I woke up this morning and looked out the window and thought, "Uh oh, is BV (Buena Vista University) going to even make it here?!" It was snowing like crazy. I wouldn't even hesitate to call it a blizzard, and of course, it would just so happen to be on the day of our first home game, plus our first game of the conference season. This morning on my way to class, a billion tiny little snowflakes pelted my face, only allowing a very small of amount of seeing capabilities out of the skinny slivers of my tightly squinted eyelids. It's like that annoying blowing rain that attacks your face, only in the form of micro sized icy darts. So with minimum sight and fighting a relentless attack to the face, I quickly was reminded about another thing involving winter weather. There's actually ice beneath the newly-fallen white blanket making every step one step closer to meeting the ground face to face. Luckily, I didn't ever come in close contact with the ground, but I'm sure it was pretty entertaining watching me as my arms were flailing about and trying to regain my footing on the ridiculously slippery snow-covered ice. Yes, I walked like a robot the rest of the way to class. Welcome to Iowa.

There's always something very exciting about playing the first home game of the year. What makes it even better is that it's our first conference game of the year, too! This is when it really starts to count. From here on out, it's ultra-serious ball. The comfort of your own gym, the roar of your own student body, the blaring warm up music that gets your blood flowing hot and that smell of popcorn as you run in the gym to get ready for warm ups is what makes playing at home so great. You get that something extra that you don't get when you're on the road that makes you want to work harder. It's the atmosphere. It's almost like getting an extra build-up of excited energy, which ends up showing in every aspect of the game. Its that drive that makes us want to grind our opponent into the ground even more. It's our turf.

'No one, and I mean no one, comes into our house and pushes us around.' -former Notre Dame head coach Dan Devine (from the movie, Rudy).

This is why they call it the home team advantage. Ahh, Home Sweet Home. Welcome to Simpson.

Ever been in one of those games where your shots just won't fall? Those shots that no one misses in practice now dance in and out of that orange metal ring during the game? Shooting "lights out" in practice, then turning around and I quote "not being able to throw a ball in the ocean from a boat" when it comes time for them to really count? I'm sure everyone has had a few of those games. Luckily, it still didn't prevent us from winning our opening three games of the season. Now, a 3-0 record is nothing to complain about, and believe me, I'm pretty stoked about it, but it still feels like we haven't found our grove yet. However, I have composed a list of what to do when you don't know what to do...

#1: Trust in the Coach- With the record our coach, Coach Niemuth, has had throughout his years as Simpson Women's Basketball coach, you would be a fool not to trust him. I mean seriously, close to 400 wins plus all kinds of other honors? (Really, check his bio on our website) He obviously knows what he's doing. A good team does what their coach tells them, but a great team believes in what their coach is telling them. He's been able to prove time and time again through his coaching abilities that he knows the game of basketball and how to win, and that's what makes his players trust him.

#2: Trust Your Teammates- Let's get serious here, too. You spend hours upon hours with them, you play ball with them everyday, you end up accidentally snuggling up to them at night in those hotels beds that you stay in all the time. They are your family. You know their personalities, what makes them tick and what ticks them off. You laugh with them and you compete with them. They push you as hard as you work to push them, and that right there, should be enough. It it isn't, then here: They were recruited by a coach that you trust. You've seen their abilities in practice. They are working towards the same goals you are. The End.

#3: Rely on What the Team's Strengths are- If it's executing plays, running the floor, setting the tempo, or a number of other things, stick to it. People are most comfortable doing things they are good at. Go back to your fundamentals and execute. I heard this once from a very intense, and hardworking coach. "Punish them with your abilities. Make them pay for how good you are." Thanks, Coach Snyder.

#4: Work Your Butt Off- There's that quote that states, "Hard work will beat Talent if Talent doesn't work hard" guess what?!?! WE HAVE BOTH!! and we exercise our use of them rather well, might I add. But in cases (or in games) where things aren't exactly going your way, the only thing you can do is continue to trust the coach and your teammates, and work two to three times as hard. We're talking 220-330% here! (that is, if the coach is asking for 110% at the starting point) All-out, full-hearted, butt-kicking, in-their-shorts pace.

#4.5: Give 'em a little Kung Fu- enough said.