It's Santa Again

As Christmas approached

Santa's on the Card wagon

But the Elves were all doing

A bit too much braggin'.

"We smushed Blue Demons and Devils

And that team coached by Pat!

And we took down the Huskies,

At least for a Half!"

While Santa thought much

Of the December run

He had to put an end

To all the Elves' fun.

"I said it last year

And I'll say it again.

The middle doesn't count!

It's how the season ends!"

"So it's not from a loss

Or the wins that they earn.

It's what they do with it

And how much they learn!"

The Elves thought for a moment

And sipped some egg nog

And suddenly came out

Of the pre-season fog.

"Of course, you're right, Santa!

They will get even better!

Tara, Amy, Bobbie and Kate

Will teach down to the letter!

Jayne patrolling the paint

With Nneka and Jos,

And lock-down defense

By Jeanette and Ros,

And timely shot making

By Kayla, JJ and Mel

And with the bench play

Of Lindy, Ash and Michelle,

Not to mention contributions

from Mikaela and Grace,

And cheering from Sarah and Hannah!

This is a team to embrace!"

At this, Santa smiled

At the thought about when

The Cardinal starts play

Throughout the PAC-10.

His toy making over

He'd be ready to cheer

And get ready for March Madness--

His real favorite time of year!

So he packed up his sleigh

And headed into the night

To make children's Christmas

All shiny and bright.

The reindeer took flight

To Santa's "Ho-Ho-Ho!"

Followed quickly by cheering

Of "Go Stanford! Go!"

Happy Holidays to You and Yours!

Thanks, Pardners!

Well, folks, another auction is in the books and what a great day it was. I am working on recapping the $$ right now and will post an update soon. In the meantime, thanks to all who spent their hard earned sawbucks in support of our G-R-E-A-T team!

Some OMG Items Added

Putting together an Auction is like running down a hill--it starts out slow, but then momentum builds and pretty soon you are moving like Fred Flintstone in his car.

Just in the last couple of days, we have received some really wonderful items!

--Marques Colston Game Worn New Orleans Saints Jersey

--One year All Club Membership to 24 Hour Fitness

--Autographed Football from Jim Harbaugh and Toby Gerhart

--Putter Cover autographed by Michelle Wie

--Nintendo Wii Console with Wii Sports software

--Nike Sasquatch Sumo 4950 Lucky 13 Driver--Regular Flex

--Stanford Golf Course Foursome

--Magnum of Merryvale Vineyard 2004 Profile

--Robinson Rancheria Two Night Stay including Breakfast and Dinner

--Cabana Hotel Saturday Night Suite Stay with Sunday Brunch for 2

WOW!!!

This in addition to all that we already had makes us so excited about the possibilities for great success in the $$ department this year!

The latest catalog has been uploaded--so take a look here.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday--remember that if you can't be there, you can bid online, instructions are here. You must email by 8am on Sunday for your bid to be valid, so GET TO IT!

OK, Pardner, gotta go polish my boots.........

Less than a Week Until the Auction!

Our Auction Committee has been hard at work getting everything together for you to have a
G-R-E-A-T time this Sunday at our annual auction! As of today, we have 226 items! WOW!

The latest catalog has just been uploaded today so take a look at it here.

Not only do we have a lot of Stanford Gear, there are so many generous merchants who have answered our call for donations. We are continuing to receive items every day from great restaurants, wineries, travel spots and wonderful attractions. We hope this year that everything sells for as much as possible!

If you can't join us, make sure to take advantage of our online bidding option described here.

Did you know that, since January of 2005, our auctions have raised over $180,000 in support of Stanford Women's Basketball? Our best ever results were in 2007, when we raised $40,795. We would like nothing more than to break that record this year--can you help us?

We're Up to over 190 Auction Items!

Wow--the items just keep piling up for our December 13 "Back in the Saddle Again" Auction. I have just posted a bunch of new items, so go here to access our catalog. Hopefully you will find a lot of things that will interest you.

There are so many great items, but how about a few to tickle your interest?

You can--

--sit at Tara or Amy's Table at the 2010 Awards Banquet
--have lunch at Jimmy V's with Bobbie or Kate
--treat yourself to a personal wine tasting in your own home
--spend time in Kauai, Lake Tahoe, Northstar, Reno, Calistoga, Hope Valley, San Francisco
--sit on the Stanford Bench, including the UConn game in 2010
--have the Stanford Staff run a personalized Kids Clinics for up to 15 children
--arrange for your favorite child to spend a day on campus with Stanford players

And those are just the Tip of the Iceberg!! Don't think that there are only high end items--there really is something for everyone and for every budget!

We will also have our Surprise Balloons for sale for $10--you will be guaranteed at least a $20 value prize. And don't forget to pick up your tickets for a chance to win 1 of 2 Cardinal Red iPod Nanos--both are engraved with "Go Stanford".

Mark your calendars now to join us--get a chance to talk to the players and coaches in between bidding.

Check out our Auction Page!

With a whole bunch of help from Marian Cortesi, Bob Stevens and Judy Sweeney, we are able to unveil our new Back in the Saddle Again Auction page!

Check it out HERE!

This should be you one stop shop for all things auction, including our newly designed Catalog. We are utilizing a web service called Slide Share which allows us to use PowerPoint as our method of communication. We can upload pictures and info, plus this format is printable, which should be helpful to bidders.

One thing to note--when you open the Catalog, you will arrive at a page that includes a small version of the Catalog. If you look in the bottom right corner of this small version, you will see a small movie screen icon and the word "full". Click on this and you will have a full page version of the Catalog for your viewing pleasure.

Make sure to check back often as I will be making additions on a regular basis as new items arrive. I will make a note on the opening page with info on which items are new.

Also available on the main auction page is info on (amongst other things)--

• How to donate items
• How to volunteer to help out on December 13
• How to bid online if you cannot attend

We hope that this will provide a concise location for your reference to make your auction experience the VERY best!

We are getting real excited about our items , so please take some time and see what there is for you to bid on. Remember, we are the team behind The Team!

It's Auction Time!

With the season kicking off this week, it's time to get ready for our annual auction. Our theme this year is Back in the Saddle Again because all of us--players, coaches and boosters--are ready for another great ride this season. Mark your calendars now for Sunday, December 13--auction will open at 1pm prior to the DePaul game and start up again after the game.

We are busily gathering items from donors and Coach Amy is going overboard searching for great Stanford gear. We are hoping that maybe you can help us out as well! We are always looking for donations, whether it be a gift certificate that you request from your favorite restaurant or a nice bottle of wine you have hanging around or a stay at your vacation home. Memorabilia, new merchandise, sports tickets? Got any gift cards hanging around--we love those too! You get the picture.

Click here for Coach Tara's letter to donors and here for a donation form. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Eileen at eroche@stanford.edu or me at jsds@comcast.net.

I am currently putting together a list of items that should be available for your review through the FBC website early next week. But maybe I can give you a few tidbits to whet your appetite!

Amongst the items in hand--

--Sit on the Stanford Bench vs. UConn in 2010

--A week stay in Kauai

--player jerseys for all of this year's team

--a Candice Wiggins Bonanza of items

--Giants Opening Day tickets

That's just the tip of the iceberg, so make sure to stay tuned to get more info as I post it!

This is gonna be fun!

We're Gettin' Social

Social Networking is where it is all happening right now. I must admit that I pretty much thought of all of this to be a bit of a time waster, but I have been converted! I now see what terrific communication tools these sites can be! Not only can you keep up with friends and celebrities (not that I do that), but it is a great way to get news and notes from all sorts of sources.

So, not to be left out of this evolution, the Fast Break Club is now on Facebook and Twitter! The Facebook group is StanfordFBC and the FBC Twitter can be found here. These are both being used to supplement our great website and to provide a few more avenues for communicating with everyone. There will be info on all sorts of things like tickets and auction items, lots of pictures and whatever else will help pass on info to FBCers.

So please befriend and follow both of these--you won't be disappointed!

If you get the Twitter Bug, you can check here for a bunch of Stanford Women's Basketball related tweaters!

We're Selling Stuff!

A few years back, we sold a very popular fleece vest in black. We got so many requests, that we have decided to sell another one this year, but in Cardinal.

We are offering a Columbia version of the highest quality which is comfortable , stylish and WARM! Made of 100% polyester 14.75 oz fleece, the vest has a full-front zip, zip-closed hand warmer pockets and an open bottom. The Columbia logo will be on the right chest and the Fast Break Club logo will be embroidered on the left.

For info on how to order this great vest and show your Cardinal spirit, check here.

In addition to the vests, we have a limited number of Cardinal Nation T-Shirts left over from last year. You'll remember these--with a map on the back to denote where the players are from.

.

Having added Joselyn this year makes these "slightly" out of date and we don't want to color in Montana with Sharpies, so we are selling these for the blow out price of $10. If you are interested, please email Eileen at eroche@stanford.edu

Getting in the Get Ready Position for a Great Season!

Last Chance for Wine!

If you have not signed up for our wonderful wine event this weekend,

please make sure to do so by

Thursday, 10/8/09!

Best thing to do is get in touch with Eileen asap at

eroche@stanford.edu or

call (650)-725-8104.

There is more info on the event here!

The weather should be lovely for a great afternoon in the Vino Locale backyard.

Hope to see you there!

Why We Do It!

The team is just back from their trip to Italy and from all the accounts I've read on the FBC site, it is easy to see that they had a REALLY GREAT time. I was particularly struck by the blogs and videos featuring Ros, JJ and Nneka. They had such a great sense of the value of the trip and such a great appreciation for the opportunity.

Whenever I get the chance, I like to remind myself why we work for the Fast Break Club and the team--we get to support some of the best young women that we will ever come across! Our recent Auctions and Shoot-a-thons were in support of this trip to Italy and it is so gratifying to see it come to fruition. The appreciation from the players and coaches is so apparent that it makes us all ready to do some more!

So what's coming up? First is our annual Wine Social. We consider this more of a great get together to start the season, but we always have a few silent auction items that are up for bid, so we do make a little $$. This year's event will be Sunday, October 11 with our great friends at Vino Locale in downtown Palo Alto. This is always a great event so plan to join us--details are here. Don't drink wine? Join us anyway for good friends and great food.

And make sure to mark your calendars RIGHT NOW for our annual Auction to take place December 13 in conjunction with the DePaul game. Check back to this blog and the FBC website for updates as info becomes available. We will be offering another bunch of great items--to get a look at what we had last year, check here. We will also be looking for donations of wines, vacations, sports memorabilia, gift certificates and new merchandise--I will post the donation form as soon as it is available or you can contact Eileen now at eroche@stanford.edu.

Our theme this year is "Back in the Saddle Again!" so get ready, pardners!

Whither Bobbie and Kate's Lockers?

Since my last blog about locker sponsorships, we had three of the available lockers snapped up! Grace Mashore, Mikaela Ruef and Coach Tara will have new, shiny gold plaques on their lockers this season.

Wondering who is left? Well, no other than Assistant Coaches Bobbie Kelsey and Kate Paye. Wouldn't it be a shame if their lockers went unsponsored this year? They are not chopped liver, after all!

To recap--

• each locker sponsorship is $1,500
• coaches locker sponsorship is for 4 years
• your name or dedication is put on an engraved plaque on the locker
• you will have your picture taken with your sponsoree

The sponsorship of the lockers go a long way to provide funds that keep the Stanford Cardinal at the top of the National scene year after year. If you are interested in sponsoring either Bobbie or Kate, contact Eileen Roche at eroche@stanford.edu or 650-725-8104.

Lockers for Sale! Tara's and more!

No, the Stanford Locker Room does not look like this! It's a lot messier!

Just kidding--this is actually Jane Stanford's room from the Stanford mansion in Sacramento. But I digress.....

Several years ago, Stanford Women's Basketball started a program of locker sponsorship. The initial intent was to help in the locker room remodeling that was underway. Moving forward, the funds raised are used for the Women's Basketball Improvement Fund. This Fund is used for items such as foreign trips, video editing equipment and locker room improvements.

Here's the deal--

• each locker sponsorship is $1,500
• player lockers sponsorship is for the length of their career
• coach lockers sponsorship is for 4 years
• your name or dedication is put on an engraved plaque on the locker
• you will have your picture taken with your sponsoree

Now, I bet you are wondering who you could sponsor. Currently available are--

• Bobbie Kelsey
• Grace Mashore
• Kate Paye
• Mikaela Ruef
• Tara VanDerveer

Any one of those would be a terrific choice, don't you think?

The Program depends on fund-raising efforts like this to keep at the top of the National level. Pac-10 championships and Final Fours are made possible not only by the hard work of the players and the coaching staff, but also by the money contributed so generously by avid fans like you!

Are you interested? Get in touch with Eileen Roche at eroche@stanford.edu or 650-725-8104.

Jennifer Azzi Changed My Life

As Jennifer gets ready for her Hall of Fame induction the weekend of June 12-14, she reflects-

check it out here

Her thinking got me to thinking about her. Needless to say, it would be difficult to imagine how Stanford would have become a national power had Jennifer not had the faith to come across the country to a struggling program. I trust that Tara & Company would have found their way, but Jennifer was the kick-start that got everything going.

And it also came to mind how her life has affected mine. It is interesting how someone you brush paths with can make such a big difference in your life as well as in the lives of others around you.

I remember the first time I saw her play. In 1988, I saw a hand painted sign on a fence on Foothill Expressway that there was a game coming up with the Washington Huskies. What the heck, I thought--let's go! I had never seen anything like it! And that dark haired girl! Wow! What was her name again? (added bonus--first time I got to boo Chris Gobrecht!) Unfortunately, that was the last game of the season--but we vowed to come back. Jennifer Azzi changed my life.

I contacted the ticket office and got season tickets--at that time, it was a card good for every game and you could sit anywhere you wanted. The 88-89 season was a glorious rise and, because I knew virually nothing about the college game, I thought nobody could beat them. Jennifer continued to captivate and kept getting better and better. Another 3, another assist. How distraught I was when they lost in the Regional Finals to Louisiana Tech (added bonus--the game was on TV!).

The next week I was driving home from work on Highway 280 and saw a car stopped on the side of the road. As I drove by I realized--

OHMYGODTHATWASJENNIFERAZZI!!!

I just about ran off the road, but scooted around to get off the highway and go back to find her. When I got there, she was running across 4 lanes back to her car. Criminy, I thought, the best basketball player in the world is just about to get crushed right in front of me. She had run out of gas, something I thought was impossible having seen the way she played. While she stayed, I went to get some gas. By the time I returned, an assistant coach had arrived to help out. I told Jen I was sorry that they had lost. She then realized that I knew her and she got the biggest smile. We chatted about the upcoming Final Four and I said I hoped Tennessee won (added bonus--I have never had that thought since). At that point, I had no idea about Jennifer's history (remember, it WAS the dark ages), and she demurred and didn't make a pick. She thanked me and was on her way.

The next day, I read in the paper that Jennifer had been named an All-American. She was on her way to Tacoma and the Final Four to pick up her award. She had said nothing to me about it. That was classic, understated Jennifer.

The next summer we got a miniature schnauzer puppy--we named her Jennifer.

1989-90 was one of the most compelling seasons I have ever had as a sports fan. The team had added Val Whiting and was now the complete package. Tennessee was defeated at Maples. I loved the announcer's "From A to Z" when Jennifer made an assist to Julie Zeilstra. Katy Steding and Trisha Stevens were studs. I remember the night of the Regional Final so clearly--the air outside was fresh and warm, the air inside was full of pure emotion. I still remember that as the best game I've ever seen--Stanford 114, Arkansas 87.

In those days, I didn't even give a thought to going to the Final Four (added bonus--saving $$!). So we parked ourselves in front of the tube and cheered every move. And they won! It was unbelievably satisfying to have been a fan of this growing program. Jennifer Azzi changed my life.

We went to Maples to celebrate. Then it hit me--Jennifer was gone now. With no professional basketball in the US, I was certain I would never see her play again.

I was distraught when Jennifer was one of the last cuts for the 1992 Olympic team. That was going to be a chance to at least get a glimpse of her.

In the meantime, I had made so many great friends through basketball. I joined the Fast Break Club. Jennifer Azzi changed my life.

So when Margie and Harriet started planning to go to Atlanta for the Olympics, I knew we had to go. Then Tara was named the coach and that sealed the deal. Then Jennifer made the team. No one was going to stop us from going now!

The Olympics were remarkable. We went to every game (even had to buy tickets from very nice scalpers!). There is never a better moment than the US flag being raised and the anthem being played for your team (added bonus--champagne after the game). As a lifelong sports fan, it was a dream come true to go to such an amazing event. Jennifer Azzi changed my life.

While we were in Atlanta, we heard rumblings of a professional league in the United States. There were t-shirts being sold, which meant it must be true! There was Jen's picture, front and center. And when we heard a team was to be in San Jose and Jennifer was on it, we gathered with 16 friends and bought a block of season tickets. We were the imfamous SECTION THREE! (added bonus--getting to yell at Larry the ref and seeing Melissa Barlow in her formative years). I remember seeing Jennifer and Teresa Edwards dancing the Macarena on opening night.

It was Professional Women's Basketball in the United States of America! Every game was a blast and the community of Laser fans grew. Many more new friends were made. Jennifer Azzi changed my life.

After the ABL folded, I was not quite ready to hop on the WNBA bandwagon. I felt a bit betrayed by the summer season and the two-colored ball. But then Jennifer signed on, so I knew it was ok. I had a friend in Cleveland that I had not seen for many years, so a road trip to re-acquint with her along with a chance to see Jennifer play against the Rockers was just too perfect to pass up. We sat courtside, right behind the Starzz bench and the week spent there cemented a lifelong friendship (added bonus--great seats at an Indians game). Jennifer Azzi changed my life.


As I watch other Stanford Alums make their way into the WNBA, I realize what a great gift it is to have the opportunity to watch them progress and grow after their college careers. Visionarys like Jennifer Azzi changed their lives and, in turn, mine.

Jennifer continues to inspire today, working for the NBA and making motivational speeches across the country. She regularly talks to groups of many kinds moving them to make positive changes in their lives.

In reflecting on any Hall of Fame career, it might be easy to look at stats and titles, but the true test of someone being so honored may be in the way that they have taken their gifts and made the world a better place. It doesn't have to be building a school or making grand donations--it can be in the small way that they affect the lives of others. It can be the joy given by watching a two hour game, or having the courage to go to a school off the national radar, or inspiring others to get involved. It can be persevering to bring professional basketball to the US, or adjusting when the original plan falls through, or making us all feel like dreams can come true.

Jennifer Azzi is a true Hall of Famer.

I'm No Don Anderson

But I had a bunch of fun this year with my trusty iPhone camera!

First Practice

Auction Day

Cameron Indoor Arena--beautiful!

Ros at Duke

Everything is blue at Duke--even Santa

Team at Duke

Headed to Charleston for a few days between games

Colonial greeter

Charleston George Washington memorial

Dawn's popular in South Carolina!

Team at USC

Winner!

Cats can drive in North Carolina.....

Orange people

Why can't we have stuff like this at Maples?

Pregame fireworks--don't need those!

Think Pink 2009

Shootathon 2009 raises over $21K!

Uncharted territory, but they ended up liking us

Regional Final Sendoff

Bet Cal loved getting this sign done

On to the Final Four!

St. Louis sendoff

The Band rocks!

Evon Asforis joins in

All Right Now!

The Ever Faithful

It was a good city for the Final Four

But remember--not every place is like California!