First Semester in the Books

The first semester came and went very quickly this year. Our team worked hard in the classroom and was busy studying right through the end of exams last weekend. Now our players are all at home for some well deserved rest and family time. We will be back in Mayser next week preparing for our two home games that will close out 2010. We hope you will join us for our match up against Frostburg State on Dec. 30 at 1pm and our contest against Messiah on Dec. 31 at 2pm. Not a bad way to ring in the new year!

Holiday Shopping

Last night our team went shopping for two children we adopted for F&M's annual holiday gift and food drive. We divided our team into two groups and had a lot of fun shopping for items on each child's list. While we had a great time together as a team last night, it was also a good reminder that there are many children and families who are unable to celebrate the holidays as many of us do with big family meals, gift giving and other traditions. We have much to be thankful for during this holiday season and were happy to do a very small part in making the holidays of two children a little brighter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On this Thanksgiving Day, our team is grateful for all those who support us in a multitude of ways: parents, friends, family, the F&M athletic department, and all others behind the scenes. We wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Game Time

We are all set to open up the 2010-2011 season tomorrow night at Susquehanna. It's hard to believe that we have completed about four weeks of practice. Our team has been working hard everyday to improve and I think we are really starting to come together. Later this week we are hosting the Terry Greene Tip-Off Tournament. We will take on Elizabethtown College at 4pm on Friday with Catholic and Eastern Mennonite opening the tournament at 2pm. On Saturday the consolation game will be at 2pm and the championship game will be played at 6pm. We hope you will join us in Mayser Friday and Saturday for a great weekend of basketball!

Volleyball = Centennial Champions!

Congratulations to the Diplomat Volleyball team who beat Swarthmore in the Centennial Conference Championship yesterday. They will now head down to Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA this weekend for the regional round of the NCAA tournament. You can follow their progress through the NCAA tournament on GoDiplomats.com. Join me in wishing them all the best in their preparations this week. Go Dips!

Homecoming

Homecoming 2010 was a great success. I really enjoyed seeing familiar faces and meeting some new folks, especially a number of women's basketball alums. We had beautiful fall weather for the Tailgate Extravaganza on Saturday afternoon. Many teams had tents, along with a number of academic departments and other student organizations on campus. It's a great way for alums to catch up with their former teammates, professors and coaches. Thank you to all of you who made the trip back to campus. Below are a couple pictures of our team on Saturday afternoon.

Haunted Hallways

Last night the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) celebrated Halloween with it's annual Haunted Hallways trick or treating event. Each year hundreds of local children and their parents attend to celebrate Halloween and trick or treat in a fun and safe environment. Teams and other groups on campus each have a table and tons of candy that the children can circulate through and trick or treat. We saw a lot of different animals and princesses, along with several different renditions of Buzz Lightyear, and many other great costumes. It was a fun event enjoyed by not just the young trick or treaters, but the college students too.

Midnight Madness

Last night we officially introduced both the women's and men's basketball teams at F&M's Annual Midnight Madness event. Our team went through a 10 minute warmup, and then each player was introduced to the crowd. We finished our portion of the evening with a ten minute scrimmage. It was a great chance for the fans to catch an early glimpse of our team. We are looking forward to our first game on November 16. The countdown is on!


Players streak down the court during warmups.


Ben & John take in the action.

October 15 is No Ordinary Day

October 15 is no ordinary day, it's a new season, a fresh start. Today is one of my favorite days of the year. The whole season is before us and anything is possible. We got off to a great start early this morning with our timed mile and pushup test. We had a team goal for each, and we met and surpassed both challenges - a great way to begin the year.

One of my favorite quotes at the start of the season comes from J.B. Priestly:

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.