Grinnell Women's Basketball

Tough road loss

2012-01-30T11:25:00.002-06:00

This past Saturday the Pioneers battled to within 4 points of Lake Forest. Always tough to win on the road, the game was filled with runs by both teams. We had great performances from a number of Pioneers, including 4 straight 3-pointers from Rebecca DeGroot, and double-doubles from Meg Huey (4th straight) and Michelle Briggs.

Check out the full write up on the Grinnell website! We remain in tournament contention, currently sitting in 3rd place!

A big thanks to all the alumni who attended the game! We appreciate your support!

HUGE WIN!

2012-01-26T17:06:00.003-06:00

The Pioneers pulled out a come-from-behind win at Monmouth College last night! After being down by 11 points at half-time, the Pioneers clawed our way back into the game with hot 68% shooting and great team defense.

This win propelled us into second place in the MWC and to our first victory against Monmouth in seven tries!

Here are some highlights (offensive AND defensive) from the second-half of the game last night! Enjoy!

Whoa! Where has the time gone!

2012-01-23T12:21:00.002-06:00

I have been a HORRIBLE blogger recently! Yikes! No posts in 2012! Fortunately, I come today with great news! The Pioneers are currently 7-3 in the MWC and 8-6 overall!

We had a great weekend with two wins over Beloit and Lawrence! I wanted to share this clip with you because it was one of the sweetest moments of the weekend. It is great to see the Pioneers getting excited for their teammates, and it is equally great to see each one of our athletes contribute to our success as a team. In the clip below Jordan Schellinger, a 1st year on the squad, gets her first collegiate points!

2-2 in MWC!

2011-12-13T18:50:00.003-06:00

As the Pioneers wrap up the first semester with finals this week, we wanted to give you a rundown of our recent games.

We end 2011 2-2 in the conference, currently sitting 5th. We had a great road victory over Knox College last Wednesday. Knox installed the "system" this year so we faced a very similar defense as the one our men play. We beat the tough full court pressure by playing disciplined offense and limiting our shots to lay-ups and shots in the lane.

Our last MWC contest occurred last Saturday against Carroll University. After leading for almost the whole game, we lost by 2 points in the last minute. It was a heartbreaking game to end the semester with. We did not play with confidence down the stretch, leading to some stupid plays and fouls.

Leading opponents is a new thing for the Pioneers, so learning how to play with a lead, and keep it, is a goal for 2012. It is a great lesson to learn!!

We now head into January! Last year the Pioneers went 5-1, including a four-game winning streak. I'm confident the women will return in great shape, and ready to keep the ball rolling in 2012!

Happy Holidays to all!

Opening MWC Weekend

2011-12-05T14:43:00.002-06:00

The Pioneers had a GREAT start to our MWC schedule. Opening with St. Norbert, our reigning conference champions, was a good challenge for our team. With 2:30 left on the clock we were down 4. Although we didn't pull off the win, we did learn a lot from the game.
1. We are going to be in each MWC game with a chance to win
2. Making shots in the lane and finishing at the free throw line are crucial in tight contests.

Saturday we faced Ripon College, a team that is perennially tough, and we pulled off a very exciting 50-45 victory. After scoring 36 points in the first half, we came out and were very stagnant offensively in the second, scoring only 14 pts the entire 20 minutes. Without our aggressive and smart defense, we would have lost the game. We came up with some BIG offensive boards at the end of the game, and finished at the free throw line (82 %).

We saw some great fight from the Pioneers against Ripon and it was clear that we believed that we could win the game. I LOVED it!

We have two more MWC games this semester with Knox College on Wednesday (7 pm) and Carroll University on Saturday (1 pm)! Check the MWCTV site to watch us in action!

1-1 Start!

2011-11-21T20:25:00.003-06:00

The Pioneers competed twice last week. Our first game was a home opener versus Central College this past Thursday. Despite a tough fight, the team lost 62-49. We identified turnovers, rebounds, and executing in the 1/2 court offense to be our areas of needed improvement.

With one day of practice to work on those three areas, we traveled to eastern Iowa to compete against Ashford University. Playing a much better game, the Pioneers came away with a 68-55 win!

Heading into this week we look to continue our improvement and play great games against Wartburg this Tuesday and Park University on Saturday.

The Pioneers wish you a very happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving!
Enjoy your turkey!

ALUMNI GAME!

2011-11-10T13:38:00.004-06:00

I apologize for the lateness of this post, but I wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU to all our alumni who returned to campus this past Saturday for our Alumni Game and Brunch. We had a great turn out of Pioneers, ranging from the class of 1992, all the way to our newest alumni from the class of 2011.

With over 15 players, the alumni implemented a quick subbing rotation in the game, keeping fresh legs on the court at all times! Playing in front of a great crowd in Darby, both teams showed spurts of greatness!

I know the coaching staff and current athletes really enjoyed playing with, and spending time with our alumni. Thanks for making the trip and we look forward to next year's game!

Also, if you have any photos from the event, we would love to see them! I was too busy chatting with everyone to take any photos of the day!

Habitat for Humanity

2011-10-31T12:16:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday the Pioneers volunteered with Habitat for Humanity on a remodel of a house in Grinnell! We cleaned and painted walls in the kitchen, dining room, and living. Our final project involved some serious landscaping in the back yard (great work on that root Liz and Isabelle!) It was a beautiful fall day and the team's work really made a difference on the project! We are hopeful the Cullen's will be moving back into their new home by the holidays!

DO MORE. NOW.

2011-10-24T15:01:00.002-05:00

The Pioneers have officially started! The team returned to campus during fall break to start practicing last Thursday. With double sessions finished for pre-season the team returns to classes and practice today.

I've been pleased with the effort I've seen from the Pioneers in our first couple days. Everyone is working hard and working together. We are focused on getting better every day and competing in practice with game-like intensity.

Our team is focusing on DO MORE. NOW. This idea conveys the urgency that we want to play with, the need to give more of ourselves to the team and our teammates every day in practice. We want each athlete to up their contributions, whether it be talking on the sideline or running hard in sprints.

When we each do more, the more we can do as a team!

All-Midwest Conference Golfers!

2011-10-10T08:42:00.002-05:00

This past weekend the women's golf team competed for the conference championship, earning 2nd place as a team. Liz Burnett and Alex Plemmons each earned All-Midwest Conference distinction for placing 3rd and 9th, respectively.

Liz and Alex now bring their winning ways to the women's basketball team for the remainder of pre-season training and the start of official practice on October 20th.

WAY TO GO PIONEERS!

Champions Crowned

2011-10-03T09:43:00.004-05:00

The 2011 3 v. 3 champions were crowned this past Saturday after cruising through bracket play. Davey Arseneault (interim head men's coach), Tolu Alabi (third-year guard), and Aaron Levin (second-year forward) earned the title by shooting a tremendous percentage from behind the arch, and using a skilled driving game.

Seven teams competed for the crown in this double-elimination tournament. All proceeds raised will be given to the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Iowa.

Family Weekend Pizza Party

2011-09-28T09:45:00.008-05:00

This past Saturday we celebrated the start of the season with many of the Pioneers' families! We had a great event with introductions of our new athletes and families, as well as enthusiastic speeches from our captains! 2011-2012 is going to be awesome!

3rd Annual 3 v. 3 Tournament

2011-09-19T09:48:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again! The Pioneers are hosting our 3rd Annual 3 v. 3 Tournament. This year we have decided to donate our proceeds to the Greater Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association in honor of Pat Summit, head women's basketball coach at Tennessee. Coach Summit is one of the driving forces behind the creation and elevation of collegiate women's basketball and was recently diagnosed with dementia.

Our tournament will be held on October 1st, 4 pm, Darby Gymnasium. Everyone is welcome to have a team. Contact Jade Denson (densonja@grinnell.edu) to register your team. There is a $20.00 registration fee (All proceed will be donated!)

38 Days!

2011-09-12T09:31:00.004-05:00

We start practice in only 28 days!

Last year we started testing the Pioneers using the Intermittent Recovery Beep Test. This is a test developed by the Nike SPARQ training program and is perfect for basketball athletes due to its structure of alternating sprints and rest periods. Additionally, the sprint includes a 180 degree turn, which tests the athlete on their ability to decelerate and re-accelerate.

The game of basketball includes short rests during dead ball situations or foul shots so we want to train our athletes to be able to work at their top speed and recovery during these phases.

We will test the Pioneers on the beep test on Day One of practice. We administer the test using an audio track which tells that athletes when to sprint and when to rest. As the test progresses the sprint pace gets faster and faster.

If you are interested in trying it out, check it out here! BEEP TEST!

What surprised you about Grinnell?

2011-09-05T09:05:00.007-05:00

Each year we ask our student-athletes to fill out a questionnaire about their experiences at Grinnell. We use their responses in our recruiting literature and our communication with alums. I want to share one of this year's questions from Meg Huey, a senior c0-captain. Meg does a great job of getting at the core of what makes Grinnell unique.

What has surprised you about Grinnell?

The vast amount of opportunities and services available at such a small college in the middle of Iowa. The career development office and all of the offices open to assist and service students on campus are amazing and provide students with the best resources. Also, the diversity at Grinnell is wonderful and something that I definitely did not anticipate or expect of a small school in a town of 9,000 people in Iowa.

1st Team Meeting

2011-08-30T15:12:00.002-05:00

YES! We are finally back together as a team! The Pioneers started class last Thursday and tomorrow we will have our first team meeting.

With new faces in the crowd, it is always exciting to get together for the first time as a team. We have new leadership and a new team dynamic to work within this year. I love watching athletes mature and step into new and larger rolls!

We will set preseason goals tomorrow. Pre-season is all about self-motivation and I want the athletes to think about how they are going to prepare to compete in October. We will talk about time management and how to set yourself apart in your level of dedication and preparation.

This is an exciting time of year for our basketball team. The possibilities and opportunities to achieve are endless. The question is, who is willing to do the work!

2011-2012 Schedule

2011-08-22T14:41:00.003-05:00

Here is our schedule for this upcoming season! We kick off our campaign on November 17th with a game vs. close-by rival Central College. I'm excited for our five home games in the first semester and our Thanksgiving trip to Kansas City to play Park University!

We hope you can join the Pioneers on the road or in Darby this season!

Nov. 5 Alumni Game 4 pm (Men's game to follow at 6 pm)

Nov. 17 Central College 7 pm

Nov. 19 @ Ashford University 1 pm

Nov. 22 Wartburg College 5 pm

Nov. 26 @ Park University 1 pm

Dec. 2 St. Norbert College 5 pm

Dec. 3 Ripon College 1 pm

Dec. 7 @ Knox College 7 pm

Dec. 10 Carroll University 1 pm

Jan. 5 @ Beloit College 5 pm

Jan. 10 Illinois College 4 pm

Jan. 13 @ Lawrence University 5 pm

Jan. 14 @ Carroll University 1 pm

Jan. 20 Beloit College 5 pm

Jan. 21 Lawrence University 2 pm

Jan. 25 @ Monmouth College 5 pm

Jan. 28 @ Lake Forest College 1 pm

Jan. 31 Knox College 5 pm

Feb. 3 @ Ripon College 5 pm

Feb. 4 @ St. Norbert College 1 pm

Feb. 8 Monmouth College 5 pm

Feb. 11 @ Illinois College 1 pm

Feb. 13 MacMurray College 6:30 pm

Feb. 18 Lake Forest College 1 pm

Update from Down Under!

2011-08-12T11:44:00.000-05:00

Kelly Clarke ('13) is spending the semester studying in Melbourne, Australia. Here is her first update!

I have made it safely to Melbourne; this coming week is going to be my fourth! I just joined a basketball team yesterday, and it's going to be great playing with them. Their season doesn't start for another month, but when it does I will be playing two games a week every week, which I think is great training. I have also been able to get access to a gym at the university, so that has been nice as well. Classes have already started, so I have been busy keeping up with that too. I am kind of sad to know that I won't be returning when everyone else does, but my time here so far has been well worth it.

Kelly will rejoin the team in December! I'll keep you posted on her time down under!

August!

2011-08-08T10:59:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it is August already! I could swear not to know where the summer went, but the many miles added to my car is evident of all the recruiting, vacationing, and professional development adventures I had!

Two highlights of the summer:

Visiting the Boone Historical Museum where Meg Huey ('12, 2011-2012 co-captain) interned this summer. Meg showed me around the museum and told me all about her exhibit of Iowa bomb shelters from during the Cuban Missile Crisis. She was very knowledgeable about Boone and its most famous resident, Mamie Eisenhower.

Traveling to Mankato, MN and Kearney, NE for recruiting events and stopping by their Saturday morning farmer's markets. What is better than great basketball and great, fresh, produce!

I've had a great summer! Recruiting has been successful thus far and I've had a chance to think about basketball and our team a lot! I've also gotten away from Grinnell for some wonderful vacation time! I'm ready for the students to return and for fall to come to Iowa!

Only 10 mores weeks until the season begins!

Alliance of Women Coaches

2011-07-18T15:37:00.005-05:00

In 1972 90% of women's collegiate teams were coached by women, currently (in 2011) only 42% are coached by women. An unintended impact of Title IX has been the decrease of women coaches on the college and university level.

Pioneers of women athletics are working to reverse this trend. The Alliance of Women Coaches was created this past October to help mentor, advocate, educate, and increase women in the coaching field. For the first time in the history of women's athletics, there is an organization dedicated to coaching and gender-equity regardless of sport or level.

Grinnell is sensitive to equity in athletics and I am proud of how many women coaches we have on staff. All but two of our women's teams have female head coaches and our staff is almost 50:50 male/female. Unlike many of our peer institutions we have women coaching not only women, but men as well. Our swimming and diving, and track and field teams all have women coaching male student-athletes.

The success of our teams and the diversity of our staff challenges many assumptions regarding coaching and gender, and rightly aligns our department with the college's core value of social equality.

I am excited to report that as a department, we have purchased an institutional membership to the Alliance.

Click here to learn more about the Alliance!

GOOOOAAAAALLLLL

2011-07-12T07:55:00.003-05:00

Persistence. Courage. Unwilling to Fail. Unwavering Belief in Team.

Down a player, facing some difficult calls, playing the best player in the world... the odds were stacked against the US World Cup Team as they competed against Brazil earlier this week. Yet they didn't quit or question: they believed until the very last second. And that second was enough.

Competing when down requires mental toughness and an unquestionable belief that there is enough time to change the outcome of the game. Playing to that very last moment requires courage as well. It is easier to admit defeat early than to give absolutely everything and still have the possibility of losing.

In 1995 I watched the US win the World Cup as a high school athlete. I was in awe of that team and their accomplishment. As a coach, I am even more inspired by our current team; their work ethic, their physicality, and their infectious love of the game and their team.

The Pioneers will never play on the international stage in front of millions, but we can model ourselves after this team. We can work harder, believe more, push our boundaries and our goals. And when we learn to play to the very last second, who knows what will happen...

Recruiting Update!

2011-07-05T06:32:00.003-05:00

We are midway through our summer! (It is scary to even utter those words!) I've been to tournaments in Iowa and Minnesota and have watched some GREAT basketball! Later this month I'm heading to Kansas City, Missouri and Kearney, Nebraska to finish out my recruiting travel.

It is always exciting to watch summer basketball and identify students who would make our team, and Grinnell, a better place.

We've received interest from students across the country (Arizona, New York, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin...) and world (Greece)! I have a feeling that our incoming 2012 class will be a great one!

2011 Summer Workout Program: Getting it done!

2011-06-14T13:52:00.004-05:00

The Pioneers have been away from campus for almost a month now and are in the thick of summer training! Our training program includes lifting, agility work, aerobic conditioning, as well as skill specific training (LOTS OF SHOOTING!)

Check out our youtube video of our lifting program.

This video includes a demonstration of all our summer lifts. We put this together each year so our athletes can reference it during their time away from campus. We are most concerned with proper form and technique. Once we have mastered the lift, we then shift to increasing weight and explosiveness.

You'll see Michelle Briggs and Tolu Alabi, both juniors, demonstrating the lifts.

GRADUATION!

2011-05-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

Today our seniors, Brianna, Jessica, and Mallory graduate! Congratulations Pioneers!

Get Ahead Time

2011-05-19T09:39:00.003-05:00

As the summer approaches I can't help but think of the next couple months as a GRAND opportunity for our athletes to develop.

The schedule our student-athletes keep at Grinnell is crammed. They move from classes, to work, to practice at a brake-neck pace and individual development is often pushed to the back of their priority list. But the summer is different, it is full of time.

In his book "Think Like a Champion" Dick DeVenzio references a story about a player getting up at 6 am to shoot shots and knowing that no one else was shooting at that time. That was his "getting ahead of the competition" time. He would shoot for an hour before school and then go about his day. He earned an advantage over his opponents during those early morning workouts.

Summer is our Get Ahead Time at Grinnell. Our athletes need to realize that this is the time to put in the individual work. When no one is looking, when there are no teammates around, they need to be getting ahead.

Next year, our success against the top MWC teams will depend on if we got ahead this summer.

RULE CHANGE: 3 pt Line!

2011-05-09T20:10:00.000-05:00

The NCAA Rules committee recommended to move the 3 pt line to 20 ft. 9 inches for the 2011-2012 season (current line stands at 19'9'').

After researching shots made in front and behind the 20'9'' line during the past season, it was found that women shot 33% from behind the line, 30% in front of the line.

The Pioneers often shoot behind the line, so the new rule shouldn't impact our team greatly. Since the line was installed on our court for the men's game, the women have often visually located their shots using the second line.

We will be sure to train this summer for the longer shots!

See here for the NCAA recommendations. They are also suggesting a 10 second back court clock. Final voting for all rules will occur in early June.

Spring Clinic!

2011-05-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

Wonderful Sunday!

2011-05-02T09:49:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday was a great day at Grinnell! The Pioneers hosted our first ever Spring Clinic! We had six great athletes come to Darby to play with the Pioneers. We did defensive drills, dribbling relay races, shooting contests, and a very intense game of Pioneer Showdown!

Parents snapped some great pictures so stay tuned for those! A big thanks to the Pioneers (Ashley, Liz, Michelle, Meg, Becca, Erica) for sharing their talents with our young athletes!

Upcoming Events!

2011-04-25T15:15:00.002-05:00

The Pioneers are gearing up for two events Saturday and Sunday:

Strongest Woman Competition: Each year we hold a competition for men and women at Grinnell to determine the strongest among us! The competition includes power lifts, tire flips, an obstacle course, and in recent history, a truck tow.
The winner goes down in history and is remember with his/her name on a plaque!

1st Annual Spring Youth Basketball Clinic: The team is putting on a youth clinic this Sunday for young players in grades 2-4. We are excited to work with these girls on developing their skills and their understanding of the game. Our athletes really enjoying sharing their passion for the sport and teaching others!

The Pioneers only have three more weeks of school and finals!

Smarty-Pants

2011-04-05T22:07:00.007-05:00

Our definition of a successful basketball program includes having a high academic performance from the student-athletes. That is exactly what the Pioneers did this year.

Leading the MWC with NINE Academic All-Conference, the Pioneers proved that being excellent in the classroom goes hand-in-hand with winning on the basketball court.

I am extremely proud of what our student-athletes accomplished this year. They have represented our team extremely well.

As an athletic department, Grinnell annually ranks first in Academic All-Conference nominations in the MWC.

Tentative Schedule for 2011-2012

2011-03-31T12:05:00.002-05:00

It's never too early to start planning for next year!

Nov. 17 Central College 6 or 7 pm
Nov. 19 @ Ashford University 3 pm
Nov. 22 Wartburg College 5 pm
Nov. 26 @ Park University 3 pm
Dec. 2 St. Norbert College 5 pm
Dec. 3 Ripon College 1 pm
Dec. 7 @ Knox College 7 pm
Dec. 10 Carroll University 1 pm
Jan. 5 @ Beloit College 5 pm
Jan. 10 Illinois College 4 pm
Jan. 13 @ Lawrence University 5 pm
Jan. 14 @ Carroll University 1 pm
Jan. 20 Beloit College 5 pm
Jan. 21 Lawrence University 2 pm
Jan. 25 @ Monmouth College 5 pm
Jan. 28 @ Lake Forest College 1 pm
Jan. 31 Knox College 5 pm
Feb. 3 @ Ripon College 5 pm
Feb. 4 @ St. Norbert College 1 pm
Feb. 8 Monmouth College 5 pm
Feb. 11 @ Illinois College 1 pm
Feb. 13 MacMurray College TBA
Feb. 18 Lake Forest College 1 pm

National Tournaments

2011-03-20T10:31:00.004-05:00

As a fan of Iowa basketball I was sad to see Iowa and Iowa State lose in the first round yesterday! We now only have UNI to cheer for here in Iowa! Watch this evening as they face #4 seed Michigan State!

The Division III tournament was decided yesterday. Amherst College won their first national championship. We should see this win as proof that academic excellence and athletic excellence are not mutually exclusive. If Amherst can do it, why not the Pioneers?

The team started post-season training today. We have a great new weight program created by our strength and conditioning coach for the spring. I'm excited to see the women really push themselves and gain strength and explosiveness.

Two weeks of spring break started Friday. The Pioneers dispersed towards home and warmer climates! It is nice to have a little break... and time to watch the tournament!

SEASON REVIEW

2011-02-23T09:19:00.003-06:00

We ended our season last Saturday with a hard-fought loss at Lake Forest. The program hosted a number of our alums and recruits at the game and it was nice to be amongst past and future Pioneers.

Here are some statistics from the season:

1. 9-13 overall/ 8-10 MWC (Most conference wins since 03-04)

2. Finished ranked 6th in the conference (3 wins out of the tournament)

3. In the second semester our record was 8-7.

4. There are only three schools (St. Norbert, Monmoth, Lake Forest) who beat us twice in the conference, we either split with, or swept the remaining 6 schools.

We took a big step forward this season. We proved to our conference opponents that we could compete with, and beat, many of the best teams. Our challenge next year is to continue to improve, to be more competitive at the beginning of the season, and to really address and focus on our areas of weakness as a team and as individual athletes.

I enjoyed working with this year's Pioneers immensely. The successes we had this season need to create momentum for our post-season and summer workouts and motivate our athletes to push harder and work smarter.

This is a moment of great opportunity for our program, let's make sure to grab it and go.

SENIOR DAY!

2011-02-14T12:14:00.004-06:00

We honored our seniors in the best way possible this past Saturday with a nine-point win over Illinois College. The game was back and forth the entire way, but we had numerous athletes step up and hit big shots at big times! Despite not having our two leading scorers, the Pioneers worked as a TEAM and came away victorious.

Throughout the season we have challenged, and beat, tournament-bound teams in the conference. I am confident that with continued improvement, we will be in one of those top four spots very soon.

Thanks to Jessica, Mallory, and Brianna for four great years!

ALUMNI EVENT IN CHICAGO: PLEASE COME

2011-02-06T08:36:00.003-06:00

Please come and join the women's and men’s basketball players and coaches for brunch before their games against Lake Forest College on Saturday, February 19. The brunch will be in the Glen Rowan House on the Lake Forest campus.

Brunch begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $10. Be sure to arrive at the start of the event, 11 a.m., so you can wish the women’s team good luck before they have to go get fired up to take on Lake Forest!

R.S.V.P. to the Office of College and Alumni Relations
by Wednesday, February 16.
Phone: 866-850-1846 or online: http://loggia.grinnell.edu/events

Following brunch, the women take the court at 1 p.m. with the men to follow at 3 p.m. Admission to the games is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-18, and free for children ages four and under.

Directions
Glen Rowan House is located on the Lake Forest College campus at 555 N. Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045. Directions are available on the Lake Forest website at http://www.lakeforest.edu/about/ourcampus/directions.php.

Tied with 3 minutes to go...

2011-02-06T08:27:00.002-06:00

The Pioneers took #21 St. Norbert to the wire this past Saturday. Although the 57-46 final score looks definite, the game was back and forth the entire way. The team should feel really good about their effort and their ability to play with one of the best teams in the nation. We played the best defense of the year!

Here's the story!

Great weekend for the Pioneers! Four more games remain!

Congrats to the men's team for taking down #12 St. Norbert! GO PIONEERS!

Good start to February

2011-02-05T11:07:00.005-06:00

The Pioneers opened up February's schedule with a decisive 22-pt win over Ripon College. Michelle Briggs broke the MWC record for blocks in a game with 12.... earning the nickname "Michelle the Enforcer".

Absolutely appropriate.

Click here for the whole story.

Rescheduled: Today's game

2011-02-01T14:01:00.001-06:00

Grinnell WBB @ Knox College
Postponed due to massive snow storm
Rescheduled Febrary 14th
5 pm

January: What a month!

2011-02-01T13:47:00.006-06:00

Pioneer J-Term Accomplishments:
1. Beat Carroll University on January 15th: first time in 11 meetings (since 2004)

2. Had a Northern Sweep (winning two games in Wisconsin) vs. Beloit College & Lawrence University on January 21-22.

3. Four game winning streak (January 14-22): First time since 2007.

Congrats to a wonderful team effort to put together the best January in recent Pioneer history! Here's to an even better February!

Game vs. MacMurray Postponed

2011-01-17T09:33:00.002-06:00

Due to weather tonight's game has been canceled. New date is TBA!

GO PIONEERS!

DOUBLE W!

2011-01-16T13:34:00.002-06:00

The Pioneers had the best weekend of basketball! On Friday the Pioneers defeated Lawrence for the fifth time in a row and on Saturday we (convincingly!) beat Carroll University for the first time since 2004! Carroll had been ranked 2nd in the league before yesterday's game!

Spectators of Saturday's game were certainly surprised by the outcome, but those within our team knew that it could be done based on how we played Carroll earlier in the season. The Pioneers executed the game plan to perfection and hit some big shots in critical moments of the game.

In January the team is 3-1 and continues to play great basketball. Check out the Grinnell athletics website for all the details! Next game: TOMORROW vs. MacMurray (non-conference)

The weekend was especially wonderful because we had so many parents visiting. Thanks to all the Pioneer families for the encouragement, support, and delicious after-game food!

J-Term (January): Big win vs. Beloit

2011-01-06T12:49:00.003-06:00

The Pioneers have started 2011 off right with a sound victory over Beloit, 60-49. At times during the game the Pioneers were up by over 20 points. Our lead stemmed from great defensive pressure and heads-up plays on the offensive end.

It was a complete team win with all 12 athletes seeing time and 11 contributing points or rebounds.

We are considering January a season of it's own with 8 games. We are off to a great 1-0 start. I'm very proud of how the team has handled itself thus far in practice: the athletes returned focused, in-shape, and ready to compete.

A BIG congrats to all the Pioneers!

Just a few silly photos...

2010-12-14T08:44:00.000-06:00

Every year the Pioneers create a holiday card to send to family, friends, and recruits. Here is a sampling of some of our photos!

At the Buzzer....

2010-12-12T19:38:00.003-06:00

We played our final game this past Saturday at Carroll University in Wisconsin. The Pioneers came out really hard and played very well. Each athlete contributed on the floor and I was especially proud of our ability to throw a variety of defensive looks at Carroll.

We were unable to maintain a lead in the first half, but kept the game very close for the duration. The game ended with Carroll up, but Becca DeGroot hit a shot from half court at the buzzer. It was a very beautiful! (ESPN worthy!)

I want to thank my father for spending the past six weeks with the team. Acting as an assistant, Coach Larry helped to bring great joy and laughter to practice and was always an enthusiastic participant. I appreciated his support, his ideas, and the humor he brought to the program. I hope he will return next year to help the Pioneers!

oh Wisconsin

2010-12-07T14:26:00.003-06:00

We faced some very tough competition this past weekend with St. Norbert and Ripon, two conference opponents. St. Norbert is slated to be the top team in the MWC and is currently ranked in the top 20 nationally. With some current injuries, we were overwhelmed by St. Norbert this past Friday.
Saturday was a different story and we competed very closely with Ripon. Despite ending the weekend with two loses, I am confident that when we see these two teams at home, the story will be different.

Hoping the Pioneers are succeeding in the classroom this week and next. Finals here we come!

Knox is up next, tomorrow at home, 5 pm. Glad to be in Darby again...

She BANKED it!

2010-11-23T09:27:00.004-06:00

What a great weekend we had! The Pioneers fought back from 13 down to win 55-54 against Rockford College this past Friday! Tolu Alabi (2nd year/Nigeria) sank the winning free throw... rather she BANKED the winning free throw with less than 20 seconds to go in the game.

Although we lost against Dominican on Saturday the Pioneers showed a lot of heart and fought from over 20 down to end the game with an 11 point deficit. Dominican shot the lights out during the weekend and proved to be the best team at the tournament. I was pleased with the Pioneers determination and saw the team effort as being very strong.

Point guard Brianna Gallo (Sr/Grinnell) was named to the All-Tournament team after two great performances. On Saturday Bri finished the game with eleven points and three steals.

After the tournament we had a delicious team meal at the Scharf's home in Johnsburg, IL. Thanks to Mike and Maureen for being such gracious hosts!

Here we go!

2010-11-18T09:24:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow we are off to the Lake Forest Tip-Off Tournament to start the 2010-2011 season. With a strong scrimmage and 30 practices under our belts, we are ready to face our first test. We play Rockford College on Friday and Dominican University on Saturday.

You can find results on www.grinnell.edu/athletics
or at the Lake Forest site http://goforesters.com/sports/wbkb/index

Also, check out our season preview, written by our wonderful Sports Information Director Ted Schultz. Just click HERE.

Saturday's Alumni Game

2010-11-07T13:03:00.005-06:00

We had eight wonderful alums come back for our annual alumni game this past Saturday. Spanning from the class of 2003 to the class of 2007, the alumni proved to be a tough opponent. Although the current team ran away with the game towards the end, the alumni got the last word with a game-ending 3 by (an expecting!) Anna Veit-Carter ('05).

Nnenna Akotaobi, our current Coordinator of Diversity and Achievement in Athletics, also contributed her basketball talent to the game. Nnenna played her collegiate career at the University of Denver (also the Pioneers!).

We had a nice reception after the game and it was great to reconnect with the former Pioneers. I look forward to seeing them through the course of the season.

Pioneers in Attendance: Emily Kolbe '07, Katy Bowen '06, Lauren Byrne '06, Amber Watson '05, Anna Veit-Carter '05, Tai Duncan '04, Marie Lister '03, Lindsay Benge '05.

Pioneer Pumpkins!

2010-10-25T10:11:00.002-05:00

The Pioneers have started practice off with a bang. We had a great Fall Break Training Camp. The team came in in shape and ready to go. I'm very excited with their energy, communication, and cohesion! We culminated our time together with a pumpkin carving party at Coach Rick Mitchell's house.

Check out these great photos!

Gearing Up

2010-10-04T14:12:00.003-05:00

Near my desk I always like to keep a few inspirational quotes or ideas that I want our team to focus on. They are a daily reminder of what we are trying to do.

Our season opening quote this year will be:

"Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the ME for the WE."
- Phil Jackson

16 days.

3 v. 3 Champion

2010-09-26T15:30:00.003-05:00

We had our third annual 3 v. 3 Pioneer Basketball Tournament this past Friday. With twenty teams in attendance, the competition was very tough. Kelly Clarke's team came from the loser's bracket to claim the title!

Congrats to all who played!

Only 26 days until PRACTICE!

Team Communication Concept

2010-09-13T15:30:00.003-05:00

As I prepare for the season, I've been reviewing my Point Guard College notes over the past few days. Here is one concept I'm going to teach and encourage our athletes to use in order to improve communication and team chemistry throughout the season.

Go APE for your teammates:

A: Acknowledge: point to the passer on a made shot, touch teammates to increase trust, sprint to teammates when they fall down to recognize their hustle and sacrifice.

P: Praise: always remind teammates of their strengths, show them a vision of their greatness.

E: Encourage: Be specific and real in your encouragements

Use a 6:1 ratio of APE and constructive criticism!

Pioneers Abroad!

2010-09-03T14:11:00.003-05:00

We have two athletes studying abroad this fall, Ashley Jeannin (Bonner Springs, KS) and Meg Huey (Wichita, KS). Ashley just landed in Spain yesterday while Meg departed for Demark last week. Meg will have the opportunity to play for a club basketball team in Copenhagen while she is studing at the university there.

Although we will miss them this fall, we are looking forward to their return in January and have high hopes for them in the second portion of the season.

Check our Ashley blog about her time in Spain!

http://jeanninashley.blogspot.com/

This Week: What are the Pioneers doing?

2010-08-30T09:25:00.005-05:00

Here is what the Pioneers are up to!

First full week of classes (Homework, yikes!)
Pick up games in the Aux!
First team meeting on Friday! We will talk about schedules, expectations, and team bonding (my favorite!)

Here is a shout out to our fall sports team who will start competing this week. Our team has formed a "sister" bond with the volleyball team. Best of luck to the Pioneers this Wednesday!

We're in!

2010-08-09T11:32:00.002-05:00

The Grinnell Athletics department has officially made the move across 10th ave into our new offices. Although boxes remain, we are excited about the transition and are hopeful that this move will kick-off an exciting year for the Pioneers.

Come visit us in the BEAR Recreation and Athletic Center!

Basketball in Guatemala!

2010-07-29T13:39:00.003-05:00

I just returned from a week in Guatemala....and guess what I found in a tiny Mayan village? A very competitive three v. three (tres a tres) game!

We found this court at a small school. It was open to the street at the ends but covered with a arched metal roof. You wouldn't want to fall too often on the concrete floor... a concussion waiting to happen!

My sister and I teamed up with a local boy and won six straight games! I like to think it was all skill, but it might have been our serious height advantage!

Old School Grinnell WBB!

2010-07-12T09:15:00.002-05:00

I've been doing some research into the history of the Pioneers and I came across this photo in the library archives last week. Isn't it so great?

I hope nobody got injured that year with only six players!

Champions in 1909!

Dreaming of New Pioneers...

2010-07-05T11:47:00.003-05:00

During the recent Women Coaches Academy I attended, I had the chance to hear Dan Tudor speak. Dan is a well-respected consultant who works with coaches on their recruiting strategies and messages.

One of the most interesting suggestions Dan gave us was about campus visits. He said that many prospective student-athletes enjoy have down time during their visit to take a nap. Yup, naps! The campus visit experience is exhausting, so napping helps the recruit recharge and reflect while on campus.

I KNOW the Pioneers love naps, so why wouldn't our recruits!

Heading out on the recruiting trail tomorrow...

John Wooden

2010-06-30T10:30:00.004-05:00

I have been remiss in not talking about the passing of John Wooden. I deeply admire Coach Wooden and his philosophies about basketball and life. I'm currently reading his book Practical Modern Basketball and with every chapter I realize the expansiveness of his knowledge.

Wooden believe in preparing his team for competition by focusing on their play rather than anticipating and being concerned with the opposition's strategy. He had three main concerns: that his team was sound fundamentally, his players in high condition, and having proper team spirit. Although he simplifies for the book, I believe it to be accurate and true.

I also deeply admire the level of detail Coach Wooden had in running his program. From lessons on socks to a minute by minute travel schedule, Coach Wooden contemplated every angle in the his attempt for success. Nothing was left to chance, everything happened for a reason.

There are very few coaches like John Wooden. I feel lucky to have a chance to learn from him, although I would have loved to see him in action.

New Coaching Ideas

2010-06-23T20:10:00.002-05:00

I had the great privilege to attend the Women Coaches Academy at the beginning of June. I was joined by other women coaches from many sports and all three divisions. At the academy we spoke and learned about the elements of coaching that are ubiquitous throughout the NCAA; coaching philosophy, team core values, recruiting ideas, communication strategies, and much more. The other coaches there were just phenomenal and had so much to share and teach.

I can away from the academy rejuvenated and full of new ideas. I am excited to share with the team new mental focus exercises as well as a new model for leadership training. Although these concepts are unrelated to the X's and O's of the game, I believe they are an integral part of our success next year!

Hope everyone's summer is going great! Go Pioneers!

New Facility: Dedication!

2010-06-02T13:45:00.001-05:00

News from 10th Ave in Grinnell!

On Sat., June 5, Grinnell College will dedicate its new state-of-the-art recreation and athletic center designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli and Sasaki Associates. The $70 million natatorium and fieldhouse completes Phase II of a two-part project that is considered among the best in Division III athletics and recreation. Phase II connects seamlessly underground to the $20 million Phase I completed in 2005 that features Darby Gym, home of the Pioneer basketball teams, and a fitness center.

Can't wait for the Pioneers to enjoy our new facility! Such amazing training spaces will help us produce outstanding performances!

GRADUATION!

2010-05-25T10:53:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Grinnell College graduated of the Class of 2010! It was about 100 degrees and very sunny. (I have the sunburn to prove it!) Jessica Shotts, our lone senior, and her family celebrated four wonderful years at Grinnell.

We wish Jess the best of luck in her next adventures and urge her to come back often!

Class of 2014: Here they are!

2010-05-10T08:48:00.004-05:00

Our incoming class has been finalized!
We are excited to welcome the following Pioneers and their families to our team:

Abby Jaeger (Omaha, NE): Abby is a talented point guard with tremendous court sense and decision-making ability. She is a dangerous passer and shooter, and a very consistent floor leader.

Rebecca DeGroot (Olathe, KS): Becca is an athletic all-around guard. She can shoot the three and get inside and pull down rebounds. Her size and speed will be utilized to guard our opponent's best player.

Compared with last year's class, this incoming class is a bit smaller, but no less talented! Abby and Rebecca are going to compliment the current Pioneers and provide us with more ball-handlers and additional athleticism around the arc.

Not only are these two women great players, but they bring with them wonderful families! I look forward to introducing the DeGroots and Jaegers to our current Pioneer families next fall and winter.

Excitingly, we have already begun our recruiting for the class of 2015. Summer travel plans are being finalized and I'm excited to begin scouting for the next Pioneer!

San Antonio: WBCA Convention & Final Four

2010-04-07T20:20:00.006-05:00

After spending four educational days in San Antonio at the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) annual conference I discovered three things:

1. San Antonio is a wonderful, vibrant city, even though the Alamo is smaller than you'd imagine.

2. The reason great teams are great is not that they don't make mistakes (or score only 12 points in a half), but because with every mistake they do make, they respond in the perfect way: Confidence, courage, and composure.

3. I am pumped up, revving to go, fired up about new ideas, and counting the days until October 15th, 2010. LET'S GO PIONEERS!

Sun Status

2010-03-29T15:54:00.005-05:00

It is funny that my last post was about snow, because it is nothing but sunny and warm in Grinnell today.

Letters are in the mail for our 2010 incoming class!

April holds many campus visits and hopefully a number of newly named Pioneers!

California, Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri are a few of the places our potential Pioneers hail from.

I'll keep you posted as we finalize our class!

Snow Status

2010-03-08T09:42:00.002-06:00

Iowa received record-breaking snow this winter. We broke records for continuous snow cover and for sheer amount. This past week we finally had temperatures to begin the melting process. By my estimation we still have about a foot covering most of the fields here at Grinnell, with snow drifts towering on the roadsides at three feet.

Spring may be on its way but it is certainly not around the corner! (I won't even get into the fact that the farmers almanac predicts many inches of snow in March!)

The Pioneers return to the weight room today to begin our post season training. It is hard to believe but we have been out of season for two weeks already. It is time to look ahead to next year. March and April will be an important time for our team as we finalize next year's team. Stay tuned for updates on the new Pioneers.

SHOTTS

2010-03-04T11:44:00.000-06:00

Congratulations Jessica on your 2nd team Midwest Conference honor! We are proud of you and will miss you next year. Best of luck with your future adventures!

Click here for the story!

End of the Season

2010-03-03T11:22:00.003-06:00

It is always hard to end a season, to say goodbye to a team. We work so hard for over four months and then it is over. With this season I felt it ended just when we were hitting our stride, nearing our potential. I guess it is always harder when there are no post-season possibilities. The end is more exact, more finite.

It is hard for me to characterize this season as a success or a failure. Looking from the outside in, one could say it was a definite failure in that we won only five games. Looking from the inside out though, I would say that it was on its way to being a success. We won 25% more games than we did last year, we incorporated seven new athletes and two new assistants into our program, we learned and executed a new offensive scheme, and we, as individuals, saw substantial personal improvement. And we had fun. Personally, I enjoyed our team tremendously. I laughed a lot, I learned a lot, and I felt connected to the athletes in a way I had yet to feel.

In the locker room after our final game I expressed my pride in our team. I talked about our fight and our positive attitudes and I talked about the future. I spoke about my excitement that we will mostly be intact next year. The challenges we faced by being so young will be lessened and our experience will begin to show. I am excited to step on the floor with this team next October.

As the soon melts in Iowa this spring we will finalize our 2010 incoming class. Stay tuned for our new Pioneers.

Thanks for reading this season. I know at times my posts were few and far between but I enjoyed this process and look forward to being a more regular contributor over the next season.

Good Week: Two close games

2010-02-14T15:05:00.002-06:00

The Pioneers had a good week. On Wednesday we notched our fifth win of the season against a much-improved Knox team. Currently Knox is one step higher than the Pioneers in the conference ranking, so the win was an important one. We had multiple players with double digit points and many others contributing with assistants and rebounds.

Last night we traveled to Jacksonville, IL to face Illinois College, a team which handed us a devastating loss early in January. This game was senior night for the Lady Blues and one of their final home games. The contest was tight the entire first half with IC entering half time with a four point lead. The second half began with a great run from our players. Back and forth the game went until it was tied at 60-60 with about four minutes to go. We had a series of turnovers and missed shots and all of a sudden we were down by five. The rest of game we tried to play catch up. With IC making almost all their free-throws we were unable to make up the difference.

Both the Knox game and the IC game were close for forty minutes. Each coming down to a series of crucial plays at crucial moments in the game. At Knox, those moments went in our favor, at Illinois College they didn't. It is exciting to be this close to winning, but also extremely frustrating. Being this close and not succeeding can be a serious hurdle to overcoming the mental challenges to performing under pressure. Athletes who have experienced victory repeatedly know how to play in close games and win. Our athletes have fewer of those experiences and therefore we are frequently playing in uncharted territory. And although we often spend time practicing in high pressure situation, you can't practice experience. We are fortunate to have some many young athletes seeing time in these close games. I am hopeful that their experiences now will translate into hard-fought victories in the future.

Lawrence/Carroll: Top Five

2010-01-25T09:17:00.003-06:00

The Pioneers notched our fourth win this past weekend with a solid team victory over Lawrence University. The first half of the game was fasted paced, with the team coming out very strong. Defensively we were able to create chaos for Lawrence and answer with solid offensive possessions. Jessica Shotts found her rhythm and tallied 19 points for the Pioneers. Despite losing a bit of steam in the second half, we made some big free throws and big 3's in crunch time and came out with a solid 8 point win.

Against Carroll, we played 32 minutes of great basketball. Michelle Briggs came up big in the post with 14 points for the game. During the last 8 minutes of the game, our composure faltered and our offensive output stalled. Carroll hit almost all their shots and ran away with what was a very tight and competitive match. We will learn from our mistakes this weekend but I do not want the team to be disheartened. I find many positives to take from this weekend.
Here are my Top Five:

1. We have won as many games as we did last year and we have eight games remaining in our schedule, many of which should be competitive and winnable.

2. The implementation of a new defensive scheme was successful and profitable in terms of creating turn overs for our opponents.

3. We shot well against Lawrence, a statistically category we continuously struggle with.

4. Against Carroll we played them closer and better than our first match-up. We held some of their key players to well below their scoring averages.

5. We ended the very difficult Winter Break section of our schedule with a 1-1 weekend. Our energy and enthusiasm remains high and we continue to be fighters. I am proud of our athletes.

We have a big week coming up. We are away at Monmouth on Wednesday and travel to Lake Forest this coming Saturday. Stay tuned in to the Pioneers on the road by watching MWC TV.
Click here for the Penn Atlantic link!

Grades Are In!

2010-01-18T09:22:00.002-06:00

This past semester the Pioneers earned a team GPA of 3.33. Congrats to all our fantastic scholar-athletes.

Grinnell consistently earns more Academic All-Conference selections than any other MWC school. Last year the Women's Basketball Team earned six Academic All-Conference honors including current players Brianna Gallo, Jessica Vaverka, and Mallory Scharf.

The tradition of excellence on and off the court at Grinnell is something to be very proud of.

Come check out the Pioneers this Friday and Saturday for our MWC match-ups against Lawrence and Carroll. This weekend's games will be the last home games until February 10th when the Pioneers return to face Knox College.

Tough Week

2010-01-12T07:35:00.002-06:00

"Sometimes being pushed to the wall gives you the momentum to get over it." Peter de Jager

I'd say this week the Pioneers were pushed pretty hard against that wall. Three games in five days, including a two-day excursion to snowy/windy Jacksonville, IL, is never easy, even with momentum on your side.

Fortunately we have four practices in a row this week. Yesterday we focused on the small things; getting open on the wing in exactly the spot we want, setting good screens and using them, timing our cuts correctly. The little things make the big things happen.

My hope and vision for this week in practice is to gain momentum going into our games versus Carroll and St. Norbert. We need a swing in confidence in terms of our offensive output; a belief that the ball is going to go in.

I shared this quote with the team yesterday to demonstrate the sense of urgency we need to be practicing with this week.

"If not you, who? If not now, when?" Garry Herbert

Lake Forest today: Watch!

2010-01-05T09:07:00.002-06:00

Don't forget to check out the Pioneers against MWC opponents online!

Click here to watch!

Wartburg/Coe

2010-01-05T08:48:00.002-06:00

The Iowa Conference has gotten the best of us in our last two games. We ended the first semester with a loss against Wartburg College and opened the 2010 campaign with a loss at Coe College. In both games a slow first half has been our downfall. We have played each team almost equal in the second half of the game.

Consistent intensity is something we are lacking as a squad right now. To maintain a high level of intensity over a long period of time, two factors come into play; mental and physical conditioning. John Wooden speaks about mental and physical conditioning as two cornerstones of his pyramid of success. They are the base for fundamentally sound basketball, allowing the athlete to be competitive and creative on the court. Mental conditioning provides the athlete with the skills to recognize patterns, adjust play, and develop counter-attacks. Physical conditioning allows the athlete to perform skills proficiently under pressure and fatigue. At the point of exhaustion, the conditioned player has both the mental capacity and composure, as well as the extra energy to finish the game.

I need our players to be conditioned in this way. Not only will they play better basketball, they will be confident when they step on the floor. They will be able to fight harder and longer. I believe we have the drive, now we just need the wheels.

Hard Knox!

2009-12-22T10:29:00.003-06:00

You have to take weather seriously when it is powerful enough to close Route 80, Iowa's main travel artery east to west. Even with my northeasterner's numbness to cold and snow, it was clear that traveling to Knox College for our third conference game was out of the question. Our game has been postponed to a more balmy mid-February date.

We finished our first-semester schedule with Wartburg College at home on December 12th. With a very tough 2-3 trapping zone, Wartburg took us out of our rhythme and our game-plan. We forced too many quick shots out of the trap and were unable to stop the dribble penetration. Although it was not the note we wanted to end on before the holidays, it provided us with many lessons to learn and ponder under the twinkling holiday lights.

Two things I am excited to return to Grinnell with and focus on is our abilty to read defenses and find the holes and the scoring opportunities. We need to do a better job of penetrating the gaps in zones and rotating the ball to find open shooters on the weak sides. Reading defenses takes time and poise and the ability to use the majority of the clock to find the best shot, not simply the first shot. Secondly I am excited to review and strengthen our fundamentals of man-to-man defense. We need to work on our help positioning and rotation. These two points of emphasis will prove invaluable as we head into the second part of our season and the ever important games during our January break.

Check out the Pioneers as we open up the New Year with Coe College on January 2nd. Until then, happy holiday wishes from the Grinnell Women's Basketball Program!

Great MWC Opening Weekend

2009-12-08T09:11:00.003-06:00

It has been over ten years since the Pioneers opened the Midwest Conference schedule with a win. This past Friday, Grinnell handed Beloit their third consecutive loss and earned a 1-0 conference record. Jessica Shotts tallied 31 point while Brianna Gallo had 11 and Jessica Vaverka had 12.

On Saturday the Pioneers gave Ripon a run for their money, eventually losing by 7 down the stretch. Brianna had another solid contribution of 12 points.

We are beginning to see elements of our game fall into place. Defensively, the team was tremendous this weekend. We kept Ripon to only 17 points in the first half. We out rebounded both teams and recorded nine blocks on the weekend. Our intensity on the defensive end has resulted in many productive offensive opportunities.

We are still struggling to be consistent throughout both halves of the game. We had two GREAT 1st halves this weekend. In the second half of both games we stalled. Our energy decreased, our ability to execute was limited, and we allowed our leads to dimish. Great teams take advantage of these lets up, and that is exactly what Ripon did. To beat champions, we need 40 minutes of solid Pioneer basketball.

I am proud of our performance this weekend. We elevated our game to a level that I have yet to see. We proved we can play with the best teams in the conference. I can't wait to face our next MWC opponent.

Check out other MWC action here!

KGRN Link

2009-11-30T12:43:00.000-06:00

The local radio station in Grinnell does a weekly sports broadcast called Coaches Corner. Radio host John Martenson and I talk about the previous week's games and the team's progress. It is a great service for our program and for the local community.

You can now check it out online. Check out the KGRN Coaches Corner to hear the latest edition!

Grinnell vs. Central

2009-11-29T12:01:00.000-06:00

Growing up in Vermont and now living in Iowa I have seen my fair share of barns. The basketball terminology of being unable to hit "the broad side of a barn" is familiar and a effective metaphor for a poor shooting night...and a perfect description of what happened when we played Central College last Tuesday.

We shot 18% from the field and 9% from behind the 3-pt arc. Despite the fact that we had more steals, more blocks, and less turnovers, the Dutch outscored us by almost 30 points. For a coach there are two ways to think about a game like this. One, you could say it was just an off-night and the team will shoot better the next game. Or two, you could ponder the situation over the course of multiple days (and multiple turkey dinners) and come to the conclusion that there needs to be a drastic change in how you teach and drill shooting. I am leaning towards the second option.

The previous game we shot 39 % from the field, 43% from 3-pt land. What could be different? We were on the road. It was a weeknight versus a weekend night. It was the day before vacation. The gym and hoops were different. The lighting was different. We were wearing black versus white.

The list goes on and on. After consulting with my official and unofficial assistants I realized three things; to be able to perform consistently on the road and at home we need to shoot and train in an environment that is altered on a daily basis. Second, no matter where we are competing our technique needs to remain unchanged and correct. The fundamentals are always the fundamentals. Third and final, we need to shoot under more intense defensive pressure in practice.

We have four days until we open Midwest Conference play. We will be shooting A LOT of shots. We will be returning to the fundamentals of shooting. BEEF! (Balance, elbow, eyes, and follow through) And we will be demanding a higher level of performance from the athletes while under pressure.

We could just say it was an off-night, but I'm not willing to take that chance.

Tip-Off Tournament Report

2009-11-28T14:54:00.003-06:00

I apologize for the delay in reporting about our November 20-21st Tip-Off tournament.

We opened play at home against a talented Buena Vista team. We were unable to find the shots we wanted against their tough defense and had trouble stopping them on the other end. Michelle Briggs was a strong force inside with 10 points and 9 rebounds.

We rebounded on the second day to win over Martin Luther. Jessica Shotts scored 30 while sinking 8 3-pointers. I was pleased to see that we could bounce back after a loss and perform confidently and with poise. The first win at home is always a nice one.

First-year Michelle Briggs was named to the All-Tournament team for her consistent effort throughout the weekend.

Check out the full story and stats here!

Big First Win!

2009-11-16T09:10:00.002-06:00

The Pioneers pulled out a great win in our first game against Cornell College. Coming from down 7 at half-time, the team really fought hard in the second half to win 66-58. The composure and confidence I saw on the court was inspiring. We played our game offensively and found the open man, knocked down some great shots, and had many important defensive stops.

I am hopeful that this win will increase our confidence on the court. We have proven that we can win from behind, we can win on the road, and we can win against aggressive and talented opponents!

Check out Ted's write up about the game! We had many great performances from numerous athletes on the team, it was a strong program win!

Best of luck to the Pioneers

2009-11-06T09:18:00.002-06:00

The women's basketball program wishes the volleyball and men's soccer teams the best of luck during the MWC Championship this weekend.

Additionally, congratulations is due to both our men's and women's cross country teams for their 1st place finishes at conference last weekend!

GO PIONEERS!

Senior Post

2009-11-06T09:09:00.000-06:00

Lone senior, Jessica Shotts, speaks about her last season as a Pioneer and how basketball will be a part of her "next step":

Coming into this year's basketball season, I am quite excited that I get to spend my last college season with my current team. All of the women mean something special to me and for that same special reason, I think this year will be a great one. As a senior, I am hoping that we can come out in the top 4 of the conference and make it to the conference tournament this year. In my three years this has never happened and I don't even think it happened a couple of years before I came. I can only imagine how it will feel to continue on into the post season, and I really think that this can become a reality for us. I also want to use my last season as a way to build on my basketball knowledge and to take note of things from a coaches perspective. Many people know that someday I want to pursue coaching, but I am not sure yet if that will be in high school or college. I am going to decide that in the next two years when I (attempt) to try out both levels of play.

Although I am really excited and grateful to have such a wonderful team for this season, I can't ignore the fact that I will be sad once this season ends. My life has always revolved around basketball and now it seems like that physical aspect of my life will be coming to an end. For me, coming to terms with this is going to be very difficult. I am sure I will keep playing in some sort of league after college, but it will never be the same as a college game. Regardless, basketball has always been in my life and it will always be in my life. You can just ask my parents how many times they had to hide my basketball or pry it out of my hands for me to even go to bed or to do my homework. The love I have for basketball will never die, and will remain strong even after my college career is over. So right now, my main focus is to take each day as it comes and make each day the best because that is all that I can control!

The Baumans

2009-11-03T08:43:00.002-06:00

It has become a tradition for the women's basketball program to have a fall cookout at Roger and Dianna Bauman's home. Roger and Di live east of town in the rolling hills of corn country. Last year Roger set up a hayride for the team, with the wagon being pulled by two beautiful work horses. This year the horses were unavailable, so Roger hitched up his car and pulled the team around the dirt roads of Iowa. A kid at heart, Roger ended the ride with a few frightening trips in and out of some rather large ditches. Fortunately, no athletes were lost on the ride!

A BIG thanks to the Baumans for having us over! We enjoyed the hayride, Di's wonderful cooking, and the chance to be together as a team!

Less than two weeks until our first game!

Team Pictures

2009-10-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

After a nice few days away for fall break, the Pioneers came back on Monday to continue our preparation. Today is team picture day. We are having a debate on the team about whether it is appropriate to have our hair down in pictures. My thought is no, never. We are athletes and we play with our hair up, out of our way. The team, however, wants to be glamorous and have voted for hair down.

Either way, hair up or down, the photo will be special. Every year the picture is different, the team dynamics and chemistry is alter by the new athletes and those who have graduated. What remains the same, though, is the name on the uniform. Grinnell. Pioneers. This name stands for not only our institution but for how we approach the game. Grinnell stands for competitiveness, for dedication and excellence. Grinnell stands for perseverance and grittiness. Being a member of our team, being in our team picture, is a daily commitment and a promise to continue the traditions of the Pioneers.

This is a big promise hair up or hair down.

ALUMNI DAY

2009-10-28T10:07:00.002-05:00

Pioneers present and past! Quite the motley crew!

First Practice

2009-10-16T13:41:00.003-05:00

Last night we opened with our first practice of the 2009-2010 season. What fun it is to step on the court being undefeated and having a season of possibilities in front of you.

We are focusing on the fundamentals for these early practices, building a strong foundation to support our offensive and defensive strategies. From here we will grow and develop into the best team we can be.

Tomorrow our alumni come and join us for the Pioneer Weekend. We look forward to having former Pioneers on the court!

Factors in the Decision

2009-10-12T08:53:00.005-05:00

I apologize for the lag in blog entries. These last two weeks have flown by with season preparations and our first round of fall recruit visits. This past weekend we had four prospective student-athletes on campus for Discover Grinnell. Our visitors spent the day learning about admissions, academics, and athletics at Grinnell. We had guests from Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, and Illinois.

When I sit down with recruits we talk about many aspects of our program. We always speak about what factors will play a role in their decision. I stress these three areas of consideration:

1. Academics: First and foremost I speak about academics to our recruits. I talk to them about our class sizes and the interest our professors take in the students. I speak about the different levels of academic support students receive and how I have close communication with all my athletes' professors. Lastly I stress where Grinnell academics can take them and I speak about graduate programs and international work experience. I want them to understand that the Grinnell name is recognized and appreciated beyond the cornfields of Iowa.

2. Team Culture: I stress the importance of understanding our team culture and the athletes that are currently part of the program. Connecting with current Pioneers is the best avenue to discover the ins and outs of our program. Our students will share Grinnell's strength and weaknesses and can report first hand about being a student-athlete here.

3. Grinnell without Athletics: I always ask the question, "What if basketball doesn't work out?" The future is unknown and you never know when an injury may put athletics out of reach. I want to be sure our recruits excel during their collegiate years regardless of athletic success. I stress understanding Grinnell as if there were no athletics. This may seem strange for a basketball coach to do, but I want our recruits to see beyond basketball, see what other opportunities Grinnell has to offer.

I really enjoyed meeting our recruits and their families this past weekend. We have another Discover Grinnell event occuring on November 13th. I look forward to meeting more student-athletes interested in becoming Pioneers!

Countdown

2009-09-29T10:29:00.003-05:00

The message is clear. The team is ready to begin the season.

A week of rain...

2009-09-25T11:09:00.003-05:00

After almost two weeks of continuous sunshine, Iowa is finally seeing some rain. The corn fields are a rusty gold and the soybean fields are almost neon yellow. This is a beautiful time of year in the Midwest and on the Grinnell Campus.

Although I miss the foliage from the Northeast, the crisp evenings and clear air of Iowa in the fall is refreshing. As the fields yellow and the air cools I can feel myself becoming more focused and prepared for the season ahead. Fall marks the beginning of it all.

Our student-athletes are now all deep into their semester classes. Their daily routines are becoming steady as they get in the groove of classes, extracurricular activities, and daily captain's practices.

Our team has been dutifully working many home soccer and volleyball games. As line judges and ball carriers they are present at many sporting event and cheer on our fall sports teams. It is great to see them out supporting other Pioneers.

3 v. 3 Champs Crowned

2009-09-23T08:54:00.003-05:00

Brianna Gallo, junior point guard, has captured this year's 3 v. 3 title. Congrats to Brianna's team for a well-played tournament.

Exactly One Month....

2009-09-15T17:27:00.001-05:00

Only one month until official practice begins.
Only two months before our first game.

2nd Annual 3 v. 3 Tournament

2009-09-14T17:58:00.003-05:00

This Saturday the Pioneers will compete in the 2nd Annual Benefit 3 v. 3 Tournament.
We hope to have close to 20 teams involved this year and raise over $400.00.

We will use these funds to do community service throughout the year.

Can Jessica V. repeat as champion? Will any first-years grab this year's crown? Let the games begin.

Stay tuned for tournament results and pictures.

Grinnell Alumni Event

2009-09-09T10:09:00.002-05:00

The Office of College and Alumni Relations and the Office of Athletics and Recreation invite former athletes from all sports and eras to return to campus for the All-Athletic Alumni Weekend from Friday, October 16-Sunday, October 18, 2009.

Women's Basketball players are invited to come to campus and play in our Alumni Game on Saturday, October 17th at 6 pm. Our game will be followed by the men's alumni game.

Former athletes are also welcome to come watch our open practice at 9:30 am on Saturday in Darby Gymnasium. See what the current Pioneers are up and how we are training to be successful this season.

Click here for more information about the All-Athletic Alumni Weekend!

2009-2010 Schedule

2009-09-04T17:25:00.000-05:00

Here is our schedule for the upcoming season. You can always check out game times and stats at our home page: www.grinnell.edu/athletics/wbasketball/

Nov. 15 at Cornell College 2 pm
Nov. 20 Grinnell Tip-Off Tournament 5pm/7 pm
Grinnell, Martin Luther, Buena Vista, Bemidji University
Nov. 21 Grinnell Tip-Off Tournament 1 pm/3 pm
Nov. 24 @ Central College 6 pm
Dec. 4 Beloit College 5 pm
Dec. 5 Ripon College 2 pm
Dec. 9 at Knox 5:30 pm
Dec. 12 Wartburg College 2 pm
Jan. 2 at Coe College 2 pm
Jan. 5 Lake Forest 5 pm
Jan. 7 @ MacMurry College 5 pm
Jan. 9 Illinois College 1 pm
Jan. 15 at Carroll 5 pm
Jan. 16 at St. Norbert 1 pm
Jan. 22 Lawrence 5 pm
Jan. 23 Carroll 1 pm
Jan. 27 at Monmouth 5 pm
Jan. 30 at Lake Forest 1 pm
Feb. 5 at Ripon 5 pm
Feb. 6 at Beloit 1 pm
Feb. 10 Knox 5:30 pm
Feb. 13 at Illinois College 1 pm
Feb 20 Monmouth 2 pm

Scholar-Athletes

2009-09-02T16:59:00.003-05:00

In the majority of my dealings with recruits I talk about the scholar-athlete mentality; the notion that excellence on the court and in the classroom is not only achievable, but is inextricably linked to one another. The very same energy and work ethic that will score you points on the court will also propel you forward academically. The title of scholar-athlete is less about what you do exactly, and more about how you do it.

The scholar-athlete label also identifies a knowledgeable athlete, a student of the game.

Scholar-athletes think about the game, think about strategy, about how to become better individually and as a team. Basketball is not only be a physical activity for them, but also a mental exercise in persistence, courage, and teamwork. Teams that think alike and speak the same language achieve a higher level of performance than teams who fail to communicate on this elevated level.

Scholar-athletes, because of their investment in their sport, are leaders and have the power to direct their team towards improvement and success. They understand how to lead and how to be led. The team becomes less about the coach's agenda and more about the goals of the scholar-athletes. They are in control of their team, program, and season.

I chose this topic for today's post because our full team is back on campus and enduring the first full week of classes. Their dedication to the team in the preseason is already evident, as is their excitement for their new courses and professors. Being a scholar-athletes takes an incredible ability to balance one's energy and time. It isn't easy to achieve this equilibrium, but nothing worth achieving ever is.

And here they come...

2009-08-24T08:11:00.002-05:00

Our first-year players all arrived this past Saturday, organized their rooms, met roommates and said goodbye to parents.

Due to our recruiting program most of these student-athletes have been on campus more than once and have had the opportunity to form bonds with their teammates. These relationships help to make the beginning of their collegiate careers a little less daunting.

To hear more about the entire 2009 incoming class, check out the Grinnell homepage.
Click here for the article.

The remainder of the team will trickle in this week, with classes beginning on Thursday.

Only 52 more days until the season begins.

Mallory goes to Ghana! Studying Abroad at Grinnell

2009-08-18T12:29:00.005-05:00

Junior forward Mallory Scharf is spending the semester in Ghana. You can follow her adventures in her blog, click here to see what Mallory is up to!

I have received many inquires from prospective student-athletes about the possibilities of going abroad during their time at Grinnell. Winter athletes make the difficult decision about whether to go abroad during the summer or miss part of their competitive season. When I am consulting students about abroad options these are a few of the questions we discuss:

1. Where do you want to go and when are those options available to you?

2. What is your reason for going abroad? What are you looking to get out of the time away from Grinnell? How is your abroad experience going to influence your academic or post-graduate plans?

3. How will your absense affect your position on the team and your hopes for your collegiate athletic career?

4. How are you going to prepare for returning to the team after your semester abroad?

Discussing these issues allows the student-athlete to maintain a connection with the team while also fully benefiting from their experiences abroad.

Alumni Update

2009-08-14T10:19:00.001-05:00

Basketball and softball alum, Emily Kolbe ('07), has returned to the Grinnell campus as a member of our admissions staff.

We are excited to have Emily back in Grinnell and hope that she will join the team in fall pickup!

Returning

2009-08-13T10:15:00.002-05:00

Today the football team returns to Grinnell. Over the next few days the remainder of the fall sports will return, set up their rooms, have their first team meetings, and hit the court, field, course, and roads. What an exciting time to be a Pioneer!

The year is full of possibilities.

Can't wait to have the women's basketball team back on campus as well!

Captain's Corner

2009-08-01T10:49:00.002-05:00

Here is a "corner" from Ashley Jeannin, a tri-captain from Bonner Springs, Kansas. Ashley is a rising sophomore and is currently undecided for her major.

Summer is almost over and although it is going fast, I cannot wait to return to Grinnell!! Looking back over the year all I can think is IT FLEW BY! It seems like only yesterday I was receiving my dorm assignments and finding out who my roommates were. But a year later I have made so many great memories and hopefully learned a thing or too also. The Lady Pioneers are responsible for a majority of these tremendous memories. From watching the Spice Girls Movie on the bus (which the men did not enjoy) to numerous shoot arounds to our crazy skits over Christmas break (two words...interpretive dance), we definitely had some good times.

I hope everyone is having a great summer, enjoying friends and family, relaxing, and finding some time to work out. Enjoy it because it won't be long until we are back on campus. I thought a year went by fast, these next couple weeks are going to fly!