Viking Coach

One of the things I really look forward to as a coach is receiving my monthly basketball magazines. I have subscriptions to "Winning Hoops" and "Scholastic Coach". A lot of the excitement of getting these periodicals is the possible opportunity to learn something new about the game I love.

In the current issue of "Winning Hoops"(January/February 2007. Vol. 21, No. 3) there was a short little editorial that I totally thought made a lot of sense to me as a coach and as a dad.

Managing Editor Michael Podoll relayed a story about how coach Bill Salyers poses the following question to his parents each year:

"What are the 5 most important minuts of a game?"

The parents, the article goes on to say, usually call out answers like; first 5 minutes of a game, last 5 minutes of the first half, half time, etc. . .

But this coach goes on to tell these parents that the most important 5 minutes of a game are the first 5 minutes that occur when the player and the parents are alone after a game - - most of the time on the ride home.

The questions asked, the comments made and the attitude projected either reinforces the comments made by the coach or totally undermines them.

Here are Coach Bill Slayers suggestions for these crucial 5 minutes:

•If you can't say something positive, don't say anything at all.

•The success of the next practice (and the one after that and then the next game) may hinge on the attitude the player has after the game. That immediate attitude has tremendous carryover.

•Recognize that a player's attitude is as important as any other aspect when determining playing time and a role on the team. Parents greatly impact this.

•If the parents had wanted to coach, they should have taken the team!

BELOW ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Parents role in our program is vital to our success year in and year out. What we ask of you is that you take on the role of being a mentor for your child in the area of problem solving.

Your daughter's emotions and problems will at time be very intense being this is a competitive sport and because your child is a teenager. These emotions and problems offer opportunities for the girls to learn how to handle themselves in an adult manner. It is our job to help them along in this “problem solving / emotion handling” process.

I feel that it is important for both the coaching staff and parents to work together in helping the athlete react in a positive and constructive way to their emotions.

DEALING WITH ISSUES:

As a parent it will be very hard not to step in and solve the problem for your child. It is natural for parents to “make things all better”. However, in order to help your child grow as a person I ask that you encourage your daughter to work through problems on her own whenever possible. At the same time discuss with them how to handle problems in a positive manner.

If your child is having trouble with her teammates or with her coach, sometimes the only thing that is required is a little time. When a cool-down period doesn’t solve the problem, encourage your child to talk to a coach about the situation. Remind your child to remember that good timing and a respectful attitude always brings about better communication and understanding. When your child is an adult and in a working environment I believe they will face many similar situations. Teaching them the right approach will show them how these types of situations can be worked out.

If you feel that a meeting with the coach is the only way to work to solve an issue than you should understand that a coach can not talk about these subjects:

#1 – Playing time.
#2 – Offensive and Defensive Strategies

*Before or after games is NOT an acceptable time to talk about problems or issues
*Calling the coach at home is NOT an acceptable time to talk about problems or issues
*Visiting a coach at his/her home is NOT an acceptable time or place to talk about problems.

THINGS TO UNDERSTAND

---You will feel a lot of the same emotions as they do during this season

---Things are not always going to go the way that they would like

---Your child will sometimes come home hurt, frustrated, sad, etc...

---Some of the frustration, anger or sadness that they will experience occur as a natural part of being out for a highly competitive sport.

---We tell our athletes that they do not have to like everything that happens when it comes to playing time and rules but they must accept them if they want to be a successful part of this program.

---It is important to be very supportive of their daughters. But I also ask that you be very supportive of the TEAM.

---At times the coaching staff has to make some difficult decisions that are based on what, in our professional opinion, is best for the team and the program. Although we strive to keep each player’s individual concerns in mind we must also think of the program and the team.

---We ask that you help your daughter accept the situation at hand and react to her emotions in a positive manner. Continually encouraging your daughter to work hard to improve her present situation and staying upbeat and positive will not only help her but will improve the team and its chemistry.

Finally, We think it is important that you know that we care a lot about your daughter. We really do want our players to feel that they are an important part of our program. We feel we play a very important role in your daughter’s life and we respect that position greatly. We do not see them as just basketball players but we see them as young girls who are becoming young women. We believe that if they become a better person because they were a part of our program than our program is truly a success.

One of the most dreaded words in the sports vocabulary is "injury".

That word once again reared its ugly head for Kelcey Lass, who may have sustained a season ending knee injury on Monday night. Early diagnosis was that it was a Meniscus tear and we will hopefully know more next Tuesday. This is the second year in a row that Kelcey has had to sit our for an extended period of time as a high ankle sprain kept her out of action for the month of January last year.

This is a huge blow for our team as Kelcey has been such a big factor in our success this year. She leads us in scoring, assists and is one of our top rebounders. She has been the one I have looked to when we need an offensive spark and her defense has also been outstanding this year. Thus, not having her play is going to leave a hole in our line up. What will be interesting is to see how the team responds to fill this hole.

Sports seldom work out the way you envision them to and neither does life. Like life, sports present constant curves and obstacles that you must navigate around. At one moment you are cruising down the expressway and the next you are on a narrow mountain road with cliff just inches away from your tires.

It’s at times like these that character and fortitude need to grab the wheel and keep you on the road until you can once again merge into the smooth freeways of life. These times can add so much to your life. They can make you stronger, they can make you more appreciative and they can make you look at life in a totally new way.

Think of the beautiful scenery you must be seeing when you are on that mountain road. Pay attention to the cliff! We don’t want you falling off the side. . but take time to learn and live as you guide yourself through these troubled times.

Last night's loss to Wadena - Deer Creek (57 - 59) hurt the soul. It was the first time all year I felt the players weren't ready to play. Don't get me wrong. . . in scoring 57 points we did some nice things, we had a couple great rallies to come back from deficits and the effort was there. . . however, I just didn't feel that we were mentally prepared to be successful and that caused us to fall behind and have to make those rallies.

It is hard to explain the feelings I get as a coach after a game like this. . . It is like I get this "overwhelmed" feeling. Maybe it was because I know that this was a team we could have beat. Our schedule is going to get brutal once January starts with games against some of the best teams in the state. I want soooooooo badly for this team to start making in-roads towards a winning season. I would love for this team to be the start of the resurgence of Pelican Rapids Girls' Basketball. They are a good group of kids who are working extremely hard towards this goal and, like a parent, I want to see them be successful and have smiles on their faces. . . this was an opportunity to see smiles.

Even though I felt that the girls were not mentally ready to perform at the level needed in this game I take a lot of the blame home with me whenever we lose. . .I start to run through everything I should have done to make the results better:

*My pre-game talk should have been better.
*I should have pumped them up more.
*I should have called a time out at this point or that.
*I should have switched up the defense more.
*I shouldn't have switched the defense as much.
*I shouldn't have gotten so frustrated with the officiating.
*I should have done a better job of explaining things in the huddle.
*We should have more options in on our offense by now.
*I should be working harder with players on individual skills.

This list goes on and on but as the new day dawned the feeling of being overwhelmed gets replaced by. . .

"okay. . .what happened, happened. What am I going to do to improve myself and my team."

That’s my job. . . I need to pick up the pieces and help these girls rise above the frustrations. . .I need to show them that it is how we respond to adversity and our continued efforts towards excellence that will ultimately defines us a a success. To me this is a lesson I am trying to live out as there were times last year that I faltered in this aspect of my profession.

Time to get to work!

Pelican Rapids Holiday Tournament
8 Teams - 2 Tournaments - 1 Gym

Valhalla Division

Wednesday, December 27th

6:30 P.M. -Underwood -vs- Clinton Graceville
8:15 P.M. - Pelican Rapids -vs- Norman County East

3rd Place Game - Thursday, December 28th - 3:00 P.M.
Championship Game - Thursday, December 28th - 6:30 P.M.

Valkyrie Division

Wednesday, December 27th

3:00 P.M. - Perham -vs- Battle Lake
4:45 P.M. - West Central -vs- Sauk Centre

3rd Place Game - Thursday, December 28th - 4:45 P.M.
Championship Game - Thursday, December 28th - 8:15 P.M.

Last night I watched a little bit of Santa Claus 2 with Tim Allen. The one where he needs to find a "Mrs. Claus" and to do so he needed to make a copy of himself to oversee the action at the North Pole.

I've decided I need one of those duplicating machines to just clone another one of me during the basketball season. I know my wife would go crazy dealing with the two of us but man could I use someone to just do the "little things" and laugh at my jokes!

"Bruggs II" would have the following jobs:

1) Grade Papers and Record Scores – I know this is classroom stuff but I dislike that aspect of my job immensely so I thought that I might as well have “him” do this duty!

2) Record the stats for each game, enter them in the computer and send updated stats to the “Stat Guy” in Hawley.

3) Write the articles for the Pelican Press.

4) Run an occasional Saturday Morning Basketball session.

5) Call in scores after the game.

6) Go out and scout a game or two.

7) Take care of basketball clothing orders. . . Mag 7 shirts, sweatshirt orders, Sat. AM Basketball shirts, etc. . . And collect money from players!!!

8) Contact the other team for their roster and update the game program. Make the copies for each home game.

9) Get the traveling basketball teams organized and keep them informed about upcoming tournaments.

10) Do all the organizing for the Valhalla 5 on 5 and Shada 3 on 3 tournaments.

Okay. . . I just wasted 20 minutes of my day writing this blog entry. . . I am my own worst enemy!

What I wanted to tell you all is that the team did well last week. Started with a win at Fergus Falls Hillcrest on Monday followed by a big conference win against Breckenridge on Tuesday night! On Friday we traveled to Hawley. The results. . . not so good. . . But I am happy with the over-all results on the week and totally happy with the continued improvement of this squad.

One day I will jot down my feelings when I see the numbers and talent that Hawley has from grade 12 to what seems like Kindergarten. . . But right now, I'm out of time!

Sarah is the daughter of Fran and the late Tom Voigt. Sarah is a "jitter-bug" off and on the court. Her intensity and quickness make her a fun player to watch. Sarah is known for her uncanny ability to be "surprised". It is not uncommon for her to jump out of her shoes when she doesn't expect somebody to suddenly say her name.

Sarah is planning on attending NDSU next fall. Her major is undecided at this point but she may want to lean towards a career in the food service industry as her favorite "class" in school is LUNCH!!?? Coming in a close second is her Pre-Calc. class with Mr. Strand.

Sarah likes pretty much everything and really doesn't have a lot of "favorites". Besides hanging out and bonding with her teammates at summer basketball work-outs she most definitely enjoys family trips out to the East Coast.

I received an email from a parent about our b-team situation and what will happen if we take the 8th graders away.

I totally understand where this parent was coming from. I really wish things were better right now. . .

I wish our 9th graders could just play 9th grade ball and that there would be at least ten or more that wanted to "Dream Big and Work to WIN" when it comes to hoops.

I wish we had more sophomores with the same desire as the four we have.

I wish we had 8 to 10 talented junior and senior players on varsity, instead of five. This would allow all of our sophomores to develop their skills at the b-team level before having to be thrown into the fire as two of them are this year and as these two were last year as freshmen. . .(by the way. . .Haley and Chelsea are developing into very good ball players even after losing 24 games on varsity last year.)

No amount of wishing is going to change our situation so I thought I would share my response to this parent as a general "shout-out" to all parents with concern.

---------------------
Dear Parent:

We are definitely in a tough situation with our numbers right now.

I had pulled the 8th graders up to b-team to see if they could compete at this level and although I like what I see in their athletic ability I feel that they are a bit over their heads.

This has forced a tough decision on my part. . . I know that taking the 8th graders out of the equation is going to hurt the b-team as it is right now. . . and I know that the only 9th grader that is really ready to play b-team is Kendra Coleman. But, for the future of the program, I think this move needs to happen.

Here is our projected b-team after xmas break:

Ann Ouren
Emma Strand
Kendra Coleman
Michaela Gray
Abby Fiest
Alejandra Saavedra

Most likely we will be adding Seirra Nordick to the b-team as she has expressed interest in getting in some "game time" but more importantly I feel that Haley Hoyer and Chelsea Bjerke may also rejoin the team once everyone is healthy at the varsity level. I think they can handle 3 halves of basketball on most nights.

My main concern. . . keep the players that are on b-squad focused on the possibilities of playing on a solid varisity team in the future. The B-team situation will be frustrating for the girls but I am going to work hard to ensure that these girls understand why things are the way they are and how what is ultimately important for these girls is that they continue to improve as individuals so that when the time comes for them to shine they will be ready.

Anything you can do to help your daughter through these tough times. . . to keep her spirits bright. . .the greater my appreciation will be to you.

Thanks for your concern,

Doug Bruggeman

Hello to Shawn Grim! Shawn is Taylor Larson's uncle who works down in Minnetonka, MN and occasionally reads this blog. I bring his name up because he is the person who turned me on to the book above: "Raising An All-American" by Devin & George Durrant.

I just read the "forward" by Stephen A. Covey, who is a motivational writer/speaker that I admire greatly, and I am already excited about the book.

I love this kind of stuff and I feel the more books I read about success and how to attain the better I will be at helping the kids I coach understand that there are ways to help themselves be more successful in life. . . and if I can be successful with that message, the closer I come to realizing my ultimate goal of making a difference with my life.

I already used a thought of Covey’s in last night’s locker room. . . it deals with something I believe with my whole heart, mind and soul. . .it deals with the power we have to choose how we will approach every situation and how our response is ultimately our choice.

Stephen Covey wrote that what lies between an event and the response to that event is our “choice”.

Event - - - - - - - - - - CHOICE - - - - - - - - > Response.

One of my players was having a tough night shooting last night. At half time she came into the locker room with the “decision” that she would no longer be confident in her abilities. I believe her words were; “I just can’t. . .I don’t have confidence in my shot.” Her choice was to chose to be defeated. . . yeah she missed shots but everyone falls short of expectations at different times in their lives. The difference between achievers and non-achievers is in their choice of response.

This player could have chose to ignore the frustration of missing and focus instead on her next opportunity to do her best to put the ball in the basket. She could have “chose” to believe that the next shot would fall. Think about it. . . which choice has a better probability of producing the desired results?

It is pretty simple thought but oooooh so hard to train our minds to understand that we have control. But what a great lesson to learn and so I preached the principal of the power of choice and how we have the POWER to chose how we respond! If we can make it a habit to chose the positive response we create an attitude that is unstoppable!

Above is a picture of Kelcey Lass in action during our game at Fergus Falls Hillcrest. We played a solid game of basketball at Hillcrest. . . especially on the defensive end and came away with a 43 to 14 victory.

Last night we produced back to back wins by defeating Breckenridge 47 to 39 for a solid Heart O' Lakes conference victory. As in the Hillcrest game, it proved to be our defense that made the difference. We were down by 9 points at one point in the first half but once we started to apply a little more defensive pressure things started to go our way.

The ole' adage that "winning isn't everything" is totally true. . . however. . . winning sure puts a smile on a face!

The B-squad won their first game of the year on Monday! We are in an ever-changing situation with our b-team this year:

•We started off with Chelsea Bjerke and Haley Hoyer playing on b-team with the thought that they would eventually just play varsity when the 8th graders season was over and they moved up to play b-squad.

•We cut the 8th grade season short because of low numbers and injuries, which has allowed us to pull the “Fantastic 4 + 1” up earlier than expected. The game is so much quicker and more physical at the b-squad level but I have really been pleased with the effort that these 8th graders have been giving.

•Once the Christmas break is over we will again be making a major change to our b-team. I have decided that we are going to move the 8th graders down to mix with any 7th graders who decide to move up and play a 10 game C-squad schedule.

This “extra-season” for our 7th and 8th graders is such a bonus. If you think about all the traveling tournaments that a parent can get their kids involved in and you think about the cost and the hassle of finding a coach and transportation. . . well here is a situation where a coach is provided, transportation is provided and the cost? Zero!

What a huge benefit to the girls who have an opportunity to work on their skills for another month and a half. . . I hope we get a good turn-out of our seventh graders. . . right now it looks like our 8th graders are starting to DREAM BIG. . .and are WORKING TO WIN!

This morning I came into school and there was Ashley Morgan, Kristen Haugen and Taylor Larson shooting free-throws. For a coach that is as good as it gets! Imagine waking up on Christmas morning and seeing all the presents under the tree.(older readers. . . think young!) That’s exactly what it feels like to see girls playing hoops when they don’t have to!

Life is good in Viking country and it looks like it is only getting better!

Vikings Half = 17 Regulation= 47
Ulen-Hitterdal Half = 30 Regulation = 50

→→Viking Scoring: Haley Hoyer 7, Sarah Voigt 2, Kelcey Lass 16, Stephanie Torkildson 6,
Chelsea Bjerke 0, Kendra Coleman 0, Lexi Thorson 10, Katie Mattern 6

→→Opponent’s Leading Scorers = Lindsay Schultz 13, Megan Shultz 10

•Rebounds: Vikings 38 Opp. 27
•Turn-Overs Vikings 12 Opponent 13
•Free-thows: Vikings 8/15 Opp. 5/16
•Field Goals: 18/54 = 33% Opp. 22/42 = 52%

The Vikings fall to 1 – 2 on the season as a great second half surge was not enough for the Vikings to overcome a thirteen-point half time deficit versus a solid Ulen-Hitterdal team last Friday night.

A much-improved effort was seen by Viking fans as compared to Tuesday’s game against Perham. “The Spartans have one of the top players in the conference in Lindsey Schultz and they are scene as a legitimate top tier team in the Heart O’ Lakes Conference.” Noted Bruggeman. A key factor in the loss was the hot shooting by veteran Spartan club. Ulen – Hitterdal hit 52% of their shots from the field on the night as the Vikings hit only 33% of theirs.

“I was happy with the fact that we shot over fifty shots in the game.” Commented Coach Bruggeman. The Vikings had shot forty-four shots versus LPA in their first game and only twenty-six shots against Perham in their last game. “We needed to create more scoring opportunities for ourselves and we did exactly that in the second half of the game.” Continued Bruggeman.

Leading the way for the Vikings were Kelcey Lass and Lexi Thorson who tossed in 16 and 10 points respectively. Lass recorded a double – double as she also pulled down 10 rebounds. “Kelcey had a great night.” Stated Bruggeman. “Not only did she lead the team in points and rebounds she also had six assists big assists on the evening.”

The Vikings took care of the ball in this game as turnovers had plagued the Vikings in the first two games of the year. A season low twelve turn-overs was actually one less than the opposition. In the first two games of the year the Vikings had a plus/minus turnover ratio of -30. This means the Vikings averaged fifteen more turnovers a game than the opposition. “Our turnover ration and the amount of offensive rebounds we were giving up in the first two games really gave other teams way too many opportunities to score.” Bruggeman pointed out.

The Vikings also made huge gains in the rebounding department as they out-rebounded the Spartans 35 to 27. Most importantly the Vikings pulled down 17 offensive rebounds to the Spartans six offensive boards. “This is such a crucial part of the game.” Explained Bruggeman. “Each offensive board you get is another opportunity for you to score and in the first two games we gave our opponents way too many of these opportunities.”

Bruggeman was also very pleased with the defensive effort of his charges in the second half. Haley Hoyer and Sarah Voigt were particularly noted for the job they did on guarding Lindsey Schultz, the Spartans most potent offensive player.

The Vikings faced a double digit deficit for most of the game but a strong effort in the second part of the second half propelled them into a position where they had a set play that gave Kelcey Lass a solid chance at a three pointer to tie the game with less than two minutes on the scoreboard. “Kelcey’s shot was right there and I was proud of the girls for running a play drawn up quickly in the huddle to perfection.” Noted Bruggeman

The Vikings were without the services of sophomore, Chelsea Bjerke in this game. Bjerke banged her head hard on the floor in the B-squad game and ended up being diagnosed with a severe concussion. “Chelsea is one of our key players and not having her in the line up really forced her teammates to dig deep.”

Trust is the biggest enemy of misunderstanding. . .

Trust allows you to believe in the person and not in something you heard. Trust makes you say. . . “That doesn’t sound right.”

Misunderstanding can lead to a breakdown of any relationship. Teams, nations, businesses and significant others are in a constant battle with Misunderstanding.

My hope is that the players I coach would really doubt any information that they hear that doesn’t seem to fit who I am as a person. Why? Because that would mean they trust my intentions as a coach.

I learned some valuable lessons last year in the area of misunderstanding. It was my lack of trust that led me to jump to conclusions. These conclusions led me to make a few poor decisions.

Trust becomes so crucial because it is so easy for people to have a misunderstanding,

Case in Point:
Currently I am having Chelsea Bjerke and Haley Hoyer play one half of each B-squad game. The primary reason for this is to try to get them to learn how to be "scorers” Both of these girls are good enough to start varsity but playing B-squad gives them the opportunity to work on this aspect of the game.

After Tuesday’s game against Perham I asked them to be a little more selfish on B-squad. I encouraged them to actively look to score when they got the ball.

Today I was asked by a varsity player if I told Chelsey and Haley to shoot whenever they got the ball!

THE MISUNDERSTANDING -> This player had heard about the conversation I had with these two players but the story had been changed to "varsity" instead of "b-squad"

I am sure that this player was concerned. We have been stressing the importance of teamwork this whole year and the girls have been working hard towards that end. Telling these two girls to look to score whenever they touched the ball would have definitely been counter to what I was preaching.

Thankfully this player came and clarified this with me. I hope it was because she didn’t believe what she had heard. That would be a sign of trust. . . and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what it is all about.

TRUST - Who knew it was so important?

Katie Mattern is the daughter of Donna and Adrian Mattern. She is in her second year of playing varsity basketball for the Vikings. Katie is a versatile player who can either play the perimeter or move inside and play the post. Her long reach also allows her to guard taller players which makes her an important part of our defensive scheme.

Katie is an honor student who is looking at attending Concordia College of Moorhead next year. Her goal is to one day become an accountant. Katie's favorite high school class is Advanced Computers with Mr. Ristvedt. Besides basketball Katie is also a member of our softball team in the Spring.

"Hanging Out", tops the list of reasons why Katie enjoys basketball. Her favorite athlete is Mia Hamm and when it comes to relaxing. . . Katie likes to get "Dreamy" while watching Grey's Anatomy.

A.K.A. = KMART

Vikings Half = 8 Regulation= 22
Perham Half = 30 Regulation = 60

Viking Scoring: Haley Hoyer 5, Sarah Voigt 2, Kelcey Lass 4, Stephanie Torkildson 6,
Chelsea Bjerke 4, Kendra Coleman 0, Lexi Thorson 1, Katie Mattern 0

Opponent’s Leading Scorers = Cresap 14, Spiecher 11, Moenkedick 10

•Rebounds: Vikings 19 Opp. 38
•Turn-Overs Vikings 31 Opponent 9
•Free-thows: Vikings 9/12 Opp. 7/15
•Field Goals 6/26 = 23% Opp. 25/60 = 41%

The Lady Viking’s second Heart O’ Lakes game of the season was not filled with the excitement that their overtime win against Lake Park – Audubon generated. A strong Perham Yellowjacket squad came into Pelican Rapids and immediately dictated the tempo of the game and by halftime left no doubt whom the winner of the game would be.

The Yellowjackets jumped out to an early lead with some hot outside shooting and a dominant performance on the boards as they surged to a 30 to 8 half time lead. The Vikings struggled on the offensive side of the ball throughout the night. “The pressure that Perham put on our girls was a little too much for us to handle at this point of the season.” Noted Bruggeman. The Viking squad committed thirty-one turnovers on the night and made only six field goals on the evening. To make matters worse for the Vikings was the fact that Perham had twenty-five offensive rebounds on the night.

“If you combine our turnovers with the number of offensive rebounds they had that correlates into fifty-six more opportunities for them to score on the evening.” Bruggeman pointed out. The Yellowjackets didn’t return the favor as they kept their turnovers below ten for the contest and because the Vikings put up only twenty-six shots on the evening there were very few offensive rebounds available for the home team.

Bruggeman was concerned with his teams turnovers and rebounding problems going into the game. Against Lake Park – Audubon the Vikings turned the ball over thirty-two times and gave up almost twenty offensive boards. The Raiders, however, did not capitalize on these opportunities because of a poor shooting effort. “This is an area that we will continue to work on in practice.” Explained Bruggeman. “The rebounding side of this equation will come quicker than taking care of the ball as one involves desire while the other is a skill that needs to be worked on.” Continued Bruggeman.

Bruggeman liked the fact that his charges worked hard from start to finish even when faced with a large deficit. He feels that it is crucial for the Vikings to learn from these experiences and improve their play when facing a team that can perform at the level the Yellowjackets did on this night. “If we are going to be successful as the year progresses it is important to use every moment as a learning experience.” Commented Bruggeman. “It is easy to get frustrated in these types of games but we will strive to get better instead.”

Stephanie Torkildson led the Vikings in scoring with six points and Kelcey Lass led the team once again in assists with four. Lexi Thorson did pull down five boards to lead the Vikings on the evening. The Vikings will need to be quick studies as their next opponent, Ulen – Hitterdahl, likes to play an up tempo pressure game as well.

Last night we were soundly defeated by Perham(60 to 22). Our weaknesses as a team were exposed by a team that should do well in the Heart O’ Lakes conference.

I’m not disappointed in my players in the least bit. We all know and understand that we need to continue to improve if we want to compete with teams like Perham. The girls worked hard and did not quit. . . they did their best to do the best they could.

The game was disappointing. After our victory against LPA. . . who by the way lost another overtime game to Hawley last night. . . we hoped that we were ready to handle the challenges that Perham would bring. Two of the three major areas of concern I had from our first game hurt us in this game.

We allowed too many offensive rebounds and had too many turnovers against LPA. Because LPA shot so poorly they did not capitalize on these two downfalls. We once again turned the ball over a lot and also were dominated on the boards by a strong – athletic Yellowjacket squad. Perham took advantage of our breakdowns and took advantage of the extra opportunities that they were given.

The determination that our girls have to get from where we are at right now to where we need to be is going to be key for our future success. We need to get better and with hard work we will.

Kelcey Lass is the daughter of Dave Lass and her new step-mother Gwen. She is in her fourth year of playing varsity basketball and has emerged as one of the key leaders on this year's squad. Kelcey is a very strong player who has a good shooting touch and has the ability to create shots for herself and teammates. Kelcey also participates in softball and took part in this year's school play.

Off the court Kelcey is a one of the top academic students in our school. Her post high school plans are to attend North Dakota State and pusue an accounting degree. Kelcey also likes to get involved in communtiy and church activities. She has helped our local OAKS program and does an awesome job in her role as a Sunday school teacher. Kelcey also has a part time job at the Pelican Valley Nursing home.

Kelcey had an outstanding first game against LPA as she scored 10 points, had 6 assists and 5 rebounds. To go along with that she had 8 "floor burns".(A "floor burn" is given to a girl when she gets down on the floor to dive or go after a loose ball.)

Kelcey earned the position of captain over the summer because of her hard work and ability to be positive with her teammates. This is exactly what Kelcey is giving the team this year. She is a strong willed young gal who is extremely competitive. These two attributes are great attributes to have as a captain. As we rebuild the program we will face some challenges this coming year and we will really need her leadership to pull us through those instances.

Vikings Half = 19 Regulation= 41 Over-time = 48
LPA Raiders Half = 18 Regulation = 41 Over-time = 44

Viking Scoring: Haley Hoyer 4, Sarah Voigt 2, Kelcey Lass 10, Stephanie Torkildson 5, Chelsea Bjerke 6, Kendra Coleman 1, Lexi Thorson 12, Katie Mattern 8

Opponent's Leading Scorers = Askelson 17, Tinglestad 17

Rebounds: Vikings 39 Opp. 33
Turn-Overs: Vikings 32 Opp. 22
Free-thows: Vikings 8/16 Opp. 14/33
Field Goals Vikings 19/39 = 48% Opp. 14/60 = 23%

The Pelican Rapids Lady Vikings start the 2006-07 season with an upset, overtime victory over the Raiders of Lake Park/Audubon. The Vikings were able to overcome their thirty-two turnovers on the night by out rebounding the Raiders 39 to 33 and shooting 48% from the field for the night.

The Raiders helped the Vikings with their struggles from both the field and the free - throw line as they shot a meager 23% from the field with a 14 for 60 effort and were not able to capitalize at the charity stripe where they had 33 opportunities to add points to their total but only hit 14 of these shots.

“Our defense played a part in their poor shooting effort but I also know that every team has those nights where the ball just doesn't want to fall in the bucket.” Bruggeman stated. The Raiders had a number of shots go in and out with none being as big as the last second shot in regulation that was half way down the hoop before it came bounding back out.

The game was a back and forth battle as LPA took an early 15 to 8 lead in the first half before the Vikings stormed back and outscored the Raiders 11 to 3 in the last part of the first half. “I was really proud of the girls for the poise they showed on the court.” Noted Bruggeman. “We were stuck on eight for a long time before we eventually found some holes in their zone defense.” Bruggeman continued.

The Raiders hit three straight shots to begin the second half but the Vikings quickly answered back and the game settled into a nail biter. With the score tied at 41 the Vikings found they had possession of the ball as the clock ticked below twenty seconds in regulation. The Raiders came out of their zone as the clock ticked down and with 15 seconds left Kelcey Lass saw an opening and penetrated to the basket where she located an open Lexi Thorson. Unfortunately the ball zipped through Thorson's hands, which opened the door for the Raiders to win the game. A shot from the baseline by the Raiders failed to go through the net as the buzzer rang.

Despite the fact that both Haley Hoyer and Katie Mattern were sitting on the bench in overtime as both had fouled out as the regulation game came to a close, the Vikings were able to get the first bucket in overtime and held on to the lead through-out the extra stanza. With six seconds left Lexi Thorson pulled down the rebound from a missed Raider free - throw and was immediately fouled. Thorson made up for her small slip at the end of regulation by sinking both free - throws to secure the win.

“What really pleased me was the unselfish play of the players on the court.” Noted Bruggeman. One indication of the “team play” Bruggeman was alluding to was the fact that for the nineteen made shots by the Vikings their were 19 assists. “What this shows me is that players were using the offense and helping each other find opportunities to score.” Stated Bruggeman. Leading the Vikings in the assist department was Kelcey Lass who ended the night with six assists, ten points and five rebounds. Another indication of the Vikings patience on the court was their solid shooting percentage from the field.

Lexi Thorson lead all scores with twelve points and also recorded a double/double by pulling down twelve rebounds. Katie Mattern joined Thorson in the “battle for the boards” by ripping away ten rebounds. All eight of the Viking players who played got in the scoring column which was key in combating the seventeen points scored by the Raiders Askelson and Tingelstad.

Life offers us continual opportunities. . . sometimes those opportunities slip through our fingers and become learning situations and sometimes a person grabs the opportunity, steadies them self and seizes the opportunity. Lexi Thorson, our 5 - 11 junior center, literally had this happen to her on the court last night.

With 15 seconds left on the clock in regulation, and the score tied at 41, Kelcey Lass penetrated from the top of the key drawing Lexi's defender away from her. Kelcey delivers a pass to Lexi who is just a little outside the lane and poised to take the game winning shot. However, thoughts got too far in front of action and the ball zips through her fingers and flies out-of-bounds. This gives the Raiders a 10 second opportunity to win the game and they were inches away from doing exactly that as a shot from the block went in and out of the basket! OVERTIME.

The girls battled hard the whole game and overcame a lot of adversity and a ton of turn-overs to get them self into overtime and they didn't call it a moral victory once the extended period began. With 6 seconds left on the clock Lexi grabs a missed LPA free throw and is immediately fouled, as we were 2 points ahead.

Opportunity Knocks. . . Lexi answered the door! After Lexi nailed her first free throw LPA calls a time out. Another free throw will seal the deal, as it would put us up by 4. A made free throw would allow us to just stand and let them go the length of the court and score and we wouldn't have to do a thing, as time would just keep ticking away. Lexi moves to the line and nails the second shot from the "charity line". . . Game, set and match!

WOW! What a great feeling! 48 - 44 Overtime win!

The 7th graders lost a close contest to LPA last-night as did the 8th graders. Both teams have shown that they can compete with anyone. I believe if they are "eager" to improve, our program offers the opportunity for them to make more improvements than most teams in the area. If they chose to accept this mission the result could be that this group becomes a powerful force in the Heart O' Lakes conference and in Section 8AA!

"Dream BIG" girls! Dream BIG!

On the down side. . .Ashley Morgan(8th Grader) broke her arm in their loss to Frazee earlier in the week. . . When it rains it pours for the eighth graders this year. Start out with only four players, Taylor Larson breaks her pinky finger, lose one close game after another, and now another girl goes down. If these girls come out of this situation with the desire to be the best they can be and with an eagerness to work hard on their skills. . . they truly are the "FANTASTIC 4 +1". They are going through experiences right now, that really are a big part of life in general. . .overcoming the roadblocks and obstacles that enter your life! Kick in the four wheel drive girls and put the pedal to the metal!!!

Ok. . .Game Day. . . I'm excited and nervous for tonight's game. I'm excited for the girls to find out where they are as a team. They have had three great weeks of practice and I feel the level of play that this group is showing in practice is a step up from last year. My fear? The attitude of the girls has been so FANTASTIC. . . I don't want them to be discouraged if we happen to end up losing a game. The commitment that these girls have been showing towards being their best has been fun and I want that to continue. I would rest easy and be the proudest coach in the area if you could guarantee me that these girls will continue to give it all until March!

Our goal tonight is not to win the game. . . our success is going to be measured in a lot of different areas:

Rebounding
Turnovers
Shooting Percentage
Hustle & Effort
Demonstrating a Belief in Success
Showing Determination instead of Frustration
Taking a step towards improvement

We will focus on the above areas and let the winning or losing take care of itself. I have made a commitment to be a leader in the area of determination instead of frustration. (I feel I failed as a coach in that department last year) I am determined not to allow myself to give nothing but my best effort to this group. I am also determined to accept nothing less than that from the girls I coach.

"I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying."
-Michael Jordan