Snow and the Joy That it Brings

The snow has once again arrived. This time though it looks as if it might stay. The only thing stopping it from staying is the warm weather we have had. We have only had a couple of actual cold days, compared to literally hundreds last year. To this statment, I have nothing to complain about. The only thing right now that I have to complain about is the fact that things are getting slippery. Personally, this is the big reason why I don't like winter. I love the beauty that arrives with the snow, but I can't stand hearing about all the accidents and deaths that are caused by the icy conditions. I have not yet been in an accident, and I hope to never be in one. I pray for safety on the roads for absolutely everyone that is driving, and hopefully the number of accidents decrease this year as opposed to last year. All I can say is drive safe, and don't take stupid risks. Keep a level head, and watch out for those icy spots!

Crunch Time

This is my favorite part of the year. I love all the papers due, all the final assignments, and all those wonderful exams. If I only believed that. Actually, it is exactly the opposite for me. I dislike all these papers, I despise these final assignments, and the final exams disgust me to the core. I procrastinate all year, not worrying about the end of the semester. But when the end of the semester actually comes around, my mind goes for a spin. Words of hate are at the edge of tongue the entire time. The only thing that I look forward to in this time is when everything is finished. Here is my schedule. Due this Friday is a 9 source, 10 page paper due for western civilization. Also due Friday, is an assignment for Spiritual Formations, and another assignment for Judaic Studies. Due the following week, is a feature story for this class, a 10 page reflection paper for Introduction to Bible, and a 7 page paper due for Spiritual Formations. Luckily for me, two of the three due next week are done. Man- o'- man am I going to be relieved once all of this is done!

Full Weekend

Ahhh... the smell of the hardwood, and the atmosphere of a game excites me. This weekend the Providence Freemen go on the road to face MCAC rivals. First up is St. Boniface. In their first meeting, the Freemen pulled out an impressive win with a score of 67-37. The hope this time around is to continue with the intensity, and dominate like last time. We will have to continue with our defensive pressure, and will have to shoot better than we did last time (unimpressively shooting 27% last game).

The final game this weekend will be a much tougher game then the first of the doubleheader. The Freemen face off against the Red River Rebels. The Rebels bring to the table a sharp shooting lineup, as well as some big post players. This matchup will be a tough one, but hopefully, in the end the Freemen pull out with a victory. LETS GO FREEMEN!

Hope in Midst of Disappointment

As the college season wears on, the nerves that were built up decrease drastically, and the confidence grows. This being my freshman year, I have had my up and down times. At the beginning of the season, the nerves were going wild, but now they have basically decreased to nothing. Also, as the season wears on, your playing becomes better. When you get in a comfort zone, everything seems to fall in the hoop. Tonight, the Providence Freemen took on the CMU Blazers in a rivalry battle. In the first meeting, CMU torched up the Freemen winning with a score of 83-51. Tonight, the Freemen were looking to turn the tables around. The game started out sloppy, but the half ended with CMU up only 9. But as the game wore on, the momentum shifted to CMU's side, ending in another defeat for the Providence Freemen. Even amidst this loss, the Freemen have a lot of positives. This game for example, was not a torching up like the last time these two teams met. The game tonight ended with a score of 81-62. It may look bad on paper, but the Freemen played really well in stretches. They drove to the hoop on many occasions, trying to draw fouls. They didn't seem to come very often, but this constant pressure being put on the oppositions defence is worth something. As the season wears on, the games will become better, and the team will begin to gel. We Freemen have to keep our heads high, because their is hope on the horizon.

So Tired...

I like my sleep. Sleep revitalizes my mind and gives me energy for the day ahead. I actually get excited when talking about sleeping in. Today was a complete opposite of my dream sleep. Since coach couldn't make it out for an evening practice tonight, he decided that we were all going to meet in the morning instead. So, I said fine, as long as it is not too early. Well, it turned out to be particularly early. Early as in 6 in the morning. So, me being a commuter and all, I have to wake up a few extra minutes earlier than normal so that I can get there in time. So this morning (I still consider it night that early in the morning), I woke up around 5 am. My beauty sleep was ruined, and my day is shot. My classes this morning were a drag, and I am yawning like every 3 seconds (exagerated, yes). This has been a very miserable morning. The best part is, I have to do it again tomorrow morning! Yay for morning practices!

The Time is Now

Anticipation and excitement filled his mind. Basketball had been Chris' life since he was a little boy. Having grown up in a home where only he and his brother played basketball, the drive for the game showed. He had to show his family that he was good enough so that they wouldn't find his hobby a waste of time. But the game turned into more than just a hobby. Fierce competition made his craving to be the best a big time goal. Nothing was worse than losing. Every night prior to a game, the nerves would jump, but once the game came around the nerves had to stop. It was all about showing confidence and showing that the skill he had was not wasted. And now after years of playing with passion and determination, a real step had arrived. This moment had been years in the waiting. Countless games had come and gone, but now is the moment where it counts. His life as a college basketball player was just around the corner. Time to show everyone what he was made of.

The day had arrived, and the nerves began to build up. It was game one of hopefully, a long and successful year. This game might have been considered an exhibition game to most, but to Chris it was a early season test. Was he able to play at this level? And more importantly, was he able to play at this level competitively? It was time to find out. The ball was thrown up, and the game begun. Back and forth the game went. Players were slashing to the hoop for easy layups, and shots were being thrown up. The game started off really sloppy and stayed there for most of the game. Obviously, the nerves were going off like a party in the stomach. Airballs were thrown up, and turnovers were rampant. Nothing seemed to being going right for either team.

As, Chris got subbed in the nerves continued to go crazy. The first few shots didn't look great, but as the game wore on, the nerves began to subside. Shots began to fall, turnovers didn't happen all that often, and the game seemed to come to him in a fluid manner. The game seemed to be fading away from his team though. The lead for the other team increased little by little. The opponents drained shots from all over the court. The fourth quarter began with Chris' team down by a bit. They were never able to regain the lead, but they were able to keep the lead at a relative stand-still. At the end of the game, the opponents won by around 20 points. It was a good first game for Chris and his team, but they weren't able to pull off a victory.

Game one was over, and it was time to fine-tune their play. The first step to his college career didn't go as planned, but overall the nerves didn't control him. All that was left was to go out to the next game with the same intensity and to bring home the victory. Only time will tell what the future brings.

Butterflies

Man, am I anxious! School is making me stress because I seem to procrastinate all the time. Basketball is making me stress out because this is my first college season. The eyes are on me. The fans are watching my every move, and so are my teammates and coach. The Butterflies in my stomach are having a party. They are just rocking out. What makes things worse is that I have my first official league game this Friday. The nerves continue because this is what they like to call a statement game. I got to get my head in the game early and make myself a threat right from the start otherwise my nerves will have gotten the best of me. I got to come out shooting and willing to do anything that the team needs me to do in order to win. So this Friday at 7:30 pm the moment will arrive. Hopefully, I can overcome the nerves and play like I mean it. Lets go PROVIDENCE!!