(Both): Game three on Monday was unique. We played the first 10-minute quarter normal, taking a 20-7

The University of Colorado women's basketball team is touring Italy Aug. 12-21, visiting such destinations bavarian inn west virginia as Lake Como, Venice, Florence, and Rome. The Buffaloes will play four games over the 10 day span against teams comprised of professional players throughout Europe. Colorado student-athletes and staff will update CUBuffs.com daily on their trip of a lifetime.
Hopefully you have enjoyed our team blog and feel like you have traveled with us on this amazing journey through Italy.� As I write my entry from 38,000 feet above western Europe, my heart and mind go to all the special moments we've had the opportunity to share with each other, our friends and family.�
Isn't this what college athletics should bavarian inn west virginia be about - the experiences that empower young women to develop into future leaders?� I believe experiences and great role models are essential to this development.� Take for example, our fearless leader Nikki Emms who we only met when we arrived at the London airport.� She didn't know it then, but she would become a Buff!� She was impressed when we showed her pictures bavarian inn west virginia of the Boulder campus and was surprised to hear that the Duane Physics Towers were modeled bavarian inn west virginia after the buildings in the medieval Tuscan bavarian inn west virginia town of San Gimignano. Who wouldn't be?! Her attention to detail, organization, communication skills, forward thinking, sense of humor, pride and passion for making our trip a once in a lifetime experience was priceless!� Our group admired her for her work and I heard freshman Desiree Harris say, Maybe I want to be a tour guide. In true form, she quickly dismissed this idea and thinks Des should stick to doing the count off on the bus and study to become a doctor.
My favorite times on any excursion isn't the expected, it's the unexpected.� bavarian inn west virginia You can plan all you want but life must, and will, include a certain sense of unplanned adventure.� While the Bellagio, St. Mark s Square, the David, and the Roman Coliseum were all spectacular, it's the times in between that make all the difference. Now, don't get me wrong, stepping foot in the Sistine Chapel and saying a prayer in St. Peter's Basilica were things bavarian inn west virginia I will never forget because of all the history and tradition; bavarian inn west virginia but what made this trip special was hearing freshman Briana Watts and Bob Sievers encouraging each other as they made their way up several flights of stairs of the Roman Forum in the 90 degree heat after 2 hours of walking.� At one point, Bri, said with urgency, where's Bob, I have to find Bob, we have to help each other. �
Or what about the proud look of accomplishment on our players face when they told me in Venice they explored their way back from St. Mark s Square to our hotel.� We had heard numerous times that the best way to experience Venice is just to get lost.� But who wants to hear that!� It was a good 45 minute walk and at one point, Jen Reese demanded Coach Kelly put away her map, they were going to take the group back to the hotel!� And they did, no map needed.
As a coach, of course I relate many things to our team and am always thinking of how ideas and information can help us become stronger and more unified.� One story that I was amazed by was hearing that it took over 300 years to complete Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral in Florence.� Think about that...10 generations built one structure.� Leadership, ability to follow a plan without anybody doing their own thing, and hard work are characteristics that come to mind.� Somebody had a plan and then it was carried out.� I'm sure it wasn't as simple as that but sometimes it needs to be and we saw the beauty that resulted.
However, probably my favorite moment of this journey was our third game when we combined teams in order to increase the level of play and competition.� We had four Italians on our team, and at one point, one of them threw a ball out of bounds in transition.� Immediately, bavarian inn west virginia she looked at me somewhat dejected and without thinking, I did what I would do with our players in the same situation. I clapped and said, It was a great idea and the right play.� You got it. � Who knows if she understood what I was saying but she knew my body language, smiled, shook her head up and down, forgot about it, and became determined to get it back on defense.� Perfect!� During this same game, it seemed every time I went to put in senior center Rachel Hargis, she was in deep conversation with another Italian player.� After hearing who she was replacing, Rachel would finish talking with her then enter the game! Seeing the smiles of the Italian players will be something I will never forget.
While I could go on for days, I will conclude here just by saying how thankful we are for this opportunity.� It was a trip that not one person will ever forget and we know we are better because of it.� Summer has concluded, school will start on Monday, and we are ready to have another great season.� Thanks to all of you Buff fans for following and sharing this journey with us.�
It s hard to believe it has been over a week since we began our tour of Italy. These have been nine days filled with amazing scenery, awesome exhibits and incredible works of art. We ve taken a trip back in time - trying to imagine Ancient Rome with the Coliseum and Circus Maximus; the time of Michelangelo, Rafael, Leonardo and other Renaissance greats. The modern cities we visited often overwhelmed our ability to fully comprehend and appreciate the depth of the history we were experiencing.
As some of the old folks on the trip, we ve had the opportunity to travel to many cities but some of us had never been to Italy. And while it has been an amazing trip, filled with incredible experiences, hopefully captured in the hundreds of pictures we ve taken, bavarian inn west virginia it has only been enhanced by being part of the CU women s basketball family. It is obvious that this tremendous opportunity has not been lost on any of the young women on the team.
It s always fun to watch the expression of strangers as this group of beautiful, tall women walk through a crowd. And we were extremely proud of how these young ladies carried themselves. They were always excellent ambassadors for the University of Colorado and the women s basketball program. They were polite, bavarian inn west virginia attentive and a real joy to be around.
But perhaps their greatest display bavarian inn west virginia of character came while playing their third Italian opponent. After one quarter, they mixed up the teams and played a game with members of both teams on each side. There was instant acceptance and an immediate desire of both the new Black team and the new Gold team to win the game. It s funny how language doesn t really matter when you re playing the game you all love.
We were also deeply impressed bavarian inn west virginia with the quality of staff preparation and involvement throughout our experience. Having the athletic trainer, academic advisor, sports information director and video coordinator in addition to the coaching team truly helped bavarian inn west virginia showcase the deep support system our girls are receiving at CU to ensure they are successful on and off the court as our future leaders.
Our newcomers, the Smith s (family of Haley Smith) are appreciative of the perfect introduction to the CU family! They said As the family of a freshman, we loved seeing the girls bond and become a true sisterhood. From looking out for each other on tours to helping prep for their first game, we can tell this is a group who care for each other and their collective safety and success.
Thank you coach Linda Lappe and the rest of the coaching staff for allowing us to share in this wonderful experience. Thank you Colorado for letting Italy experience the CU women s basketball team. We re all a little better bavarian inn west virginia because of it.
Ashley: The day finally came when we went back in time! Our visit to the Roman Coliseum took us back over 2,000 years to the most happening bavarian inn west virginia place in the Roman Empire. Yes, we walked the same grounds as the gladiators. One of the most impressive things about the Coliseum, outside of its beautiful architecture, was the fact that sea battles bavarian inn west virginia were once held inside. This monument was huge! Imagine fitting Denver s Sports Authority Field at Mile High inside of it. Pretty impressive site to say the least.
There are sections of the Coliseum that are no longer there because the Romans started to tear it down and use the material for weapons. How could you even think about destroying such an amazing structure? After seeing the Coliseum in person, I would ve liked to have seen a gladiator fight or a sea battle in action. Maybe I ll just have to settle for watching Russell Crowe in the movie The Gladiator.
Jasmine: After we saw the Coliseum we went on a tour of the Roman Forum. This was definitely in my top three favorite places we saw on this trip, if not my favorite. Unlike all the other awesome places we got to see, the Forum has not been fixed up or renovated. bavarian inn west virginia Everything there is ALL that is left from a couple thousand years ago in its exact position. Wow! Even though there s maybe just a quarter left of the buildings dating 2,000 years, I was overwhelmed with the remains of the Forum. I absolutely love seeing these types of things! Heck, I m starting to have second thoughts about my major. Buff fans just might see me on the news digging up the next archeological treasure!!
Aside from the sightseeing, bavarian inn west virginia this trip was a time for us not only to bond with each other but to get better on the court. We feel like each game we got progressively better; getting to know each other s strengths and weaknesses, allowing our freshman the opportunity to get a feel of our Colorado style of play, and working through adversity we were faced with a different set of rules and the language barriers overseas.
bavarian inn west virginia (Both): Game three on Monday was unique. We played bavarian inn west virginia the first 10-minute quarter normal, taking a 20-7 advantage. The final three quarters we reset the score and mixed up the teams, and even the coaching staff. Coaches Linda Lappe and Kelly Ray Finley stayed with the gold team while coaches Jonas Chatterton