Well, to say that we
haven't all gone through a variety of emotions would be putting it
mildly. This message, as you can imagine, has been the most
difficult one to compose this morning. Oh my, the expectation
of winning--no matter how much one tries to put everything into
proper perspective--and then not coming out on top of the score--has
been challenging for the team, parents, friends, and especially for
Anji, who as the team's coach, felt she had disappointed everyone.
But this incredibly
strong network of support among all EOU Mountaineers here in Sioux
City and from the phone and email messages from many of you that
I've received via email for her and the team, clearly shows how
proud--regardless of who wins and who loses a game--we all are of
the way this EOU Women's Basketball Team 2003-04 has performed on
court and even more importantly, off this court during this very
exciting season.
A few Game Day
reflections:
Our EOU team and
fans cheering wildly for Warner Pacific, an opponent during the
regular season, with whom we quickly bonded as fellow Oregonians as
they "took on" Dakota Wesleyan. Though they lost
their game earlier in the day, their enthusiasm for the EOU/Dominican
game was tremendous and their players became our cheerleaders in the
stands, leading chants of E-O-U/clap and Defense, Mountaineers,
Defense! They cheered and chanted right up until the final
buzzer and stood in support and applause with all the rest of us in
respect to our team as the Mountaineers' game ended.
A somber locker room
where the reality that the season was now officially over--and
especially for the seniors, a difficult letting-go process was
beginning. Hugs, tears, disbelief--yes, it was all there. But
so, too, was the resilience to move forward and emerge from the
locker room to the waiting family and friends who stood in their
arena seats until way after the crowds had left for this group of
champions--an important, but difficult transition, from the joy with
which these women in those sharp Mountaineer gold uniforms had taken
the court just a couple hours before.
Back at the motel...
gathering in my room with the team, coaches, and many parents for
brownies from Christy Smith's parents and "presidential"
pizza and seeing the smiles start to return to faces that had
earlier been tear-stained and so filled with defeat. Laughter
(especially about the "interesting" prank that had been
pulled on me the night before--I have a new nickname-- it's
"sticky buns" and I'm not talking about those wonderful
cinnamon rolls that are made by the Nellie Jean's Deli at the Union
Hotel!), joking, reflecting--that wonderful chemistry that we've
seen thisyear among the team was at work again, helping to move us
all forward.
Straightening up my
bed this morning, and wondering if the "short-sheeting"
which seemed to have occurred in the night was my own tossing and
turning, or the work of a clever group of young women to whom I'd
earlier loaned my motel key so they had more room for showers
earlier in the week....hmmmm? I obviously was too tired when I
went to bed to notice!
And, finally,
hearing fits of laughter and frivolity in the room next to me into
the wee hours of this morning. Things were already starting to
return to "normal."
Don't know if it
will work out, but we're going to try to change our plane tickets
and return home earlier. Otherwise, today is--per Coach
Weissenfluh's instructions--homework day for all! And, the
reward, for those who comply may be an opportunity to go back to the
arena and catch a game, pull more pranks on Dr. Lund, or find more
and more food to eat! Again, this has been a tremendous experience
for all of us. Thank you to everyone who has been there for
this team in person as well as in spirit.
Dixie
