Shoutout to Mom and Dad

Hi Everyone,

I want to use my blog to give a shout out to my parents. For anyone that doesn't know my family, my parents will often show up at game—wherever we are. We could be in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or somewhere else...it doesn't matter. Since my parents live in Texas, this is quite amazing.

Obviously, I know they were coming, but my team is (or was until they started to expect it) always caught off guard whenever my parents are at the hotel on the morning of the game or appear at shootaround. Now, we are at the point where my teammates are always asking where my parents are, like they expect them there on every trip.

I wrote about this a bit in my blog last year, but for those who didn't read it, the reason my parents can come to so many of my games is because my dad works for American Airlines and we can fly standby for free. With standby, they are never guaranteed seats, but usually have a good idea whether or not the flight will fill up. This is what makes it so easy for them to come to a lot of my games and support the team. 

Not only that, but my brother just finished basic training at Ft. Jackson in South Carolina, so they have been able to fly out to see and support him as well. He is graduating and will actually be moving on to his next stage which is here in Virginia. I couldn’t be more excited that we will not only be in the same state, but within driving distance too! 

So for my actual shoutout now... 

Mom and Dad, I wanted to say a big thank you for always being there and supporting me and the team. It means a lot to the team and even more to me! I love that as I have grown up and gone to college that in so many of my games I can still look up and see your faces smiling back at me. Thank you so much for all your encouragement. Even when you can’t be there, I love getting pictures with ya’ll spelling LU with your arms. Thanks again, Mom and Dad! I love you so much!  

Go Flames!

-Reagan Miller, #5

Jaymee's Manager Blog

Hi Everyone,

We have the best managers ever here at Liberty, so I'm going to take a few minutes to tell you about them!

Josh: Josh is our head manager; he took over after Steve graduated last year. Josh likes to be behind the scenes, so you may not notice him as much as the others, but he makes everything work. He's super reliable and always on top of the snacks (which is why we all appreciate him!). And...while he may be quiet, his sarcasm will definitely make you laugh!

Carley: Carley makes me laugh a lot. We have our own handshake; it involves her nub, because I love her nub (Carley doesn't have a right hand). She's really caring and I'm going to miss her when she graduates. Last year, Carley didn't get to come on all of our road trips, but this year she's on every trip and it's so much fun, because I always hang out in her room.

Charlie: Charlie is my BFF and I take full credit for helping him get the manager job. He's the wittiest of all of the managers and he's from Charlotte like I am...704! We drive home together a lot and hang out a lot outside of basketball...he is definitely one of my favorite people ever.

Hannah: Hannah cracks me up; she is one of the funniest people I've met in my entire life. She's so ditzy and it makes me laugh. She would literally do anything for me in a heartbeat. She knew I was writing this blog and texted me this morning while I was in class to tell me that I had to tell everyone that she is my favorite. I told her I didn't want to make anyone else mad and she replied back, "Well, would you rather have me mad at you, or them??"

Since they all do my laundry, make sure I have water, and make sure I'm prepared for the game, I'm not sure it's wise to make any of them mad...so for now, I will just say that I love all of them and I appreciate everything they do for me and the rest of the team. We wouldn't be where we are without them.

Go Flames!

-Jaymee Fisher-Davis, #10

The Privilege of Being at Liberty

Hi Everyone! 

My name is Emily Stotmeister and I am a freshman guard this year for the Lady Flames. I am originally from Wisconsin, but I have been in Virginia the past three years. 

Coming into conference play, our team has already made so many memories that I will never forget. Such as, going to New York City, polar plunging in the ocean, and hanging out at the dorm over Christmas break. 

Throughout this season, God has already shown His grace on us and how playing for Him is our ultimate goal as a team. For today’s blog, I want to focus on why I feel so blessed to be a part of the women’s basketball program at Liberty University.

This program is known for winning championships, going on to the NCAA tournament, and having girls go on to play at the next level. Besides having those achievements, we play to be successful in God’s eyes. He brought every one of us girls to play for this school and program for a reason and to say that I am a part of that is truly a humbling experience.

Going to a public school all my life, I knew right away that I wanted to go to a Christian university. Loving basketball, I prayed that God would open a door for me to do be able to play the sport that I love at a God-honoring school. God answered my prayer with Liberty University, just 45 minutes from my house. Every day here brings another reason why I am so blessed to be at this school and on this team.

A huge reason why I am honored to be on this great team is the love they have for our almighty God. The coaches, managers, and staff in this program have always been such an encouragement not only to me but to the rest of the team. They are all an inspiration on how to put God first before the game of basketball and the rest of our busy lives. They show this asset by leading us in prayer before and after every lift, practice, and game. Doing this simple task has brought our team together as one unit under God and reminds us that it is not about us but about Him.

Other aspects of our team that have been a blessing to me are the devotions we have together. Each game, the team chooses an “Honorary Coach” to give us a devotion before we play, to encourage us to not only play our hardest to win but to glorify God.  We also read and discuss various books together as a team. Currently we are reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. This book is truly a blessing to everyone on the team.  When we discuss the book as a team with Coach Green, it always seem to go longer because we have so much to say about the things that stood out to us throughout the book!

The driving force behind having God be our number one priority, are the girls on the team. Being around my teammates has made me become a better person. Each one of them holds a special place in my heart for they are my sisters in Christ. I am so blessed to play with them on the court and fellowship with them off. They are always encouraging in both basketball and spiritually. They keep me accountable with having a strong relationship with the Lord and because of this, I am more than honored to be a part of their family. 

Go Flames!

-Emily Stotmeister, #23

What are the Odds?

Hi Everyone! 

My name is Audrey Rettstatt and I am a freshman. I am from Galena, Ohio, which is just north of Columbus. O-H-… (It’s an Ohio thing). 

Feeling truly blessed by God, I have been placed on a team full of great godly girls who love to have fun. One game that I quickly found to be a source of our fun is the game “What are the Odds?”

“What are the Odds?” is a game that can be enjoyed by everyone‼ Basically, it is this generation’s take on the “triple dog dare” with a little twist. 

In this game, someone thinks of a dare. It could be anything! For example, some dares that the Lady Flames have done are drinking/eating nasty concoctions from the Rot, shoving whole pieces of cake in one’s mouth, or doing star jumps outside of a restaurant window.  (Just to name a few of the many!)

Once someone has thought of the dare, they turn to another person and ask them, “What are the odds that you will _(Enter dare here)_?”  If the person is brave enough to accept the challenge, they will respond by saying, “One in _(Enter any number here)_.” They can choose any number; usually it is based on how much they are willing to do the dare. If they are feeling daring, they will choose a small number like 4, 6, or 10. If they are a little more reluctant, they can choose a bigger number like 20, 46, or 102. The smaller the number the more exciting it is‼ 

Once the person chooses their odds, both the darer and the dared, pick a number within that number range. So let’s say the dared says the odds of them doing the dare are 1 in 10. Both the darer and dared choose a number between 1 and 10, but they think of it in their head and don’t tell anyone. Now a neutral third party counts down from 3. After 1, both the darer and dared say the number they are thinking of at the same time. If they say the same number, then the dared person must do the dare. 

Now here’s the twist! If they do not say the same number, then the number range splits in half. So since the number range was 1 in 10, it now becomes 1 in 5 and the roles reverse. The darer now becomes the dared. Once again the darer and dared think of a number between that number range, 1 in 5, and the countdown begins. The suspense and anticipation builds as they await their fate. 

Let’s say they both say the number 3. Now the person who came up with the dare has to do the dare herself. Oh the sweet, blissful irony‼ On the other hand, if once again they do not say the same number then the dare is dropped and no one has to do it, which is usually a bummer.

You might ask, why put yourself through such a thing?  I don’t know why we get so much pleasure out of it, but we do. I think it is the rush of not knowing what is going to happen! Waiting anxiously, the countdown from 3 is the longest most gripping 3 seconds ever, followed by exhilaration! You are filled with fear and excitement all at once!

My most recent and probably most exciting “What are the Odds?” encounter was last week on our Charleston Southern trip. We were eating at a restaurant for dinner and we were in one of those “What are the Odds?” moods. I look across the table and there’s Emily Frazier laughing with this mischievous smile on her face. Much to my dismay, she turns to me and says, “Audrey! What are the odds that you will go over to Coach Sherard and pat the top of his head?!” 

You might be thinking to yourself, “well what’s the big deal with that? That’s not very bad.” Well, one thing you might not know is that Coach Sherard hates, I mean hates, when people touch his (bald) head! My first instinct was to say, “No way!” Then as I hear my teammates laughing, encouraging me, and pressuring me, I agreed. Feeling gutsy and thinking to myself, “If we don’t guess the same number the first time, then it turns back on her,” I decided to choose 1 in 4! 

My heart was racing so much as one of our teammates counted down - 3…2…1…- and then there it was, both Emily and I said 3!!! My stomach dropped...what had I done?! My plan had backfired! But there was no way I was going to back out, so a couple minutes later once I had mustered up the courage, I got up out of my chair, and slowly walked over to Coach Sherard’s table. I stood there for what felt like eternity, just looking at him, bracing myself for the wrath that might ensue, then standing as far away as I could, I reached out my hand and said, “Hi Coach Sherard,” while patting him twice on the top of his head. 

Immediately a huge burst of laughter erupted from the team. As I walked back to my seat, Coach Sherard just looked at me, staring me down with a face that said, “What do you think you are doing?” His face was priceless, but I was in fear of my life for a little bit. However, he took it much better than I thought he would. Thanks Coach Sherard for being such a great sport!!

I encourage you, next time you are bored and need a good laugh, play “What are the Odds?” It won’t let you dow!!

Go Flames!!

-Audrey Rettstatt #12

P.S. If you ever see us Lady Flames doing anything embarrassing, don’t think too much of it, odds are, we are playing “What are the Odds?”