On the Road...

So I just thought that I would let everyone know that we are about to venture on our first road-trip.  Tomorrow we are heading out to Holland where we will play two games against the Netherlands.  From there we will head on to Croatia where we will play another two games against Croatia's national team.  So we shall be on the road for around 8 days and I'm not sure how often I will be able to update the blog.  Hopefully we will have an Internet connection in our hotels, and then that way I'll be able to keep you posted, otherwise it will just have to wait until I get back!!!

Our goals for the trip are to obviously keep working hard and getting better every time we step on the floor.  Its going to be our first time on the road traveling together as a team this year, so it will be good for everyone to experience the traveling side of things and the whole away game process, before we get to the real important games coming up in August and September.  So fingers crossed everything goes well  :)

On a little side note, I forgot to mention that On Monday I got to go and meet with our major team sponsor Adidas.  The meeting was all about what products/kit we are going to be supplied with for our 2009 campaign.  For me it was an awesome experience!!!  It was great to see what goes on behind the scenes in getting a team prepared for an upcoming camp/tournament.  The meeting was a very positive one and there was a lot discussed, and I believe that the Great Britain women's team is going to have a great looking kit for the 2009 campaign!!!!  (well maybe I'm a little biased!!)

So here's to hoping that the next time I can blog will be in a few days and hopefully with a good game report :) 

First Week Down!!!

So its Tuesday night over here in Cardiff and we are well and truly into camp mode!!  Its been a pretty hectic first week of camp and so much has been going on.  Since the last time I blogged, we as a team had a big team building a day at a high ropes course.  We have played two games against Norway, and we are now getting ready to take off to Holland and then onto Croatia for some friendly/practice matches against some good quality opponents.

So to take it back a bit, Thursday the 24th of July we had a practice at all, but don't worry, we sure did get a work out!!  We had a 3 hour bus drive out into the country side where we were greeted by plenty of fresh air and green grassy hills.  By the time we got to the "Success Factory" it was late in the morning, so we had a quick introduction to where we were and what the "Success Factory" was all about.  Obviously they are a company that focuses on making teams, all sorts of teams, from sporting to corporate business, a fully functioning successful team unit.  From our meet and greet, we were taken on a short stroll that took us into the woods, where a high ropes course awaited us!!!  Well I now know that I have a bit of an issue being up high, it is def not one of my favorite activities to be doing!!

Our first task to test our own fear was to walk along a beam that was suspended in the air by two poles, one on each end, from one side to the other.  That seemed easy enough right.....haha think again.  Once you got from one side to the other, you were then given an egg and a spoon, and told to climb up to the next beam that was a good 2-3 meters above your head.  And then once up there, hold your egg with your spoon and walk from one side top the other, WITHOUT dropping your egg!!  Just when we thought that we had finished our task, hahaha, we were then told to climb up to the highest level, which i can tell you was rather high, and repeat the process from one side to the other while holding your egg with your spoon.  Needless to say there were a few eggs dropped, but of course my egg stayed in place......with the help of my thumb holding it down!!  Yes i def did cheat just a little, but I was just pleased that I actually completed the task hahah   :)   When I get the pics, i will attach a few so you can all see how high we were off the ground.  OH and not to worry we were all harnessed in and attached to ropes, so it was quite safe!!!

We broke for lunch and then headed back down to the ropes course for more team building activities and plenty of activities high up in the air.  All in all the day was a great success, everyone had a great time and it has really payed off as I feel that the team is just that much closer now.  The girls here are all a great bunch of chicks and that day has just brought us all that much closer.  I feel good things coming up haha!!

So we headed back onto the court on Friday for more practice and preparation for our two practice games that we had coming over the weekend.  By the time Saturday morning rolled around, everyone was pretty pumped for our first friendly.  Tip-off rolled around and the game started with Lisa at the point, Stef at the 2, Myself at the 3, Roz at the 4 and Kim at the 5.  What can i say we came out firing and never looked back for one minute.  By the time the final siren sounded, we had a 30+ point win behind us.  I had a pretty decent game, played 21 mins, had 22 pts, 3 steals, a few assists, so I did alright out there.  Mark (our head coach) was happy with the win, but we def have a lot of improving to do.  So a good nights rest was in order for the game the following day.

Sunday was a new day and a completely different game!!  We started the game with Georgie at the point (she is our youngest player at 18), Jo L at the 2, Me at the 3, Roz at the 4 and Kim at the 5.  Norway came out on fire and before we even knew it we had dug ourselves a pretty deep hole.  However we fought hard and came out with a 10+ point win in the end.  I played a few more mins this game, 27 and then had 14pts a few steals again and a few assists.  Mark played quite a few different combinations in the games over the weekend and overall everyone got some pretty good minutes and was able to show what they could do.  We still have quite a lot of work to do to get us really firing on all cylinders, but I do really see good things coming our way, if we continue to work hard and move forward.  Hey what can i say "we're a work in progress" that's for you Coach CT!!!! 

Camp has begun..

Just a quick update, team camp has started and we are getting right into it.  We are on day 4 and still have many days and many, many practices to go before all the big games start!!!

Day 1 started with lots of meetings, and information talks and all that sort of stuff.  We have quite a few new faces here this year, so it was important to take that first day and get to know everyone a little more, and get everyone comfortable with each other.

Day 2 was started our first session with a few agility tests, a conditioning test, and then we got right into the basketball stuff.  We put in our basic floor shape and just got everyone comfortable with where they should try to be on the floor.  Our evening session consisted of putting in more offensive sets and continuing on with our floor shape, and then we got into the good stuff, 5 on 5 :)  By the end of the day everyone was ready to shower, eat up and get some much needed rest.

Day 3 we began our first session being split into two groups, while one group did some conditioning and such, the other group worked on some offensive principles.  The conditioning was by no means easy, but conditioning isn't meant to be.  I personally felt good after the session, Its always great to have a tough conditioning session and come out on top.  Our evening session was full of transition drills, and then lots of 5 on 5.  I love the 5 on 5 stuff cause its what we really need.  We need to be playing as much as possible, and it also get s everyone use to each other on the court.  We finished that practice really well and on a good note.

Today is day 4 and we've already had our morning session and we've just eaten.  I'm about to lay down and take a short nap and try and recharge for tonight's session, but I wanted to do a quick update to let everyone know what was going on.  Until next time.........  :)

Back to GB Basketball :)

Today it all starts again!!  GB basketball has arrived and today, Saturday the 19th July, we begin our team camp in preparation for the Eurobasket 2009 Qualifiers.  

(Just a quick refresher for those who don't know, GB stands for Great Britain, and I am a member of the GB Senior National Team.  My awesome Mum is Scottish, (born and bred in Stirling to be exact, and then moved out to Australia when she was 5) and through this fact, it enables me to hold a UK passport as well, which then allows me to participate for the National team here.  The GB team consists of players from England, Scotland and Wales.  And as I've got some Scottish blood flowing through me, here I am :)  It is a huge opportunity for me, to have the chance to go to the 2012 Olympics,  and it was something that I could not turn down.  I am still and will always be a very proud Aussie, but I am also very proud to be a member of the GB team!  )

I'm sitting in my hotel room right now typing this out and I can't sleep.  Its just gone 6am, and my ride to Cardiff wont be here until 8am, but I can't sleep!!!  I'm not sure whether that's the fact that I'm quite possibly still feeling the effects of jet lag, or whether I'm just so excited to meet back up with all the GB girls.  I'm thinking its prob a bit of both!!  Last year was such a great experience for me, it was my first time with the team, and it def had its low points (injuring my groin and not being able to be out on court with the girls for the start of the program, and having to just sit on the sidelines and watch as the team got better and better each day, well that was tough).   To then being in the locker room in the Netherlands, spraying champagne around cause we had just achieved our goal of promotion to Division A, well that was definitely the best high!!

So I am def looking forward to today, the start of a new chapter.  There will be quite a few new faces, from staff to players, but we know that these new faces can only improve our team.  By no means do we think that the qualifiers will be a walk in the park, with teams such as Germany, Israel, Lithuania and Ukraine, how can it be!!  So here's to the beginning of a new chapter, one full of hard work, lots of sweat, and many, many good times and amazing memories, and the best one of all GREAT friendships  :)  In that photo from last year is: (L-R) Me, Lisa, Kristy, Georgia.

 

The Begining of "Shoot Wicked"

G'day to all.  I have been thinking about doing this blog for quite a while now, but I just had no idea what to name it.  I wanted something a little different, but just didn't know what.  Until a few days ago when it was time for me to leave home again.  My Dad had written me a short little note on our message board wishing me luck for the upcoming few months, but in particular there were two words that stood out, "Shoot Wicked".  It made me laugh, and it was just him to a tee.  It wasn't until I was speaking to my parents on the phone this morning that they suggested it could be the name of my Blog.  And so here it is, the beginning of my blog, "Shoot Wicked" :)

I hope that this will keep everyone a little more up to date on what I'm up to and of course where I am in the world.  I shall do my best to keep it updated regularly, and post a few pics here and there :)