Umm...yeah...

Although we are now in England...and we finally have Internet service, I did want to update everyone on the end of our last tournament.  If you saw the scores or the stats you know that we lost...both games...total bummer!!

Our game against Australia was a whirlwind...we were hit once, hit twice, and hit again...it was awful and playing it was worse!  We are not used to being pressed, but we can still break a press and for some reason we departed from what we know and just played sloppy.  The score at the half was 32-8, we went scoreless in the 2nd quarter, and while it seemed to get better in the second half, I cannot even begin to explain what the deal was.  I think the final score was 54-29 or maybe 56-29...not really sure...not really sure it matters...we lost...we lost miserably.

Because we had won our other games we still made it to the Championship game.  We actually played really well despite our loss, and based on the energy and enthusiasm of our girls I don't think it was obvious that we had lost that morning, which is huge!  We were down a couple of points at the half and then the dry spell hit...I don't think we scored much in the third quarter.  We ultimately lost 57-50.  The score says a lot about our game...it says our defense was solid, but our scoring was weak, and in fact we only shot 33%...and with a shooting percentage like that we made it nearly impossible to beat a team like Germany...or anyone else in the world for that matter.

Anyway...athletes hate to lose...we HATE to lose...I really hate to lose...which makes finding the positive in those games that much more important.  We have to learn from our mistakes and make our team better from losing.  Really the only way to deal with the disappointment and frustration is to make sure it doesn't happen again!  Sundays' losses were our only in over two years, so when we arrived in England we knew it was time to get to work.  We watched some video, practiced, and are working out all the kinks...so when we hit the floor tomorrow against Great Britain the Team USA I know us to be should be the team that plays and hopefully wins!

Starting Off Right!!

Today was the start of the 4 Nations Tournament and despite a bit of jet lag and a full day in the gym, we managed to pull out two very close wins. This morning we faced off against the Netherlands. We started out slow, struggling to adapt to the new threats and speed of the team. Our first half left something to be desired for sure, but the enthusiasm and energy our team needed was there. We were actually down most of the game, a place we are certainly not used to...but it makes for a great battle! The second half we cut the lead and managed to inch out a win...72-70. For those who know our game...you may be somewhat surprised by this score...or really surprised...and for those that dont't here's the gist...our goal is usually to hold teams to under 40 and it's incredibly rare for the score of a women's wheelchair basketball game to get that high...unless one team is clearly dominating another. So not our best showing! But that being said...our second half was better than the first and we improved throughout...and we still got the W...so all in all a step in the right direction! About 6 hours, two Men's games, and a team meeting later we met the Germans...and well let me provide some context to the environment going into it...there is a video in the lobby of the gym showing Germany finishing second to the United States in Beijing and the tournament program shows a picture of the Gold Medal game at World Championships in 2010, where Germany also finished second to the United States...so we knew going in it was going to be a rematch of years past. Every time we play Germany it's a back and forth battle for the lead, a physically strenuous and intense fight to the end!! Today was nothing different, leads exchanged countless times, fouls were numerous, women were falling often, and every second required focus and intensity! We escaped with a win by 4...and yes it felt great (aside from the shoulder, but that's nothing new)! We meet Australia in the morning, who appears to be picking up on some of our pressing techniques! We haven't seen them since before World Championships in 2010, and as you quickly learn as the team to beat, no team is the same as in years past and everyone is bringing their best game to you! Tomorrow will be no different. As for me...it's time to sign off...I'm exhausted and 6:00 is going to come quickly...so until tomorrow...peace!

4 Nations Tournament

Frankfurt, Germany- Schedule

Saturday May 19, 2012
Netherlands vs. United States- 10:00am (3:00am CST USA)
United States vs. Germany- 5:45pm (10:45am CST USA)

Sunday May 20, 2012
Australia v. United States- 9:00am (2:00am CST USA)
Women's 3rd Place Game- 2:00pm (7:00am CST USA)
Women's Championship Game- 6:30pm (11:30am CST USA)

For Live Viewing:
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?client=tmpg&hl=en&langpair=de%7Cen&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&u=http://www.keyscout.de/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_frontpage%26Itemid%3D1&usg=ALkJrhjkbT84nQHis7gU0zbre-mScSrmaw

Paralympic World Cup

Manchester, England- Schedule

Wednesday May 23, 2012
Great Britain vs. United States- 3:00pm (9am CST USA)

Thursday May 24, 2012
United States vs. Germany- 7:00pm (1pm CST USA)

Friday May 25, 2012
United States vs. Australia- 7:00pm (1pm CST USA)

Saturday May 26, 2012
Women's Bronze Final- 2:30pm (8:30am CST USA)
Women's Gold Final- 4:30pm (10:30am CST USA)

Find Results and Team Information at:
http://www.btpwcschedulesandresults.com/2012/results/basketball/schedule.php