Pre-season Workouts and training have officially come to an end for Galatasaray! We will be departing for Kitakyushu, Japan this week, and our first game is in our crosshairs. It’s Safe to say I’m excited! This tournament in Kitakyushu will kick off what I hope to be an incredible season. Preperation has been not only successful, but also intensely challenging, fun, and productive. The team this season has a great amount of talent, which if you are familiar with the names on the roster it goes without saying; however our collective talent isn’t what impresses me. I’ve seen and been on talented teams that have prospered, but also talented groups of players that crashed and burned. My excitement about this team stems from the qualities each individual possesses. We have great balance of hard work, intelligence and leadership to compliment our power, speed, and ability to shoot the ball. The coaching staff demands excellence from each and every one of our personnel so we are constantly pushing each other to improve everyday. It has been an unbelievable training environment so far, and this is only the beginning. I’m really looking forward to hopping on that plane, rolling out on the court and showing what we can do. I’ve been searching for a website that will allow you to accurately follow the tournaments stats and results, but I failed! The best I could do was find a website that briefly summarized what the tournament is all about. http://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/english/e20100019.html. I will keep you all posted on how the competition unfolds. Keep us in your thoughts and best wishes as we compete to be the World’s Best Club Team!

Starting over

 For the past couple weeks I have been readjusting to my new apartment in Istanbul. 3 years in the same apartment I had grown very comfortable there, so moving was a difficult process. Moving from the apartment itself was the easy part. I love my new place! It’s got a VERY HIGH city view from the 24^th floor, Fitness center, Indoor/outdoor pool, Sauna, Hamam, Basketball/Tennis court. Deffinately a nice place! I feel a little uprooted for the time being though. With it being in a different area of Istanbul than I’m used to I’ve been consumed in finding grocery stores, A new barber, Banks, Different entertainment outlets, Things of that nature. I’m slowly getting used to being here and the qualities of the property have kept a smile on my face. Living so close to my teammates is also new for me, and has been a lot of fun and very convenient. Any time I want to see one of their ugly faces they are just a building or two away! I have a feeling once I get used to the area I will like it better than where I was before, but I’m missing my repair man, my neighbors, the crazy gypsy that sells flowers on the corner and heckles me about playing for Galatasaray, the random pack of stray dogs, It all meant a lot to me! Starting over isn’t so bad though and experiencing something new is always refreshing. On that note I’m wrapping this one up. Much love to my friends, family and supporters. I wish I could experience this with all of you. but I hope in reading my blogs you can get a feel of what a day on my wheels is like.

Hello?!? Anyone still there? It has been quite some time since I’ve updated with a blog but I’M BACK! I mean that in that in a few different ways. Let me elaborate. I’m back to my regular blog updates on the site, but not just that, I’ve made a few other returns as well. Physical location for starters– I’ve just returned to the amazing city of Istanbul, and more than ready to begin what I hope to be an extraordinary season! Allow me to get all nostalgic on you for a second. I can remember landing here for the first time, all of the uncertainty/unfamiliarity excitement of what this experience will become someday… Wow! Now, having this be my fourth season with the team, its not the same feeling of arriving to some strange land. I feel as if I’m returning home! The last return I’ve made is my mentality. After last season came to a triumphant conclusion, I was in desperate need of some down time. It was such a successful season and I’m supremely proud of everything we accomplished as a team. Winning Champions Cup was the highlight, and a remarkable victory; however extremely exhausting! I took some time in the “off season” to disconnect from my normal routine to clear my head and re-establish the hunger. Back to work! Fully Charged! Ready to take on the world! I’M BACK!

Updates!

Since I’ve made my return to the blogging world– I should probably catch you up on some of the things that happened all summer while I was busy NOT blogging. There have been some events that are definitely worthy of mention. First things first, I am currently a proud member of the national team representing the United States of America! A group of 18 outstanding athletes were selected to prepare our country for the upcoming 2012 Paralympics. With that being said only 12 players will make the final selection, so amazing as it is to be one of the selected 18; the ultimate goal is to be competing in the Paralympics come next summer, and I’m not going to tip toe around it (I don’t want to hear any feet jokes!) I am hungry to not only be there, but take home the shiniest prize!

This update isn’t really that big of shock considering I gave it away in the first few sentences. I should really start giving spoiler alerts! Anyway, I’m proud to announce that I’ve signed on again with Galatasaray Sport Club, and looking forward to building from the momentum that we’ve created for ourselves. Incredible team to be apart of, exceptional Club to represent and marvelous fans supporting us each game!

I’ll save some of the other updates for separate blogs! (Gotta keep you reading right?!?!)

Back to turkey

I can confidently say the most difficult element of my life right now is, having to say goodbye to my friends and family for such long periods of time. They all mean so much to me. Being here for those periods of time has allowed me to meet some incredible people on this side of the world who also miss me when I’m gone. A lot of my teammates are like family. The friends I’ve made, and relationships I’ve established here are life long. I’m happy to be here again!  I was greeted by warm familiar faces and have had a good welcoming. I’m really looking forward to what this year will bring. This season will be extremely important! I will be pushing myself to the limits with not only Galatasaray’s season in mind, but also earning my spot on the national team. I not only want to repeat as Champions Cup winners, but also want to be on the medal stand with gold around my neck! Those are obviously long term goals but the things I’m doing from now until then will determine the outcome. With that being said I’m prepared for the challenge. I’ll drop updates along the way, and as always much love. GREAT TO BE BACK!

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!

Another beautiful day in Istanbul! I just returned from an intense team practice, and figured it was a great time for an update. We had a successful qualifying tournament, that goal is accomplished, but we have put that behind us and are ready to move forward. Putting ourselves under a microscope both as a team and individually. The question “What can I do to make my team better??” often crosses my mind whether I’m in a training session or just relaxing. The past few weeks have been filled with preparation. Trying to reach full potential as a team and be ready to peak at the right time. Working very hard to minimize our mistakes as well as optimize our strengths. We have also scheduled exhibition games against some other top teams to do a bit of sparring before the big fight. The time is near! Intensity, focus, desire, motivation–everything is turned up leading up to a big tournament– I absolutely love this time of year!

The prestigious Champion’s Cup

We leave for Champions Cup in 2 weeks and similar to every other team in the tournament our goal is to return home as the champions of Europe. Considering all of the talented players and great teams participating; winning this competition is incredibly difficult which makes it a tremendous accomplishment to win. Personally I am looking forward to the challenge. As a member of the national team I have played in many major competitions against other national teams; however this tournament is unique, in a sense that those same top players from across the globe are spread out and mixed into teams creating amazing combinations, blending styles of play, techniques, and strategies from all over the world. The level of diversity demonstrated in Champions Cup makes it a very special tournament to compete in. There is a lot of parity this year in the tournament and I believe all of the final 8 teams are capable of taking home the Cup. I am confident we have what it takes, and I look forward to a great competition!

Thank you to the supporters!

I’m anticipating a great atmosphere as well. I know that our loyal supporters will be there cheering us on and giving us an amazing amount of motivation. I’m positive they will create a welcoming environment for us! I also know my Family, Friends, and Supporters from back home will be cheering me on to the best of their ability. I appreciate and value it all! Keep me and my team in your thoughts, and I will keep you all posted. As always much love! I wish my fellow baller’s good luck, and may the best team win!

I have really enjoyed being apart of this team and we have played well together all year, but this tournament specifically put the mirror in front of us, showing areas of strength and improvement. Reflecting on how the games unfolded I am left with a sense of confidence not because we won all of the games, but because we were able to do so when in my opinion didn’t perform to the level of potential we as a team posses. The games we played in this competition with out a doubt served there purpose as a measuring stick, and most importantly we have proven ourselves qualified to compete amongst the top 8 teams in Europe in the final Euro league tournament that will decide which team is the best — Champions Cup.

The Galatasaray Team’s Enthusiastic Fans

We were greeted at the airport by a crowd of loyal supporters of our team making us feel right at home. They welcomed us with flowers, hugs, cheers, songs. It was really amazing! A lot of the fans were locals of the area we were in, but some of them traveled from far away places just to be with us during the matches — showing an unbelievable amount of devotion. I’ve played wheelchair basketball for a long time and have never witnessed fans like this team has. The support that they have given us over the years is remarkable and in my opinion Galatasaray fans are the best in the world! They made the games a pleasure to be apart of! Hundreds of Galatasaray supporters were in attendance and made their presence felt. The intensity of the games mixed with the enthusiasm of the crowd created such an incredible atmosphere. I am very much looking forward to Champions Cup!

Relaxation & Site Seeing in Cologne, Germany

This trip was also enjoyable for reasons outside of sport. For one I love to travel! Especially to places I’ve never been before. Also, it was the longest trip so far this year. It was nice to spend some quality time with my teammates getting to know all of them much better. The other teams also have players that I have either played with or against for many years or very close personal friends with, and it was a joy to compete against them, but also turn down the intensity a little and enjoy each others company.

Cologne was a really nice town, and we were able to do some sight seeing during our downtime. Mostly shopping centers and restaurants but the Cologne Cathedral was breathtaking!

Now that its over and we got the result we were chasing, Its time to prepare for our next goal!

As cliché as it may sound there are many lessons to be learned from any loss, absorbing those lessons, using them for the next time for a better outcome usually will leave you teaching more lessons than learning. I don’t know about you, but whenever I complete something and know that I could’ve done better, or should have done something different for a better result – I am waiting for my chance to redeem myself. After an unexpected, underachieving, and extremely disappointing finish in European championships last season with Galatasaray, we have entered this season with a new identity, new personnel, new goals, and new focus yet maintaining the same expectations for success. I am extremely proud to be one of the team’s few returning members and look forward to moving into the European competitions to test ourselves against the best with high hopes of re-capturing a position that reflects the quality of team we have.

Recovery Through Redemption

Expectations are worthless without doing the necessary things to get what you’re seeking. Using redemption as a mental tool in training has been very effective. I want to help my team achieve the results we desire so, when I’m tired, I’m motivated by these thoughts. The chemistry and camaraderie we have on this team is great because we are able to not only challenge and compete with one another in practices but also encourage and learn from each other.

This has been one of my most enjoyable seasons and we’re only halfway through it. I’m really in a mindset now to improve myself for the betterment of the team. So, days that I have the option to sleep-in, I find myself in the gym before the sun rises pushing myself to expect greater results.

I was able to clear my head and spend time in familiar surroundings with the people that support me. Everyone was excited to spend time with me because it seems like its been an eternity since the last time. That excitement fuels me throughout the whole trip and I try not to let things like jetlag (it’s a long flight home!!) prevent me from soaking up quality time. Catching up with everyone that I want to in a short time often proves to be an impossible feat, although I was able to see many familiar faces and had an incredible time on my visit.

I always feel so much more focused after a visit home and this is a great time to be focused. We have some European competitions rapidly approaching and our schedule becomes much more difficult this half of the season. I am really looking forward to the higher level of competition and the greater stakes. Everything in my routine (training, diet, rest, etc.) is gearing towards being prepared for these games and I really want to do everything I can to help my team have a successful end to the season. Sometimes all you need is that breath of fresh air to put you right back where you need to be. My breath of fresh air is all of the people I love. Thanks for all of your support!

A Difficult Career Decision

I made a difficult decision last season to decline my sponsorship from Sunrise Medical and leave Team Quickie. I wanted to address this because a lot of people felt I left because of lack of quality of their wheelchairs and I would like to clear up that misconception. I played in a Quickie and represented Sunrise Medical for over four years and will always be extremely grateful for the opportunity. I achieved many of my goals thanks to that sponsorship, and really valued being an ambassador for the company. After last season I decided it was time to put that chapter behind me and move on to …

A New Opportunity

I am now a proud representative of the Per4max team!  The equipment that I am using is definitely suitable for anyone whether basketball is your hobby or it is your life. I had the opportunity to debut my new Per4max this summer at the 2010 World Championships and after that I was convinced that this is the chair for me! Being named to the All World Team and being amongst the top 5 players in the world has been a goal of mine for many years and reaching that this summer in my new Per4max equipment showed me that many great things can be done working with this company. The light weight, durable frame allows me to move quickly and absorb much contact without worrying about damage. I also think they look pretty cool! I am officially a Per4max athlete and couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities!

University Team Summer Camps

I lacked the fundamentals I needed to move on to the next level, and I am starting to notice that is the case for many of the younger players. Very talented, great attitudes and just need the proper instruction about what it takes to get passed the junior level and on to the elite. Many of the University teams offer summer camps that provide that and so much more. I was privileged enough to attend some of these camps and learned so many things. Not only did It help me drastically improve my basketball game I learned valuable life skills, and became much more independent because of the powerful influence of the camp counselors and older campers. Most of the counselors were elite wheelchair basketball players that I had idolized for years and now I was learning all the things they knew directly from them. What a treasure!

Anyway that brings me to my next point. These camps are an amazing option for the youth that want to improve their game and ready themselves for a higher standard of the sport, but depending on the situation it’s not always the most affordable option. I was raised by a single mother who worked her butt off to feed our family and $500.00 for a summer camp plus travel costs weren’t exactly in our budget. I had such an amazing support system when I came up in the sport and organizations like the Michigan Thunderbirds provided the necessary funding to send me to these camps, and I am forever grateful. I would have never been able to afford them otherwise!

Summer Camp Give-Away!

So the purpose of this blog is to offer that very same thing. I am giving a young wheelchair basketball player the opportunity to attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wheelchair basketball summer camp this summer and I will take care of the costs.

What Do You Need to Do to Enter?

Simply write me a one page essay describing your athletic, and academic goals or a one page essay on why attending camp is important to you. Head over to my contact form and make sure to enter “Send Me to Camp” in the subject line. Your essay must be submitted in plain text (.txt), Microsoft WORD document (.doc or .docx) or Adobe PDF (.pdf) format. Deadline for submissions is 5pm CST on May 1, 2011.

What are the Qualifications?

• Must be in school
• Must be under 18
• Must love wheelchair basketball!