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!

Shootathon Results!

With all that was going on at the end of the season,

we had to wait a little while to let the dust settle and

get the total of the money raised at the Shootathon.

So how'd we do? Would you believe--

$21,005!!!!!

Yep, it's true!

Thanks to everyone who made and fulfilled their pledges,

the team is well prepared for their trip to Italy, currently scheduled for September.

To everyone involved in the event, thanks a bunch, with special KUDOS to

Lynne Klaevemann and Nancy Sabbag,

who did all the planning.

To all Pledgers, thanks for being a part of

The Team behind the Team!

St. Louis Blues

Since the games have been thoroughly dissected, I just want to make a few notes to myself of my remembrances and thoughts from a few days in the Midwest--

--NEVER miss an opportunity to take a look at a glorious landmark like the Arch. It is stunning from every angle.

--NEVER underestimate the joy of being at a Final Four. Even when things don't go quite as one would like, there are over 300 teams with fans that would love to be in your shoes.

--NEVER order a Heineken in St. Louis.

--NEVER miss a chance to talk to fans from other teams. I had a chance to spend some time with a fan from Louisville and it was so great to see her eyes light up as she talked about the players on her team. This was a great, new, exciting experience for them and they were enjoying every moment.

--NEVER think that the actions of some fans from other teams reflect all of their fans. There are always some bad apples out there for any team.

--NEVER think that an Arena is ready for anything. The ScottTrade Center concessions were not all open and the ones that were ran out of food and were serving up frozen water bottles. Like they didn't know we were coming?

--NEVER try to walk up the stairs of a Metro Station at Busch Stadium when crabby Cardinals fans are walking down. Yep, their Opening Day was in blustery, cold weather and resulted in a loss due to a 9th inning blown save. When we were going upstream against them, the looks were deadly.

--NEVER pass up a chance to shoot at Hoops City. But go late and wait until all the youngsters have left!

--NEVER think that a place with a name like BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups won't serve up a lot more than food. What a great find--great music and a TV with the men's championship game!

--NEVER consider that you won't see Melissa Barlow walk on the floor of one of our games.

--NEVER fall for the thought that the PAC-10 is such a weak sister. Think about it--18% of the Sweet 16, 25% of the Elite 8 and 25% of the Final Four came from the conference. And one can wonder if those percentages might have been better had the NCAA committee not placed all 3 teams into the UConn buzz saw.

--NEVER think that if your airline cancels your flight and rebooks you that everything will work out right. *sigh* We ended up staying an extra day when it turned out our new flight had no seats for us. Fortunately, the airline footed the hotel bill!

--NEVER worry that the players think that send offs and fan support are goofy. As the team moved through the lobby and out to the rally, they were taking as many pictures of us as we were of them.

--NEVER miss a chance to talk to the Band and jump with them whenever you can.

--NEVER forget what an unbelievably classy organization our Stanford group is. If I were a coach or player or parent, I cannot think of anything I would want to do less than stand up before a group of fans after a loss. But there they all were with Tara out front and thanking us for being there. Afterwards, everyone stayed around to commiserate a bit. It was an honor to be there.

--NEVER determine that it is too early to start getting ready for next year! I'm ready--how about you?

A Holiday Poem Redux

Long after Christmas,
Santa'd got all his rest.
It takes a few months
To get back to his best.

The toy making over,
And gifts all delivered,
He now had some time
For TV and Twitter.

He remembered he'd predicted
Way back in December
That one group would be
A team to remember.

"I can't quite recall
What I said at the time"
But the elves were there
And quick to remind.

But Santa was ready
For such loss of spirit
“Don’t be so whiny!
I don’t want to hear it!”

“So do not despair
As all will be fine!
It’s not 2008 that counts
But April 2009!”

At that, Santa laughed
And he jiggled like jelly
"I guess I should check them
Out on the telly!"

So then Mrs. Claus
Brought some snacks and a brew,
And Rudolph tuned the tube
To ESPN and ESPN2.

Over the next two weeks
The North Pole embraced March
And followed the Cardinal
On their way to the Arch.

They watched the team focus,
Their intentions precise and clear
As they worked hard together
Like eight tiny reindeer.

As each team was conquered
The elves made a scene
They changed to wearing Cardinal
Instead of red and green.

While Santa was happy
and cheered with each hoop
He offered a caution
To all in the troop.

"It's been a great ride
Of that, I am certain!
But let's not plan to celebrate
Until the final curtain!"

"For this is a team
With much more to do!
They're off to the Midwest
And need to win two!"

With that, the room hushed
And, after some thought,
"Santa's right!", they cheered
"There's more dreams to be caught!"

And then Santa chuckled
And let out a Ho Ho Ho
And packed the sled for St. Louis
While cheering "Go Stanford! GO!"

On to the Sweet 16!

What an interesting tournament so far! Big wins, big upsets, big stories.....it's all there.

Let's Talk Conferences

The PAC-10 is holding strong with all 3 tournament entries still in the hunt. The SEC and ACC? Not so much. These perennial powerhouses are down to just 1 team each. Here is the breakdown--

Big East (4)--Louisville, Pitt, Rutgers, UConn

Big 12 (4)--Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M

PAC-10 (3)--ASU, California, Stanford

Big 10 (3)--Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue

ACC (1)--Maryland

SEC (1)--Vanderbilt

Interesting that Stanford has played 6 of the teams left in the tourney this year--Baylor, Rutgers, Iowa State, ASU, Cal and Purdue--and beaten 5 of them. Now that's strength of schedule.

Let's Talk Upsets

OK, Ball State--what a story. From the PreGame dance (see it here) to their spirited play against a monumental opponent to their level headed coach, it is just special. Added bonus for Stanford fans--we may not hear the Harvard thing year after year after year.

MSU over Duke--a perfect NCAA set up, bringing the old coach back to face angry fans and players. Still, one would have thought that Duke would be able to overcome the Spartans, but lacked the punch to push through in crunch time, going stone cold at the end. And are MSU coach Suzy Merchant and Sissy Spacek sisters?

Rutgers over Auburn--if I were an Auburn fan, I would be pretty unhappy. Playing on the other team's home court is one thing, but against a team like Rutgers, who has players with Final Four experience, that is quite another. But Auburn could not stop Rutgers, who typically is not a high scoring team, so there you go.

So what about those pre-determined sites? The idea sounds fine--generating interest and ticket sales prior to the seedings. But in practice, it didn't work well. Any casual viewer could see the oceans of empty seats and the Cal-Virginia game at the Galen Center drew less than 1000. It is hard to understand a system that places number 1 seeds at home (UConn, Maryland), on a neutral court (Oklahoma) and in a hornet's nest (Duke).

Let's Talk Brackets

Did you fill one out with your predictions? How's that workin' for you? I do mine on ESPN.com and it is SO wrong that I don't even look at it anymore......

--UConn vs. the PAC-10? That's the Trenton bracket. Cal will be an interesting match up, with their inside strength. They must continue the all around game they showed against Virginia. It should be fun to watch.

--ASU and Texas A & M should also be a good matchup as both teams are built in the scrappy mold. One X factor is how Brianne January's ankle holds up.

--Duke and Tennessee's losses changed the look of the Berkeley bracket dramatically as many probably had these 2 penciled in for a Sweet 16 match-up.

--ACC vs SEC so those 2 conferences will be down to only 1 in the Elite Eight. Vanderbilt has been flying a little under the radar, but has some quality wins.

--Baylor had better shift into another gear after two close shaves if they want to beat Louisville.

--Courtney Paris' bank account is still in tact. Perhaps in Oklahoma City she can put out a tip jar?

--The team nobody want to play? Rutgers.

Let's Talk Stanford

--Remember that December road trip? Where are Duke and Tennessee now? Home. Where is Stanford? Very much alive and well.

--We knew Nneka was good, but holy cow! She just flies to the ball--never have really seen anything like it.

--When will the national media understand that Stanford is a team in every sense of the word. When there is foul trouble, it is just another opportunity for someone else to shine. Not that we like foul trouble, but those were PAC 10 officials, after all.

--I can recall horror when watching past Bigs dribble the ball up court. Now, when I see Kayla Peterson, I just think "point guard!"

--How hard can it be to check the teams you are covering before the broadcast? How hard can it be to say Onwude? Where's Mary Murphy when you need her (covering Cal in LA)?

--I bet other fans just don't get our coaching staff. There they sit, talking calmly, making adjustments, planning. Other coaches appear to have their hair on fire from the opening buzzer. I like the approach of Tara and Company!

--Fun to see ESPN talk about Stanford's nationwide recruiting. I wish they would have had one of our Cardinal Nation t-shirts to use!

Big weekend coming up.........hope that everyone is in Berkeley and screaming real loud! Let's show everyone what the Cardinal Nation is all about.

Bracket Musings and Other Stuff

Some thoughts about pairings and the Selection Show--

--Could Carolyn Peck really not know what Stanford's point guard situation is? Could she have maybe watched one half of a Pac-10 tournament game?

--That wacky NCAA committee! Since they have grown tired of putting Stanford and Oklahoma in the same brackets to rehash the Susan King incident, now they give us:
---Duke going to East Lansing so Coach P. can take the rath of her former fans
---Stanford potentially playing former staff member Beth Burns on her home court, potentially playing Amy Tucker's alma mater (Ohio State) and/or potentially meeting Tennessee in a rematch of last year's championship game

--why are ASU and Cal in the same bracket? And could it be any harder for them? ASU will play Georgia in Duluth. Cal will play in LA, but could meet a very seasoned Marist team in the second round. And then, in the end, there is UConn. I read somewhere that this bracket may be like driving in Thelma and Louise's car if you are not the Huskies. The visual works!

--Stanford finally got into some of ESPN's commercials, though Tara's appearance is a subliminal message compared with the time given Pat and Geno .

--who is Trey Wingo and why won't he go away?

--no one from Stanford will ever promise to pay back their scholarship at current tuition prices.

--first round games that I am eager to see are:
Villanova vs. Utah--'Nova s-l-o-w-s everthing down, so this should be interesting
Louisville vs. Liberty--how will the Cardinals bounce back from the drubbing they took in the Big East tourney from UConn
Notre Dame vs. Minnesota--2 teams going in opposite directions
South Dakota St vs. TCU--are the JackRabbits for real?
Rutgers vs. VCU--The Scarlet Knights have been sputtering but get to play at home

--can't complain about the Final Four picks of Kara and Carolyn, now can we? Hope they're right!

--Since I can't get to San Diego, I am ready to assume the full couch potato position for this weekend! How 'bout you? Is there any better time of the year?

--As our Team starts on the March to the Arch, here's wishing:
--Jayne keeps getting double teamed while Nneka is standing alone under the basket waiting for her usual assists. Then they give up the double team and we know what happens then.
--Jeannette and Kayla keep up their steady and heady play.
--Sarah keeps inspiring "B-O-O-O-O-T-H-E"s.
--Ros keeps hitting those 3's.
--Jillian keeps being Jill the Thrill.
--Lindy keeps making those hustle plays and rainbow shots.
--Mel and Michelle keep contributing valuable minutes .
--Ashley gets in the books.
--Grace and Morgan are worn out from celebrating 3's.
--JJ keeps smiling.

GO STANFORD!!