Belladonna qualified for States in both discus and shot put on Friday.
She was interviewed by the local television station.
It is getting a little bit weird. She is good enough that she is getting some attention from colleges with regard to recruiting. It seems that Division I and Division II and III all have different rules.
A Division I representative walked up and shook her hand at Regionals. He/she said nothing (to her). Apparently he is not allowed to speak to her until after her junior year is completed (June 13 at 2:45 PM, if anybody was asking). He/she is allowed, however, to speak to her coach.
A Division II coach walked up to Belladonna and chatted up a storm. She wants to schedule a home visit. Unfortunately, the college is in the center of an inner city area and I am squeamish about safety issues. We are country mice at heart and I must report that my kids are sometimes daffy about simple things like....locking doors.
It saddens me that may alma mater (Michigan State) seems to be out of the hunt. Where are they? MSU is a short drive away and I would love to go and watch her compete at the college level. I will go to some of the meets if she attends the other schools, but it will be difficult and I will not be able to attend as many. Sparty....where are you.
And if that was not enough to tear out a dad's heart, she insists on wearing an Alabama sweatshirt. I offered to buy her an Auburn hoodie, and her sister has offered an LSU hoodie, but to no avail.
Maybe she is way ahead of us all and is just playing games with us.
My lady has family in T uscaloosa and when we go to visit, LSU shirts are absolutely verboten. I've got a Roll Tide polo that I wear, and consider myself to be flying false colors, but it doesn't get me run out of town on a rail.
ReplyDeleteAlabama is the dominant football team in the dominant conference in America. It is not an accident. Saban has a very "industrial" approach to building great teams.
DeleteStart with players with sufficient potential (you cannot coach size and can only improve speed by a modest amount).
Feed them right. Combine a proven amount of weight/strenght work, sufficient recovery and build correct technique. Stress discipline at all times.
Play players when they are ready. Easy to do when you have a well developed pipeline.
Wooden, a very successful basketball coach did not "scout" opponents. His rational was that scouting teams lead to the mindset, "We have to really smother their point guard because he is their playmaker." Shouldn't every game be approached with the intention to completely shut down the point guard....and the center....and the power forward.....and....
I suspect Saban has a similar approach. Don't over-coach. Just go out their and kick the fertilizer out of the guy on the other side of the line...every play.
All of that said, Saban is a carpetbagger.
Good for her! Yes, I'd be the same way about an inner city school as well. Brigid Jr, went to Boston University, but she lived on campus and had no car (it was in storage during that time, too expensive to drive and park with a high 5 figure tuition).
DeleteI hope however it ends up your daughter is happy with her choice.