Thankful is so many ways.... by Brittany Bogart

Since Thanksgiving is approaching I would like to share what I'm thankful for. I'm very thankful to have the opportunity to attend Ohio Northern University. I'm getting a great education and my professors are amazing. I'm very thankful for the friends that I have made here. There is no doubt that we will remains friends forever. I'm also very thankful for getting the opportunity to play college basketball especially here at Northern. The girls are coaches are like a family to me. The coaches do an amazing job and I'm so thankful that they have given me this opportunity. I'm also very thankful for my health. Being healthy for as long as I've been playing is something that I'm really thankful for. Basketball has always been a big part of my life and I don't know what I would do without it!

The opportunity to attend college and play college basketball would not be possible without my family and friends. They have no idea how thankful I am for the great opportunity. They support me in everything that I do and that means the world to me!

Brittany Bogart
Junior
Nursing

Countless Blessings...by Heather Armbruster

As Thanksgiving approaches, I have begun to reflect on everything God has blessed me with throughout my life, especially over the past year and a half. Out of all the different choices I had to decide between in selecting a college, I am extremely thankful that I ended up here at Ohio Northern University. I have been given a wonderful opportunity to pursue the profession of my dreams, pharmacy, in an outstanding academic institution. Although at times my studies can be difficult, I am grateful for all of my professors and the staff at ONU who are always there for support and to lend a helping hand. Furthermore, I am thankful for all of the people I have met around campus. I have been truly blessed with amazing friends, who I do not know what I would do without!
If those blessing were not enough, I am also very grateful for being able to be a part of Ohio Northern University’s Women’s Basketball family. I call it a family because that is truly what we are. Between my coaches and teammates I can honestly say that I have a home away from home. They are all extremely compassionate, encouraging, and so much fun to hang out with! Our memories are endless. (I love you guys!) Nevertheless, I am thankful for more than just the people in our basketball family. Having the opportunity to be a part of the basketball program itself is another entity for which I am grateful. I am happy to be a part of a team that works hard, truly loves the game of basketball, and competes against some of the best competition in Division III, which makes stepping onto the court each night that much more exciting!
So far, my all-around experience at Ohio Northern University has been amazing, and I consider it a true blessing from God. The team to which I belong and the friends I have made have become parts of my life that I cannot fathom living without. However, none of this would be possible without my family. The sacrifices my parents have made in addition to the love and support I receive from both them and my sister are blessings so immense that I do not know if they can be repaid. Therefore, I want to also thank them for everything they do! They mean the world to me!


Heather Armbruster

Sophomore

Pharmacy

Coach Durand - thankful in many ways

Since we are getting so close to Thanksgiving I thought I would let everyone know what I am thankful for... you can see the pictures of the beautiful new floor in King Horn Center. We had a very generous donor give us the money for a brand new floor. It will be dedicated on Dec. 20th and named after our former men's basketball coach Joe Campoli and his wife Margaret. The floor is state of the art and a great addition to our facility. In addition to our new floor we also renovated our locker room in the summer of 2007 (pictures above). Our alumnae together gave $50,000 so we could get the locker room done. Our current players love the new space. It has a state of the art stereo system, a big flat screen tv, and beautiful cherry wood lockers. I am thankful our alumnae cared so much to give back so that future players could have a premier space.

I am thankful for Sara Terrell, my assistant coach. Coach Terrell puts her heart and soul into the program. She does everything from helping to plan practice, scout opponents, and recruiting to name just a few things. Our program would not be where it is today without her dedication.

Finally, the last seven years have been the best of my coaching career. I am thankful for the players, past and present, who have been a part of this program. Each and everyone of them has touched my life in one way or another. Many of them have gone on to be successful in their careers and have started families of their own. This year's team is young but is working hard and there is no doubt they will leave their mark. I am very lucky to be a part of the Ohio Northern Women's Basketball family.

Coach Durand

Black and Orange Day - a chance for our families to meet each other

The infamous food line - this is always the best part for our players! Below, Tricia Fuller gets us started on family introductions....as they get older they have absolutely no fear to speak in front of a group as Tricia demonstrates here! Below, Susan Fuller and Tricia enjoy some good food...

Above, the Armbruster family (Rob, Shannon, Heather and Mary are all smiles) along with Britt Bogart with mom Tina and dad Dave....

Some newcomers to our program are Ericka Holcomb and mom Kimra, and grandma (Nanna) along with the Dysert family (Kara, Bridgette and Ken) and the Lauren Conley Crew of Kelli, Katie, Ray and Lauren

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Black and Orange day is a day that we invite our families and supporters to an inter-squad scrimmage followed by a team potluck. We started this 6 years ago as a means for our families to truly connect and get a sense of what student-athlete belongs to what family, etc. Also, it gives Coach Durand and I a chance to go over our program philosophies, mission statement, and expectations. We have really found this event to be helpful, especially for new families to the program.

The scrimmage is absolutely awful (spoken as a true coach), but the bigger concept is the fact that our families need to get to know each other. In fact, one of the neat things is watching each class of families grow closer throughout the years, much like what our student athletes experience.

We appreciate our parents and all they do for our program. The top-notch student athletes we have here at ONU are a direct result of their parent/guardian support they receive at home....thanks for all the great food, the laughs, and the support as we embark on another terrific year of polar bear women's basketball! Coach Terrell

First 2 weeks of practice....

We have made it through the first 2 weeks of practice....and, both Coach Durand and I are happy with how hard our team is working....we really do feel this is probably the best group as far as really putting it out there every day to get better and absolutely work hard at their game.

Our current sign in the locker-room reads:
Today, ask yourself if you are ready to:
1. Give 100% effort
2. Be focused
3. Provide encouragement
4. Improve your game
5. Do work

In spite of the nagging injuries and some shuffling of personnel, we are hanging in there...trust me, there is A LOT to do and we really feel that the countdown is on... This weekend we will get to scrimmage Bluffton then Kenyon the following weekend, then it is tip off time....so, much to be done and the time is ticking...but, if we can do those 5 listed items, we believe good things will happen. It's a great time to be a Polar Bear!
Assistant Coach Sara Terrell