Showing posts with label Ohio University. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ohio University. Show all posts

December 30, 2014

Cats Do Hawaii

I know this post was intended to go 'live' on Sunday, but I have been consumed with the "Divergent" trilogy. I am currently enthralled in the second book, "Insurgent," and really cannot put my Nook down! So my non-stop reading on top of too many hours of slumber have me slightly behind schedule.

Has anyone read this trilogy? I am nearly finished with "Insurgent;" not sure if I will read, "Allegiant." I  went ahead and read the Wiki review of book #3 and not so sure I even want to go down that route. I have been enjoying the first two books, but not so sure of the route for the third book. I am considering just waiting for the release of the third movie, some time in 2016, and then reading the last book. Who is with me?

And then let's not even discuss the fact that this post was in 'draft' form for a few days, and now is blank! I am not sure what I am doing incorrectly when I write posts on my I-pad, but I am ready to throw it in the lake for now not saving two very thorough posts.

With that being said, this will be more of a photo dump than a true synopsis of each of the days in Hawaii. I must also confess that I did not do the best with photo-taking while in Hawaii, and I have no true excuse!

Friday
Friday was a travel day for the wives, who flew separately, and the team! As I mentioned in my 13 Week Bump Update, my flight went pretty smooth thanks to the oils that Jill Fuss shared. 

We arrived around 4:00pm! I had all intentions of taking a little cat nap, then heading down to the hotel gym to wait on the team's arrival around 10pm whilst accomplishing a little sweat session. Welp, this body had other plans. I have no idea how I am able to recall my numerous nightly bathroom breaks, but have no recollections of silencing my alarm or phone conversations! So instead of hitting the gym at 7:00pm, as planned, I did not wake up until Coach entered our room. I was in complete disarray and disappointed that I missed my workout session!


Ohio MBB arrival at Honolulu Airport
Saturday
With the plethora of sleep between Friday late afternoon and Saturday morning, it was hard to stay asleep. Around 2:00am, I rose for a bathroom visit, and then tried to sneak back into the bed but was completely famished! Uhm... when was the last time I consumed food is all I could wonder?!?

Then it dawned on me! Last night (Friday), the team received bagged dinners with two sandwiches, chips, cookies, and an apple. Ok, so maybe when the topic is about food, I too can remember this while sleeping, because I remembered there was a peanut butter & jelly sandwich that Coach Kemp had not eaten. He was going to throw it away, but I stopped him, mid sleep mind you, and stated that I would consume it the next day some time!

Hallelujah!

I crawl back out of bed, tip toe to his side of the bed where the plastic bag is and confiscate the PB&J sandwich. I sneak back over to my side, climb in, and enjoy the PB&J in bed with a huge smile on my face. I was about half-way finished with my prized sandwich when I hear Coach wrestle from his sleep.

Coach Kemp: "What are you doing?"

Me: "Eating the PB&J sandwich, duh!" (in a non-nonchalant tone)

Coach Kemp: "Go back to bed!"

Me: "I plan on it once this sandwich is in my B-E-L-L-Y!" (Smile!)

There you have it folks, my first glutenous, pregnant lady late night food story.... And the PB&J was scrumptious if I do not say so myself! And guess who dozed right back to sleep? You know it!

A few hours later, around 5:00am, I rose again, feeling quite rested and knowing no feast would lure me back to sleep so I decided to hit the hotel gym for a 3-hour gym session. Oh don't you fret, over an hour was spent riding the stationary bike reading "The Divergent."

After breakfast, the team headed to practice so I hit up the hotel pool so I could continue to be consumed by my book, "The Divergent."

Once the team returned, we headed to Hanauma Bay Beach Park for some snorkeling.



I really enjoy snorkeling even though I am not the biggest fan of the beach! Ha, I know that might sound peculiar given the fact that I grew up in Tampa, FL and frequented the beaches quite often. I don't know, maybe it is with age... I much prefer the pool over messing with sand!

This too was a different experience for Coach and I. In our two previous snorkeling experiences (Cayman Islands and Greece), we have been driven out to the middle of the sea and then "dropped off." It was quite convenient to be able to swim back to shore, rather than being in the middle of nowhere (sea)land.

After we returned from snorkeling, I took a little cat nap while Coach did some work. For dinner, myself and the other coaches wives dined at one of the hotel's restaurant's, Ocean House Restaurant.

Sunday
Coach, myself and Annika Bailey, the team's Athletic Trainer, explored Diamond Head State Park before the team's breakfast! Absolutely breathtaking, and I am so glad we went early in the morning before it became too hot outside!







Upon return to the hotel, Annika and I realized that we still had quite a bit of time before breakfast so we trekked out for a nice walk along Waikiki Beach.





In all, we hiked and walked a little over 6 miles!

While the team practiced, I went to the pool and read... "The Divergent!" I know surprise, surprise (this will happen a few more times, lol!).

At night the team was invited to the ESPN Welcome Reception at Jimmy Buffet's.


The Wives
Monday
I seemed to have rose early almost every morning while in Hawaii. I was never able to adjust my internal clock, as I would be beyond exhausted by 9:00pm, and wide awake by 5:00am. Unfortunately, this did not allow me to really have much fun with Coach, and frequent any of the night life activities so that kind of stunk. I did, however, get in many early morning workouts in the hotel gym!

Monday was Game Day #1 verse George Washington University. This was our first loss of the Diamond Head Classic, but I can't be too disappointed given that GWU would later go on and win the tournament.

 What do you think of the guys shirts?

 Coach stayed after our game to watch some of the other teams play. Rather than stay in the frigid arena, I opted to return to our hotel and sit poolside and read my book!

Once he returned, he joined me poolside for a bit and then we headed our separate ways for dinner. On Monday, myself and some of the ladies made reservations at Roy's. We have a Roy's in Tampa that my parents dine at frequently, so I was assured that we would get good food! 

Tuesday
Game #2 was early Tuesday morning, but the outcome was much better than Game #1. I too came prepared with jeans rather than shorts, and all was well.

After the game I went for a glorious run (ok, jog these days) along Waikiki Beach while Coach got some more work done!
After that, we had a quick lunch at one of the pool side restaurants and just enjoyed the day.

Later that night, myself and some of the wives dined at Yard House. I had my first non-alcoholic beer which was ok. I did not even finish the whole thing. I am not a big beer drinker, so think I will simply stick to water.

Wednesday
Wednesday was a free day! Coach and I had high plans of visiting Pearl Harbor but to our dismay, tickets had been sold out for nearly two weeks! Instead we headed out to Monoa Falls Trail with Annika and Brian Seitz, the team's Strength & Conditioning Coach. 








Once we returned to the hotel, Coach set out on the beach to paddle board. I watched from afar and then drifted back into my book!

Later that night we headed to dinner at Hula Grill inside the Outrigger Reef on Waikiki. By this time on our trip, my stomach was beyond full with food consumption and not my regular workouts that I opted for a salad for dinner. Coach enjoyed his food and drinks!


Thursday/Friday
Our final game was held on Thursday late morning. We played Nebraska which was an interesting match-up given that Saul & Tim are former NDSU head coaches. Coach Kemp and Coach Phillips too worked with Coach Miles while he was the head coach at NDSU, so there are many ties.

It was a good game, but our guys were unable to pull out a win!

After the game, Coach and I had lunch, walked around the various shops in the area and then sat by the pool before it was time for the team dinner and our final departure.

We took a red eye flight back to Phoenix so we arrived around 6:00am on Friday morning. We then returned to Columbus at around 4:00pm - safe and sound!

Michelyn

December 7, 2014

Rain, Rain, Go Away!: Ohio vs. St. Bona

When I decided to wear an all-gray outfit to yesterday's game, I was really hopeful that I would not be bringing the dreary, rainy weather into the game! Welp, that is exactly what I did! Fans, I will not be wearing gray any longer.



Final Score:: 72-80


Interested in the statistics for the entire game? Head on over to the Ohio Athletics website ti view the St. Bonaventure vs Ohio Box score.


Cardigan: Old; Similar
Jeans: Joe's
Purse: Olivia + Joy via TJ Maxx (in white)
Boots: Piperlime
Socks: Piperlime
Earrings: Gifted; Similar

Michelyn


November 9, 2014

Ready to Rumble: Ohio vs. Marietta

The Ohio Men's Basketball season has officially kicked off, and boy was there a huge turnout for this year's exhibition game verse Marietta! We had 11,108 fans in attendance and the entire Marching 110 who were very entertaining. The atmosphere at the game was one to be marveled at, and I hope we continue to see the same turnout for the remainder of the season. 

Although we won, the game was a little shakey at times! I need to reconsider wearing long shirts as the Convocation is on the warmer side, and then I was perspiring a little more than I would have liked for an exhibition. 

But, at the end of the day - a win is a win! Not so sure the coaching staff would agree, but I am just a coach's wife so I am happy!If you want to know more details about the game, then head here for the Marietta vs Ohio Box Score.

Final Score: 82-69



With the Ohio MBB commencement is a kick-off of my own -- A-Game Attire series in which I and other college and high school basketball wives showcase our team-inspired game-day apparel! 

Although I do not consider myself a fashion blogger, there is no denying the fact that I enjoy shopping and clothes, in general, also including accessories and shoes. 

My shoe department is one to be marveled at, if I do say so myself. I attribute my clothes and shoes obsession to the fact that I wore a school uniform for nearly 12 years. 


If you or a friend is a college/high school basketball wife (or significant other), please CONTACT ME if you are interested in being showcased! 

Coaches' kids are also welcome to join in on the fun!

Top:ShopBop
Jeans: NYDJ via Nordstrom Rack (on Amazon)
Boots:Steve Madden via DSW
Necklace:Purple Peridot (necklace in purple)
Bracelet: Old
Purse: Olivia + Joy via TJMaxx (in white)

 Michelyn







October 31, 2014

Coaches Corner: OU Oh Yeah!

In today's post, I had the opportunity to sit down with Coach Kemp, Assistant Basketball Coach at Ohio University, to learn a little about his transition from Toledo to Ohio, and how the 2014-15 MBB is progressing thus far.

Enjoy!

In your last BBB interview (The Madness Never Stops), you were wrapping up your first season at Toledo. Now, you are in your first year at Ohio. Was the transition from Toledo to Ohio challenging?

Challenging, but a good challenge. Moving jobs twice in 10 months has been a lot of work to get accustomed to new surroundings, but it has been fun. Fun because I enjoy building relationships with the players. This group of players have been enjoyable to be around. In addition, the transition to Ohio has been pretty easy because I worked with this staff at NDSU.

We see that this summer was a little crazy with the transition with Coach Phillips, how do you feel going into the 2014-15 MBB season? 

I feel that we have been able to assemble a roster that we can win with. The players have been attentive and willing to learn, and they are a group that has already experienced success in their careers. I really like our young guys as well. If we can keep everything positive the sky is the limit for this group.

Are you ready for a vacation? 

Absolutely. I was actually just commenting to my brother that I haven’t been back to Madison (hometown) in almost two years now. I guess moving will do that to you. Although Madison is nice, I think a warm weather vacation is long overdue. However, we will be traveling to Hawaii in Christmas for the Diamond Head Classic -working trip for me; vacation for Michelyn.

Any comical events occur during recent practices?

Nothing too crazy, but Wadly Mompremier is a funny guy. Also our most improved player to this point. He is making great strides every day...

Oh! There was the time that Treg Setty tripped over his own feet trying to run to the sideline.  That video pretty much went viral in Bobcat land and we had fun with it.


We've got some great personalities on the team so it is easy to have fun.

How are the guys doing in practice?

Just like any team at the beginning of the year, particularly a team with a new coaching staff; we have had some growing pains but they come to work every day and play extremely hard.  We are a week out from our first competition, and two weeks from our regular season opener.  It is important that we continue to improve over these next two weeks.

Which games are you most looking forward to?

I am really looking forward to the tournament in Hawaii. The Diamond Head Classic will be a lot of fun, and it will be great to compete against the likes of George Washington, Wichita State, and Nebraska.  It would be great to play against our former boss Tim Miles.  We all had some great times at North Dakota State, and his team would be a challenge.  They have built a winner quickly in Lincoln.

Will you be writing articles for College Chalktalk again?

Yes! It was a great experience last year and I will be writing five entries for them this year. Chris DiSano of College Chalktalk was gracious enough to invite me back.  I am hoping to add to their video series this year, in addition to guest bloggers for a few entries.  It should be fun!

I hear your wife made you buy green pants, any word if we can see you adorned in a green jacket?

That is a possibility! I do know however, the green pants will not be worn during a game even though I think I look good in Green…Go BOBCATS!

Michelyn

Check out some of the other Coaches Corner interviews:
In Love & Basketball (Allie Clifton Kalsow)
Fit + Well All Over the World (Emmy Smith)
Georgian Princess (Amanda Woodside)

October 20, 2014

The Countdown in On!

Only 25 more days until the Ohio Men's Basbetball officially kicks off its 2014-15 season!

Last week there were two really good articles about Saul Phillips, our head coach, and the program in general, that are worth a read.

FoxSports Article

Athens Ohio Today

I too am super excited about this season because of a new series that will begin very soon, A-Game Attire.


Are a college and/or high school coach's wife? Interested in sharing your game-day attire and style? If yes, contact me, for more information!

Michelyn

September 23, 2014

Weekend with Rufus!


Saturday was the first home game for Ohio University! The MBB had their first tailgate of the season, and had special visitors - basketball alumni. It was nice meeting all the former players and their families - we hope to see them at games this season!! 

I was a little excited about my role for Saturday home games - party planner aficionado. Haha, I'm not sure if I would give myself that much credit, but it was fun shopping for green and white goodies. Ohio Managers, the best I've had the pleasure working with, were all gems following my requests and directions for setting everything up. 


Here are a few close-ups from my iPhone. I have requested a photographer for this coming Saturday since obviously my degrees aren't sufficient when it comes to the photography department. (Pretty sure my request will not be granted, lol. ). I too was being overly social, visiting with people that I neglected to take additional pictures before the team got their grub on! 


Kelsey McKinley, David's wife, made the yummiest cake pops. They can be seen in the middle of the table, below. 




Most of the goodies were purchased through Amazon. After I went to the Athens Farmers Market on Saturday morning, I made a quick stop to the Starbucks at Kroeger and then to the Dollar Store. Glad I decided to do that because I scored the cute, green miniature plant pots which I used to hold some of the additional candy.

Now that I have an idea of what I'm working with I will provide more details about the tailgating decorating for next week. 


Top: College Bookstore (Court Street)
Shorts: ShopBop

Question of the Day: Did your team win or lose this past weekend? 

Michelyn



September 3, 2014

Cats Out of the Bag! 2014 Ohio University MBB Schedule Has Been Released

The 2014-15 Ohio University Men's Basketball Schedule has been released to the public! Are you excited? Ha, probably not as much as I. If you would like to check it out, you can find it on the university athletic's website, or just press HERE.

You want to know why I am really excited?

I am truly excited because I have purchased lots of new Ohio gear, and I am quite giddy for the games! I already had a good amount of green attire from our time at NDSU, but I did find some reason to purchase lots of good things especially with all the sales at ShopBop, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, good ol' Target, and a few Athens finds! 



And of course there is the need for additional accessories. This past weekend Coach Kemp and I did a lot of good shopping in Columbus. I am temporarily placing myself on purchasing restrictions - for anything green & white.

Don't judge my photography skills. I have asked for a nice camera for my birthday, as the I-phone is simply not cutting it any longer.

It is my plans to share my Game Day attire for all the home games that I attend, and any away games that I decide to jump on the bus for :). 

Go Bobcats!

Michelyn

Currently seeking any college football or basketball wives/fiances/girlfriends that would like to be featured. Please contact me at michelyncynthia@gmail.com



August 16, 2014

Ohio University Canada Trip Days 3 & 4: Crepes, Chucks & Champs

Wow…The last two days have flown by, and have been jam packed with a lot of great events for the Bobcats! Wednesday began with a trip to Quebec City. We drove inside the city walls of Old Quebec. The cobblestone streets reminded us a little bit of Court Street in uptown Athens. The area was filled with shops, vendors, and stands where you could bargain for a deal if you found a souvenir you liked.




 

After our tour of Old Quebec we were off to pre-game meal, and our game against Laval University. Laval had played against Vermont and Indiana in the past few weeks, and were a solid team. Our guys showed a ton of resilience after a long day of travel, and a full schedule of touring. At one point in the game we were up by 17 points and Laval fought their way back into it. We were able to come away with the win. The highlight of the game for me was Wadly Mompremier's efforts on the glass. He came away with 11 rebounds and a bunch of blocked shots. It has been great to see him continue to develop. 



Final Score: 78-72!


Day four was our off day, and we let the guys explore Montreal. We first went to a very famous church in downtown Montreal. The only way you can hold events there is to receive a state order from the Canadian government. Apparantly Celine Dion is a big deal because she had her wedding at this church. Everything in the sanctuary was handcrafted. 






Later in the day, our tour guide George took the coaches out for lunch. We went to Schwart's Deli, and ordered a Canadian smoked meat sandwich. It reminded me of our pastrami or corned beef sandwich similar to what you would order in a New York deli. 



 He also took us to try a crepe ice cream cone. The French influence is definitely here in Montreal! 

When nighttime arrived, our coaching staff had the chance to dine with some great supporters of our program who came to watch us play. We cannot thank them enough for their support! A few of them even brought their shoes, in case we need them for a game!



Today we will tour the Olympic Stadium, where the 1976 games were held. Maybe I can find the exact spot where Bruce Jenner from the Kardashians received his gold medal…Michelyn will be jealous!


Go Bobcats!
Coach Kemp