So our second day of competition didn't actually have all that much competition for us to deal with. As the 9th seed soming in both our preliminary games were on day 1 ,so day 2 was a wait and see sort of day which let us get some much needed rest and prep.
Our second game on Monday vs Sask went more then two hours and was the last game of the day, so our arrival back at dorms wasn't until afer 11pm. Monday had been a long day in general with 2 games, 2 pre games, 2 post games, scheduling meetings and 2 game prep meetings. The girls had only had 2 hours all day not of team time or as they would call it (when we get our cell phones). All those factors considered we allowed players the individual option to get up and go breakfast or to sleep until 10:00. We did make sure those that slept until 10 had a food plan but most players took advantage of the rest and relaxation time to get some sleep.
At 10:15 we had a brief team meeting and reviewed key points and issues arising from Sask. game. We then went to watch BC vs. Alberta as both have very deliberate and half court focused styles of play. We wanted out girls to see what it was they wanted to do to each other so that they could make some ideas and adjustments mentally to how we would want them to look vs us if we saw them. It was a great game and a chance for the girls to get in some Nationals experiences without being emotionally invested in the outcome.
The girls used this as a team time session in the stands, they also got to deal with media as CTV came by to do some interviewing. As a coaches we helped them through the interview process and since we had scouted both these teams the previous day used this time to connect with some other coaches who had seen us play yesterday. A big thanks needs to go out to the STU womens coaches Peter Douthwright and Fred Connors who've been a huge asset all summer but again yesterday gave us more than an hour of their time over a couple of sessions.to talk shop, and give us some ideas and suggestions based on what they were seeing.
We then went to Lunch and released the girls for 1.5 hours to have some R & R time as most wanted to go grab a nap but a few went to shop for neccessities or with family. We went back to gym and continued to connect with coaches and NB personelle who had seen us play trying to get perspective and we mapped out a plan for practice.
Other then a bizzare incident to open practice it went well. As only teenage girls can a minor issue prior to warm up became a 20 minute discussion that made our warmup a little rushed so we coudl get our full hour on court. We had one of our local parents take the gear and uniforms we wore yesterday to their house to get washed and when they got them back at practice suddenly the girls couldn't seem to match up who had had which sized shorts all summer in an ammenable way. To be fair this had been a sticking point early in the summer as we have provided gear from BNB but the shorts are 5 smalls, 5 mediums, 1 large and 1 xl and we've only got two girls who would normally prefer to wear smalls in practice gear. So to end the discussion we made it a coach control issue and re-assigned people shorts after practice.
Once that was dealt with practice went smoothly. We addressed some minor focus points on free throw shooting after an abysmal day one. Putting the girls in some light consequence based scenarios based on performance, and addressing between each round finding focus points on the line after your routine to make sure you are ready to shoot. Wanting to be balanced and under the ball with a clear head rather then trusting your routine to relax you but catching and firing once your routine was done. (Perhaps a blog later on Free Throw routines as I am not a huge fan). Saw some improvement over a short window.
Rest of practice was addressing spacing and reads. Putting our kids into our breakout and half court spacing, with a focus on going to catch a ball and knowing where their looks should be. We also made them order in importance and timing what we wanted as options to make sure they still looked to attack but gave us the space and time to create vs panic and breakdown under strain. Started slowly but by the end of the session were doing a much better job moving the ball with purpose and creating good looks for our teammates, without forcing shots.
In our next practive session we must review on getting to two feet on penetration but it can wait until after the PEI game who don't really have the sort of bodies to cause havoc on help at the rim it was important to deal with the ball control issues as we know they will be aggressive and scrappy to stay in the game.
The rest of the night was really about the the girls Nationals experience. We went to a Banquet with a number of quality speakers and some good food. After the Banquet they got some time to relax and enjoy themselves and the the other teams. A nation wide game of Stella Ella Olla broke out on the front lawn at 9pm involving u15 and u17 teams from 6/7 provinces. For all our fans, NB u15's Barrie Leggat made it to the final 5 much to the pride and enjoyment of her teammates, as a hundred kids piled in around the circle taking photos and cheering for their remaining teammates in a great experience for the girls.
We hit the hay at 11pm and are up for team breakfast at 8am.
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