Passion, Effort, Unity, Gratitude, and Service (WBB)

   

    The women’s basketball program at Illinois State operates under five distinct pillars: Passion, Effort, Unity, Gratitude, and Service. These principles have guided the program to success on the court in regard to basketball wins and individual achievements, while simultaneously inspiring others off the court with philanthropic efforts. The community supports the team, and the team supports the community. This log-rolling style of effort helps produce and maintain a classy program. They emphasize growth for the athletes both on and off the court, applying these principles to all facets of the students’ lives.

    Today at the meet and greet portion of the women’s basketball open practice, more than 180 Redbird fans who attended the event were given the opportunity to talk to coaches and players in a speed dating style format. Coach Gillespie was the first to visit my table and shared a little about how practice has been going. She mentioned that the players participated in a leadership training experience during their “boot camp” and that afterward the trainers complimented the players by saying that the roster lacked individuals who could become locker room problems.

    The next person to stop by my table was Addison Martin, who chatted about her summer. She mentioned that even with the heat wave we’ve had recently, Normal summer weather is much nicer than what she is used to in Louisiana. I asked her what her favorite Missouri Valley venue to play in was, and she said Missouri State because it had a similar look and feel to CEFCU Arena.

    The last person to visit my table was Morgan Bruno. When asked about her favorite Missouri Valley venue to play in besides CEFCU, she explained that she had two favorites: Drake for the environment and UIC because many of her family members are able to come and see her play since she is from Chicago. We chatted about her favorite Chicago foods and sports. She is a Cubs fan (boooooo) and likes deep-dish and tavern-style pizza. Her favorite deep dish pizza place is Lou Malnati’s, and we can both agree on that. In town, she favors BloNo Pizza Co., which incidentally provided pizza for everyone at the open practice. When asked about her favorite sport besides basketball, she mentioned that she enjoys watching baseball and playing volleyball.

    After the meet and greet, fans could observe the team in an open practice as they prepare for the upcoming season. As a Redbird fan, I enjoyed the opportunity to watch the practice and ask players and coaches questions. The program's transparency and mindfulness shine through in events like this. The fans enjoyed the experience, and those I spoke to were optimistic about the upcoming season.

    According to the ISU Athletics page, WBB is scheduled to play in the Puerto Rico Shootout from November 26^th-28^th, including Thanksgiving and Black Friday. They play Rice on Wednesday, East Carolina on Thanksgiving, and Wake Forest on Black Friday. In the meantime, while the Birds aren’t back in action for a few months and Ballin’ on Beaufort is still 94 days away, you can check out the WNBA for lots of great basketball. Have a great rest of the summer and Roll Birds!