What Am I Thankful For?

Being thankful means to feel or express gratitude and being appreciative. 

First off I am thankful for my family. My mom and dad are two people I can truly always count on no matter what the situation is. They are two of the hardest working, supportive and caring people I know. Family is a huge part of my life, I'm truly thankful for all of my family. My grandparents, I don't know where I would be without them. My grandpa is the hardest working man I know and I look up to him greatly. My grandparents have supported me and have been there for me my entire life. I'm thankful for my aunt and uncle and little cousin. They don't live around here but, I'm thankful that they are a huge factor in my life even though they aren't close.


I'm also thankful for the truly amazing friends I have. Friendship is something that should be greatly appreciated because true friends will be there for you through the ups and downs. I'm thankful for all my girls that I've become so close with in college. These girls are like my sisters and I'm so thankful to find a group of people that are true friends. 

I'm especially thankful for my best friend Hannah. We have been best friends since second grade, and even when times get rocky and rough I know that she will always be there for me. I am extremely thankful to have someone in my life that will always be there for me, never judge me and will always have my back no matter what.

 "A best friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have."

Lastly, I'm thankful to be given the opportunities in life that I am given. I'm thankful for being a part of the Pitt-Greensburg Women's Basketball team. We have gotten off to a rocky start, but I am still thankful for basketball and the team here at UPG. I have already learned so much from being a member the team here both on and off the court. Basketball in general means so much to me, and I'm thankful that I'm given the opportunity to walk onto the court each day and play the greatest game ever created. 

I am Thankful for..

With the holiday of Thanksgiving approaching, I am thankful for a lot of things in my life. First, I am thankful for all the talents that God has given me. God has always been a major component of my life.I am also so thankful for my parents.

My mom and dad have both pushed me to be the person I am today. However, they did it in unique ways. My mom has always pushed me to keep my grades up and kept telling me how important school is. She is always there when I need help for a test or just to talk when I am upset.She has shown me the importance of getting an education and following my dreams of becoming a teacher. My dad has always been my coach. He coached me my whole life until I went to college.He would be outside in our backyard with me, trying to teach me how to dribble or just working on my foul shot. He has always been my biggest fan. He taught me when things get hard not to quit, but to work harder to succeed. Both of my parents have touched my life in different ways and have made me the person I am today.

Growing up, my brother and I have always been very close. We would play nerf basketball in the hallway of our house or mini hockey in the basement. We have always been very competitive with each other. I think that our competitiveness can be seen in the people we have become.Neither of us are quitters and I think that came from us always being very competitive with each other, and I am very thankful for him and the competitive spirit we have learned from each other.

My grandparents have played a major role in my life. My gram would watch my brother and I when my parents went to work. She would always make us do our school work before we could go outside and play. She taught me a lot about priorities and how school comes before anything else. All three of my grandparents have had a big role in my life, and influenced the person I have become today. I am thankful to have had the chance to be close to them and learn from them.

I am very thankful for all my friends I still have from high school and all the friends I have made in college. The friends I have made in college have truly made an impact on my life. They have been there for me in the worst of times and also the best moments of my life. I know I can always count on them when I need them most. Friendship is something I value greatly and am thankful for every day.

Last but not least, I am very thankful for my puppy. When I get to go homeand I see her, she always makes me smile.I love pulling in the drive wayand her come running out and jumping, trying to get in the car. I love beingable to play with her and cuddle up and just relax. She makes me feel comforted andinstantly happier.

I have a lot to be thankful for, a loving family, wonderful friends, great basketball team, and an awesome dog that no matter what happens is always there. People sometimes take for granted the things they have. You should always appreciate the people in your life and what they do for you. I know that I do.

What Are You THANKFUL For?!

As we recover from a rough first week of games, we’re going to take a few minutes to reflect on all of the things we’re thankful for. I’ll get things started…

I am thankful for my wonderful parents who have given me a life better than most people deserve. I will forever be grateful for the sacrifices my mom and dad made to ensure my sister and I would be able to achieve all of our goals, most specifically attending college and earning a degree. Seeing both of my parents work as hard as they did was a constant motivator for me to stay committed to achieving all of my goals. It is because of them that I stand firm in my belief that HARD WORK ALWAYS WINS…

I am also thankful for my sister, Tricia. I am so proud of her for all that she has accomplished since graduating from college. She is one of the most beautiful people I've ever met -- both inside and out. It's so nice to be able to call your sister one of your best friends.

I am so very thankful for my two best friends - Dee and Rob. Dee is one of the best people I've ever met. She has such an amazingly big heart and her support means more to me than she could ever imagine. Rob and I have been friends since I was five years old -- we rode the Kindergarten bus to school together! Certainly none of my friends have known me longer than Rob, and certainly none of my friends know me better. I have shared so many laughs with Dee and Rob over the years. I will always cherish the year the three of us lived together, as it was both one of the most absurd and comical years of our lives. It is so good to know that no matter where life takes us, we'll always have the love and support of one another.

I'm sure you all knew this was coming -- I am so very thankful for my three rescue puppies. At the end of a long day, there is nothing better than coming home to three dogs who love you more than anything else in the entire world. I'm sure my players get sick of hearing me tell stories about Snickers, Scoops, and Radar, but I just can't help myself...they're so cute!!!

Snickers

Scoops

Radar

...I can promise you this, a RESCUE DOG will make you a better person...

I know I have to wrap this up, but I'm thankful for a lot of things -- the rest of my family/friends -- including my Pet Adoption League extended family, my friends at work who always make sure the day is filled with laughs, and last, but not least, our basketball team.

When Does College Basketball Become "Real"!?!

Over the past two weeks, this is the question the coaching staff has been asking our newcomers -- over and over, and over again. Did college basketball become "real" the first day of practice? Did it become "real" the first half of our scrimmage at Bethany when a veteran team out-worked and out-hustled a group of scared freshmen? Did it become "real" when Casey stepped up and led our Bobcat squad to a great second half showing at Bethany?

Or, did it become "real" today, when Westminster put it to us on our home floor, and there was no second half comeback, no leadership, no fire? Maybe it became "real" when the coaching staff stripped the players of all their college-issued gear for a lack of effort, intensity, and GUTS.

In our office is a collage of old basketball advertisements, pictures, and quotes. We see our players look at it often. Some of them have found quotes they really like, and others just think it's "cool". Either way, I think we may want to take a harder look at two very important parts of the collage....

Commitment can be simply defined as a promise or a pledge. In athletics, it is an essential part of team success. If you are the team's best shooter, and your three ball has been off the mark, commitment to the team would mean you'd be in the gym tonight or tomorrow getting up shots. If you one of the team's top options at the "4", but you can only play four minutes in a row because of your level of fitness, commitment to the team would mean you'd be in the gym tomorrow running. If your coaching staff sees you as the team's leader and you didn't quite get the job done, commitment to the team would mean you'd stop by to watch film before the coaching staff asked you to. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Part two of the collage that I find especially  intriguing for our team is one of my favorite parts of the collage. It's from an advertisement an insurance company did years back that followed the theme: "What Little Girls Are Made Of" and aired and was printed during the NCAA tournament.

The eight above characteristics combine to create winners - they combine to form championship-caliber teams. At the NCAA Division III level, I think the three characteristics that matter the most are TOUGHNESS, HEART, and GUTS. I'm sure my team gets sick of hearing me say: "There is no substitute for guts", but there really isn't. If there was, then the most talented players would always start, the most talented players would always be the all-conference performers,and the most talented teams would always be crowned champions.

In ten days, we will travel to Frostburg (Md.) for our first game. I'm hopeful that between now and then, college basketball will become "real"....

Stanton Selected AMCC Pre-Season Player of the Year...

Bobcat Senior Casey Stanton was voted the AMCC Pre-Season Player of the Year. Last year's AMCC Player of the Year, Stanton led the AMCC in points per game (19.2 ppg), rebounds per game (14.5 rpg), and blocked shots per game (3.5 bpg). Casey was also ranked in the Top 25 nationally in four statistical categories. Congrats Casey!!

Bobcat Player of the Week

Congrats to our very own Kourtney Laratonda who was named Pitt-Greensburg's Bobcat Player of Week!! Last week, Kourt led the volleyball team in almost every statistical category, including a team high 31 kills and 36 digs.

In a key AMCC match-up last Wednesday against Franciscan, Laratonda smashed 18 kills and pulled up 18 digs. Kourt will take the floor for the final time tomorrow night as the Bobcats battle Ursuline College.

Way to go Kourt!!

Project Bundle Up

This past Saturday, we participated in "Project Bundle Up" in conjunction with the Greensburg Salvation Army. "Project Bundle Up" is a program that provides needy and disabled senior citizens and disadvantaged children, ranging from infant to teens, with winter outerwear. Every year, the Salvation Army joins forces with local businesses to raise money to fund this wonderful program.

We met at Greensburg Wal*Mart around 8:00 am to receive our instructions from Lieutenants Bryan DeMichael and Laura DeMichael. As volunteers, we were each matched up with a child and took them on their own personal shopping spree. With $100.00 to spend, the kids were able to pick out winter coats, fleece jackets, snow pants, snow boots, hats, scarves, and gloves. After bagging up all the purchases, we joined the kids for breakfast at McDonalds. 

Lindsey and Courtney



 Mo

Tay



For the second year in a row, "Project Bundle Up" has been one of our players favorite community services projects. It is such a rewarding experience, as the kids are so appreciative of the time we spend with them. I also believe it provides our players with just one more opportunity to realize how fortunate they truly are.