Day 4 in Terrigal and another double header.   Our tactic today was to RUN and run we did.  We won both games through creating turnovers and running the ball hard up the court.  While opposition players were asking for subs, our girls were working hard in defence and running the lanes.  So after 6 games why are we so fresh?  I’d like to think that our teamwork off the court is behind our on-court performance.  So this is was how our day went today –

7am Julie, our Manager, goes to the shops to get all the extra bits and pieces we need for the day

8am breakfast

8.30am laundry/cooking

9am girls pack their bags and put together their recovery food and drinks for after the game

9.20am team meeting mainly covering what the scout is on the opposition

9.30am bus departed to stadium

9.40am check out the games being played, two of the girls saw the physio, caught up with family that got to the stadium early, checked out the Championship memorabilia on sale

10am commenced our pre warm up warm up

10.15am hit the court for our warm up – excellent choice of music by the Court Manager sees Coach Clarke break out the dance moves along with some of our supporters.

10.20am Coach Clarke asked by Basketball Australia if she could leave the dancing to the floor wipers as since she has started grooving her move spectators are leaving in droves.

10.30am match commenced against Gosford City Rebels – an excellent team performance for a 38 point win+

11.50am the girls made their first attempt at trading uniforms with the Gosford City girls only to suffer an embarrassing rejection

11.51am cool down commences, recovery packs eaten (latest research on recovery dictates that the girls drink either choc milk or up-n-go, a piece of fruit and a muesli bar).  A quick chat with our families and then change into bathers

12.15pm Terrigal beach for a swim in cold water.  Unfortunately there are jellyfish in the water and some of our players have a deep-seated fear of pelicans so our time there is brief. 

12.45pm back home for cold/hot showers and lunch and more tactics discussed for uniform trading

1pm laundry/cooking

1.30pm rest time (some girls sleep, some lie there doing nothing!)

1.45pm Cone of Silence required for this one - coaches head out for a walk and a sneaky piece of cake at one of the many cafes on the beach front

2.30pm board games

3.15pm screams of excitement as the girls discover that we have finally made it onto the Basketball Australia page for the social media competition.  Everyone frantically sharing the links on Facebook and Instagram.  (Note – screaming is a frequent and necessary part of being a teenage girl – how else can we communicate our fear/excitement/joy/pride/nervousness...you get the drift!)

4pm pasta meal

4.30pm girls pack their bags and put together their recovery food and drinks for after the game

4.50pm team meeting mainly covering what the scout is on the opposition

5pm bus departed to stadium

5.15pm check out the games being played, caught up with family that got to the stadium early, checked out the Championship

5.30pm commenced our pre warm up warm up

5.50pm hit the court for our warm up

6pm match commenced against Wonthaggi Coasters – an excellent team performance for an 11 point win

7.20pm cool down commences, recovery packs eaten.  A quick chat with our families.

7.45pm back home for ice baths.  One player to Gosford Hospital for precautionary scans.

7.50pm laundry/cooking

8.30pm dinner

9pm team bonding game (made up by the girls – unnecessarily complicated and confusing for anyone over the age of 14)

9.45pm phones handed in to team management for the night

9.50pm Coach reads the girls a bedtime story and sings those who need it a lullaby

10.10pm Coach goes down to players’ rooms to check that they are quiet and going to sleep

10.15pm Assistant Coach goes down to players’ rooms to threaten them with having to sleep in her room instead of with their friends

10.20pm Ahhhhhhh – peace and quiet.  Now for some laundry sorting, dish washing, updating our expense spread sheet, writing the match report, oh and if there’s time we’ll call our own families for a chat.

11pm  ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

 

 

 

 

 

Article: Kerry Clarke