Pre Season Fun

This year's freshmen got to experience a real preseason that has been missed by the last two classes here at MIDD. The past two years Orientation for First Years has started the same day as preseason, which was a bummer for all of us. They were torn between getting to know their teammates and hanging out with their freshmen hall mates. Or, as most will say, they wanted to hang out with the team, but come November, people on their hall were saying, "Who are you?" or "I didn't even know you lived here!"

This year, the first years got to hang out entirely with the team until Tuesday night, when Orientation started, which was great. We were able to do a community service outing to help with Hurricane Relief, and we also had the chance to get into the pool. This is always a fun activity for everyone, and I always get a kick out of watching them frolic in the pool. This time it wasn't even a "sort-of" workout, it was strictly for fun! (I'm sorry the picture is a little blury. I think my new smart phone isn't as "smart" as it's supposed to be?!)

Team Helps with Irene Clean-up

Hurricane Irene hit Vermont especially hard. While the College sustained little to no damage, there was wide-scale damage in almost every direction. The mountain towns were hit especially hard, some being cut off from the rest of the world by bridges and roads leading into and out of town being washed out. Many of the Fall Athletes put aside preseason practices to go and help our neighbors in need.

The amount of help needed was tremendous, and the emails were going out in all directions asking for any assistance. I was approaching my captains to talk about it when they asked me if there was anything that we could do as a team to help out. Now, that's leadership!


Cross country and Field Hockey had the morning shifts taken care of, so we practiced in the morning, and then set out after lunch. Our team was split into two groups and sent to different locations to help clean up brush and debris, and help get houses cleaned up that had mud and water pouring through them only days before.

It was a very rewarding experience, by all accounts. It's amazing what many hands can do in a short amount of time, and their help was greatly appreciated. The groups had to come back across the mountain to get home, and part of Route 125 had been washed away and was down to one lane. They'd been cleared on the way over, but as it was nearing the late afternoon, the road was closing again. It had been opened specially for emergency vehicles, and those helping with the Hurricane Relief, but there was some miscommunication on the way home.

Our first group got through with a convoy of emergency vehicles and other Aid workers. The other group had been working farther away, and was later coming back, and got stranded with half the football team, and Head Football Coach, Bob Ritter. Fortunately, someone came to let them all through, and everyone made it back to campus safely.

2011 Pre-season Starts with BBQ

2011 Pre-season started with a BBQ at my house. It was a nice, relaxed cookout with all the players and lots of parents. It gave the returners time to not only catch up, but also start to get to know the new players. It's a large group this year for pre-season, which is great, so there were a lot of new faces. Fortunately, Hurricane Irene had already come and gone, as had our power outage and flooded road, so everyone had a clear (or pretty clear) road out to the house. OK, there may have still been some water covering the road, but not entirely. Stud checked it out for everyone and guided them through the couple inches of water still there, and around the "road closed" barricade.

Courtney caught us up a bit on her summer where she befriended her new 7 year old neighbor who is having to undergo a bone marrow transplant now. The pink tee shirt in the photo is for "EMMA." She'll have to be in the hospital for quite a while, and Courtney has been by her side most of the summer. While it was hard for Court to leave her new friend facing such a serious and painful ordeal, she asked the team to sign a shirt to send to Emma to let her know that we are all thinking about her! We'll keep tabs on Emma and give updates. I have a feeling that Emma may become a new fan of our Blog so she can keep tabs on Courtney and the rest of the team!

Steve Oster, our Faculty Affiliate, was able to attend with his family, which was really great. It's always nice for the new players to meet Steve, and for he and the upperclassmen to have a chance to hang out informally. His wife and three girls were here as well, in addition to my Assistant, Brian and his wife and two daughters, and my husband and three kids, so we had quite a houseful.

We are two days into practices now, and feeling like there's just not enough time for everything, but then the cry came out for some assistance, and the team stepped up to the plate. We took the afternoon off today to help with Irene Relief Aid over in Hancock and Rochester--two mountain towns who sustained a lot of storm damage, not to mention road closures that practically cut them off from the rest of the world. I was about to tell the captains about the emails I was getting about desperately needing volunteer workers when they asked if there was anything that they could to do to help with the relief efforts.

Almost every Fall Sports Team has been out helping clear brush, clean up houses and property and debris all over the place. Some towns are still cut off from the outside world by washed out bridges leading into and out of town. Fortunately, Middlebury was mostly spared from the major storm damage, but our neighbors were not as lucky. I'll update soon with hopefully some photos, but we almost had a group stranded on the other side of the mountain tonight....but they're BACK! Everyone enjoyed helping out, and their help was very much appreciated. :)

Reunion 2011!

It's June, and at MIDD, that means Reunion Time! It's been about the soggiest Spring in VT on record, but Reunion Weekend was as nice as it could be. I had a fabulous time catching up with Jamie Wong '06! We sat outside of Proctor on the terrace in the sun and caught up on life. We did laugh about old times, and reminisce a bit, but we also had fun catching up on what's new for both of us.

She reported that she keeps in touch with Katy Hicks '05 in CA, who is currently in Med School, and also with several other MIDD VB alums. She met Reisa Bloch'10 (and they figured out they both wore the same jersey # while at MIDD!), and sees Lindsay Patterson '09.5, Lacee Patterson Phillips '07.5, and Evan Kanaly Herberts '03, but has yet to meet Blair Sly '01, so we'll have to work on that! Word has it that Lexie Fisher '08.5 is moving back to CA, so she will join the CA contingent of VB alums as well.

Jamie is as fit as can be, and has trained for varying races like half-marathons, triathlons, and even mentioned the words: Olympic Distance, and Iron Man in conversation!! Wow!! She's back in San Francisco working with her dad in the exporting business, but is also going back to grad school to get her MBA, and likely also her Realtor's License, just for fun. She's happy and healthy, and it was so great to see her smiling face back on campus!!

In other alumnae news, I just found out that Katie Kenney Enslin '03 had her first baby--a girl. Congratulations to her and her husband on starting their family, other than their "first" baby, Cash, the dog. We wish you the best, Katie and family!!

Lauren Graduates; Whitney wins Dept. Honor

I think this is the rainiest Spring in VT history, or it sure feels like it has to be. About the best thing that can be said about the weather, however, is that somehow, it wasn't raining for Graduation, thank goodness! Lauren graduated, if not under a beautfiul blue sky, at least it wasn't under an umbrella.

During the week leading up to Graduation we gathered in Mead Chapel for our Athletic Department Awards ceremony. Lauren and I were there to recieve Whitney's award: the Hazeltine-Klevenow Award, honoring a senior for best combining ability in athletics and excellence in scholarship. Congratulations to both Whitney and Lauren for their four years of dedication to both Middlebury and our Volleyball Team. We will miss you both very much.

Whitney did come back for the graduation ceremony this weekend, but did not walk with the graduates. Connor's brother was among the graduates, as was Stud's sister, and Lacee Philips Patterson's brother-in-law. What a surprise to see Lacee! She's doing well in California, and made the very quick trip out for the festitivites before red-eyeing back to work today! It was great to see her, and a fun bonus.

Green Feats--what is that?!

Anyone recognize these sneaks?

Here is what was on the MIDD site about Green Feats:

"It's as easy as tying your shoes. Make a promise to the planet. Then show your support by lacing up with green. Here's ten athletes that did it. They are green athlete liaisons, and they and others--representing every Middlebury sports team--will be working during Earth Day weekend, starting April 22, to promote a sustainable culture in athletics. Along with Nordic Sking Head Coach Andrew Gardner, they'll be collecting people's pledges to the environment and handing out green laces to remind them of their promises. The idea is inspired by GreenLaces.org founder and professional soccer player Natalie Spilger who says, 'It's time we stop only representing our sponsors and start representing our values.'

These athletes are doing it. Are you?"

Here is the link so you can see all the athletes' shoes: http://blogs.middlebury.edu/middmag/2011/04/21/green-feats/?pid=26

Click the link, and you'll get to find out who's shoes these are, and what her promise was! We're proud of you, #11! :)

Elissa Blogs from New Zealand!

I've heard from both Jane and Elissa a couple of times, and know they're enjoying themselves, but have yet to get a good, comprehensive update on what they've been doing down there. However, Elissa did start a blog to share her experiences, so thanks Elissa! Here is the link: http://www.egkiwi.blogspot.com/ Also, Caroline is in Italy, but I haven't heard much from her recently, so I'll take that to mean that she's having a fabulous time! :)