From the Coach... 05/08/07

Diva Nation:

The last two weeks has been a tale of two teams. One team, versus the NE Intensity, was poised and confident. The other team, versus the NY Sharks, was over-confident and unfocused. The coaching staff, especially myself, will bare the brunt for the teams lack of focus – as well we should. Overall there are positives and negatives from both games to draw on. I feel confident we will convey both in a manner that is constructive and continue to prepare for the Cape Fear Thunder.

I looked forward to the NE Intensity game with great anticipation. The Intensity coaching staff knew our team, as well as our offensive and defensive schemes from previous contests. We were expecting a battle. The Divas for the first year since I can remember didn’t start slow. We hit the ground running and looked in mid-season form. The coaching staff cautioned against “the let down” for the NY Shark game. Inevitably one did occur. No one knew it would last an entire half.

During the NY Shark game, I had the distinct feeling we were in the twilight zone. The defense couldn’t stop the Sharks – on the ground! And the offense couldn’t muster a first down – not one! As the staff scrambled to make adjustments to personnel and schemes, I studied our team closely. I listened to our leaders. I watched our backups. And after the second quarter whistle sounded I knew it was going to take more than a speech to climb out of this one.

The halftime speech was moving and touching and all of that Coach go get’em, ra-ra-ra stuff. But the turning point for me came right before the second half kickoff. I turned to Kathryn Hemlock, grabbed her helmet in both hands, looked her in the eyes and said one word, “Poise”. How many times I said it I can’t remember, but the look I got in response was priceless. From that point on Hemlock lead her team (on the field and off the field) to 20 unanswered points and eventually the win.

To say I am proud of our team and coaching staff is an understatement. To say that we have a lot to work on would be incredibly accurate. But if we learned anything in NY we learned that a team together is hard to beat – even if they are playing poorly. And that sometimes it takes more than pride, or talent, or grit to win a football game. Our team found and kept its poise through the good and bad. Any coach, at any level, of any sport couldn’t ask for much more.

Sincerely,

Ezra M. Cooper Jr., Head Coach