Monday, December 6, 2010

At The Half


8 & 2. Good? Bad? It is all a matter of perspective, I suppose. There are lots of teams that would be thrilled to be 8 & 2 at this point in their season. I am not. Not at all. We lost 2 matches in the 5th set. Both winnable matches, but both against teams that, as they proved, are good enough that when you don't bring your best when it matters, you lose. Sure, injuries were a factor for our team all fall. At one point or another 4 of our 5 4th year guys were out, but we are deep and talented and regardless of who was on the floor, those were winnable. We just needed to play better when it mattered most.

That isn't rocket science. A coach suggesting that their team needs to play better to win. Imagine that? But seriously, confidence under pressure is the difference between winning and losing. The old adage, 'if you think you can't you won't', is so true. Internal dialogue, including positive, aggressive, affirmative thoughts is a big part of it. A great performance consultant, J.P. Pawliw-Fry once told me, "Athletes need to stop and think about what they are thinking about". They need to check their internal dialogue and thought process when in the heat of battle. What's in your head at that time can be the difference between winning and losing. No room for doubt. No excuses. Just step up and get it done.

That is what we have on our agenda. As we muddle our way through exams and start our second half preparation, we will focus on our weaknesses. We will ask players to step out of their comfort zone in the name of growing their game.

Our goals are high, and while 8 & 2 isn't where we want to be, finishing first is still attainable. We are optimistic and at the same time we know that we need to take care of all the details. In sport, anything can happen. That's part of what makes it fun and challenging. We look forward to that challenge.

Hope you can join us in the second half. It is an exciting team to watch and we appreciate the support the Gaels fans and family bring both at home and on the road.

Happy Holidays to All,

Go Gaels Go!

Friday, December 3, 2010

quote of the week

Hi All.

So we were taking the men's bball team through a 'character development' workout on the force treadmill this afternoon. One of the boys had his head in a bucket after the second set while his team mates went about completing set 3. When he was asked if he could get on the treadmill he stated "it's better than not doing it." Quote of the week, month or even year. Love it. You can not put a price on what that did for the team, the player and for my level of respect for that guy.

Women's Basketball -- Game Report

Hi Folks,

A quick note this time around.  We managed a win last night against our cross-town rivals RMC, 65-43.  We were a little “cold” from the outside to start the game, but did manage to convert a number of transition points to lead 18-12 after the first quarter.  A sloppier second quarter only increased the margin by 1, 32-25 by half time.  A sharper third quarter, 21-6 put the game out of reach.  Brittany Moore led all scorers with 17 points, including 3 for 5 from behind the arc.  Liz Boag continued her stellar play with 14 points (2 for 4 from the 3-point line).  Lisa Minutillo added 11 points, while Sydney Kernahan grabbed 12 boards and Jill Wheat grabbed 11 rebounds.

The first question I get asked at work is not what the score was – I’m asked if we had any more injuries?  Fortunately, the answer is no – no more injuries, thank goodness.  Christine Wallace (injured in the McGill game) underwent ACL knee surgery earlier this week and was up and about yesterday.  Meaghan MacDougall injured her knee against Western and is now scheduled for ACL surgery as well.  Both are looking to be back, fully healed in June.

Rachael Urosevic has been out for just over a month with a stress fracture in her foot.  We are hoping that the doctor will give her clearance to begin playing again post Christmas.  Jordan Tomas has also been out for over a month with pain in her feet.  We are hoping for the same prognosis.

Gemma Bullard suffered a concussion in our game against Guelph and is progressing.  She has begun light exercise and hopes to be at full capacity after Christmas as well.

As an update on our “Shoot for the Cure” Breast Cancer Fundraising initiative – we were able to raise over $1,500.00.  Bob Urosevic joined our challenge group and donated $1 per point as well to push us over the $1,500 mark.  Thanks to everyone for their support – both with the team and with this fundraising effort.

Reminder: ID/Training Camp is this Sunday (Dec. 5) from 9-11am and 1-3pm.  Interested players in Grades 10-12 are welcome – just drop me a quick note so I can prepare for the numbers.

Up Next on the Road:

Wed-Fri. Dec. 29-31 @ Concordia Tournament in Montreal

First Game: Wed. Dec. 29 vs Bishop’s 4:00pm

All the best.

Dave.


Gaels snap six game losing skid with 65-43 win over RMC

KINGSTON, Ont. (December 2, 2010) - The Queen's Gaels women's basketball team snapped a six game losing streak with a 65-43 win over cross town rival Royal Military College (RMC) on Thursday evening at RMC.

Queen's Brittany Moore of Hannon, Ont., was the game's leading scorer recording 17 points with nine of those coming on three pointers. Kingston's Liz Boag chipped in 14 points while Lisa Minutillo of Brantford, Ont., tallied 11.

Sydney Kernahan of Calgary, was the games top rebounder posting 12 boards. Jill Wheat of Marwayne, Alta., also broke double digits in rebounds with 11. Wheat currently sits 18th in the nation with 63 total rebounds.

Carley Lewis of Halifax, Ont., and Sandy Edminson of Carleton Place, Ont., were RMC's top scorers sinking 12 points each. Stephanie Stone of Kingston notched a double-double for the Palidins with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The win puts the Gaels record at 2-7 which ties them with the Ryerson Rams for fifth place in the OUA East heading into the December exam break. RMC holds a 1-8 record and is tied with Laurentian for last place with two points.

Queen's will be back on the court from December 29-31 in the exhibition Concordia Invitational Tournament in Montreal. Their next regular season match is set for Jan. 7 against the Laurentian Lady Vees in North Bay.

NOTES: The Gaels last win came against the Waterloo Warriors back on Nov. 6. Queen's captured that game 66-44... Minutillo's 11 points equalled a career high; she also scored 11 against Waterloo on Nov. 6.