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D3 Coach Q&A - Alison Montgomery (Bates WBB) · The Student Athlete Sessions

0:00
SPEAKER_01: Okay, we are back with our D3 head coach live Q&A series.
0:06
SPEAKER_01: Today, we are traveling up to Maine to meet with the head coach of
0:12
SPEAKER_01: the Bates women's basketball team.
0:15
SPEAKER_01: Coach Allison Montgomery joins the program.
0:17
SPEAKER_01: Coach Montgomery, how are you doing?
0:19
SPEAKER_00: I'm doing great.
0:20
SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for having me, Carl.
0:21
SPEAKER_00: Excited to chat, especially on the heels of starting our season on Thursday.
0:26
SPEAKER_00: So I'm getting excited.
0:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I know there's new rules around structuring practices.
0:32
SPEAKER_01: How do you guys approach that and set up that early season window?
0:39
SPEAKER_00: Well, actually, it's a great question.
0:41
SPEAKER_00: Us in the NESCAC, we are the last men and women standing up here.
0:44
SPEAKER_00: We don't get extra days or hours with our program.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: So we are still tied to that starting date of the 22nd of October.
0:53
SPEAKER_00: So we don't get those fall dates, which is challenging.
0:57
SPEAKER_00: I know we would all love to push for that.
1:00
SPEAKER_00: But I also think, you know, it's great.
1:03
SPEAKER_00: It allows our women to be really motivated and run a lot of that stuff on their own.
1:09
SPEAKER_00: But I can say I wouldn't love to have a little time with them in the fall
1:13
SPEAKER_00: before we officially get started on Thursday.
1:15
SPEAKER_01: Yep.
1:16
SPEAKER_01: Yep.
1:16
SPEAKER_01: That's a good check.
1:17
SPEAKER_01: I think it's,
1:19
SPEAKER_01: you know,
1:20
SPEAKER_01: definitely holds true to the mission of D3,
1:23
SPEAKER_01: trying to give people balance and,
1:26
SPEAKER_01: you know, but I think October 15th was traditionally the day.
1:30
SPEAKER_01: So NESCAC is one week behind that.
1:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we used to actually be Small improvements.
1:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
2:00
SPEAKER_01: Very nice.
2:02
SPEAKER_01: I guess, you know, the lack of prep did not hurt you guys last year.
2:06
SPEAKER_01: Just to recap, you and your staff were named the Conference Coaching Staff of the Year.
2:14
SPEAKER_01: You had a program record, 26 wins, only four losses, and made it to the Sweet 16.
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SPEAKER_01: You guys are definitely building on a great track record.
2:25
SPEAKER_01: You've now been there for 12 years.
2:27
SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
2:28
SPEAKER_01: Where do you envision the program going?
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SPEAKER_01: Or maybe before we even get there,
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SPEAKER_01: if you could flash back to your first year at Bates,
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SPEAKER_01: what would you have,
2:38
SPEAKER_01: you know,
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SPEAKER_01: how would you have processed this success that you guys are now,
2:41
SPEAKER_01: you know, it seems like it's becoming the norm at Bates?
2:47
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, great question.
2:48
SPEAKER_00: I think in taking over this program,
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SPEAKER_00: something that was important to me was that Bates had been there before.
2:54
SPEAKER_00: Like, Not only the women's basketball program,
2:57
SPEAKER_00: but other programs in our department have found real success.
3:01
SPEAKER_00: And I knew it was really possible here,
3:02
SPEAKER_00: not only because it had been done,
3:04
SPEAKER_00: but also because I really believed in a lot of things that we had in place
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SPEAKER_00: to support our student athletes.
3:10
SPEAKER_00: So, you know,
3:11
SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't have embarked on that mission if I truly didn't believe it,
3:15
SPEAKER_00: that this is an athletic department and a program that could win championships,
3:19
SPEAKER_00: because that has been, of course, the vision and the goal.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: And taking over the program.
3:24
SPEAKER_00: So when I was actually,
3:25
SPEAKER_00: when I was a player at Bowdoin,
3:28
SPEAKER_00: Bates had an amazing run in the NESCAC tournament as well as in the NCAA tournament.
3:33
SPEAKER_00: So that success had been there.
3:36
SPEAKER_00: It was definitely a little revitalization of the program for sure.
3:41
SPEAKER_00: Having to kind of catch up on just the way recruiting was moving.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: We definitely had, still do, but had some incredible juggernauts.
3:53
SPEAKER_00: And the program and the conference at the time as well.
3:56
SPEAKER_00: So it took, it definitely, you know, we knew that was going to be a process.
4:00
SPEAKER_00: I think when you're in it,
4:03
SPEAKER_00: it's hard to stay patient,
4:05
SPEAKER_00: but you just kind of keep showing up, keep doing the work.
4:07
SPEAKER_00: And I think something that I'll always remember is one of the first groups
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SPEAKER_00: that I recruited as they were graduating and getting ready to exit
4:16
SPEAKER_00: and we were having sort of our end of the year banquet,
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SPEAKER_00: they were sort of like,
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SPEAKER_00: we were recruited and we were told,
4:22
SPEAKER_00: We could be a part of doing this, like winning a championship.
4:25
SPEAKER_00: And they were like, we did it.
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SPEAKER_00: Like we did it in four years.
4:29
SPEAKER_00: So I think just being really diligent to the process every day
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SPEAKER_00: and understanding sort of how patient we had to be and really believe
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SPEAKER_00: in what we were doing was the name of the game there.
4:40
SPEAKER_00: And I think another message that I had to tell myself a lot,
4:45
SPEAKER_00: as well as all the women in our program who came through
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SPEAKER_00: to build our program was like, this is where we want to be.
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SPEAKER_00: Like you want to be in a, in a,
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SPEAKER_00: Context where you're having to perform at your very best every night to have
4:58
SPEAKER_00: a chance to win.
5:00
SPEAKER_00: Right.
5:00
SPEAKER_00: So I think constantly trying to give myself to that pep talk of like,
5:05
SPEAKER_00: if you want to easily like go from one year to the next and just get,
5:08
SPEAKER_00: you know, double digit wins like this isn't the conference to do it.
5:10
SPEAKER_00: It takes some time.
5:11
SPEAKER_00: So I just think that process has been.
5:15
SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
5:15
SPEAKER_00: Something I love about coaching is that no matter what you've done the year before,
5:19
SPEAKER_00: it's a clean slate the next year.
5:21
SPEAKER_00: It really is.
5:22
SPEAKER_00: Of course, you want to build a legacy in a program where it's a program.
5:26
SPEAKER_00: It's not built on just players who come and go.
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SPEAKER_00: It's a program that can sustain what we're trying to do.
5:31
SPEAKER_00: So that's, of course, what we're trying to do.
5:33
SPEAKER_00: But I think we're also trying to be creative every single year
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SPEAKER_00: to maximize what we have in each given year and to Find that balance
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SPEAKER_00: of keeping our sights on the same thing while also thinking about what's next.
5:48
SPEAKER_00: Like, what do we want to do that's different?
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SPEAKER_00: What do we want to do that is sort of more?
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SPEAKER_00: And I think,
5:53
SPEAKER_00: you know,
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SPEAKER_00: our team,
5:54
SPEAKER_00: something that our team has come up with this year is talking about raising the bar
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SPEAKER_00: and like, what does that mean in terms of process, in terms of outcome?
6:02
SPEAKER_00: So I think just, you know, every year is a new year with a new challenge.
6:06
SPEAKER_00: And that's certainly something that I love about coaching.
6:08
SPEAKER_00: But The journey from the start 12 years ago for sure has been a labor of love.
6:15
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
6:16
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you are – I'd love to get into your playing career.
6:19
SPEAKER_01: You're born and raised in Maine, now coaching in Maine.
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SPEAKER_01: I think – And there's something to be said about staying true to your roots
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SPEAKER_01: and building up the hoop scene in your home state.
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SPEAKER_01: That's really, I'm sure, very special.
6:36
SPEAKER_01: Why did you stay in state for college?
6:39
SPEAKER_01: Why did you stay in state?
6:40
SPEAKER_01: I know you've had some jumps out,
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SPEAKER_01: but for the most part,
6:45
SPEAKER_01: what about Maine basketball or people outside of Maine missing?
6:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
6:49
SPEAKER_00: It's a great question.
6:50
SPEAKER_00: I think when I was first looking,
6:52
SPEAKER_00: when I was getting ready to leave high school and go to college,
6:54
SPEAKER_00: my only criteria was like, I'm leaving Maine.
6:58
SPEAKER_00: And the program and the institution that resonated with me was in Maine.
7:05
SPEAKER_00: So I did stay for those four years, obviously.
7:08
SPEAKER_00: And like you said,
7:08
SPEAKER_00: I got my coaching career start in Maine and in this conference,
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SPEAKER_00: then moved away for a bit and kind of jumped up a level to get some more experience
7:19
SPEAKER_00: before coming back.
7:20
SPEAKER_00: But, you know, there is it's just community like there's such a sense of community here.
7:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
7:26
SPEAKER_00: I think generally in Maine,
7:29
SPEAKER_00: just period,
7:29
SPEAKER_00: but definitely around athletics and high school athletics,
7:33
SPEAKER_00: women's basketball for sure.
7:34
SPEAKER_00: I mean, the Maine State Tournament is something that I just I grew up around right
7:39
SPEAKER_00: over school vacation week.
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SPEAKER_00: You go to you go to the main high school tournament and everybody sits there all day
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SPEAKER_00: and watches every game.
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SPEAKER_00: There's just there's definitely a following around it.
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SPEAKER_00: So it's it's a special thing.
7:50
SPEAKER_00: And I think.
7:52
SPEAKER_00: You know,
7:53
SPEAKER_00: the pull back to Maine was definitely it was definitely about Maine in terms
7:57
SPEAKER_00: of coming back to Bates,
7:57
SPEAKER_00: but it was also just the quality of an institution like Bates.
8:01
SPEAKER_00: Like I said, being in a conference like this where the standard is excellence in every way.
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SPEAKER_00: So like athletically, academically.
8:11
SPEAKER_00: And then personally for me too, there's a level there.
8:13
SPEAKER_00: My husband and I are from Maine.
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SPEAKER_00: We have a family that's really important to us too.
8:18
SPEAKER_00: So that part of community as well to feel like we're personally
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SPEAKER_00: and professionally around our community and our people, that's really important too.
8:27
SPEAKER_00: So all of it has just kind of fit.
8:29
SPEAKER_00: But I think I also feel that recruiting in Maine is really important.
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SPEAKER_00: I talk to him all the time from Maine about recruiting.
8:37
SPEAKER_00: I get the pull,
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SPEAKER_00: like whether you're from Maine or not,
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SPEAKER_00: like when you're thinking about college to sort of branch out and maybe step away
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SPEAKER_00: from what you're familiar with in terms of, you know, geography.
8:48
SPEAKER_00: And I think absolutely that makes sense sometimes.
8:51
SPEAKER_00: But I think I'm also really motivated to try to keep some of our best players
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SPEAKER_00: in state and to really get to experience that community play in front of
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SPEAKER_00: that community, because I do think that's unique and really special.
9:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
9:03
SPEAKER_01: And I mean,
9:03
SPEAKER_01: and you're selling,
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SPEAKER_01: I'm sure your pitch is very genuine because you have done it yourself.
9:08
SPEAKER_01: And I'm sure that comes through for recruits.
9:12
SPEAKER_01: When you talk about, you mentioned in the last answer, I think you guys wanted to raise the bar.
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SPEAKER_01: That was the team's What they've decided on.
9:21
SPEAKER_01: How much of that is coach-led?
9:23
SPEAKER_01: How much of that is player-led?
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SPEAKER_01: And how do you all reconcile goal-setting?
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SPEAKER_01: What the mark is going to be for each season, each week?
9:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's a great question.
9:36
SPEAKER_00: And it's both.
9:37
SPEAKER_00: It's definitely player-led.
9:39
SPEAKER_00: Every year when we Start to embark on a new season and we have this conversation
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SPEAKER_00: about our goals and our values and our vision.
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SPEAKER_00: That's really driven by them.
9:48
SPEAKER_00: Of course,
9:50
SPEAKER_00: I love to sort of be engaged in that conversation and sort of push them
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SPEAKER_00: on certain things they're thinking about or to sort of inject ideas I might have
9:58
SPEAKER_00: about it.
9:59
SPEAKER_00: But I think I know that the way the most likely outcome for us to get what we want,
10:06
SPEAKER_00: like they have to be.
10:08
SPEAKER_00: All in.
10:09
SPEAKER_00: It has to really resonate with them.
10:11
SPEAKER_00: So I want their vision to fully come from them.
10:14
SPEAKER_00: So that's something we kind of painstakingly work on in the preseason for them
10:19
SPEAKER_00: to really nail down, you know, values and their vision for the season.
10:24
SPEAKER_00: And then I think it's, you know, it's just, it's a really...
10:30
SPEAKER_00: It's a really sort of arduous process every season to then not set your intention,
10:36
SPEAKER_00: but to be accountable to your intentions every day.
10:38
SPEAKER_00: Man, that is a grind.
10:41
SPEAKER_00: So I think that's kind of what sets apart the good from the great.
10:45
SPEAKER_00: You know, I think a lot of people have really, really great ideas.
10:48
SPEAKER_00: People meaning like coaching,
10:49
SPEAKER_00: coaches,
10:50
SPEAKER_00: staffs, teams, like everybody sets great intention at the start of a season.
10:53
SPEAKER_00: Everybody comes up with great values that they're like,
10:55
SPEAKER_00: yes, this defines us and this is what we're going to do.
10:57
SPEAKER_00: Like, it's so fun coming out and you're like, yes, this is wonderful.
11:02
SPEAKER_00: When you put it into action,
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SPEAKER_00: it's actually so difficult,
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SPEAKER_00: I think,
11:06
SPEAKER_00: not only to figure out how you're going to Embody that every day,
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SPEAKER_00: but then how you're going to hold yourself and others accountable to that.
11:14
SPEAKER_00: So I think,
11:15
SPEAKER_00: you know,
11:15
SPEAKER_00: we try to be really intentional about that part, too,
11:17
SPEAKER_00: and to every single day,
11:19
SPEAKER_00: bring them back to what our values are,
11:23
SPEAKER_00: what we're trying to do and stay really, really process oriented.
11:27
SPEAKER_00: It's impossible in competition sometimes to not like you are.
11:31
SPEAKER_00: Measures by outcome in so many ways.
11:33
SPEAKER_00: Right.
11:33
SPEAKER_00: So it's impossible to not get caught up in that sometimes.
11:37
SPEAKER_00: And you need to write like it's important you're trying to get outcomes.
11:40
SPEAKER_00: But at the same time,
11:42
SPEAKER_00: I think just getting really everybody really bought into understanding,
11:45
SPEAKER_00: like if we are in on the process and we are holding ourselves accountable
11:49
SPEAKER_00: to these values every day,
11:50
SPEAKER_00: we got to fully believe those outcomes will will happen for us.
11:54
SPEAKER_00: So, yeah.
11:56
SPEAKER_00: I think it's that's the trick, though.
11:58
SPEAKER_00: I think it's just like accountability and how you how you reconcile each day,
12:02
SPEAKER_00: sort of how well you're doing,
12:03
SPEAKER_00: how you're measuring it and how you're holding everybody accountable to it.
12:08
SPEAKER_01: Mm hmm.
12:09
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's an amazing sounding preseason goal or standard is great.
12:15
SPEAKER_01: But then,
12:16
SPEAKER_01: you know,
12:17
SPEAKER_01: in December or January,
12:20
SPEAKER_01: if the wheels start to fall off on,
12:22
SPEAKER_01: you know,
12:23
SPEAKER_01: making sure that people are still bought into that, it doesn't mean anything.
12:27
SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
12:28
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah.
12:30
SPEAKER_01: I want to pause real quick.
12:31
SPEAKER_01: We have a couple people in the video with us.
12:36
SPEAKER_01: Just as a reminder, tonight is a live Q&A.
12:38
SPEAKER_01: So if you have questions for Coach Montgomery,
12:40
SPEAKER_01: feel free to type those in at the bottom and we will get those answered in
12:44
SPEAKER_01: the order they come in.
12:45
SPEAKER_01: We also got one from what we've learned is a parent of a team member here.
12:53
SPEAKER_01: So we'll lead off with this.
12:55
SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Monica, for the question.
12:57
SPEAKER_01: She asks,
12:58
SPEAKER_01: what or who motivates you,
13:01
SPEAKER_01: Coach Montgomery, to continue to work at being the best you can be as a coach?
13:06
SPEAKER_01: Your staff, you and your staff were coach of the year or coaching staff of the year last year.
13:11
SPEAKER_01: So what inspires you to continue on that excellence?
13:14
SPEAKER_00: Great question, Monica.
13:18
SPEAKER_00: I honestly, this might be, I don't know.
13:21
SPEAKER_00: I feel like my motivation, I'm so internally just driven.
13:28
SPEAKER_00: To reach a certain standard kind of in anything that I'm doing,
13:31
SPEAKER_00: I feel like it's really an internal pressure.
13:33
SPEAKER_00: I think in anything you do,
13:35
SPEAKER_00: definitely though in coaching,
13:36
SPEAKER_00: which is very public,
13:38
SPEAKER_00: and again,
13:38
SPEAKER_00: it's very outcome driven,
13:41
SPEAKER_00: there can be a tendency to be distracted by external pressures.
13:46
SPEAKER_00: Of course that happens to me,
13:47
SPEAKER_00: like of course it would happen to any coach,
13:48
SPEAKER_00: anyone in this position,
13:49
SPEAKER_00: but like ultimately when I'm really able to kind of like Yeah.
14:11
SPEAKER_00: So I think that's really tied to like what motivates me are the people who did this
14:16
SPEAKER_00: for me and like totally shaped who I am,
14:20
SPEAKER_00: gave me experiences that I just were incredible and that I want
14:25
SPEAKER_00: to help support other women to push their limits,
14:29
SPEAKER_00: to be really curious about what they're capable of.
14:33
SPEAKER_00: So my coaches, right,
14:34
SPEAKER_00: like my high school coach for starters,
14:37
SPEAKER_00: for sure,
14:38
SPEAKER_00: My college coach is a huge mentor of mine who really set the standard of like,
14:43
SPEAKER_00: she really ingrained in me that like anything you take on,
14:47
SPEAKER_00: you're capable of being excellent at.
14:50
SPEAKER_00: And it's an excuse if you think you, you're making excuses if you don't think you can, right?
14:54
SPEAKER_00: Like, and I think the idea of like balance and, you know, not wanting to take on too much.
15:00
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think that was definitely part of my college experience, which was really balanced.
15:03
SPEAKER_00: And I was doing a lot of different things at the same time.
15:07
SPEAKER_00: Which I think really prepared me for life after that,
15:10
SPEAKER_00: of having a career, having a family, juggling a lot of things at the same time.
15:16
SPEAKER_00: I think for sure it's the people before me who put me in these positions.
15:22
SPEAKER_00: I just really want that for our women.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: And when I see those things come to fruition for our women, that's the magic.
15:31
SPEAKER_00: That's the beauty.
15:32
SPEAKER_00: That's why I'm doing it.
15:32
SPEAKER_00: So I think ultimately it's just a responsibility that I feel to the folks who did it for me.
15:39
SPEAKER_00: And the folks that I'm entrusted with in my program.
15:43
SPEAKER_00: And then,
15:44
SPEAKER_00: of course, just,
15:44
SPEAKER_00: you know,
15:45
SPEAKER_00: representing my people, my family, to kind of find that standard of excellence.
15:50
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a beautiful answer.
15:52
SPEAKER_01: And I mean,
15:53
SPEAKER_01: I love the piece about you value your outcomes so much and what you got out of
15:58
SPEAKER_01: that balance experience in your own,
16:00
SPEAKER_01: you know, college career, well, athletic and otherwise.
16:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
16:06
SPEAKER_01: And I think, yeah,
16:07
SPEAKER_01: it's something that I hear from so many,
16:09
SPEAKER_01: not only D3 coaches who are maybe back at their alma mater or,
16:14
SPEAKER_01: you know,
16:14
SPEAKER_01: just coaching at the level again,
16:16
SPEAKER_01: or players too who just want to help the next generation because they've gotten such
16:22
SPEAKER_01: a great experience from getting to play this sport,
16:26
SPEAKER_01: but also not being thought of as just an athlete.
16:30
SPEAKER_01: And having institutions like Bates that treat them as such and give them such
16:35
SPEAKER_01: a wealth of opportunities.
16:36
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, amazing answer.
16:41
SPEAKER_01: I do want to dig into your career because I don't think you're going to go in-depth here.
16:48
SPEAKER_01: And I just want to give you credit where credit is due.
16:51
SPEAKER_01: You were a four-year starter in college with Bowdoin.
16:56
SPEAKER_01: Four NESCAC championships, a cumulative record of 108-9 with four NCAA tournament appearances.
17:04
SPEAKER_01: You made it to the national title game.
17:06
SPEAKER_01: You were a captain and a two-time NESCAC all-academic selection.
17:11
SPEAKER_01: Pretty incredible.
17:12
SPEAKER_01: How did you balance that with everything else that you were doing?
17:15
SPEAKER_01: You were a psych major.
17:18
SPEAKER_01: What did that look like when you were an undergrad?
17:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well,
17:22
SPEAKER_00: I think, I mean,
17:23
SPEAKER_00: there's so much that goes into something like that,
17:25
SPEAKER_00: what you said, but like, damn, timing was good.
17:28
SPEAKER_00: Like, I stepped into a program to a coaching staff to a group of women that like,
17:34
SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's a lot that makes that type of magic happen for sure.
17:37
SPEAKER_00: But like, you got to recognize a little bit of like the timing and the luck.
17:40
SPEAKER_00: It's like, dang, like, it was just kind of like magic at once.
17:44
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, incredible experience.
17:47
SPEAKER_00: I think something that really stands out to me About that,
17:51
SPEAKER_00: just what you kind of said about like balancing and doing lots of things and kind
17:55
SPEAKER_00: of seeking excellence at everything you're doing.
17:59
SPEAKER_00: When I was a junior, that was our most successful year.
18:02
SPEAKER_00: And that's when we went to the national title game.
18:04
SPEAKER_00: We're undefeated going into that game.
18:06
SPEAKER_00: I like on a whim in the middle of our season with a friend of mine decided
18:12
SPEAKER_00: to go try out for a play.
18:16
SPEAKER_00: Just like on a whim.
18:16
SPEAKER_00: I was like, I'm not going to get a role.
18:18
SPEAKER_00: Let's just like, let's just go to the, let's go to the auditions and like, see what happens.
18:23
SPEAKER_00: And then I got an email saying like, you've been selected.
18:25
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, oh my gosh, what am I going to do?
18:27
SPEAKER_00: Can I do this?
18:28
SPEAKER_00: Is this even possible?
18:29
SPEAKER_00: This is crazy.
18:30
SPEAKER_00: Like, and I went to go to talk to my coach and she was like, well, do you want to do this?
18:34
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, I think I do.
18:35
SPEAKER_00: But like, you know, and she was incredible.
18:39
SPEAKER_00: Like, she was just kind of like, all right, like, let's figure it out.
18:42
SPEAKER_00: Let's line up your schedules.
18:43
SPEAKER_00: Let's see.
18:46
SPEAKER_00: Like, what practices we can adjust.
18:48
SPEAKER_00: Let's figure out, like, you know.
18:49
SPEAKER_00: And so she helped me do that.
18:51
SPEAKER_00: But she was also really clear to me, like, look, I'm trusting you.
18:54
SPEAKER_00: Like, if you want to do this, like,
18:55
SPEAKER_00: you need to figure out where you're going to find time to sleep,
18:58
SPEAKER_00: when you're going to find time to eat.
18:59
SPEAKER_00: Like, and if you do this play, like, you better freaking do it well.
19:04
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, yeah.
19:05
SPEAKER_00: So that NESCAC championship weekend,
19:08
SPEAKER_00: which we were hosting that year,
19:11
SPEAKER_00: my junior year, it was the same weekend as our production of the play.
19:16
SPEAKER_00: Like Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights.
19:18
SPEAKER_00: We hosted the NESCAC tournament Saturday and Sunday.
19:22
SPEAKER_00: And won a championship that Sunday.
19:26
SPEAKER_00: That was just like an incredible culmination of like what that experience was.
19:29
SPEAKER_00: Like I, my whole family was in town, right?
19:33
SPEAKER_00: To obviously see the championship basketball games, but also to see me perform in this play.
19:38
SPEAKER_00: My entire team is like sitting in the front row and It was just like,
19:44
SPEAKER_00: it was an amazing experience.
19:46
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's something that really, really stretched me.
19:48
SPEAKER_00: Like I was doing something that was very uncomfortable for me that like I'd never tried before.
19:54
SPEAKER_00: All at the same time, like at the most, you know, maybe most intense time of our season.
19:58
SPEAKER_00: So it just stretched me and it taught me a lot about what I was capable of.
20:02
SPEAKER_00: Like if I really wanted to do something and it was important to me,
20:05
SPEAKER_00: I gotta go figure out how to do it and do it well.
20:09
SPEAKER_00: And so...
20:10
SPEAKER_00: That was just like a cool stretch in my career.
20:14
SPEAKER_00: And then I think,
20:15
SPEAKER_00: of course, yeah,
20:16
SPEAKER_00: like academically,
20:16
SPEAKER_00: I think you're just surrounded by really motivated students who...
20:22
SPEAKER_00: You know,
20:22
SPEAKER_00: you're kind of you're surrounded by a lot of like minded people,
20:25
SPEAKER_00: right, who are like they really value everything they're doing.
20:27
SPEAKER_00: They're there to be a student first, but it doesn't have to stop there.
20:31
SPEAKER_00: Like, again, you can pursue excellence in every and every sort of thing that you're doing.
20:35
SPEAKER_00: But that sort of stretch of time in my life, like, I just think I'll never forget that.
20:39
SPEAKER_00: And it taught me so much.
20:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out how you...
20:44
SPEAKER_01: So the play was three nights?
20:45
SPEAKER_01: Was it Thursday, Friday, Saturday?
20:47
SPEAKER_01: So was the game played Saturday midday?
20:49
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
20:50
SPEAKER_01: And then you went straight to the play afterwards?
20:53
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and then we had the championship on Sunday.
20:55
SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh.
20:56
SPEAKER_01: And what role were you?
20:57
SPEAKER_01: Also, what play, first of all?
20:59
SPEAKER_00: It was actually the Vagina Monologues.
21:01
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
21:02
SPEAKER_00: I am.
21:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we had that at Swarthmore when I was there.
21:04
SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, yes.
21:05
SPEAKER_00: Super cool.
21:06
SPEAKER_00: Super cool production.
21:07
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
21:08
SPEAKER_00: Um, so again,
21:09
SPEAKER_00: stretch a little bit,
21:10
SPEAKER_00: like stretching me out of my comfort zone,
21:12
SPEAKER_00: but, um, something that I believed in, right?
21:14
SPEAKER_00: Like I thought like, oh, this is really cool.
21:15
SPEAKER_00: Like, um, I,
21:17
SPEAKER_00: I just loved, um, the,
21:20
SPEAKER_00: the idea and the philosophy behind it and what E.
21:22
SPEAKER_00: Vensler was trying to do with that production.
21:24
SPEAKER_00: So it was something I really believed in.
21:26
SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah.
21:28
SPEAKER_01: Amazing.
21:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
21:30
SPEAKER_01: I, that, I,
21:31
SPEAKER_01: you know, I,
21:32
SPEAKER_01: I think your coach was honestly saying when they said,
21:35
SPEAKER_01: find time to sleep, find time to eat.
21:39
SPEAKER_01: That is incredible.
21:40
SPEAKER_01: Do your players know this story?
21:44
SPEAKER_00: I don't think so.
21:45
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I was going to say, the high school musical comparisons are pretty ripe here.
21:52
SPEAKER_01: I'm sure they would love that if they got a hold of this.
21:55
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
21:56
SPEAKER_01: Heads in the game with the hearts in the song.
21:58
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
22:02
SPEAKER_01: Switching gears a little bit to recruiting, I guess actually I'll open it up.
22:08
SPEAKER_01: We have, again, a couple people in here.
22:10
SPEAKER_01: If you have questions, Tyrone, Mo are the two names I see.
22:14
SPEAKER_01: Feel free to ask them.
22:15
SPEAKER_01: We'll get those answered.
22:17
SPEAKER_01: While we wait for that, I would just say to...
22:21
SPEAKER_01: As you guys get this season started, obviously you just got a new class of Bobcats on campus.
22:28
SPEAKER_01: What are your takeaways from being on the recruiting trail this past year,
22:34
SPEAKER_01: wrapping up that class?
22:35
SPEAKER_01: What are some things that really impressed you
22:37
SPEAKER_01: that maybe landed those players' offers and some things that you saw
22:42
SPEAKER_01: that might have stopped some recruiting from happening with other players?
22:47
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's a good question.
22:48
SPEAKER_00: I guess I was trying to think a little bit about what I would say distinctly
22:52
SPEAKER_00: about this year as compared to others.
22:55
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think...
22:59
SPEAKER_00: It all just really comes down to, I mean, there's the obvious things in recruiting, right?
23:03
SPEAKER_00: Like we're all out there.
23:04
SPEAKER_00: We can all sort of identify the talent,
23:06
SPEAKER_00: the athleticism,
23:07
SPEAKER_00: the skill that we think is going to make an impact at our level and in our program.
23:14
SPEAKER_00: It is such a puzzle.
23:16
SPEAKER_00: It's such a puzzle every year.
23:17
SPEAKER_00: And so I think, you know, it's, yeah, there's no, it's definitely an art and not a science.
23:24
SPEAKER_00: I'll just say that because you kind of,
23:27
SPEAKER_00: You're using your gut in a lot of ways and you're trying to predict based
23:31
SPEAKER_00: on past success you've had.
23:33
SPEAKER_00: I think something that's just really important is just finding women
23:38
SPEAKER_00: that just are really engaged in the recruiting process.
23:42
SPEAKER_00: And I think right away identify something unique about Bates and about our program
23:47
SPEAKER_00: that they are really engaging in the process.
23:49
SPEAKER_00: Like I know on one level recruiting is about garnering interest and you're trying
23:56
SPEAKER_00: to showcase your program and showcase your school.
24:01
SPEAKER_00: But I really want that recruiting process to be incredibly two-way.
24:07
SPEAKER_00: I want to feel like...
24:10
SPEAKER_00: I think the
24:16
SPEAKER_00: world of the women on our team and our program and our school.
24:19
SPEAKER_00: So I also want there to be a level of women recognizing what an opportunity it is
24:24
SPEAKER_00: that we might be presenting or recruiting them to.
24:28
SPEAKER_00: So I really want it to be kind of two-way in that sense.
24:32
SPEAKER_00: I mean...
24:33
SPEAKER_00: I think, honestly, the basketball piece is pretty easy.
25:00
SPEAKER_00: To sort of figure out now, I say that also saying like it's an art, not a science.
25:04
SPEAKER_00: So like you don't always predict perfectly sort of the way someone's going to impact
25:08
SPEAKER_00: or the timeline in which they're going to impact.
25:12
SPEAKER_00: But I just think wanting that two-way engagement that really stands out to me
25:15
SPEAKER_00: and that's sort of like what can help move folks along in the process.
25:19
SPEAKER_00: I think the other thing is I think coaches do this really differently
25:23
SPEAKER_00: and there's no right or wrong, but I just think I am all about recruiting families.
25:28
SPEAKER_00: I want to feel like I take it pretty seriously that our group just feels good to be around.
25:34
SPEAKER_00: Like I want our parents engaged in the process.
25:37
SPEAKER_00: It's a huge sacrifice,
25:38
SPEAKER_00: no matter how that pans out for families in terms of how much they're paying
25:42
SPEAKER_00: or how much they're traveling or what they're doing, no matter what.
25:45
SPEAKER_00: It's a huge sacrifice, this phase.
25:47
SPEAKER_00: So I want that experience to be really great for them too.
25:50
SPEAKER_00: So it's important to me to feel connected with families.
25:54
SPEAKER_00: And by that,
25:54
SPEAKER_00: I mean like We share similar perspectives,
25:57
SPEAKER_00: that there's a good level of trust in, like,
25:59
SPEAKER_00: what we're trying to do and that we have a relationship that is,
26:03
SPEAKER_00: you know,
26:03
SPEAKER_00: feels good and feels like it's going to sort of add to our culture
26:07
SPEAKER_00: and our community.
26:10
SPEAKER_01: How do you, like,
26:12
SPEAKER_01: I think I hear you when you say, like,
26:17
SPEAKER_01: when they get on campus,
26:19
SPEAKER_01: that feeling,
26:19
SPEAKER_01: that mutual back and forth conversation,
26:22
SPEAKER_01: And attraction should be there in terms of player liking the program,
26:26
SPEAKER_01: the program and the existing players liking the recruit.
26:30
SPEAKER_01: With that initial outreach and kind of signaling genuine interest,
26:34
SPEAKER_01: what are some great examples that you've seen from recruits?
26:36
SPEAKER_01: Because I do think this is something that we try to communicate a lot
26:41
SPEAKER_01: and how important As you mentioned, it needing to be a back and forth.
26:46
SPEAKER_01: It's not a wait and Coach Montgomery is just going to come find me wherever I am.
26:51
SPEAKER_01: It is a, I need to be proactive and do that reach out.
26:54
SPEAKER_01: But what is that first kind of genuine interest in Bates look like in your experience?
27:02
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think probably most coaches, I think, would agree with me.
27:05
SPEAKER_00: But just something that feels personalized,
27:08
SPEAKER_00: you know,
27:09
SPEAKER_00: something that feels like there's something really specific about the reach out,
27:12
SPEAKER_00: like whether it's something specific about Bates.
27:16
SPEAKER_00: It could be the academic program.
27:17
SPEAKER_00: It could be the athletic program.
27:19
SPEAKER_00: It could be a mutual connection, right?
27:21
SPEAKER_00: Like, oh, you know, I have this connection to Bates.
27:24
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: Those kind of things are just like, those are important for building relationship.
27:29
SPEAKER_00: And for like, that's like 101 in terms of like, hey, let's get to know each other.
27:34
SPEAKER_00: And here's why I'm interested in getting to know you and getting to know what your program is.
27:38
SPEAKER_00: So I just think when it's personalized, it's really great.
27:41
SPEAKER_00: I think I definitely encourage recruits to be persistent, right?
27:44
SPEAKER_00: Like I think we do our very best to make sure that our communication is,
27:49
SPEAKER_00: we're responsible with it and that we're replying to everybody.
27:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
27:54
SPEAKER_00: But I think I give that advice to be really persistent about like
27:57
SPEAKER_00: where you've identified you think would be a good fit for you.
27:59
SPEAKER_00: I think it's always great if you can, if folks are reaching out on your behalf, right?
28:05
SPEAKER_00: Like I love hearing.
28:07
SPEAKER_00: I do a lot of that reach out myself, right?
28:09
SPEAKER_00: Like both to coaches,
28:10
SPEAKER_00: to opposing coaches,
28:12
SPEAKER_00: to, you know, just people in their inner circle, I think is really important.
28:17
SPEAKER_00: So we get creative about that to get like a different,
28:21
SPEAKER_00: you know, different perspective on who they are.
28:24
SPEAKER_00: But I just think personalized, you know?
28:26
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's no different than building a relationship with someone in any other context.
28:31
SPEAKER_00: Like, it's the same thing in recruiting, I think.
28:34
SPEAKER_01: Right.
28:34
SPEAKER_01: And it's almost the first time for a lot of kids that they're doing this
28:38
SPEAKER_01: and they're building a skill set.
28:39
SPEAKER_01: And it's something that translates to,
28:41
SPEAKER_01: you know, the rest of life, finding a job, building a career.
28:44
SPEAKER_01: And so it is very important.
28:48
SPEAKER_01: What about the role of parents?
28:50
SPEAKER_01: I know you said people in their circle, but...
28:52
SPEAKER_01: Where do parents come in?
28:54
SPEAKER_01: Because some love to be involved.
28:56
SPEAKER_01: Some take a back seat.
28:58
SPEAKER_01: But what is the best thing a parent can do to help their kids process?
29:03
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's a fine... For me,
29:05
SPEAKER_00: it's a really fine line because, like,
29:07
SPEAKER_00: I actually don't...
29:08
SPEAKER_00: You know,
29:09
SPEAKER_00: I want to recruit women who are driving the process,
29:12
SPEAKER_00: who are taking this leap to, right?
29:15
SPEAKER_00: Like, this is maybe, in a lot of cases, like, the first big decision they've ever made.
29:20
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
29:22
SPEAKER_00: I want to feel like their love of basketball and their pursuit
29:27
SPEAKER_00: of this specific school is driven by them.
29:31
SPEAKER_00: So I do want to feel like they have that level of independence and maturity.
29:36
SPEAKER_00: But I also it's not like an immediate turnoff to me to have like I want to interact
29:40
SPEAKER_00: with parents.
29:41
SPEAKER_00: And again, this is something that I think a lot of coaches handle.
29:44
SPEAKER_00: Coaches handle this differently.
29:46
SPEAKER_00: Like some don't want to be as engaged.
29:48
SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying it's wrong or right.
29:50
SPEAKER_00: But it's just who I am and how it works.
29:52
SPEAKER_00: So I think like...
29:54
SPEAKER_00: I also know we need to be partners because I don't care.
29:58
SPEAKER_00: We're supporting these women to step into adulthood and support their independence.
30:02
SPEAKER_00: However,
30:04
SPEAKER_00: the way their parents are supporting them,
30:06
SPEAKER_00: their advice they're giving them, it really matters to them.
30:11
SPEAKER_00: It really matters.
30:12
SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying it shouldn't.
30:13
SPEAKER_00: It does.
30:14
SPEAKER_00: So I do want to feel like there's a level of we're aligned on that.
30:18
SPEAKER_00: And I think sometimes those are just very direct conversations where I say that
30:23
SPEAKER_00: to families or...
30:25
SPEAKER_00: In certain cases, like set a boundary on around something.
30:29
SPEAKER_00: But I think I do want parents who are like the right amount engaged,
30:32
SPEAKER_00: which I know that's like a really gray answer.
30:36
SPEAKER_00: And it is a nuanced thing.
30:39
SPEAKER_00: So I just think,
30:40
SPEAKER_00: you know,
30:41
SPEAKER_00: but I think coaches might have different feelings about like what a red flag is
30:44
SPEAKER_00: for them in that, you
30:48
SPEAKER_00: For me,
30:48
SPEAKER_00: I just want to feel like I have a really good feel and like I know what I'm dealing
30:52
SPEAKER_00: with.
30:53
SPEAKER_00: So I think like if I haven't done my research and I haven't really been engaged
30:56
SPEAKER_00: and I just like don't know what I'm dealing with.
30:58
SPEAKER_00: So I want to feel like I know the people who are coming into my program and we have
31:03
SPEAKER_00: a good sense of each other.
31:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, right.
31:05
SPEAKER_01: That makes sense.
31:08
SPEAKER_01: Sight unseen is not necessarily a good thing.
31:11
SPEAKER_01: Even if you have a woman leading her own process and really driving it forward, that's great.
31:17
SPEAKER_01: But you kind of, as you see, want to see the whole picture.
31:21
SPEAKER_01: I think that is really wise.
31:24
SPEAKER_01: You had an interesting situation where...
31:28
SPEAKER_01: You were already very aligned with the parent of a player, a recent grad who came in.
31:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
31:36
SPEAKER_01: What was that like?
31:38
SPEAKER_01: Coaching...
31:40
SPEAKER_01: You know, this is Elsa and her mom.
31:46
SPEAKER_01: She was a Bates grad.
31:47
SPEAKER_01: You worked under her.
31:48
SPEAKER_01: So all kinds of crossover.
31:49
SPEAKER_01: What was this situation like?
31:52
SPEAKER_01: Obviously, she was an incredible player on the court as well in her own right.
31:56
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, what was that like for you getting to coach her for four years?
32:00
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, it was a dream.
32:01
SPEAKER_00: It was a dream.
32:02
SPEAKER_00: Like, I get where, like, you were kind of saying, like, it's layered, right?
32:05
SPEAKER_00: There's so many connections there, but,
32:08
SPEAKER_00: and I'm not saying in some scenarios that might not be tricky at times,
32:11
SPEAKER_00: but in this scenario, it was a dream.
32:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I got my start in coaching under Adrienne at Bowden.
32:18
SPEAKER_00: She gave me a chance there and was coaching with her for three years.
32:24
SPEAKER_00: And when I got that job, like, Elsa was, you know, four years old.
32:27
SPEAKER_00: So...
32:30
SPEAKER_00: To then come to Bates and have the opportunity to coach Elsa, I mean, so cool.
32:37
SPEAKER_00: So cool.
32:39
SPEAKER_00: And just so, it's just special, you know what I mean?
32:42
SPEAKER_00: And Adrienne having, I mean, Adrienne's a pro.
32:46
SPEAKER_00: She's, you know, coached most of her life and she's super smart and she gets it.
32:51
SPEAKER_00: And so I think...
32:53
SPEAKER_00: And then she came to work at Bates as an administrator, too.
32:56
SPEAKER_00: But it was like she just I thought she handled it really beautifully,
32:59
SPEAKER_00: like really gave me the space to be Elsa's coach.
33:03
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I was clear about that boundary, too, a little bit.
33:07
SPEAKER_00: And with Elsa, right,
33:08
SPEAKER_00: like I wanted Elsa to feel like,
33:10
SPEAKER_00: you know,
33:10
SPEAKER_00: she had that space there, too, to feel like this is her experience as a player.
33:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
33:17
SPEAKER_00: And I think we communicated well through that,
33:18
SPEAKER_00: but there was really no moments where, you know, that was hard.
33:21
SPEAKER_00: It was really only kind of wonderful.
33:22
SPEAKER_00: And, uh,
33:37
SPEAKER_00: You know, being a coach, she got it.
33:41
SPEAKER_00: She got a lot of the challenges and was a good resource in that way.
33:44
SPEAKER_00: And now I'm gonna be competing against her.
33:46
SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say, now she's back in the league, so.
33:49
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
33:50
SPEAKER_01: Pretty incredible story.
33:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
33:53
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, very fun.
33:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
33:57
SPEAKER_01: Just quick pause to open it up for questions again.
33:59
SPEAKER_01: If people have any, I do get one on a message.
34:05
SPEAKER_01: That I thought was, you know, could be relevant here.
34:08
SPEAKER_01: We could use Elsa as the example or you could just go general.
34:14
SPEAKER_01: What is the,
34:16
SPEAKER_01: coming in from freshman year to senior year,
34:18
SPEAKER_01: what is the growth that you want to instill or like what is the impact you want
34:24
SPEAKER_01: to instill on players during the tenure of their career?
34:27
SPEAKER_01: Position aside,
34:29
SPEAKER_01: we're talking,
34:30
SPEAKER_01: if someone is on the Bates Women's Basketball team,
34:33
SPEAKER_01: what are they getting through those four years?
34:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's a great question.
34:37
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I always feel like when I recruit,
34:44
SPEAKER_00: I'm recruiting someone as a 17-year-old,
34:47
SPEAKER_00: but I see them in that moment of who I believe they can be when they're 22.
34:52
SPEAKER_00: So I think having a vision for them is really, really important and going all in on them.
34:59
SPEAKER_00: All in.
35:00
SPEAKER_00: These are my people.
35:02
SPEAKER_00: I've welcomed them into my circle.
35:04
SPEAKER_00: Despite any challenges,
35:05
SPEAKER_00: despite any setbacks,
35:07
SPEAKER_00: despite any moments of challenge, which we all have, I'm all in.
35:12
SPEAKER_00: I really want them to know that and to feel that because I've watched in front
35:16
SPEAKER_00: of my eyes what can happen for women when it's like you just fully believe in them
35:20
SPEAKER_00: and you give them the opportunity to rise to what your expectations are.
35:26
SPEAKER_00: I think that's really what I'm looking for.
35:28
SPEAKER_00: I'm looking for that sense of That growth in terms of the sense of who they are.
35:33
SPEAKER_00: Like I want them to, when they leave here, I want them to feel right.
35:37
SPEAKER_00: Like they're still going to be 22.
35:38
SPEAKER_00: There's still a lot of life to live out there.
35:40
SPEAKER_00: There's still a lot of things to learn,
35:41
SPEAKER_00: but I want them to feel really rooted in who they are, what they're capable of.
35:47
SPEAKER_00: And kind of similar to what I talked about my experience in college.
35:50
SPEAKER_00: Like I want them to believe,
35:51
SPEAKER_00: like if there's something they want to do and they believe in doing it
35:54
SPEAKER_00: and they're willing to make the sacrifices needed to make it happen,
35:57
SPEAKER_00: like it's going to happen.
35:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
36:00
SPEAKER_00: And, you know,
36:01
SPEAKER_00: I want them
36:01
SPEAKER_01: to leave here also,
36:02
SPEAKER_00: I think,
36:05
SPEAKER_00: to feeling like they were truly a part of something in terms of our camaraderie
36:08
SPEAKER_00: with our program.
36:10
SPEAKER_00: So, right, like I think any coach probably says that, right?
36:13
SPEAKER_00: Like culture is important and you want that connection to last.
36:15
SPEAKER_00: But I think we do put in a lot of work to feel like when these women leave,
36:21
SPEAKER_00: like that legacy and their connection is forever and they can rely on these women,
36:27
SPEAKER_00: you know.
36:29
SPEAKER_00: Hopefully for the rest of their lives.
36:30
SPEAKER_00: So that's really important too.
36:33
SPEAKER_00: But I just think I say to them,
36:35
SPEAKER_00: like as a division three coach,
36:37
SPEAKER_00: like we don't have time to work with them in the off season.
36:39
SPEAKER_00: Like we can give them stuff to do.
36:40
SPEAKER_00: They can get like better, like skill wise, athletically, right?
36:44
SPEAKER_00: Like, oh, this summer I want to work on my lateral speed.
36:46
SPEAKER_00: Like, okay, you're going to get a little quicker.
36:48
SPEAKER_00: Maybe I'm going to work on my strength.
36:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
36:51
SPEAKER_00: And like they do make these like incremental improvements, I think, in their skill.
36:56
SPEAKER_00: But really to me,
36:57
SPEAKER_00: I think it's about,
36:59
SPEAKER_00: Like the way they're thinking about themselves and just going as all in
37:04
SPEAKER_00: in themselves as I am on them.
37:06
SPEAKER_00: So I want to see that kind of mental growth and that belief in themselves really.
37:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's such a powerful thing too.
37:15
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I think when you have the belief from a coach, when you have
37:20
SPEAKER_01: Something I think resonated with me from your experience
37:23
SPEAKER_01: in college was you have all these other things going on in your life.
37:26
SPEAKER_01: So basketball is not,
37:27
SPEAKER_01: and whatever sport you play is not your entire self-worth because we both know
37:33
SPEAKER_01: that can fluctuate massively.
37:35
SPEAKER_01: And you know,
37:36
SPEAKER_01: you miss,
37:37
SPEAKER_01: you miss your first three shots and you end up losing and you have a late turnover,
37:42
SPEAKER_01: whatever it is,
37:42
SPEAKER_01: and you have a long bus ride back and it's cold and it's the winter and you're like,
37:47
SPEAKER_00: man, Yes.
37:47
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
38:08
SPEAKER_01: From the coaching staff and kind of being bounced around the program,
38:14
SPEAKER_01: reflected amongst the teammates when you have such a strong culture
38:17
SPEAKER_01: as it seems like you guys do.
38:19
SPEAKER_01: I just think that's such a powerful force.
38:21
SPEAKER_01: And as I've heard another D3 coach say, college is not the end.
38:27
SPEAKER_01: It's a launch pad for the rest of your life.
38:29
SPEAKER_01: And I think when you...
38:32
SPEAKER_01: It seems like y'all are teeing these women up to be just really...
38:37
SPEAKER_01: You know,
38:38
SPEAKER_01: major impact makers the rest of their life because you're just fueling them with
38:41
SPEAKER_01: so much belief and confidence during the four years.
38:43
SPEAKER_01: So, really cool to see.
38:46
SPEAKER_00: Hope so.
38:46
SPEAKER_00: I hope so.
38:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
38:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
38:49
SPEAKER_01: On that note, how do you approach wins and losses?
38:53
SPEAKER_01: As we mentioned at the top, you were 26-4, so only had four losses on the year.
39:01
SPEAKER_01: But how do you approach wins?
39:04
SPEAKER_01: Learning, maybe film, breakdown, messaging in the locker room.
39:09
SPEAKER_01: What is the difference after a win and loss or is there one?
39:15
SPEAKER_00: I'll tell you what,
39:15
SPEAKER_00: it's my goal every year,
39:16
SPEAKER_00: which I don't think I've achieved yet, to say less after a game.
39:24
SPEAKER_00: It's hard.
39:24
SPEAKER_00: It's a hard thing, but it's a standard.
39:26
SPEAKER_00: I keep trying to get better at that every year just because I think after games,
39:31
SPEAKER_00: there's, you know, it's, Competing is emotional and there's a lot in your mind.
39:36
SPEAKER_00: And I think once I've had 24 hours both to process and also to watch the film,
39:42
SPEAKER_00: there's a lot that really shakes out for like your perspective on
39:46
SPEAKER_00: the game collectively as a team and also individually what's happening.
39:50
SPEAKER_00: So I do think, again, as I referenced, like I really think of this as an art and not a science.
39:56
SPEAKER_00: Like it's that line of like going on feel and...
40:03
SPEAKER_00: Really trusting that and relying on that,
40:05
SPEAKER_00: but then also understanding there is a real benefit to looking at the numbers
40:10
SPEAKER_00: and watching the film and getting a better understanding too.
40:13
SPEAKER_00: So, you know,
40:14
SPEAKER_00: I will say,
40:15
SPEAKER_00: I always say this to my players too,
40:16
SPEAKER_00: and I say to my assistants every year,
40:18
SPEAKER_00: tell me, like I say to my assistants, tell me to shut up in the locker room.
40:20
SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't want to talk so much until we have a real sense.
40:25
SPEAKER_00: And I think we've incrementally gotten better at that.
40:28
SPEAKER_00: But I think And also just understanding that feedback in that moment,
40:33
SPEAKER_00: I think it really matters and it can really make an impact on
40:37
SPEAKER_00: the way they internalize the experience both for themselves individually and
40:42
SPEAKER_00: for what we're trying to do collectively.
40:43
SPEAKER_00: I think the other thing I try to do is when we first walk in the locker room
40:48
SPEAKER_00: at halftime and after the game, I don't say anything.
40:50
SPEAKER_00: I give them the floor.
40:52
SPEAKER_00: Because I want to start with understanding where they're coming from and You know,
40:57
SPEAKER_00: typically the women who are going to speak up first,
40:59
SPEAKER_00: either in that moment,
41:00
SPEAKER_00: feel pretty confident in what they've observed or experienced.
41:03
SPEAKER_00: Or it's the folks in our program who,
41:06
SPEAKER_00: whether they're our captains or our upperclassmen,
41:07
SPEAKER_00: who I really trust, like,
41:09
SPEAKER_00: if they're saying something,
41:10
SPEAKER_00: like, it's, that's, you know, their perspective is one that we should take.
41:15
SPEAKER_00: So I think that's another way that I try to judge it.
41:19
SPEAKER_00: And of course, it's not perfect, right?
41:20
SPEAKER_00: Like, they might say something and I might...
41:23
SPEAKER_01: You're like, sorry.
41:24
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, sorry.
41:27
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I just think it's, you know, it's like, I don't know, my favorite word is nuanced.
41:33
SPEAKER_00: It's nuanced because I think you got to go with your gut to a certain extent.
41:37
SPEAKER_00: But then also really, I mean,
41:38
SPEAKER_00: the number of times, right, like,
41:39
SPEAKER_00: thanks God I have a box score before I walk in the locker room because I'll be like,
41:42
SPEAKER_00: I feel like we got crushed on the boards.
41:44
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, oh, we were plus eight.
41:45
SPEAKER_00: Like, what?
41:47
SPEAKER_00: So I think,
41:48
SPEAKER_00: you know,
41:48
SPEAKER_00: just always having that balance,
41:49
SPEAKER_00: like having people around you,
41:51
SPEAKER_00: you trust,
41:51
SPEAKER_00: you know,
41:52
SPEAKER_00: like I said,
41:52
SPEAKER_00: people in the locker room,
41:54
SPEAKER_00: Your players,
41:54
SPEAKER_00: you trust their perspective and your assistant coaches who can kind of give you
41:59
SPEAKER_00: that feedback to make sure kind of keeping you in check and,
42:03
SPEAKER_00: you know, collaborating on the feedback there.
42:06
SPEAKER_00: But I do think, yeah, it's interesting.
42:08
SPEAKER_00: And I think you learn something new every season, right?
42:11
SPEAKER_00: Like we had a season this past season, one of our last season, one of our values was joy.
42:19
SPEAKER_00: And they felt really very strongly about setting that as a value because the year
42:26
SPEAKER_00: before we'd gotten in this pattern of like we just expected to win so much
42:30
SPEAKER_00: that we were like not celebrating the wins.
42:33
SPEAKER_00: It's like, I'm like, have you lost your mind all of a sudden?
42:36
SPEAKER_00: Like winning is hard.
42:37
SPEAKER_00: I don't care who you're playing.
42:38
SPEAKER_00: I don't care what, like winning is hard.
42:40
SPEAKER_00: And so you walk in that locker room, you got to win.
42:42
SPEAKER_00: The first thing you say is like, LFG, we did it.
42:46
SPEAKER_00: We got it done and here's how we did it.
42:48
SPEAKER_00: We do it in different ways each night when you get that win.
42:51
SPEAKER_00: So I think that was an important shift that we took where it's like,
42:54
SPEAKER_00: yeah, there's always stuff to work on.
42:56
SPEAKER_00: There's going to be days when we got to chew them out for something.
42:59
SPEAKER_00: But let's not lose that joy and let's also celebrate it when we get in that win column.
43:05
SPEAKER_00: So I just think also learning things every single year to sort of make yourself
43:11
SPEAKER_00: a little bit better in that way is really important too.
43:13
SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm.
43:14
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I like that.
43:15
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it is such a delicate moment.
43:20
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's like so emotionally charged.
43:22
SPEAKER_01: There's so much, you know, the players are hanging on your word in a lot of ways.
43:28
SPEAKER_01: And I like that move to step back and allow the first thing to be said by someone else.
43:34
SPEAKER_01: And it's something,
43:36
SPEAKER_01: you know,
43:37
SPEAKER_01: as I try to think about leadership and what great leaders do,
43:41
SPEAKER_01: it's Oftentimes,
43:43
SPEAKER_01: if you are in charge and you put your voice first,
43:47
SPEAKER_01: people are going to hide their true thoughts and just try to mirror what you say.
43:51
SPEAKER_01: And so I think there's something really powerful there.
43:54
SPEAKER_01: Not only just building off what we just talked about with the confidence piece
43:57
SPEAKER_01: and them,
43:59
SPEAKER_01: every player on the team knowing that you have their back and you trust and believe
44:03
SPEAKER_01: in what they say.
44:05
SPEAKER_01: You know,
44:05
SPEAKER_01: unless they're like,
44:06
SPEAKER_01: there's a shooter going off and they're like, we need to go under ball screens.
44:09
SPEAKER_01: You're like, all right, we need to...
44:11
SPEAKER_00: Let the coaching happen from here.
44:14
SPEAKER_01: You are not correct right now.
44:18
SPEAKER_01: But I really like that perspective.
44:20
SPEAKER_01: And, you know,
44:21
SPEAKER_01: there is a lot of value that comes from reflecting and whether it's
44:27
SPEAKER_01: the rebounds thing or you just be able to watch the film and digest.
44:32
SPEAKER_01: Because a game is complicated.
44:33
SPEAKER_01: You have one perspective as a coach.
44:35
SPEAKER_01: And oftentimes...
44:37
SPEAKER_01: As a player,
44:37
SPEAKER_01: you're thinking one thing,
44:40
SPEAKER_01: but in reality, there's this whole other dynamic happening.
44:43
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I like that a lot.
44:46
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
44:47
SPEAKER_00: I think the other thing,
44:47
SPEAKER_00: just while you're talking to me,
44:49
SPEAKER_00: I think I've realized I would put pressure on that moment.
44:52
SPEAKER_00: I think earlier in my coaching career where I had to say all the things,
44:56
SPEAKER_00: I had to say all the right things,
44:57
SPEAKER_00: and I had to know exactly what the jumping point off was,
45:00
SPEAKER_00: the jumping point onto the next day.
45:01
SPEAKER_00: I had to know it in that moment.
45:03
SPEAKER_00: Which is crazy.
45:04
SPEAKER_00: And it's just not possible.
45:06
SPEAKER_00: So I think the other thing is like I took pressure off that moment to be like,
45:08
SPEAKER_00: you know, I'm going to see you all tomorrow.
45:10
SPEAKER_00: And I'll let you know exactly where we're going from here.
45:14
SPEAKER_00: But for now, like shower up, go get somebody, go do your homework and I'll see you tomorrow.
45:19
SPEAKER_00: You know,
45:19
SPEAKER_00: so I think like taking the pressure off that moment too is important
45:23
SPEAKER_00: and not making it quite
45:24
SPEAKER_01: so dramatic
45:25
SPEAKER_00: of like,
45:26
SPEAKER_00: I got to say exactly the right thing right now.
45:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I do wonder in that because in my own career,
45:34
SPEAKER_01: I remember when my coach was really empowering me and saying,
45:36
SPEAKER_01: you know, you need to have a voice.
45:37
SPEAKER_01: You are going to be a captain.
45:39
SPEAKER_01: You're going to have to speak up in the locker room.
45:40
SPEAKER_01: We need you to talk and get guys out of ruts.
45:43
SPEAKER_01: And I felt a similar pressure to be like, okay, I need to say the exact right thing.
45:49
SPEAKER_01: And I think I eventually got to a similar place where it was like,
45:53
SPEAKER_01: they don't want the perfect thing.
45:55
SPEAKER_01: Just say what Is natural, what comes to mind.
45:59
SPEAKER_01: Was that something you kind of picked up during your own captaincy as a player?
46:04
SPEAKER_01: Or how did you develop that voice as a player?
46:08
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think that's a good question.
46:11
SPEAKER_00: I do think,
46:12
SPEAKER_00: especially as I matured through my time in college,
46:14
SPEAKER_00: that is something that was a little more natural for me.
46:17
SPEAKER_00: Being able to...
46:19
SPEAKER_00: Just be genuine about feedback.
46:21
SPEAKER_00: And I do think that was one about being empowered by a coach and by your teammates
46:26
SPEAKER_00: and just being authentic.
46:29
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, being authentic and genuine.
46:31
SPEAKER_00: But yeah,
46:32
SPEAKER_00: I think as I sort of developed competence and like I said,
46:37
SPEAKER_00: gained some experience in the program and was empowered and was given feedback about
46:43
SPEAKER_00: the way that I was impacting with my voice,
46:45
SPEAKER_00: like that just gave me more confidence to feel like You know,
46:48
SPEAKER_00: I could impact in a, in a positive way, but I think you're absolutely right.
46:51
SPEAKER_00: It's like when you get caught up in like, what am I supposed to say?
46:54
SPEAKER_00: How am I being like, you know, and you just, you gotta be genuine.
46:59
SPEAKER_01: For sure.
46:59
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
47:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
47:01
SPEAKER_01: Um, last chance for questions here.
47:03
SPEAKER_01: We're, we're coming up on the top of the hour.
47:05
SPEAKER_01: So I want to be respectful of coach Montgomery's time.
47:09
SPEAKER_01: If you have a question, write it down below in the chat and we will get those answered.
47:15
SPEAKER_01: Um, While we were waiting for that,
47:17
SPEAKER_01: I think just maybe speak to,
47:22
SPEAKER_01: I guess like we talked about your goals a little bit,
47:27
SPEAKER_01: but maybe just outlook for this season with Elsa's departure,
47:34
SPEAKER_01: some other great players leaving the program.
47:35
SPEAKER_01: What are you guys trying to do in 2026 and 2027?
47:41
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're trying to raise the bar.
47:44
SPEAKER_00: I think just all the things that, like I said, we are really focused on.
47:51
SPEAKER_00: One of our current players once said, this is not a team, this is a program, right?
47:56
SPEAKER_00: And I loved when she said that.
47:58
SPEAKER_00: And I really believe in that meaning, like, we set our legacy, players come and go.
48:02
SPEAKER_00: They're always important parts.
48:03
SPEAKER_00: But like,
48:05
SPEAKER_00: We have the talent in our program and we have to,
48:09
SPEAKER_00: you know,
48:09
SPEAKER_00: these women have to step into roles and we have to empower them into those roles.
48:13
SPEAKER_00: And I think there's obviously a huge responsibility on a coaching staff every year
48:17
SPEAKER_00: to figure out how to put players in the best position,
48:21
SPEAKER_00: how to put a team in the best position on both ends of the ball where we really want
48:25
SPEAKER_00: to focus our energy.
48:26
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
48:28
SPEAKER_00: You know, I think some of that's on us.
48:29
SPEAKER_00: We have very capable, very capable scorers.
48:33
SPEAKER_00: I mean, Elsa has been a centerpiece of our offense, you know, as a 6'4 center.
48:39
SPEAKER_00: We could shoot it and that's nice.
48:43
SPEAKER_00: So, right, there'll be some things that we will adjust, but we have all the pieces.
48:47
SPEAKER_00: We have all the talent, both,
48:50
SPEAKER_00: you know,
48:51
SPEAKER_00: literally in terms of what we have for basketball players,
48:53
SPEAKER_00: but also just our leaders and the mindset that our women have.
48:57
SPEAKER_00: So, I think, yeah,
48:58
SPEAKER_00: we've done a lot of work in the postseason last year in the spring,
49:01
SPEAKER_00: but also in the fall of being really focused on continuing our legacy,
49:06
SPEAKER_00: but making it a unique year because every year is unique.
49:11
SPEAKER_00: So we're just anxious to get on the court to actually, you know, they've been doing their thing.
49:15
SPEAKER_00: They've been working out.
49:16
SPEAKER_00: We've been talking about it to death.
49:18
SPEAKER_00: And we're like,
49:19
SPEAKER_00: all right,
49:19
SPEAKER_00: let's get out there and see what we got and see what our challenges will be
49:23
SPEAKER_00: because we have them every year.
49:24
SPEAKER_00: I think You know,
49:26
SPEAKER_00: a couple years ago,
49:27
SPEAKER_00: actually five years ago now,
49:29
SPEAKER_00: we had an All-American in our program,
49:31
SPEAKER_00: Megan Graff, who's our all-time leading scorer in our program.
49:35
SPEAKER_00: When she left our program,
49:37
SPEAKER_00: there was a lot of questions around, like, who the hell is going to shoot the ball?
49:39
SPEAKER_00: Like, where are we getting these points from?
49:42
SPEAKER_00: And we had an outstanding year.
49:44
SPEAKER_00: Like, went to the championship,
49:45
SPEAKER_00: went to the Sweet 16,
49:47
SPEAKER_00: because those women just believed in their identity that year,
49:50
SPEAKER_00: and women stepped into roles.
49:52
SPEAKER_00: And I think every single year I'm reminded, like,
49:56
SPEAKER_00: You have to like that natural movement of people leaving the program,
50:00
SPEAKER_00: like allow space, you know?
50:02
SPEAKER_00: And I think while you're always encouraging and trying to empower women to step
50:07
SPEAKER_00: into their greatness every single year,
50:08
SPEAKER_00: like there's just not the space for all of them to really find that.
50:13
SPEAKER_00: And so we're really excited to see what,
50:17
SPEAKER_00: you know,
50:17
SPEAKER_00: what that means for the women who have more opportunity this year,
50:21
SPEAKER_00: you know, having graduated three starters.
50:23
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
50:25
SPEAKER_00: I think they're really ready for that.
50:26
SPEAKER_00: They're really eager for that.
50:28
SPEAKER_00: We have a lot of pieces.
50:29
SPEAKER_00: Like I said,
50:30
SPEAKER_00: it's on the coaches also to really put them in the best position
50:34
SPEAKER_00: and build our offense and defense around all the great pieces that we have.
50:41
SPEAKER_01: I know I speak for a lot of people when I say we'll be following along
50:46
SPEAKER_01: and seeing how The Bobcats raised the bar this year and see who fills that space.
50:52
SPEAKER_01: And I imagine that the program continues to move forward and that standard
50:57
SPEAKER_01: of excellence continues and expect great things out of y'all.
51:00
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, just want to say thank you for taking the time on a Sunday.
51:04
SPEAKER_01: I know October 22nd will be here before we know it.
51:08
SPEAKER_01: But, yeah, just enjoy these quiet moments, I'm sure, right before things kick off.
51:15
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
51:17
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
51:17
SPEAKER_01: Thank you again for taking the time.
51:19
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
51:19
SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for having me.
51:21
SPEAKER_00: I really enjoyed the conversation.
51:22
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it.
51:23
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
51:24
SPEAKER_01: If anyone has follow-up questions for Coach Montgomery or is interested
51:28
SPEAKER_01: in maybe playing debates or just curious about kind of what the school offers,
51:33
SPEAKER_01: feel free to, we will post this as a full video.
51:37
SPEAKER_01: Feel free to just add those comments below and we'll get those to her.
51:41
SPEAKER_01: But in the meantime,
51:43
SPEAKER_01: yeah, just let us know who you want us to chat to next and we will make that happen.
51:47
SPEAKER_01: Thanks for watching and thanks again, Coach Montgomery.
51:50
SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much.
51:51
SPEAKER_01: All right.