So it's a BIG night tonight. Simpson Basketball is traveling to Pella, Iowa to take on THE biggest archrivals of the Storm Nation, the Central Dutch. It's always been an intense battle between the two neighboring schools, and I don't expect it to be anything less tonight.

The "competitive spirit" between colleges is so deeply-rooted within each of us that it continues to be ingrained in every newcomer's mind the minute they begin their preseason training. It's what makes each team bring their "A" game every time they play each other. It's what makes alumni return to their alma-mater to watch a big game and immerse themselves in the atmosphere. It's a tradition.

Still, with all the hype of rivalry and the cry of tradition, what really matters is what happens on the floor. Each team can talk, yell, and chant all they want, but when it really comes down to it, it depends on the players of each team; how they handle themselves on the floor throughout the entire game, if they help someone on the opposing team up or not, if someone is taking cheap shots against their opponents or if they are playing fair. Winning and losing with respect is what keeps the pride of each college's tradition alive.

But, when you do get a win, for some reason, it is much, much sweeter. J

On January 7, Coach Niemuth accomplished something that very few other coaches have. He won his 400^th career game. I mean, seriously, 400?!?! That's impressive. However, I've come to realize that this accomplishment was more than just a number. It's a testament to the leadership Coach Niemuth has obtained over the last 22 years as Simpson Women's Basketball Coach.

Like in the Spartan movie, 300, the leadership of King Leonidas inspires the rest of Sparta to take on their enemy and fight until the death. (Historically speaking, Sparta was a very active military power.) Every time the Spartans go into battle, King Leonidas demonstrates, through his leadership, the pride of Sparta. He won't allow anyone to cave or surrender, and he pushes every one of his soldiers to their greatest potential. It all sounds too familiar to me, and although death might be a little extreme in our case, we definitely would come pretty close if need be.

Coaching a team is obviously on a way smaller scale than leading a country into war, but they do share some of the same necessary qualities that make successful leaders. Dedicated to building a program that allows nothing less than your best, Coach Niemuth pushes everyone of his players to the best of their abilities. (Trust me, he'll let you know when you can run faster J ) He's proud of what he's established at Simpson and has every right to be. He also builds confidence and trust in every individual relationship he has with each of his players. This genuine interest in all of his players is what inspires our team to take on our enemies and never stop fighting. Finally, he's just a good coach. He knows the game and he knows the strengths of his team. It's as simple as that. (plus a little help from some superstitions never hurt).

Credit also needs to be given to all the players who have come before this team and have contributed to his wins as well. I'm sure they feel the same way about him as our team does now. They set the bar in what it takes to play in this program, and it hasn't let down since. Their hard work in the past has allowed us to enjoy Coach's accomplishment now. Thanks, gals. We are...SIMPSON!!

Here's a short wrap-up of the Simpson Women's Christmas Chaos...

-Wake up incredibly early to travel to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for Cruizin' Classic Tourney on Dec. 14^th.

-Defeat Muskingum and Marymount (Va.)

-Have fun in the sun!! Yes, it was mid-70s to low 80s all week...

-Wake up incredibly early (again) to come home to the Iowa tundra on Dec. 20^th.

-Take our NCAA-Required "7 day break"

-Return to Simpson for a two-a-day on Dec. 28^th

-First loss to St. Thomas on Dec. 30^th

-Return after our New Year's break, and defeat University of Dubuque on Jan. 3^rd.

Well, after a crazy busy Christmas break, it's that time again. It's like I don't even want to say it because it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Classes. I guess it's just one of those things you have to do being a Division III student/athlete. Waking up for 8 a.m. classes 4 out of 5 days of the week cramps my style quite a bit.

After the first couple days of the semester, I realized that there are some common traits between my classes and our recent loss to St. Thomas. For one, my classes this semester might be some of the hardest I've had and being an active member of the procrastination nation, I'm going to have to remember to do the small stuff. Reading all the chapters, taking super extensive notes, asking questions, studying in advance for tests, etc. are a just a few things that can/will be done, especially if I want to receive the grades I want. I won't be able to wait for the night-before-a-test cram sessions or blow off a chapter to play Wii. (My roommate got a Wii for Christmas and oh, the temptations!!!!) I can't wait for the results of my first tests to decide what I need to do to get the grades. This small stuff has to be done now, and trust me, I'll still be sweating when I'm taking the exams.

The small stuff is what got us in trouble in our game against St. Thomas. Believe me, we busted our butts during that game, but there was one lull in the beginning of the second half that contributed to the outcome of the game. You wouldn't really think that two and a half minutes would make such a difference, but it did. We let down just enough for that little amount of time to make a difference. However, we definitely picked it back up and didn't rest until the after final horn blew. Another part of the small stuff that we failed to execute was our rebounding. We got beat on the boards and it also contributed to our loss, and yes, we're taking appropriate measures to prevent that from happening again. So when people say that you shouldn't sweat the small stuff, maybe they're right, in some aspects of life. But, when it comes to hard classes and basketball games, the "small stuff" is the difference between passing and failing, and winning and losing.