06-27-06 9:08pm
Well, we're all back from Kansas and it went pretty well. We got to our hotel Thursday night around 10:30pm and Ryan was still pretty calm. I was anxious as hell, but got to sleep before her OR Craig.
We drove into Manhattan (Kansas) where Kansas State is located and I was immediately charmed by this town. Every house was flying a K-State flag, or had the Wildcat mascot somewhere on their property. I mean it was EVERYwhere. (The women's basketball team is the defending NIT Champions so they are quite proud) I don't know how they do in their other sports but I guess that being in the Big XII is big enough... I don't know. K-State's Womens B-Ball Page is Here.
Anyway... I'll try to make a long story sorta short. I'm not good at it, but I'll make an effort. When we were checking in, we met the associate head coach, Kami Ethridge, who is an olympian and played at the University of Texas. She was an All American and as a player she led the Univ. of Tx to a 34-0 season- the FIRST perfect season in NCAA Div I history. Google this woman's name if you're interested... she's the shit!!! This woman is just a ball of energy and it shows in everything she does... everything. She has a passion for basketball and she has a gift for being able to show these kids how to play it the right way. It was amazing to watch her and I feel like I'll be in a better position to help Ryan for having watched her. She led all three days of the camp, but the head coach was also there, watching and encouraging the girls.
Anyway, we were excited when she recognized Ryan's name and knew who she played for. We took that to be a VERY good thing. It doesn't matter to me WHY or HOW, just that she DID. They've been sending her letters, but we didn't know how much attention they actually paid to her, so that was exciting.
Then, Saturday morning, I got to meet Deb Patterson- the head coach. I was actually just complimenting her on the camp and I gave her my name and told her who my daughter was, thinking it was just as a courtesy but she stopped me and said, "Ryan is an '08 right?" (meaning her graduation year) My heart nearly hit the floor. It meant that she too knew who Ryan was. I told her that she was right. I also told her that I wasn't happy with how Ryan had been performing at the camp and she told me that Ryan was doing just fine. It turns out that Ryan had been grouped with two girls that had already signed with K- State and a couple that they were hoping to sign while we were there along with one other girl Ryan's age. (Ryan just finished her Soph. year) They finished undefeated through the camp. All in all, not so bad.
They got to do some really cool stuff, like go to the arena where the basketball teams play. They got the experience of walking through the tunnel to the court then playing a game their court. Then we were taken to their locker room and they brought out the NIT trophy. I can only imagine what that must have been like for the girls because as parents WE were excited about it.
The college players were sooooo good with the girls... I just can't say enough about them. Marlies Gipson, Danielle Zanotti, Claire Coggins, Shana Wheeler, Kimberly Dietz, .... I just can't say enought about these ladies!!! They really stepped in and taught the girls. They weren't afraid of stopping the action and reinforcing body positions or where you should be on the court during certain types of action. I just can't stress enough how impressed I am with the girls on the K State team. The interpersonal skills they possess along with their athleticism amazes me and those skills are what grabbed the girls' attention. They even stayed in the dorms with the girls!
Ryan came out of the camp seeing alot of things she needs to work on but she can definitely do it and she really wants it, so... we'll see. She struggled in some areas and ran out of steam at times. There were other times when she was just not in the right place on the court or she'd pass the ball rather than shoor it... I have no idea why. Then, just when I'd given up on her and walked out of the gym (Craig stayed) she stepped up and drained several 3 point shots in a matter of a few short minutes. I hate that I missed it but I'm glad that it motivated her. Anyway, she's gotta work on things if she wants to get that scholarship there... but its definitely within her reach. She sent coach an email today telling her that she was taking the challenge. I'm proud of her for that.
Gotta go!