remembering we came up short. But by remembering the powerful feelings in retrospect to this word ‘bounce,’ it is a reminder of what we have been through as a team and what we shall use to instill in our next opponents to come. By using this anger we once felt in a positive way, we can take it out on teams in the future. Also meaning that we will be the team talked about in our opponents locker room in which THEY need to bounce back from.

Considering the weekend, we have gone off track- or shall I say, astray from where we have been in the previous weeks, although it is no one’s fault it is just how the cards were dealt out. It doesn’t have to be looked upon as something negative either. The week simply presents itself with a new day, a new chance and a new opportunity to seek improvement.

Now bear with me because the way I see it is you have the waves within the sea, a paddle boat, a group of hard working talented women and a shore they are all in search of finding. Therefore, with the week continuing on as the waves in the sea that cease to never stop, similar to a ticking clock that never pauses for even a moment, there are 14 of my fellow sisters that I look to beside me all impacted in a small paddle boat. Each person trying to handle the fact that everything we got we got the hard way, like the small paddle boat and each person I look to, myself included, realizes with everyone rowing the boat, the shore becomes something of easier possibility and within our reach. A possibility to be successful yet again and do so by taking five steps forward rather than three steps back. A possibility I believe in, a possibility that can become a reality for us all.

You better believe that you can count on hearing about our successes in the near future because I know and trust in all of my sisters that we will be back out on the practice ground finding and achieving a way to become better. We have decided to make our practices a more realistic and pressure filled environment similar to how the actual games are played. And with this week’s practices you already know we will have a game plan ready to destroy and deploy our upcoming opponent’s this weekend in our CCAA/GNAC tournament we are putting on here at Sonoma State. So come support and watch us in action this 12-10-10 (Friday) and 12-11-10 (Saturday) at 7pm!! And hear me when I say, we will be ready!!

Taylor Vigil: The Lightning Bolt

Hi to all out there reading and supporting our Sonoma State Seawolves. My name is Taylor Vigil and on my behalf of the Sonoma State Women’s Basketball team, I am a little nervous when it comes to writing my first blog post, knowing that anyone can judge, read and comment on this post. I have decided to share with all of you. So please be gentle.

As I sit here at this business desk in the comfortable Fairfield Inn & Suites Marriott before our big game against Stanislaus, I have come to realize many things before me. Such as the strength and empowerment my team has taken on within just a few previous weeks. Yet it is not what we are now that has gotten us here, but rather where we have been that created an opportunity for success.

My coach once told me along with my team that during season everything we got, we got the hard way. While I knew nothing was going to be easy, she went onto say that there will be times that a lightning bolt will strike upon us, yet it is the counter aspect of our reaction that will either make us or break us as a whole. If you were to look up the definition of a lightning bolt, you would find that it is defined as an abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth; accompanied by a loud thunder cap or a symbolic representation thereof. In its original usage, the word may also have been a description of meteors, or of the consequences of a close approach between two planetary cosmic bodies.

Now switching gears just momentarily, for those of you who have been keeping up with the blogging and know my fellow team captain Oly Larkin, then you know that tragedy had struck our team with a significant injury on her behalf. She had been struck by a speeding taxi walking through the crosswalk and taken to the hospital immediately. As a team, when we were hit with the news not knowing the details of the situation and filled with worry by not being able to see her, we became lost without her. Speaking for my teammates as well as myself I can honestly say that I became frantic. Not knowing when the number one knowledgeable person who I look up to for advice, comfort and support as an all around teammate would be back and playing on the court yet again was mind boggling. Luckily, she had no broken bones, but needed time to heal her significant bruising and become stronger to walk again. All I could think about was her; a senior who put all her hard work in along with her talents she brought to this team now would have to come for a screeching halt. How was this fair to her? How could we continue to grow as a team and move forward in a positive direction with such a fatal negative impact that affected everyone? And yet, it hit me, and I thought back to what my coach told me about a particular lightning bolt that would strike down and I realized its time had come. Only I came to find that it was a lightning bolt for opportunity. Yes- it struck us off guard and affected everybody involved with our team, but it was a bolt that ignited a spark of hope. We were able to take the negative effects of the lightning bolt that knocked us down and turned it into something we could use as a flash or a glimpse of a positive mindset. If we could be the team to get through something so destructive as this, we could be the team to overcome it all.

My definition of a lightning bolt may be different from yours, but the way I see it is as an abrupt electric discharge that causes destruction to a specific person, place or thing that creates and impact upon those who all surround it. It is with that lightning bolt that may cause destruction, failure, or negativity to what it impacts, however, it is when you realize that without failure success cannot become possible that a real winner is born within. What is success without failure, really? I believe this was the lightning bolt that may have brought destruction upon us, yet we used it to our advantage to be successful. I can honestly say I am thankful for this lightning bolt because I look back and see Oly’s injury was a blessing in disguise for this team which helped us pull away with few phenomenal wins against not just Hawaii Pacific or Academy of Art but also, Humboldt State! Everybody throughout the team came alive and looked to the opportunity to step up as a chance to rise above the negative facts we were faced with and pulled away as a stronger, more together team-which goes without a shout out to them team to tell them how proud I am of them all! Oly may not be out there with us doing what she normally does best but it is the underlying impact she has had on all of us. I realize she might feel as though she has been doing nothing at all by not being out there but it is the “little details” she does and may not see that impacts us significantly. She is our eye’s and ear’s bench side and collectively as a team we are her leg’s court side.

It is the fact that we are a team with many parts but form one body. And although those parts are many each body part is important and matters because they all come together to form one. I found each role is important. The foot cannot say to the hand because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, nor can the eye say to the ear because I am not an ear I do not need you. It is because the body was made up with each part equal so there shall be no division. Without this family carrying this message there is no room for improvement. Our opportunity to get better lies within and is there for the taking to build on. Sitting here excited to see what the weekend brings with our games against Stanislaus and Chico are filled with high hopes. So for those of you reading this, keep your fingers crossed and wish us luck. With time we will see Oly in our, what we hope, near future back out there on the court again, but in the meantime I now have to leave you to get ready for my game. I hope this has impacted you as much as it has for me and helped you see things clearly in the aspect of what a team should stand for and maybe even a message to take with you into your future when life gives you the short end of the stick. Because one day everything you have you may have the hard way!

Oly Larkin: Stani and Chico Weekend

Hello To All,

I wanted to first start off with thanking everyone for being very supportive of me and just keeping me smile. I honestly couldn't get through this without my family, the team, coaches, and our parents. As you know, we traveled up to Stanislaus and Chico this weekend. Practice last week was planned out where the first two days we focused on Chico's stuff and then Wednesday and Thursday was Stani. After practice Thursday, we watched some film and had a hour or so down time to go home take a shower and get some food. Personally, I know your dying to hear this, I got a burrito from El Rancho =).

Thursday also marked the day that Dr. Aflac came to our training room to evaluate some of the student-athletes that needed further assessment on their injuries. I have never needed to meet Dr. Aflac so I was pretty anxious to hear what he had to say about my right knee. Along with me, Aly Henington had to see him as well for her foot. She seems to have a sharp pain on the bottom of her right heel that was to believed to be plantar fasciitis (sounds more like a fungus if you ask me!). Dr. Aflac turned out to be quite the comedian. He suggested for Aly to just amputate her foot and to never play basketball again! We both kinda laughed awkwardly, not familiar with his keen sense of humor. He gave her a few options to try when taping her foot, so hopefully one of them will work so the pain is minimized cause you need your foots, I mean feet, to run! As for I, it was all good news. It turned out nothing from the previous MRI or other doctors were that much different. I have a bone contusion in my anterior medial femoral condyle, which just is a fancy word for a deep bone bruise on the outside of my lower right knee. Dr. Aflac had jokingly said he could still see the "Buick" bumper mark on the side of my knee, that made me laugh. According to him, I can run, jump, and start cutting. So I started running this weekend while we were away and it felt pretty good. I can not wait til I practice. I don't think I have wanted to be able to practice in my whole life!

Now to the games. We played Stani first at their place. I felt that everyone was pretty excited for this game. We were ready to compete and to see if our hard work in practice paid off. The whole game was close. We exchanged leads seven times in the first half, and only was down by one at the half. In the locker room, we just re-iterated that we needed to make sure we were boxing and holding for the rebounds and valuing the ball. At the end of game with like 13 seconds to go, we had two great opportunities to win the game. We had good looks but the ball didn't fall for us so we went into overtime. Welcome to the CCAA. This was our first overtime and definitely not our last. In OT, we just didn't have the momentum to separate from Stani. We ended up losing by five points, but it wasn't the losing part that was the worst part. It was the kind of game where you are like man, if we did a few things a little different maybe we would have had a different outcome maybe we would of won or still lost. It just left a bad taste in our mouth. We couldn't dwell on this lost for much longer, because we had Chico the following night. Chico is a team that has a history of being a solid team so it was important that we took what we didn't do in the Stani game and got better/learned for the Chico game. It's always harder to play the Saturday games, take from a senior. Your mind is saying YES I can do it, but your body sometimes doesn't get that memo. We started kind of flat and stagnant only hitting only five field goals in the first. I think the Chico game was a game of mental lapses. We just couldn't take control of what we wanted to do. I know its hard to hear, and believe me its hard to write about losses but someone has to do it. Our coaches deal with all the time, and that's how we get better. We have all been there, that moment when you lose a game or didn't meet your expectations. It's like you have a bad feeling in your stomach, maybe you want to cry, maybe you are pissed, or maybe you just shut down. All these responses are quite typical and actually normal. There seems to be two paths to look at these loses. How do we effectively get over these defeats? The fact that we went 0-2 this weekend means nothing if we can't take it and grow. I know I don't want to feel like that again. Sitting on the bench, watching, listening, has helped me understand this. We all want to be successful, but success isn't necessarily measured in wins. If we did everything that we said we were going to do, and did it successfully the Chico game most likely would have been close or we might have went on a run on Stani in OT but that doesn't necessarily mean we would have won. "Success is the completion of anything intended." In other words, success is finishing what you planned to do. Notice how success isn't defined in wins or how much money you make. I think this is important. If we finish what we plan to do, we wouldn't get the short end of the stick we would get the whole BRANCH perhaps!

Next weekend we have our CCAA/GNAC tournament that we are hosting here at SSU. I am excited to play some of the top teams in the nation. It will be a good experience for us. I am going to continue doing rehab and all I can to get the team prepared. I hope to see you there!

Oly the SENIOR

Oly Larkin: COMPETE

I guess this blog couldn't come at more of a bittersweet time. I know it has been awhile since my first blog in which I was excited about our Midnight Madness event. Well, it might be too late to tell you that it was a complete success. We successfully filled the west wing of our gym with our student body, greeks, jocks, freshmen in all. I really enjoyed myself at the event and it was really motivating to see our peers cheer us on. Being the only senior, I haven't ever seen anything like that at SSU.

Now for the team, we had some eye opening exhibition games that sent us back to the drawing boards. We played Sac State, USF and Santa Clara. With each game, we did get better, but there was a lot of room for improvement. I guess I will just talk about the Santa Clara game since it was the last one. Last year, we lost to Santa Clara by something like 30 points. Hardly a loss that we could learn from, especially when you get blown out like that you think (as a player) you must have to did EVERYTHING wrong. That was not the case this year. The word of the night that coach Rigs started with at shoot around was COMPETE. The definition of compete according to dictionary.com, to compete is to for a prize, is being prepared for the task at hand, focusing on what it is you need to do to be successful, putting everything you got out on that court and feeling confident to do so because you know you have 14 other girls who feel the exact same way and willing to do the same. This word alone motivated us. For 40 minutes we competed and in doing so we left that game even though we lost by 13 (if I remember correctly) with our heads held high and as if we won. The locker room at the end of the game was filled with hoots and hollers!! "NOW that's how we need to come out LADIES!" It was that moment when I looked around and thought to myself, I wouldn't give this up for the world.

This weekend, we are up in Chico at their annual tournament. I don't know what it is about Chico, but I love this tourney and always seem to do pretty well. I was looking forward to compete (I guess you can say this is the theme of this blog haha) with my girls, getting our rooming assignments, even the long car ride on the very scenic I-5. This year we are scheduled to play Hawaii Pacific on Fri and Academy of Art on Sat. Unfortunately, this past Friday (Nov. 12), I was in a random freak accident in which I was crossing the street in San Francisco when I got struck by a speeding taxi. Luckily I have no broken bones, and at this time I am waiting for the results back from my MRI on my right knee and X-rays from my left ankle. I will know what the time constraints will be all today when I go to my doctor's appointment in the afternoon. My fingers are crossed that it isn't anything major. I can't say everything's all good, but I can't say everything's all bad. I have had my Grandma right by my side all week long while I have been recovering in my home town of San Jose and her optimistic-ism is contagious. I am truly hopeful that I will be able to finish this season on the court instead on the sidelines. One thing is for sure, either way I am grateful I am alive and you can bet your mama's old beat-up 1967 black mustang that I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE UP! =) But hey, I don't have to convince anyone, I know it already. Not only my injury, but the some girls on the team have had some also that has put a damper on our progress. It's a tough time right now, but I know this is something that will bring us closer.

I saw my team for the first time since the accident yesterday and man did I miss them. I didn't realize how much I rely on them for support and how much they rely on me, as a senior for support. Being away from them I think, was the hardest for me. With so many distractions that the team is presented with at this time, I think this will really test us on our ability to compete against all odds. Even though I am not with them now, I really felt that it was good for me to see them and to give them a peace of mind to see that I am okay and that I am smiling despite the situation. I do believe everything happens for a reason, and just how quickly something that your so used to doing (like basketball) can be taken away. All of this results in a greater appreciation of what I do have. My family, my team, my coaches, my friends, and basketball. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff (and I really thought that my breakup with my boyfriend was an end of my life moment) - I actually found this book under my sink in my bathroom when I was "taking care of business", same title and all. It was rather enlightening.

I will definitely be blogging more because I think this a good thing. It allows me to mind dump my thoughts on the team, life, and even myself. I hope you keep reading because I am going to really make an effort to start blogging once a week. As for my team, I gotta give a shout out. LET'S GO LADIES.... NOMA NOMA (WHO!) NOMA NOMA (WHAT!) I am right there with you girls and I am going to try to see if I can watch the game online. I love you guys.

Until next week. Adios!

the one and OLY!

ps... “You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things – to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated.”

Women's Basketball: Oly Larkin

Hello to all!!

My name is Olivia Larkin, but I am going to put you on to a little secret, you can just called me OLY (O-LEE). There, now we are friends. Whew glad to get that out of the way. I am a senior on the women's basketball team here at Sonoma State. It's sad to say that I am the lone ranger when it comes to being a senior on this team, but by all means I don't feel alone at all, I've got my girls. On the other hand, I don't mind the spotlight that comes with being one! Well I guess I can start off by telling you this is my first time blogging anything and in saying that I was nervous to even get started. I mean, are people really going to read what I write?...Welp, I got you didn't I?!

I decided to start blogging on this very day because tonight is our traditional Midnight Madness, a pep rally to kickoff the 2010-2011 basketball season and the rest of the fall sports here on campus. I am a member of SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) and have been extremely invovled in tonight's preparation for this event. Ultimately, we are doing this event for our athletes. Together, our athletes are the biggest, most influential club on campus and we would like to show them our appreciation and support. I am anticipating a great turnout. For a sneak peak, our heart-throbbing Auzzi's from the men's basketball team are going to be our MC's for the night. Oh, how I wonder what they are going to wear... Probably spiffy suits with gator boots? Who knows but one thing is for sure, they are going to dress to impress. There is a dunk contest, too, in which I am sad to tell you I won't be doing this year, tough to hear I know. That's all I can say for now, you'll have to read my next blog in order to get the details. (** hint hint, I am trying to create a fan base here people so tune in!)

Now on to something involving our team specifically. Tomorrow marks our FIRST OFFICIAL PRACTICE OF THE SEASON! It's finally here people!! Lace up the hyperdunks and roll the basketballs out, it's BASKETBALL TIME BABY (in a Dick Vitale voice)! I can't tell you how excited I am for this basketball season to get underway. Our team had a excellent preseason. We constantly creating good habits (hobbits for those on the team) followed by positive attitudes. The dynamic of our team has changed durastically. We have added eight new players to our already eight returning roster, three of which are JC transfers. Our talented group of five freshmen have tremendous potential to make an positive impact for this team. Being that this is my last year playing collegiate basketball, I know understand what the seniors before me meant when they said, "cherish it while it lasts, because there is a world outside of basketball that isn't so forgiving." I really feel like I can cherish this year, I am no longer "wide-eyed and bushy tailed" as what my coach used to say to me when I was a freshman, trying to figure out where I fitted in. I am aware of what's going on, I am in control. I think this team has helped me with that. This past six weeks of training, we have gotten after it, worked it, ran it, lifted it, pushed it to our limits and now the time is here, what we all been waiting for. All this work has to pay off, mind you that it might not be immediate but the harder we work, the luckier we get. Its funny how things work out that way.

Well, don't tell my coach this but I am writing this in study hall (just the last 15 minutes though) so I probably need to open up a book or something. Adios until next time! And there will be a next time so help me out here and read my blogs! Leave comments , opinions, likes, or what ever. Thanks for hearing me out!

-Oly THE SENIOR