Validation

I am sitting in the first row behind the bus driver and the Lady Eagles are on our way home from an incredible road trip to Florida. I am grateful for wireless internet access on the bus. We are inching closer to the Alabama border and I am looking forward to getting home and sleeping in my own bed...although the beds at the Lake Wales Holiday Inn Express were very comfortable (especially once Katelyn fell asleep and cuddled up next me).

Reality set in about 15 minutes ago.

We were at a rest area and I was daydreaming out the window while the ladies were inside. I was thinking about an 8 minute segment in the second half of today's game where I thought we played very poorly defensively. I was thinking about which set of drills we should perform on Monday in practice to be more toward the ball when we are one pass away so that we can deter the dribble drive. I felt that we got away from that late in today's game and there was some slippage and we fouled and put Webber on the Free Throw line. We were up 40 points at the time and I thought we played to the scoreboard instead of doing what we do. I was thinking about how if the game had been close, those fouls and easy drives could have been costly.

As I was thinking about this, my assistant Kat climbed up the steps, got my attention, put ourther hand for a high five and said, "Coach, we are 3-0 and beat an established NAIA program by 38 on their home floor today." It was almost as if she read my mind and knew it needed redirected. Indeed she was right. I hadn't really stopped to think about it. We had a great weekend. It is a really outstanding accomplishment to be a first year program and win our first three games. Granted, this wasn't the toughest stretch of our schedule, but beating ANY team in our first year should be celebrated.

Kat was right. All of the hard work that our ladies have put in to this point and all of the investments our University has put into Women's Basketball seem validated to some degree after this weekend. Our recruiting, conditioning, offensive, and defensive philosophies were all on display in a very naked fashion this weekend for the world to see...and at least for the moment they worked. God has seen fit to bless our players with outcomes that match their input. As Emily Galloway put it in our post game prayer, "We are grateful to You (God) and give You all of the glory".

I will never forget the excitement in the voice of Dr. Billy Hilyer, Faulkner University President, when he called me moments after our inaugural game to congratulate me and our players for the win. I hope that Dr. Hilyer, Vice President Joey Wiginton, Brent Barker and our athletic administration and support staff, my coaching staff, our Lady Eagle families, and most importantly the 15 players that decided to come together at Faulkner and buy in to the vision of a championship program will look back on this historical weekend at Faulkner with fond memories and a tremendous sense of pride.

I know I will.

Blessings,

Coach S