Redshirt-freshman Sarah Griffin has taken on blogging duties for the women’s hoops team, and she’ll be checking in from time-to-time with her thoughts and some updates on the season. Make sure to bookmark www.portlandpilots.com/GriffinBlog and follow Sarah and the Pilots all season.

Previous Entries
• Entry #1 (Sept. 22, 2010)
• Entry #2 (Sept. 27, 2010)
• Entry #3 (Oct. 7, 2010)
• Entry #4 (Oct. 14, 2010)
• Entry #5 (Oct. 25, 2010)
• Entry #6 (Nov. 3, 2010)
• Entry #7 (Nov. 10, 2010)
• Entry #8 (Nov. 29, 2010)
• Entry #9 (Dec. 9, 2010)
• Entry #10 (Dec. 22, 2010)

ENTRY #11
Thursday, Jan. 7, 2011

Hey Pilot Fans,

 

Happy 2011!!

 

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday – best wishes for the New Year!

 

It is a new year, which also means a new season! We closed pre-season against Idaho last Thursday (recap) and have been preparing for our first conference game this past week.

 

We open the New Year and new season tomorrow, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. with Northwest rival, the Gonzaga Bulldogs! Time to show the WCC what Pilot ball is all about, ladies! 

 

 

This blog Nickname evaluation will feature Natalie Day. I have no rhyme or reason to the individual selected for analysis, however, yesterday at practice Natalie made it clear that she does not prefer the most recent nickname addition of “Nat-nat.”

 

So, Nat-nat, it’s your turn for Nickname evaluation, therefore it will be known what to call you and what not to call you!

 

 

Growing up Natalie’s younger brother could not pronounce her name or her middle name, Nicole. He then started to call her Mickey, like his favorite cartoon. Over the years Mickey evolved to Nikki… and Nikki is now what Natalie introduces herself as, or at least most of the time.

 

I was Natalie’s host when she was on her official visit the summer of 2009. When we first met she told me her name was Nikki, so of course that is what I called her when she was checking out UP.

 

After Nikki’s visited I was chatting with some of the girls and was informed that I was calling our potential-new teammate the wrong name for the entire weekend – it’s Natalie, not Nikki I was told. Oops. Come to find out we were both right… Natalie and Nikki both fly.

 

 

Last Sunday we hosted a Mother-Daughter Basketball Clinic and it was an absolute blast! I want to thank both moms and daughters for joining us – you all did awesome!

(I wish I had pictures to share! Note to self: Take pictures next year!) 

 

Moms, way to work hard! Y’all were great greats and I was very impressed with your effort, especially with the relay race - I am sure that was your favorite activity :) (Example: Crab walk with the basketball between your legs to half court, then spin around five times with the ball on your head, then dribbled back to the baseline.)

 

I’m planning on getting Mama Griffin out there one of these years – she doesn’t know it yet, but it is going to happen. :)

 

As for daughters, it was great seeing y’all out there ballin. There were some familiar faces from last years Mother-Daughter Clinic and summer camps, as well as a handful of new girls! We enjoy playing with ya – because lets be real, we are big kids at heart.

 

I hope y’all are working on the skills and drills we all showed ya! Remember, like Coach Sollars said, practice does not make perfect, it makes permanent.

 

Thanks again for coming and I am already looking forward to the 2012 Mother-Daughter Basketball Clinic.

 

Hope y’all can make it out to the game tomorrow! Although every game is important, tomorrow is the real deal – we’ve been preparing for conference for more than two months and it’s finally here!

 

LETS GOOO PILOTS!
~G