Redeemed!
Mission Accomplished! We are the 2011 Champions Cup winners, and have made our way down an extremely difficult road. Putting in hours upon hours of training, to finally watch what seemed to be a lofty goal, develop into our reality. It feels good to be a champion! Before I started this sentence I’ve re-read the previous one a dozen times.That’s how excited I am about this! For lack of a better word the feeling we were left with last season SUCKED, and the bitter taste of defeat lingered the entire off season; however the outcome of the previous season made this win all the more satisfying. What a season it’s been! Both on and off the court. I have enjoyed every bit of being apart of this team. The comradery, hard work, laughs, and triumph I have experienced this season will ensure I will never forget it.
Growing pains
Being somewhat of a new team there were many things to overcome throughout the season. Coming from so many different background’s, cultures, and school’s of thought in terms of basketball, at times it proved difficult to get on the same page. I had the amazing privilege of being named team captain at the beginning of the season, and as someone in a leadership role it was amazing to watch us evolve from a gym full of talented basketball players into a good team then a solid family and finally into champions! I’m incredibly proud of my teammates from the top of the roster on down. The staff also put in a ton of work to help us achieve this goal as. I’m thankful and proud of them as well. We struggled; believe me we struggled at times this season. I suppose the growing pains we suffered were not only necessary, but also beneficial because we are now all on the same page. A page in basketball history! That page reads: “WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!”
The competition
The tournament was amazing. Alot of intensity and urgency balanced out with strategy and composure. Many closely contested matches! In fact we opened the tournament with a 2 point victory, and won the final in overtime! Sometimes when you enter a tournament there is a heavy favorite that is expected to win it all, but in this competition it was difficult to make that sort of prediction. Many of the teams had great chances at winning. It was a real pleasure to play amongst the caliber of teams/players that participated in this tournament. There were many outstanding individual performances and great team work displayed throughout the weekend.Personally it was one of the most amazing competition I’ve ever been apart of. I could go into a bunch of detail or you could check out this link: http://www.iwbf-europe.org/news/results/216-results-champions-cup-2011
Friends, Family, and
Supporters
All season I’ve been ranting about how amazing and supportive our fans have been. Let me just start by saying that was an understatement. Our fans and supporters have exceeded any of my expectations and have made it such an honor to put on my Galatasaray uniform. It isn’t fair to call them amazing, because they have been so much more than that! From the first game of the season all the way until they stormed the court after that championship game they have believed in us, and provided the lift we needed in a lot of our victories. This championship belongs to any and every supporter we have just as much as it belongs to us. Thank you so much and I hope all of my friends, family and supporters realize how much of an influence you all have. This championship is a tribute to all of the sacrifices you have all made. Making us a priority in your hearts. Just know that it’s mutual. Thank you again. As always much love! BOOOOOOOM!
