I love this game

Anyone who has seen Space Jam has heard the song “Basketball Jones.” My favorite part of that song is Barry White’s voiceover:

Jones: an obsession, a burning desire; the undeniable passion; the love for someone or something…Yes, he was the victim of a basketball jones.

Recently I was out for a little while with a sprained ankle. Today I realized that not being able to play or practice has only intensified my passion for this sport. (My heart goes out to Allison right now. Girl, get better soon.) With the exception for this past week, I have not been injured enough to not practice or play games since my senior year of high school. I was out the entire year with a stress fracture, and it broke my heart to watch girls play the game I love with such apathy. Over the course of the past few years, I have not felt the “basketball jones” that I had felt at that time—sitting on the sidelines dribbling two basketballs, just hoping I would magically heal so I could get in the game and actually score points…so I could chest bump a teammate that made a sick play...so I wouldn’t have to see a statline that read “Christina Spencer – DNP.” I wanted nothing more than to be able to play. I craved basketball. I have been “fortunate” enough to have sprained my ankle, and as a result, get my basketball jones back.

[Don’t get me wrong, I have loved this sport every season I have been here at Oberlin, but the actual act of craving the game has been a bit buried. My work ethic stemmed solely from wanting to see more playing time in games, rather than playing for the love of basketball.]

I love this game. There really is no other sport in the whole entire world that beats basketball. Yes, there are times that I find myself wanting to take a nap instead of hitting the gym at 4:45...It's a long day, and Oberlin classes certainly can drain a person. But you know what? It's part of the sport. It's part of getting better. It's a sacrifice we have to make as student athletes. And you want to know something else? It's worth it. There is no better feeling than hearing the swish of the net after making the three-pointer you have shot thousands of time at practice, or witnessing the beauty of a back-door layup, or being able to beat your defender due to the countless number of sprints you have run in the pre-season. Practice is painful. Your muscles hurt, your lungs burn, your stomach cramps... But capturing a W in a neck-and-neck game because you can outrun or outshoot an opponent in the fourth quarter is worth every second of pain, every sore muscle, every stomach cramp, every minute of lost sleep, and every sprained ankle.

Sometimes we feel sorry for ourselves. I'm too tired to run...I can't finish this ab workout...I can't lift anymore...I'm too sore...My body hurts...
I found myself committing this very act of feeling sorry today in practice. My ankle hurts... But then a light went off. Yes, I am still injured...BUT we have two tournaments this month. I need to be in shape. I need to suck it up. I WANT to start off our season with a beautiful line that reads:

Oberlin College 1-0

I can rest on the weekend. Of course I am not suggesting that every injured athlete should continue to practice under extremely painful or health-threatening circumstances. Quite frankly, if this were last week, it would have been VERY ill-advised for me to practice. But today was a different story. Yes, I am still in pain...but I would rather endure this (not-so-severe) pain for a few more days and be in shape, rather than milking it and watching my team get better without me. (And let me say, playing defense today after not being able to for a solid week, felt GREAT.) Basketball deserves a 110% effort. So do my teammates. I pushed through those last few sprints, and felt very satisfied as I limped to our end-of-practice huddle. Ice will help. I'll be fine tomorrow. Instead of half-heartedly jogging the last few sprints and gaining absolutely nothing, I was able dig deep, and therefore leave practice with the contentment of knowing that today I got just a little bit better.

Coach talked yesterday about finding our “second wind.” I found mine today. My motivation comes from the deep love and passion that I feel for this sport, and I truly believe that hard work will be rewarded.

Basketball jones…I gotta basketball jones…


-Christina Spencer #23

Kelly

The underlying message of this story is to live in the present and not dwell on the past or future except to learn from it. The present is what you have now, so take from it all that you can.

Post from Ellen

Sorry this is late!

The most important idea I took away from "The Precious Present" is that we are solely in charge of our own happiness. While the old man could have just told the boy the exact meaning of the precious present, the boy was able to make that discovery for himself, empowering his own happiness and his own present. The story encourages us to take control of and remain active in the present. We can learn from he past and have hopes for the future, but it all boils down to what we do at this moment that truly shapes who we are.

C-Nasty's Review of the Precious Present

After reading The Precious Present, discussing the story with teammates, and reading everyone’s blogs, I think it is safe to say that there is a consensus that the Precious Present’s takeaway is to “live in the present” and to really preserve the unique experience of being present. The author conveys this message as the only means to true happiness—that one cannot dwell on past occurrences or spend each day hoping for a better tomorrow, for these are wasted moments. I have seen this theme repeated in several axioms (one being, “today is a gift—that’s why they call it the present”) so I figure it must have a pretty substantial amount of validity. It can indeed apply to this year’s basketball team upcoming basketball season.

Example: No matter how much I miss the girls from last year, I cannot carry those feelings of sadness into this season, for they are part of a basketball team in my past, and not part of the present. It will be a purposeless and in no way beneficial to the success of this team. I must live in the present—and cherish the people and experiences of the now. (I love you girls!) J
Additionally, I cannot brush off this season and instead focus my attention to next year when there will be more than eight players. A this-season-doesn’t-matter attitude is certainly no way to win basketball games.

Though The Precious Present delivers a significant account of the notion of being present, I would argue that the author makes a mistake in downplaying the importance of the past and future. One’s present is codependent with his past and future. The past is essentially the determining factor of one’s present state. Different pasts yield different presents, and as a basketball player, it is necessary to revisit the past from time to time.

Example] I am on the bus ride home from an away game in which I continued to allow my man to score. Instead of just forgetting about it and being “in the present”—sitting in silence while many girls are talking to their parents on the phone or are sleeping—it is much more practical to examine my recent past. Why did I let her score? What was I doing (or not doing) to allow her to get to the hoop? It is important to get to the root of my mistakes that way I will not let it happen in the next game.

Which brings me to my next point. As a basketball player, it is vital to look towards the future. (Isn’t that, in essence, what going over a scouting report is all about?)

Example] Same scenario as before: My girl kept scoring on me. Well, after visiting the past and realizing what went wrong, it is now time to ask the question of what I can do next time to prevent this from happening.

The past, present, and future are all very reliant on one another, for just as different pasts yield different presents, different futures yield different presents.
Example: My man kept scoring on me because I was not in a defensive stance. If my past was different, namely, if I had been in a defensive stance, my present would be different in that my man would not have scored on me, in addition to the fact that I would not currently be even thinking about this topic.
After I realized what I had been doing wrong—not being in a defensive stance—I will have then decided to make the necessary changes in my workout to ensure that my girl will no longer keep scoring on me. I will have thus looked towards the future to make certain that I will have a particular present.

Okay, so I never really intended to write this much...I think ideas kept coming to me as I was writing. I feel as if I have just written a philosophy paper. But you get the point. Yes, it is important to live in the present, and I truly believe that this will unearth a whole lot of happiness, but one can never neglect the past or ignore the future to maintain whatever happiness the present may generate.

So (my) moral of the story: Live your life AAAaaayyyyyy AAaaayyyy Aaayyy

[On a side note: Why couldn’t the old main just explain to the boy what the “precious present” was? Instead, the boy wandered through life looking for something that he probably would have found out sooner, had the old man never even mentioned it. Just a thought.]

-Christina "C-Na$ty" Spencer #23

Post from Megan

The Precious Present sends an important message. It teaches us that the present is a gift given to everyone, a gift that most take for granted or never realize they have. To live in the past can only hurt your future. So relish the present. Do not waste time worrying or hoping for things to happen, but go out and make them happen for yourself.

Post from Allison

After reading the book, it made me realize that you shouldn't take the present for granted because it's all you really have, and that you should make the most of it. Dwelling on the past and worrying about the future brings nothing good. I think this can be applied to our basketball season in the sense that we should take it one game at a time and not focus on the games ahead or what happened in the previous game. We should learn from the past and prepare for the future, but concentrate on what is currently in front of us.

Post from Kayla!

The most important message that I took away from this book is that the best thing anyone could do is not to waste time wishing or worrying. Live in the present but reflect on the past and prepare for the future. These three things will only lead to happiness and contentment in the precious present.

A move out west and a semester abroad.

This summer was certainly a memorable one. It started out strong by visiting Chicago and Atlanta and attending a three-day outdoor concert. The most exciting thing this summer has been my move to Bellingham, Washington. My parents both got jobs at Western Washington University, and I decided to help my mom move out early. The drive from Mt. Pleasant, MI (where I've lived the last 9 years of my life) to Washington was long but full of adventures. The highlights include The Badlands and the World's Only Corn Palace in South Dakota, Yellowstone in Wyoming, and white water rafting in Montana. Also, our car only broke down once--fortunately, Montanans are fantastic mechanics.

Since arriving in Bellingham (which is located on the Pacific Ocean, about an hour north of Seattle and an hour south of Vancouver), it has been non-stop fun. There are numerous trails in the area, including one that goes along the coast and up to the top of a mountain. My favorite is one that encircles a gorgeous lake---within walking distance of my house. I have also enjoyed visiting Seattle and Canada, but the most exciting thing I have done this summer has been getting my SCUBA certification. The waters are cold here, but they are also twice as beautiful. I see sea stars, crabs, fish, anemones, and even octopus!

Right now I'm getting ready to study away in Mexico for the semester. There, I will be in a marine conservation program--I will be studying the sea turtle population and talking with the local fishermen. It is Biology program, but there is, of course, an emphasis on Spanish. I'm very excited, although also slightly nervous because I don't know what to expect! The other students seem very nice, and it seems like it will be pretty relaxed. Then, I get to continue my Spanish and Biology studies in Costa Rica for the spring semester. For that program, I will be spending most of my time in the rain forest. I hope to catch a glimpse of Tarzan.

I wish you all the best of luck with your season! I will try to make a trip to OC during winter term.

Go Yeowomen!

Katie

Senior Captain Emily Finkel's Post

Hello fellow teammates and Oberlin basketball supporters and fans! I hope that everyone is doing well and enjoying your summers as much as I am. As Kayla mentioned, I have already emailed many of you about what I’ve been up to, so bear with me if this is redundant.



I’ve been spending the summer interning with People’s Grocery, a food justice organization located in West Oakland, CA. West Oakland is a low-income area inhabited predominantly by people of color. The community faces a range of challenges, including food access issues that stem from an abundance of liquor stores and the lack of a grocery store where fresh, healthy food can be conveniently purchased. To address this concern People’s Grocery runs a low-income CSA (community supported agriculture) where West Oakland residents can purchase a box of produce, called a “Grub Box” for $12 a week. Sponsors pay $24 a week and help enable the discounted prices offered to residents.



People’s Grocery runs a few urban gardens in Oakland, but the majority of their produce is grown on a 3.5 acre organic farm plot in Sunol, about 35 minutes south of Oakland. As the “Farm Intern” I have been spending three days a week on the farm, where my tasks consist of transplanting, direct seeding, harvesting, doing irrigation, and weeding…a lot. Work is often hot, tiring, and, at times, tedious, but I couldn’t be happier. The people I work with are great and I feel like I am learning so much. The farm is really beautiful and it is right by a shallow creek so sometimes when it is extra hot we jump in to cool off. Aside from my work on the farm I have been doing some grant research with a woman who, small world that it is, knows a woman who I was working with in Oberlin this past spring! We also have monthly film screenings and reading discussions in the urban gardens that address topics related to environmental justice. I even got to go to a tea tasting last week at this tea shop that is interested in the work we do and wanted to host us. As one of the perks of the job, I get a lot of free food. Interns get weekly grub boxes, and we can also pretty much harvest anything we want at the end of a day out on the farm. This has been very good for me since it forces me to cook, which is not exactly a strength of mine…good preparation for living in a Union Street house with a kitchen this fall!



Work and work-related extracurriculars have been taking up most of my summer, but I’ve been able to fit in some basketball here and there of course, and I’ve been supplementing my P90X workouts by carrying heavy boxes of zucchini, cabbage, potatoes, onions, and turnips from the rows where we harvest them to the work van.



I’m beginning to feel like the end of summer is slipping through my fingers. I’ll be home for three more weeks, during which I will continue to work and I’m trying to plan a white water rafting trip up north. On the 18th I’m going to France to visit my parents for about a week and a half, and then I will be flying straight back to Oberlin. Though I don’t want to leave home I’m super excited to get back to campus, meet the incoming freshmen, and get to playing some ball! I was hoping to include a couple pictures of the farm, but my camera battery is dead and I don’t know how to get cell phone pics on the computer, so instead here is a picture from the 4th of July of me and the freakishly large farm zucchini/squash that we clearly didn’t harvest early enough. I’m thinking if my boxing out isn’t on point this season I can always club some girls out of my way with one of these. Hehe I kid, but they do make a good stir fry. Be well everyone!



Love,



Emily

Senior Captain Kayla Brandt's Post

So far, I've written two essay length e-mails to my teammates about how my summer is going. Syrea tells me I need to seriously think about shortening my email writing and concentrate on including only the important things that are worth reading. Here it goes Sy, I'll give it a try for you...

Most recently I had the privilege of working with Coach Agnus Berenato, Head Coach of Pittsburgh Women's Basketball Team, at one of her summer camps. This was quite the experience and in only four days, I learned about management, organization, attitude and respect. The purpose of the camp wasn't just to develop and improve basketball skills, it was also to educate young athletes about what it takes to compete at the collegiate level, to incorporate spirit and manners into life on and off the court, and about what it means to carry yourself as a champion, win or lose. Needless to say, I gained a lot from being part of Coach Berenato's team for a few days!

On a more fun and slightly ridiculous note, before the camp I attended a steak fry! What is a steak fry you ask? Something like this only takes place in West Virginia where I traveled to in order to partake in the event. You walk into the large picnic area and are handed a raw, bloody, packaged steak (I apologize to all my vegetarians out there) and then you cook it on one of many rusty grills out back. There's other food, dancing, and corn hole and wouldn't you know it, I had a great time!

Other than those two new additions to the list of random summer events, I've been playing basketball and trying to do some research for my capstone project that I need to complete for my religion major. Oh yea, I also saw the Stanley Cup up close! Hope everyone is having a great summer and I can't wait to read about them all on the blog! Love you guys! Sy, how'd I do?

We decided to do something a little unconventional for our summer workouts this year. The whole team is doing P90X. We started it during the spring and everyone seemed to enjoy it. It's not for the faint of heart but the results are very rewarding. Here is a summary of P90X from a nutritional website that we consulted-

The P90x Nutrition Plan is centered on a powerful 13-week physical fitness program, combined with healthy eating habits, guaranteed to help you lose weight and regain the confidence in having a firm, toned body. We found in our p90x Review that the emphasis is on the importance of regular exercise to increase stamina and build muscle to replace excess weight. Carl Diekler and his company have developed a super program in the p90x Nutrition Plan that really revs up your metabolism for fast weight loss to burn away those unwanted calories.

We wanted our weight training to emphasize joint stabilization, agility and long lean muscle. Many of the players were concerned about becoming too bulky. P90X seems to solve that problem.

The Precious Present

The Precious Present is a great book and part of our summer reading list. The following is an editorial review from Amazon.com:

"The precious present has nothing to do with wishing. The richness of the precious present comes from its own source. The precious present is not something that someone gives you. It is something that you give to yourself." The parable of The Precious Present is a quiet one to muse upon and sit with, and finally to take into your heart. Spencer Johnson, coauthor of the bestselling business classic The One Minute Manager, has created a simple path for the reader to follow in the search for peace and clarity. While The Precious Present may read like a children's book for adults, its slow pace requires the mind to quiet down so that it can really register the meaning of Johnson's words. "The Present Is Simply Who I Am Just The Way I Am... Right Now. And It Is Precious." We may be familiar with this philosophy in theory, but the experience of reading The Precious Present is truly synchronous with its message.

The Oberlin Basketball players and coaches are committed to making the overall basketball experience at Oberlin one that complements and enhances the educational experience; not detract from it.

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present."

Master Oogway
Kung Fu Panda

After reading the book The Precious Present by Spencer Johnson, what does this book mean to you and our team?

Pink Zone Game

On February 14, 2009, the Oberlin women's basketball team participated in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Pink Zone initiative. In the week leading up to the game, the players solicited donations for pink bracelets with the proceeds being donated to breast cancer research. In addition, our team wore specially made pink uniforms for the game versus Hiram College. In the end, the Yeowomen were able to raise more than $900.00 for the Susan G. Komen foundation.

Saying Good-Bye to our Seniors

Today was bittersweet. Coach Crayton and I attended the graduation ceremonies for our departing seniors. The weather was great and the ceremony went off without a hitch. It was a proud moment to watch our seniors partake in their last official Oberlin enterprise. However, with that pride in our seniors came a disappointment that their playing careers are now officially over. They will always be members of our team and our extended Oberlin family. We wish them well in all of their future endeavors. So it is with a combination of happiness and sadness that we say good-bye to Kira Rivera, Mandi VanAllen, January Baker and Alyssa Clark. Don't be strangers. You will be missed.