Summer Check In

Adrienne Biglow, Junior from Yakima, WA.

Wow, I can’t believe we are already nearing the end of May which means a month of summer break has already gone by. I can already tell that the last two months are going to fly by, and before we know it the team will be back in Billings starting preseason. This isn’t such a bad thought though seeing as I already miss all the girls A LOT!
The first week I was back in my hometown of Yakima Washington I got to enjoy being lazy and spending time in the sunshine (it was nearly eighty degrees all week). However, as of last Saturday I ventured back to reality when I started working. This summer for my second year I’m working at the local par three golf course in the pro shop. I can hardly complain though because I seem to spend most of my time there reading and chatting with the customers. It is the perfect job for me, when I’m not having disagreements with the cash register. Other than work, I have been enjoying spending time at home with my parents, and of course my adorable dog Mandy. I never quite realize how much I miss being around my house throughout the year until I come back home and it feels like I’ve left. I’ve also had a lot of fun catching up with my friends from high school and going on a few road trips.
Summer is the perfect getaway from the stress of the school year, where I feel like I can regroup and mentally and physically prepare myself for next fall, and most especially next season. I know my teammates are all off doing the same and getting ready for when we see each other again in August. Keep working hard on the summer workouts ladies and I hope everyone is having a great summer 

Summer Check In

Jaucelyn Richter, Junior from Billings, MT.

Hello everybody!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break so far. I know I was definitely loving the lack of school and not having to get up bright and early to use my brain in the morning. I officially started SUMMER SCHOOL with Courtney Harvey in Bozeman. We're taking organic chemistry and we just love going to school in the summer so much. Hehe hopefully we survive this girls. ;)

"Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow." -Doug Firebaugh. This quote is definitely something to keep in mind as we survive through the summer work outs. I know working out in the summer heat, when we could be out enjoying the nice weather, is quite grueling but keep up the hard work, it always pays off in the end.

To the incoming freshman...Congrats on graduation!! Can't wait for you ladies to become a part of the team!

Soak up the sunshine, work hard, make a little summer money, and just enjoy life. Excited to see you all in the fall!!

Fisish Strong

Courtney Harvey, Sophmore, Billings, MT.
Finishing the 2011 Spring season 6-0-1 has left our team with an abundance of confidence and high expectations for the 2011 Fall season.

As most know the past year has consisted of many changes to the woman's soccer program here at MSU-Billings. The loss of six seniors along with their leadership and experience will most definitely be difficult to replace. A new head coach has also brought it's fair share of adjustments and difficulties.

With all this being said I have the utmost confidence in the future of our program. The intensity of games and practices this spring has shown the heart and dedication each girl is willing to put forth to accomplish our common goals. Wojtek has handled the new coaching position very well and positively encourages each one of us to be the best we can be for each other, for him and for the program. It's reassuring to know we have a coach that stands behind our team on and off the field and is willing to put in the amount of work required to be a successful program.

Many people would look at our team with an attitude that the 2011 Fall season is a season to re-build the team and adjust to all the changes. Expectations may be low from an outsiders point of view but as a team and a family we hold each other to high standards. We know next year is another shining opportunity to come one step closer to achieving our ultimate goal... winning a national championship!!

I hope everyone has a WONderful summer and I already can't wait to see what the future holds for our team. Goodluck on finals and see you all in early August!

Looking Toward the Future

Danielle Gordon, Senior from Atkins, IA

As we enter the last week of spring, we plan to keep our momentum going into our final three games.

We are now 4-0 and looking to finish strong this spring season.

This spring has flown by and is bitter sweet. For many of us summer is a time to spend time with our family for a couple months, but at the same time we are leaving our second family and trusting in them to put in the work during our time away.

Knowing that though, I have the utmost confidence in our girls. I love knowing these girls will put in the work necessary for us to be successful next fall. It is always hard to leave the group for months at a time, but I know when we see each other again in August it will be like we have never left.

These girls mean the world to me and I would do anything for them... Thank you girls for everything.

Finish Strong.

Spring Check In

Kristen Kastellic, Sophmore from Phoneix AZ

This week, the team spent most of our time focusing on our next game against Rocky. We came out to practice hard everyday preparing for the game. Unfortunately, on Friday we found out because of the weather we would postpone the game from Sunday to next Wednesday, April 6 at 4pm. We were pretty disappointed the game got moved because all of us we really pumped up and ready to play! On the bright side, it gives us a few extra days to get ready for the game! I know all of us are very excited and can’t wait get Rocky back for our loss against them in preseason.

On our off day from practice, Friday, we had a busy but fun day! First we went and cheered on our Yellowjacket tennis team in their matches against CSU – Pueblo. It was the first competitive tennis match I’ve personally ever watched so that was a lot of fun to see and support our fellow athletes! [Note: When entering the tennis bubble to watch don’t come in with 20 people while they are in the middle of the match and try to walk behind the courts. Apparently your not suppose to do that :)]

Next, we surprised Don at his going away party! We all signed a ball and a framed jersey and presented that to Don at the party. There was a nice video there to celebrate Don’s time as a coach at MSUB. It is very sad to see him go, he will be missed. But we all wish him luck at University of Wyoming and thank him for all the years of hard work he has put into this program!

After Don’s going away party, our team went to volunteer at Eaglefest. Eaglefest is an annual event to raise money for Eagle Mount, an organization that provides opportunities in recreation for children and adults with disabilities. We were in charge of running carnival booths for children and it was a lot of fun! I was in charge of the face painting station and had a blast attempting to paint Spiderman faces and the cartoon character Diego from Nick Jr. Our team looks forward to this event every year because it is always nice to give back to community!

It is weird we only have 3 full weeks left of spring soccer! I would be nice if the weather would warm up for these last weeks so it actually feels like spring :)!

A New Chapter

The Yellowjacket lady soccer team hasn’t missed a beat from the recent resignation of head coach Donald Trentham and the promotion of new head coach Wojtek Krakowiak. In fact, things could not look better. Coach Krakowiak, a huge contributor to our success this last season, has even more to offer than his coaching abilities-- his experience. We opened the succession with his very own words. “I know how to win a NCAA tournament, and I can take you there”. With Krakowiak’s own history of a NCAA division I championship in college and a heavy duty experience in the MLS, his words came without denial.

Practice kicked off with everyone proving themselves. For the most part, we have stuck to the regimen of last season, with some occasional changes. Every day is a new day for growth and development, competition and challenge, and character building and unity.

Practice in the snow made for an interesting afternoon, but it is just another factor that our team must overcome. We continue to prove our dedication as a family to the next chapter of the Yellowjacket history book; a continuum of the past 15 years of hard work.

In the past few weeks, we have had our jump-start into our spring season with a little inside competition from Billings’ own U16 and U18 club teams also coached by Wojtek and assistant coach and alumni, Kari Foreman. The games turned out to be a success, with all of our players stiff and sore on Sunday morning, and a 2:0 winning record to kick off the spring season. We look forward to a promising, civil game this upcoming Wednesday against rival team Rocky Mountain College.

Yellow Jacket Nation

Jen Larsen, Sophmore from Mesa, AZ.

Two weeks into practicing and the competitive atmosphere is back in action. Practices are jam packed with energy and filled with excitement for our upcoming games this weekend against the U-16 and U-18 Magic City teams. The last time we played a full field game was back in November at the NCAA tournament. Talk about an anxious group of girls. We are more than ready to start our spring season and bring that competitive atmosphere into actual games!
This past week was a busy one. In between practices and school, we found time to watch our Yellowjacket Golf Team come away with a victory. Unfortunately, we only were able to watch an hour of the match, but in that hour, we did learn something. We learned that golf is definitely NOT a yelling sport. All we wanted to do was yell and cheer for our amazing golf team, but we had to contain ourselves and resort to clapping. We also had the privilege of attending a softball game! Our vocal chords were much more useful at the softball complex, just ask Heidi Greenback:). I think all of the cheering helped because the team crushed the opponent and came away with a victory. Our team attended two games and came out with two victories. Coincidence? I think not. We look forward to going to many more Yellowjacket sporting events this spring!
Overall, this weekend was a success. We look forward to the upcoming week and wait in anticipation for next weekend! I know that our practices will be very focused as we get ready for our games! The competitive atmosphere will continue to flourish and get stronger as the games grow nearer.