March 11, 2014
It’s almost as if it was yesterday. I remember being a senior in high school, getting on my computer, and Facebook stalking girls that were soon to be "teammates" of mine. I saw pictures of a petite girl from Ohio, a jacked girl from Illinois, and my gorgeous, soon to be roommate from Texas. They were all unfamiliar faces that I had just signed to spend the next four years of my life with on the court.
August of freshman year came. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car and looking up in awe of all the corn fields, the flat lands, and my soon to be new home. It was a new territory, a new start, and a new journey.
Looking back it’s funny to see how much we’ve all changed since that freshman year. Chan and I were very humble coming in and called ourselves "CC’s" (in other words, Cedarville Celebs bahaha). Heids and I thought Becky didn’t speak, wore turtle neck sweaters, and was good at literally everything she did (ok maybe that last part hasn’t changed :). We all four came from different backgrounds, different states, different groups of friends, and yet, we somehow couldn’t have fit more perfectly together.
Maddox units 1 and 4 didn’t know what they were in for. From making videos on our laptops, chubby bunny contests using pretzels, and watching Chandler sell everything she owns via eBay, it’s safe to say those units are filled with many memories.
However, even when we thought our freshman class was great, God knew the puzzle still wasn’t completed. Dani kind of "hopped" into our class the following year since she red-shirted. I have loved getting to know D train. Her style never ceases to amaze me, and her heart and pursuit for God challenges me. But yet again, our group still wasn’t complete. God then decided to send us my roommate from sophomore year and transfer from Wayne State, Miss Lauryn Robinson. I will publicly apologize, for all to see Lauryn, for drinking your Crush bottle that was on your desk, for leaving moldy chocolate milk on your bed, and for probably being the reason our room had a weird stench 24/7. Our puzzle, with six diverse pieces, was finally complete.
Flash forward now with me to March 7, 2014. Our team was playing the soon to be G-MAC champs, Kentucky Wesleyan, a game we lost by four in overtime. The buzzer that sounded at the end of the game was more than a sign to let people know it was over; it symbolized, to us six seniors, the end of what we knew for so long. It was a good thing no one was in the locker room. One would probably have been swept away by all the tears that accumulated between the whole team. But like Flunk and Martin said on Facebook, "most of those tears had nothing to do with the loss. It was more about a sister-hood who will never take the floor together again."
After our loss in the tournament, the seniors got in one room and Heids brought out videos and pictures from our freshman, sophomore, and junior years. We reminisced and took a walk down memory lane till 4 a.m. Although I still haven’t caught up on sleep from that night, I couldn’t think of a more perfect ending to spend with my sisters. Flunk, Squirt, and Coach Martin, a big thank you from all of us for all you guys have done. I know it was the first for many of us to ever have coaches that care more about our spiritual lives than our basketball ones. We have learned the importance of integrity, what to look for in a man, to actually pray for people if you say you will, and how to use basketball as a platform for the Lord. You have ingrained principles in us that will far outweigh any benefit a basketball drill ever could do.
Our journey with basketball is over. But just like freshman year, a new phase of life is soon to come: a new territory, a new start, and a new journey. And I am beyond excited to see how God uses each one of my sisters.
Well, I need to wrap up so I can go shoot on the gun. It is ONLY 11 months until the Alumni Game :) It’s been a blessing to go through this journey with y’all!
- Kit’s Final Meow
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I hope that I don’t have a single bit of talent left, and say, I used everything you gave me." – Lana Del Rey
March 4, 2014
What a week of emotions it has been. To put it mildly, the Lady Jackets were just a "Wreck" this past week! We started off with a game against Central State on Tuesday. Although it didn’t result in a win, we learned that not only can we beat every team, but we can also lose to any team on a given night as well. We felt down, but we aren’t defeated. Our next focus and goal is to win the conference tournament and cut down that net!
The next wave of emotions hit this past Saturday, our Senior Day. We started the day off right with a team breakfast at the Clifton Mill, where the senior parents enjoyed one last meal with all us players. An hour later, we were all sitting in the locker room, anxiously awaiting our game to start, when our honorary coach stepped in. Tears rolled down and mouths dropped as we saw our honorary coach, none other than Mr. Kyler Ludlow, walk through that door. For those of you who don’t know, Kyler was our student assistant my freshman and sophomore year and has been a big brother to all of the seniors. He loves us like a brother and has shown us seniors what we should look for one day in a husband. "I just don’t know why you guys thought I would miss your senior night" was probably my favorite thing he said during the locker room talk. Thank you, Kyler, for everything and for making us a priority.
During our last final home game, Dani nailed a three-pointer and Lauryn not only drained one as well, but also had her career-high 18 points that game. Kays wore number 14 in honor of Heids, Rae wore number 33 in honor of Chan, and I (for many reasons) wore number 11 in honor of Beck.
The underclassmen did such an amazing job getting us goodbye gifts. A huge thank you for the sweatshirts you bought for us, to Mrs. Ryan for putting together a collage of pictures in a frame, and to our teammates for putting it all together. Our Senior Day wouldn’t have been the same without all y’all.
As we were in practice today (Monday), prepping for our big week ahead at Trevecca, our coaches stopped about an hour into practice and brought out, yes you guessed it, wiffle ball bats. I think they knew we needed a little mental and physical break :) We put on the music, split up into teams, and coach was our all-time pitcher. Although my team wasn’t the winning team, we all had a good time, got competitive (cough cough Flunker), and shared many laughs. I love my team.
Lastly, I just want to ask you prayer warriors to be in prayer for the Spiliotis family. Dani’s yaiyai (grandmother) just passed away earlier this week and the viewing and funeral will be held this weekend. Please pray for the Lord’s comforting presence and peace in their lives during such a hard time. We love you, D.
The LAST BLOG to come next week, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now.
February 25, 2014
I am in disbelief that our conference regular season games are coming to an end. This week we will have three games, ending with Saturday as "Senior Night." After years upon years of basketball, I know I speak for all the seniors when I say that it’s hard to fathom what it’s going to be like without the game we love. It has been such a huge part of our everyday lives and well, I’m not going any further on that topic because I’ll save the waterworks for Saturday.
This past week we celebrated Coach Martin’s 60th birthday! He hates being that old. It comes out when KJ reminds him that he is basically the same age as her own grandma ;) Our team purchased 60 Diet Cokes for him to drink. Now before I continue, let me explain to you that next to the Lord and his family, Diet Coke is the next greatest love in Coach’s life. This man will go, I don’t know, maybe a day having at least five! With that being said, we basically got him the greatest birthday present that will last him for maybe 12 days:) Attached to each of the Diet Cokes, we individually wrote memories that we have with, or of, Coach Martin. It was enjoyable to read all the notes and think back on all the funny things Coach has said or done, but we still love him anyways:)
I am proud to announce we have a NEW GUN! For any of you rookies, this is not a 22 or something you use to shoot bullets. The gun is a device that shoots out basketballs and rebounds for you. It is very helpful when you want to get shots up and don’t have a partner. With this new machine, we each have our own ID number. When we shoot, we type the ID number in, and it keeps track of how many we shoot and what our percentages are, and then feeds it to an excel sheet for our coaches to see. We are very thankful for this new "toy" in the gym.
Excited to finish strong for Him this week! We are focusing on each game one at a time and are determined to finish first in our conference. See you at the games this week:)
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now.
February 18, 2014
What does eight days, two weekends, four games, and 1,312 miles equal? Four wins and first-place in the G-MAC for the Cedarville Women’s Basketball team! (Credit to Steve for the tweet, as well as all that math : ) These past couple of weeks has been very rewarding for our team. It feels like the hard work, the mental preparation, the game plans are all coming together and resulting in our favor.
This week we rode with the men’s team down to Kentucky Wesleyan, as well as Trevecca Nazarene, and fought hard to pick up both wins. I was very proud of our team as in both games we had people step up, rise to the occasion, and grit up, regardless of how we were all feeling. Congratulations to my roomie Kaysie (aka Doc) for receiving the well-deserved G-MAC Player of the Week! I think I’m going to print the article off and post it on our wall to brag about her more :) She has really developed as a basketball player and is one of the most humble and hardest workers out there. We are so proud of you, Doc!
Besides the usual basketball business, we had quite an enjoyable time on our road trip. It’s been cool to see the guys and girls team "click" the way we have recently. It’s been enjoyable for us girls getting to know each of them better and see each of their personalities shine through on the bus. Heids, who had been quarantined in her room at school all week, rode down with my parents and joined us Friday night.
On Friday night, which also happened to be Valentines Day, we were all given a bag of goodies from our coaches. But these weren’t just any bag of goodies, these were highly creative bags that each had a poem written by our lovely coaches. To give you a few examples, Chandler’s said "And what would we do without our Texas Flare, Chandler with her always perfect hair." Gordy’s read "Thanks for not choosing Air Force and for being a flat out work horse." Mine said….well, let’s just say it was "creative" (I still love you Flunk and Squirt but I will be getting y’all back on that one!).
Our time came to a close with a pool-side devotional with the men’s team. Gordy and Dani led our team in worship and the Word was brought to us by the men’s chaplain, Dr. Scott Dixon. During our worship time, we sang the song "Give me Faith," and I couldn’t help but dwell on some of the lyrics: "my flesh may fail, my God You never will." I looked around the pool and thought of my teammates: Rae with pneumonia, Lauryn with a sinus infection and a handful of meds, Heids recovering from bronchitis, Coach Martin sounding like he smokes a pack a day, and many of our teammates inhaling airborne to try and get rid of their colds. I see injured players left and right, exhausted legs, and germs everywhere. Our bodies were no doubt "failing", but the cool part is, that God doesn’t need us to be 100 percent to still use us for His purpose. As long as we give our best, even in our weakness (and boy did we feel weak), He can still be glorified because His "power is made perfect in our weakness". He is still at work and can use us as a testimony and platform through the game we love, despite our fragile, failing little bodies.
Lastly, our team asks you to be in prayer for one of the families at Kentucky Wesleyan. During the second half of the men’s game, one of the fans collapsed and we got word the next day that he had passed away. I don’t know much more than that, but ask that you be in prayer for his family.
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now.
February 11, 2014
Down by two with just 3.1 seconds left, a one and one attempt at the free throw line, KJ steps to the line as she takes a deep breath. She focuses on the rim. Bounce, bounce, the first shot is up; and it is good. Game is now tied. She takes another deep breath as the fans are in deep anticipation. Bounce, bounce, the second shot is up. Swish-the shot is good!
Typing this makes me feel as if it were just a fictional story or simply a nail-biter ending to a basketball movie. Thankfully, this was the result of our game on Thursday against Davis & Elkins. It was a "flip-flopped deja-vu" of what happened when Davis & Elkins came to our place earlier this year. We probably didn’t deserve that win, but it is a "W" and we will take it.
Our second game was against Alderson Broaddus. Going into this game, Rae, Doc, Whit, and Dani were all not feeling well. Coach told us from the beginning that we are not going to use that as an excuse. We have the game plan and regardless of how we feel, we need to gut it out with a win; and that we did.
Although it was hard for many of us to miss a lot of classes, the trip was enjoyable. We did have a couple incidences where our bus almost hit a car, got stuck on a hill, and couldn’t make it to the school (so we had to walk a quarter of a mile up a hill before we played). But other than that, we couldn’t complain :)
The best part of the week was walking into the locker room today (Monday)and seeing thank you cards. Taken back as to what they were at first, a second look showed that they were written from all the kids at the "Juvy" detention center. Some of the cards had pictures, some just writing, but they were all unique and precious in their own way. I hope we get the chance to go back as a team again soon!
We are excited for another full week of traveling and basketball! Did I mention if we win both games this week that we will be first in the conference? So pumped!
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now!
February 4, 2014
"Good grief what was that", "clear, clear, clear", "gordy gord agh." If you have no idea what I am talking about, add me on Facebook and look at the latest video I posted on my wall. Coach was "bugged" during our last game against Central State and for the first time, everyone got an insight to what exactly was said during play. All of us players thought it was great and watched it many times. Good work by Parker Adams who put that video together!
This past weekend was Alumni Weekend. It was enjoyable to watch all of the women play, including Squirt and Flunk, and to even catch up with some of the players that us seniors played with our freshman year. It was also "Superhero Night." The University attempted to break a Guinness World Record by having the most fans dressed up as some sort of superhero. While we didn’t break the record, we did have close to 500 super heroes, as well as over 2,000 fans in attendance. The atmosphere was awesome and many of our players dressed up in support.
Our game against Central State ended up in a victory of 101-87. Shout out to Raegan Ryan for not only having a solid game, but also getting Subway Athlete of the Week this week. We have a long week ahead as we are leaving Wednesday for West Virginia to play Davis & Elkins on Thursday and Alderson Broaddus on Saturday. Prayers for safe travels and time management for school work to get finished are greatly appreciated!
Flunk always points out what I write wrong in the blog so Flunk, I double checked but ’m ready for your text!
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now.
January 28, 2014
None of us knew that when we signed with Cedarville, we were not only signing up to play basketball, we were also signing up for free frostbite. The winter is by far the worst it has been since my freshman year. You step outside and if you aren’t bundled from head to toe, you made a mistake. As many of you know, our game at Salem International was postponed due to the bad weather. We were only an hour into our trip and saw four semis in the ditch, and many other cars in ditches as well. It looks like the game will be made up on February 18.
The one game we did play this week was against Ohio Valley. We started shaky in the first half, but ended with a 26-point victory. We had a very balanced scoring attack with five players in double figures. The best part of the game occurred in the last few minutes of the game. Rae called out our new play (contributed by none other than Steve) to try against our opponent. Coach said to not run it because we didn’t have the personnel. So what happened? Rae ran it anyways, Doc came off the pic, Doc scored a 3! Rae, as passionate as she normally gets on the court, gets a big ol’ grin on her face and points to Coach as she runs down the court. We were losing it, and so was coach! Shout out to our guys that night for pulling out the overtime victory. I wish you could have been in that environment to see how intense the game, the fans, and the players were that game. We loved the competitive atmosphere and nature of the gym; it was an enjoyable one to watch!
We are looking forward to having the alumni present with us this Saturday. Their game starts at 12:30 p.m. Come see the Alumn players and Squirt and Flunk beat up on some people :) It is also Li’l Sibs weekend, as well as "super hero night." Our student body is trying to break a Guinness World Record for most fans dressed up as superheroes.
Well, we just got the news school is cancelled on Tuesday! Everyone drive safe, get your super hero costume, and we will see you Saturday at the game!
January 21, 2014
That stings. And unfortunately, it wasn’t the Yellow Jackets stinging our opponent; the pain came from our loss to Davis & Elkins this past Thursday night. It was a close game, losing by only one point, but that’s what we get when we don’t play Cedarville basketball for a whole game. Shortly after our victory over Alderson Broaddus Saturday afternoon, we heard the news that Trevecca beat previously undefeated Kentucky Wesleyan. Let that sink in for a bit: if we would not have lost to Alderson and Broaddus, we would be tied for first in the conference! If that doesn’t hurt, I don’t know what does. As frustrating as it is looking back on our game, there is nothing we can do about it now but look forward, win every game from here on out, and hope for some possible upsets from our fellow G-MAC teams.
It was so good to see many parents and families come to this past week’s games. I know it was the Gordon’s first time both being up here and it was cute to see Mr. Gordon in his huge ski jacket trying to brave the cold. Huge shout out to Kara Cayton and her seventh and eighth-grade teams coming out and watching us play. They were absolutely precious and it was good to see our Alum in her element with the kids.
As many of you know, each game we write a card and put it in a Bible that we give to the other players. This was the first time that I didn’t have time to finish my card before the game! I decided after the game I would quickly finish my thoughts on the card. I went to my locker, and to my dismay, saw that the Bibles were already given over to Davis & Elkins! I hadn’t even written my name and my note literally stopped mid-sentence with "God is so good and…" I decided to overlook any awkwardness and went to where their team was sitting after the game. I found my girl, Aliyah Dukes, and apologized for my card. We got to talking and it was cool to see that what I wrote in my card really related to her current situation. As we were continuing to talk, I realized we played each other in high school (way down in SC). I got to meet a couple of her teammates, who were all really sweet and super receptive to our Bibles, and had a great first half engaging in conversation.
As I was sitting back thinking how it was such a small world, I thought about how God orchestrated that whole event. First, that was the only time I have never finished a card. Second, I probably would have never gone over there if it weren’t for giving her an explanation and an apology. Lastly, Dani had no idea when she assigned me my girl that we played each other in high school. It is cool to step back and see that even when we go through everyday life - for me it was being a slacker finishing my card - we often times are so blind to how God is at work behind the scenes. He really does orchestrate events for conversations to be shared, seeds to be planted, and to have His love displayed. If you really stop and reflect on your week, see in what ways you can see God. I think you’d be surprised how everyday our situations are covered in His fingerprints.
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now.
January 14, 2014
Hey y’all! This week has been a good one for us basketball-wise. It was a huge confidence booster as we won both games against Ursuline and Wilberforce. On our way to Ursuline, we were able to stop at former player Mary Stockdale’s house for a delicious pre-game meal.
Upon arrival at the game against Ursuline, Gordy realized that she brought her shoes, they just happened to both be two right shoes. I had a "de ja vu" moment as Heidi forgot her shoes at Ursuline two years ago as well. Thankfully, Mary wore about the same size and brought her a pair of shoes to wear in the game. Gordy, if you have 19 points and a bunch of boards, I give you permission to borrow shoes any time :)
Our game against Wilberforce was also a good win. Our post players did extremely well for us and sealed the win with their great play. That game was "Taco Bell Taco" night. If our team, as well as the guys team, combined for a total of 12 made three-pointers, each fan would get a free taco. Shout out to my fellow blogger, Lane Vanderhulst, for hitting the last three-pointer that secured the Taco Bell deal.
We all enjoyed practice off this Monday. Coaches thought it would be good to have a day off to rest and recover. Keep being in prayer for all our injuries: Beck’s recovery process for her ACL, Heid’s back, Chan’s Achilles, Ki’s health and for the doctors to have wisdom in pinpointing what exactly is wrong, and for Rae’s knee and sprained ankle. We are all ready for Rae to be back on her feet and to have our point guard back in action with us this Thursday.
Coach recently handed each of us bracelets that said "stay the course," and I’ve found myself thinking about that a lot recently. When injuries get us discouraged, stay the course. When academics seem overwhelming, stay the course. When basketball gets stressful, stay the course. When hard times hit, stay the course. I’ve been learning this season that it’s only when we come to the end of ourselves, the time in our lives when things are hard, stressful, and maybe even confusing at times, that God’s glory is fully displayed. Cherish that moment when it comes, because it will. We must, as our bracelets say, stay the course!
Hebrews 12:1-2 "..And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.."
Let’s stay the course this week!
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for Now.
January 7, 2014
Happy New Year! It’s been such a great start for our team this year. New Years for us was spent ice skating in downtown Dayton, followed by a team meal at TJ Chumps, and closed the night at the Hoffman’s house for games, football, food, and watching the ball drop.
Some of us also spent this New Years in Juvy (a local detention center). Now, before you get any ideas, we didn’t actually attend Juvy, but got the awesome opportunity to help put on a basketball clinic. Five of the men’s players went with Gordy, Olivia, Taylor, KJ, and me for what was one of the most enjoyable two hour clinic I have ever ran. There were about 18 kids that attended, and by the end of the afternoon, all of them found a special place in each of our hearts. KJ even thought she may have found a new life calling!?! We started with teaching them core fundamentals and made every drill a competition so that it would be more enjoyable. The kids, quiet at first, quickly came out of their shell and their personalities shined through that dull gym. One of the younger boys, Nigel, even put on a dancing performance and performed a break dance in the middle of the gym. Nate and John, the two men’s student-assistants, taught everyone a type of basketball game that was an absolute hit for the kids. As I looked around during the game, not only were the kids smiling from ear to ear, but so were we.
They didn’t want to stop playing, but unfortunately time was coming to an end. Hugs and goodbyes were exchanged, and thank yous were spoken. Their supervisor instantly changed from having a good time to being serious: "No talking, look forward, hands behind your back." It honestly took me aback at first, but I then remembered where we were and this was their way of life …. at least for now. I know I speak for the group when I say that we were thankful God gave us this skill set of basketball just because of the fact that we could use it as a tool to reach out to these kids. No conversations that I know of directly mentioned Christ, but I know He used this endeavor as planting seeds in their little, growing bodies and I can’t wait to go back.
Another great start to the New Year was our win against Trevecca Nazarene. I don’t know if any of you remember, although it’s kind of hard to forget, but last year when we played Trevecca we lost by 48 and 39 points. This year, not only were we craving for a win, but we wanted revenge. I can’t adequately describe the feeling of beating them. We were all smiles in the locker room and it felt good knowing our hard work "statistically" paid off. Our game this past Thursday against Kentucky Wesleyan (picked to win our conference), although a loss, was a great confidence booster and I’m encouraged by our play against them. Shout out to my roommate, Kaysie Brittenham (aka Doc) for getting Subway Athlete of the Week and playing two great games. It was very well-deserved! Please continue to pray for Ki’s health. She is feeling better but still has those days where she’s feeling up and down.
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for Now.
December 24, 2013
Howdy y’all! What a week it has been. Our trip to Texas was probably the most fun I have ever had on any basketball trip that I have ever taken. A huge shout out to the Chandlers for letting us stay in their home, for being selflessly hospitable to us, and for making us feel at home on the ranch.
Life at their ranch seemed like we were living a dream. It was fun to get out and do things that many of us have never done before. One of those activities was clay pigeon shooting (aka skeet shooting). We split up into teams of three and had a clay pigeon tourney. First place, as hard as it is to write, was Flunker, Squirt, and Steve, who beat "the Limber Jills", comprised of KJ, Taylor, and I. Watching Dani’s form as she shot the gun had to have been one of the funniest things to witness. However, she managed to be one of the better shooters on the team so I can’t diss on her too much (but oh I wish you could have seen that form. Love you D train :p)
Many of us were able to go fishing off their dock, as well as take the boat on their lake to fish as well. Our vitamin D deficient skin appreciated the sun beams on our back both days. The 70 degree weather, with a slight breeze at times, felt splendid to some of my teammates as they took the 4 ½ mile trail around the property. The weather didn’t help those who partook of what we called the "polar plunge." Off the second level of their dock is a trapeze swing that drops into the currently freezing cold lake. Forgive me if I forget anyone, but the few who braved it out were Doc, Gord, Heids, Dani, KJ, Taylor, Rae, and Whit. I could go on and on about how great the ranch was, but I don’t want to make y’all anymore jealous:) Thank you, Chandlers, for such an enjoyable time, many laughs, and unforgettable memories.
Our games against Tarleton State and Midwestern State both ended up in losses, but we took away positive aspects from each game and were only encouraged by them. We feel as if this schedule has definitely prepared us for conference play in many ways. We start off the New Years right with a game against Kentucky Wesleyan, followed by always tough and tenacious Trevecca. It’s time to start winning.
We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. Enjoy drinking egg nog, spending time with family, and don’t forget the real reason for the season!
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now!
December 16, 2013
Howdy y’all! A big thanks to your prayers, Red Bull, and Starbucks for helping us survive this past week’s finals. It has been extremely nice to not have to worry about papers, homework assignments, and classes since we’ve been on break!
A brief update since break: We have made it safely to Texas! That plane ride was the nicest and most enjoyable ride many of us
have ever flown. We each had flat screen tablets that were embedded in the chair in front of us and could watch complimentary movies. Most of us were planning to sleep, but then we saw the movies such as Tangled and Brave, and we were sold! Lauryn met an elderly woman in the airport and ironically sat beside her on the plane. It was precious seeing her heart while interacting with her "new friend." Once we arrived in Dallas, I immediately knew "we weren’t in Cedarville anymore." Big Texan cowboy hats, boots, and sunshine surrounded to greet us all! We headed to the Chandlers, scoped out their nice house, and went to Uncle Julios for dinner. We closed the night eating treats that Mrs. Chandler made for us, and our exhausted team headed to bed.
Monday has been a great day. We woke up early this morning to go practice in Chandler’s high school gym. Right as we walked into the locker room, the "legend of Carroll High school herself" had her own picture on the wall J We practiced on their floor to game plan for arguably our two hardest upcoming games of the season. After a good, productive practice, we headed to McCalisters for lunch (praise the Lord for good Texan sweet tea) and shopped in Town Square.
Tonight’s dinner was an unforgettable experience. It was probably one of the most hick places we have ever eaten. We were in the middle of nowhere, our meet was cooked outside in front of our eyes, and deer were mounted all through out the restaurant. Needless to say, we have been eating like queens in unique places, but royalty to say the least.
It has been nice to get away and see where Chan has been born and raised, as well as to see her in her own element. We’re all pumped to go out and play two tough teams this week. Our goal is obviously to win, but we are keeping in mind that if we don’t, these games are just building blocks for our league play. Like Chan’s coach said today: "you’re going to play teams that are better than you. But if you go out, leave all you’ve got on the court, and do your best, you can walk away feeling like a champion."
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now
December 10, 2013
There are few things in life we can ever control. Chandler’s torn Achilles heel is a prime example of that. In this past week’s game against Urbana, Chandler simply stepped back after shooting a free throw, fell to the court the instant she felt pain, and the trainers removed her from the game. Not knowing the seriousness of her injury, we had a prayer circle on the sideline for her quick healing and recovery. She went to urgent care the following day and found out, to our dismay, that she will be out for the rest of the season.
Not only is it hard to suffer an injury and be out for the season, but the fact that this is Chandler’s senior year, and her last
collegiate basketball game ever in her career at that, makes it that much harder. "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it." Do you know what Chandler’s first comment to the social media world was after her injury? On December 3
rd, she tweeted "He is Faithful." This short, yet powerful statement is a testimony in and of itself. In our world’s eyes, she has every right to be bitter, be upset, and be angry that she is done with the game of basketball forever, right? But my teammate, instead of choosing bitterness,
chooses joy instead. She recognizes that many things in life we can’t control. We can’t control the weather, illnesses, deaths, and freak accidents. But amidst all the circumstances we can’t control, our joy should never be dictated by our circumstances because like Deborah’s tweet says, "He is Faithful." We took a part of her with us to our last game in Indianapolis. Ki hung her jersey up in the locker room, Lauryn held her jersey and did her "pre-game chant", Raegan marked the back of her shoe with #33, and Heids did a good job of making sure her jersey sat comfy on the bench with us. Chandler had surgery Friday and is in good hands with her sweet mama on the road to recovery.
This is something I myself have been wrestling through in this season alone. When I personally have felt that I’m not performing my best and my stats are proving that, it’s been hard to walk away from a game and choose joy. God’s been teaching me that this game called basketball, it’s never been about me anyways. And just as Chandler pointed out in Bible study the week following her injury, one of Satan’s lies to us has been "I am my stats." He wants us to believe we are defined by our record, defined by our grades, defined by how well or not we play defense, defined by how low our three-point shooting percentages are, defined by our stats, but there is one thing we need to remember: we are daughters of the risen King and as easy as it is to forget, we need to find our identity in Him.
Prayers are appreciated as we start finals this Tuesday and prep to fly to the good ol’ state of Texas this Sunday! Did I mention it’s sunny down there?
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now.
December 3, 2013
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! Since the last blog, we haven’t had any games so there isn’t too much to update. I know our team enjoyed the longest Thanksgiving break any of us have ever had while being a collegiate athlete. As soon as our 7 a.m. practice got out last Tuesday, we all jetted out, headed home to our different destinations, and break began. Some of us were scraping snow off the ground at home, while Gordy and Chan were repping shorts and tank tops down in the South (jealous!).
"Collegiate athlete" and "break" are two phrases that should never appear in the same sentence. Before we left, our coaches challenged us with the "3-2-1 challenge." This comprised of shooting, running, and lifting, and we decide which one we do three times, which one we do two times, and which one we do one time. Even though we were "on break", we knew it was in our best interest to not "take a break." I am very proud of my teammates for following through with workouts on their own, a reflection of their integrity, hard work, and commitment.
After a refreshing time spent at home with family, we kicked off the first practice back with a competitive spirit, game planned today, and are excited to take on Urbana on Tuesday and be back in action!
I want to take this last paragraph to reflect on an area I am thankful for about Cedarville University. With all the change that has happened within the past year to Cedarville, with all the complaints, with all the critics, Cedarville is still a place that is focused on Christ. Staff and faculty leaving, new people filling their roles, none of that has changed what Cedarville is about: a Christ-centered community committed to equipping students for lifelong leadership, service, and showing us what it means to love like Christ on a daily basis. I consider it a privilege to not only suit up for Cedarville University, but to be a student at this University.
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for now.
November 26, 2013
Basketball is a privilege: such a simple concept, yet one so frequently forgotten. As I watched teammate Becky Orchard jog around the gym (in full practice gear might I add - go #11), the first time in over nine months, her grinning cheeks big as can be, no words were necessary to interpret her facial expression: one of pure joy and thankfulness.
Becky tore her ACL last year and has had a tough road of recovery. With one failed surgery, a second one to follow, and frequent therapy sessions, her smile has never faded and I have yet to ever hear her mouth speak a word of complaint. Seeing her legs run with freedom, after nine months of feeling enslaved, Coach Martin drew us all to a huddle and pointed us to this concept: "Basketball IS A PRIVILEGE…and Becky gets that. "
Although Becky is content and knows God is in control, I know she would give a leg and an arm to play the game of basketball right now. She is faithfully at practice keeping Heidi in line, cheering us on through the megaphones she finds on the sidelines, and keeping a positive attitude throughout it all. It is really convicting watching someone of her character. We find ourselves, at least I know I do, complaining over the referees’ foul calls (66 last game just in case you forgot :p), complaining because we get Chuck’s sandwiches for our pre-game meals, complaining about sore legs, and complaining about an aching body after giving it our all at practice. But what if this game was taken away from us? What if we didn’t complain about the refs fouls because
we didn’t get to step on that court and commit the dumb fouls? What if we didn’t have sore legs because we
weren’t physically able to complete Squirt’s lifting at 6:45 a.m.? What if our bodies didn’t feel like jello because
our legs wouldn’t allow us to go up and down the court?
I believe that we would miss the game and realize what a privilege it is to put on that Cedarville jersey, represent Christ, and get to play with a group of Godly girls who fight for the same goal every day. I believe we would learn to love getting a foul called on us, love the feeling of sore legs, love waking up and working out with Squirt in the mornings, and love Chuck’s food (ok maybe that’s a stretch :p). We would learn to love and appreciate the little "annoying things" about basketball because we would truly view those things as little blessings that come along with this privilege.
As we go throughout this season, may we view every trial, every hardship, every moment Coach spits when he talks, every win, every loss, every prayer circle, every opportunity to play, and every opportunity to step on that court and represent Christ, as a God-given privilege. Thank you #11 for not only always choosing joy, but teaching us this simple, yet often overlooked lesson. We love you.
We are thankful for the opportunity to play and we as a team would like to take this opportunity to wish our fans a very Happy Thanksgiving. Go eat some turkey, y’all!
More to come later but that’s Kit’s Meow for Now
November 19, 2013
What a week it has been. Two exciting games: one overtime win against the GLVC's Bellarmine and one unfortunate loss by one point against the GLIAC's ODU. Each game it was great to see players step up and utilize their skills. I will say the game against Bellarmine was the first game in a long time that I felt that we had a great team effort. A shout out to the baseball team and all our fans who came out that night. It was definitely because of our fans that we were able to get out of a 14-point deficit and win by 2. The loss to ODU was a very disappointing one. We KNOW we are the better team; now it’s just a matter of SHOWING we are. We are looking forward to playing Mt. Vernon Nazarene this Tuesday night and playing like the team we know we are capable of being.
I never want to make the blog about me, but I did want to touch on something God has taught me this past week. As many of you know, I was in a car accident this past Tuesday. I am a typical, southern, woman driver and the concept of black ice is still pretty foreign to me. I was driving to Beans-n-Cream for breakfast when I started hydroplaning. Noticing I was sliding, I put on the brakes to try and slow down. Bad idea! Once my car hit the normal pavement again, my car over-compensated, flew to the ditch, and flipped over. Did I mention I didn’t have my seatbelt on? (don’t worry I know it was stupid, I have been told plenty of times recently :p) Lying upside down, I knew I had to get out. I saw I could make it to the back door and I crawled my way to safety. I stepped outside with no scrapes, no cuts, and not much pain to my body at all.
What I found out later amazed me even more. Ki, who has been staying at our home due to health reasons, texted me and asked me if I was okay. I texted her, "I’m ok just shooken up still. I feel like there had to have been angels protecting me, at least that’s what I like to think." She came up to me later in that day and told me some news that made my mouth drop. That morning at 7:19 a.m., exactly one minute before my alarm went off, Ki woke up with a huge burden on her heart. She felt this huge weight to pray for protection. She listened to the Holy Spirit, got out of bed, bowed her head, and prayed. She prayed for protection, as well as the words of Psalm 91:11-12: "He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their hands so you will not strike your foot against a stone." (In this case, they will lift you up in their hands so you will not strike your head against the roof of the car or go flying out). I almost couldn’t believe it at first. We both know that God put that burden on her heart to protect me: it was "no accident"! WOW! As I look back, I have been IN AWE of God’s hand of protection over me as I should be seriously injured.
The only mark I have from the accident is a bruise on my butt. I’ve been telling people I like to think of it as God’s way of spanking me for not wearing my seatbelt. I wish I could have seen the unseen world that day: I like to think there was an angel wrapping his wings around me and another angel holding my shooken hand the whole way through that terrific five seconds. There had to have been!
I’ve been waking up each day thankful for another day. Sometimes we take life, our health, others, and God’s faithfulness for granted. Let us not get caught up in the busyness of life that we overlook the little blessings our Savior pours on us every day, nor the true POWER OF PRAYER
More to come later, but that’s Kit’s Meow for Now
November 12, 2013
Abracadabra!
You know the song that says "Whoa Whoa Whoa it's magic you know; never believe it's not so?" Those lyrics popped in my head Saturday as we were about to embark on our journey and I decided it was more fitting to sing "Whoa Whoa Martin Magic you know; never believe it will go." We all thought it left us at the end of last year. But on Saturday, November 9th, as we were all about to leave when "Abracadabra, poof, whoop there it is, ta dahhh" Martin Magic was back at it sooner than expected.
It started out a great morning. Many of the teammates got breakfast, watched a little of our women's volleyball game, grabbed our homework and headphones, and out the locker room door we went. We made it all the way to the white mini-van door when Hoffman (Flunker) soon informed us of the not so fortunate news: Abracadabra the van doors we're locked! (It is important to note that at least this year we didn’t forget our uniforms; bad news was we couldn't get to them!) Ok, not to panic, campus safety was right to our rescue, right? Well they tried (and we very much appreciated their effort), but they didnt know where the spare key was located, failed at every technique at trying to open the van doors, and 45 minutes later we were still stuck in front of the Callan Athletic Center. It was as if this was the part of the magic show where the magician tries pulling the rabbit out of the hat and there was no rabbit.
Once we finally got in and snuggled into our seats, we were anxiously awaiting our arrival at Becky's house. The Orchards live in the middle of nowhere. Whenever we travel there, I feel like I'm taking a trip down history lane. We literally travel on dirt roads, see horse and buggy crossing signs, and witnessed one of her Amish neighbors (who I swear was Raegan's twin) riding to town on her buggy. For those of you who have never been to Becky's house, it's basically Heaven on earth. We stepped into a home full of warm smiles, a cozy fire, and music playing softly in the background. Sometimes I firmly believe Beck and her mom are angels; but then I remember watching Becky's home videos and realize at one time in her life, she was just as immature as some of us :) Her mom graciously cooked us a healthy meal complete with linguini, fresh bread, salad, and a wide variety of fresh fruit. Our tummies were full and many of us fell asleep to the sound of the crackling fire on the living room floor. Time was passing and it was unfortunately time to leave. We said our goodbyes and left mentally preparing for Ashland. Our mental preparation was soon halted as an attrocious aroma stifled the air. Abracadabra! Lo and behold poor Gordy, bless her heart, stepped in the dog's poop. Sheila's excrement was all over the bottom of Gord's new team shoes! Martin Magic Moment #2! We quickly kicked her out of the van so she could take care of her mess and after drenching her shoe in the water hose, we were off for Ashland.
It's hard to know exactly what to say about the game at Ashland. They are the defending national champions, ranked 15th in the country this year, and haven't lost on their home court since January of 2011. Many emotions filled us all after that game and even mentioning it still brings a stir of emotions to many of us I'm sure. We were coached, had a game plan prepared and we, as players, didn't execute it well. It's easy to put the blame on our nerves, easy to put the blame on the new foul rule, easy to put the blame on "fill in the blank", but these are all excuses. Yes, maybe those things were all true to some degree, but it's ultimately on us as players and we fully take that blame. Right now, as there is nothing we can do to change the outcome of the past, we're refocusing on the games ahead, using our frustrations to fuel us, and moving on. We are taking the magical concept of "now ya see it, now ya don't" and making sure that what y'all saw, won't happen again. Abracadabra, poof, it's gone.
I think Ashland showed us we're good, we can hang with the big dogs, but we still have a long way to go.
My dad and I (I can’t take full credit) wrote a parody to "You had a bad day." If you want a good laugh, take a look and read it.
More to come later, but that's Kit's Meow for Now
1st Verse:
Where are the keys when we needed them most?
Packed up to leave and the van doors are locked
Is this the martin magic game
Please tell us that has gone away
We don’t need no more okay
2nd Verse:
Had a great meal then back on the road
Tummies were filled and seemed to lighten the load
Then get this latest scoop
Gordy stepped in Sheila’s poop
And now this stink we carry on
Chorus:
So you had a bad game
The foul count don’t lie
31 times and they go to the line
Is it one touch or two
Let us know ‘for we try
You work so hard then they go baseline
You had a bad game
We don’t know why
Why did we let the jitters play with our mind
We had a bad game we had a bad game
3rd Verse:
Back in the gym to work the rust out
Things will get better in that we don’t doubt
We will get much better
For our motto is Hard. Smart. Together
And now we carry on
New Chorus
So you had a bad game
And it won’t be the last
You get back in the gym
For that game’s in the past
Now we’re looking ahead
And not what’s behind
Gonna focus for Him
And not let Satan win
We’re gonna have a good day … yeah yeah …
We’re gonna have a good day
November 8, 2013
Taking off the Masks
Play paint ball and you'll learn one thing quickly: it hurts. Our basketball team had the opportunity to travel to King's Domain for our retreat this year. For many of us, it was our first time; and one we will never forget. It didn’t take long for us beginners to realize that without proper equipment, we wouldn't last very long. Without the barricades to hide behind, the masks to cover our faces, and our guns to shoot the enemy, we would be ill-prepared for our "paint ball battle." Even with all those things, we still got bruises! Many of us were comparing battle wounds after each game. I'm convinced KJ won for the worst welts award. Coach Martin "took one for the team" that day (or so we thought - turns out his "courageous crawl walk" was actually a "I tripped on the ground while running" incident: I am smiling as I write this in reflection of that moment).
This trip was by far my favorite team bonding experience. This wasn't because I got to witness Steve singing "Man I feel like a Woman" with us girls in the mini vans, or the fact that I got to watch 40 little girls chase "I'm not a fan of kids" Taylor all over the gym in the clinic we ran, but it was contributed to our realness with each other. After our adventurous day full of laughter and shooting each other relentlessly, we were able to really connect as we were stuffing our faces with s’mores around a campfire. For the first time, we were able to hear each others’ stories. We were able to share what God was teaching us, be real about our struggles, share our past and current hurts: we were"taking off our masks." It's never easy to be transparent. Heck, in a place like Cedarville where everyone looks like they have it together all the time, why would anyone want to share anything with anyone?
Well, I got news for y'all: Christians aren’t perfect people. Sometimes, we're just really good at hiding our sin, our struggles, our baggage, our past, our worries, and anything else we think that will result in stares from others. But that starry night, around the campfire at King's Domain, we did something that many Christians are scared to do: we came out from hiding behind our barricades, we put our weapons of self defense down, and we took off our masks. We were real with each other.
Yes, it hurts. Standing in front of someone in a paint ball battle with no mask, no weapons, and no barricade to hide behind would be painful too. Why? Because you are exposed. Everyone sees your scars (your baggage, your fears, your anxieties, your past) and they see the real you. And just like open cuts, painful wounds, and bruises heal, we heal too. We heal because we have a Savior who decided that we were worth it. A Savior who died on the cross to take every one of those impurities, humbly place it on Himself, in order that we could experience His love and grace on a daily basis. And because of our Savior's act of love, we can step out without masks, without weapons, and without protection, because His grace is the only shield we will ever need.
If you get nothing else from this blog, hear me on this: if you have never tried being exposed or transparent, just do it. It is not only freeing, but helps you understand others better, helps you trust one another, and helps bring about a bond that can not be easily broken.
To do this in a paint ball match? I agree is stupid. To do this in our walk with Christ? Absolutely essential. Don't believe me? Ask any one of my teammates and I know they will agree.
I am honored to be the blogger for our basketball team this year and can’t wait to update you on what Christ is teaching us, what's going on with the team, and give you some insight from the men on how to deal with the emotions of the female population on a daily basis (Thanks Coach and Steve). My teammates and coaches have been working hard all semester and we cannot wait to play Ashland this Saturday. We are bringing our A game and that's a promise.
More to come next week but that is Kit's Meow for Now
Kayla Jenerette is a 5-foot-4 senior guard from Greenville, S.C. She is in her final season with the Lady Jackets and is majoring in organizational communications.
