Hub-a-dub-dub???...I Don't Think So

Today's post is written by Associate Head Coach Ronda Hubbard:

Well, I am sure many of you have been waiting to hear what that “short little coach” would have to say… So, Here I am. Ready to tell all. First of all, the office around here is buzzing. The eight players that were here this summer are winding up summer school and ready to go home. I guess they have had some great workouts …. I’ve seen them really sweaty, a couple of times. :)

July recruiting has wound up and the final touches are going on for Southernfest ‘09. Kudos to Coach Mitts and her part in it. She has really stepped up to contribute to the success of the event. It really is going to be an incredible evening at the Downstream. I hope to see everyone there!

I have spent a lot of time with former players this summer. I must say, after 20 years of coaching, it is quite rewarding to hang out with these successful young women and their families. I learned so much and was actually “thanked” a lot. Some of these women are physical therapists, physician assistants, radiologist, LOTS of coaches (Did you know 26 of our staff’s former players are coaches?), Real Estate agents, Personal Trainers, Business Owners, Teachers, Pharmaceutical Sales Reps, Life Coaches, and trust me…. The list goes on and on…….. including wives and mommies! :)

This time with former players made me start thinking about my own former coaches. My high school coach, Sue Schuble and my college coach, Cheryl Burnett. Both influenced my own coaching style greatly. I am a conglomerate of the two. My love of the game and humor came from Schub (Did you know she is 3rd all time in the state of Missouri for most wins by a Head Coach?!?!). My love of the STRATEGIC/PREPARATION and disciplined approach came from Coach Burnett. (Did anyone notice what I “call” them?) One was personal and one was very professional. It took me a long time, but with the help of Myosha Barnes last year…… I finally let the players call me Coach Hub. Don’t know why it took me so long…… I like it. And I will admit… Yoshy TRIED to call me Hub-a-dub-dub. That one, I just couldn’t let stick. :)

So, as we enter August and prepare for the school year to start I am heavily thinking about the “message” we need to send our brand new team. It’s always about working hard and playing great defense. It’s about being great PEOPLE and giving our best effort. It’s SUCH A CHALLENGE to get new players to understand how DIFFICULT the MIAA is……. But here is where I am today. TALENT is NEVER going to be ENOUGH. For those of you who know me. I’m a reader. I read a lot and read everything John Maxwell has ever written. Last year, we did our Leadership from the book The OZ Principle, which was recommended to us by former Lion, Katie Deen. If you haven’t read it. DO. It is an incredible book. This year, I twisted our staff’s arms to go with Talent is Never Enough by John Maxwell. So, if you want to read what the Lions will be reading and knowing all the “scoop” we will be telling them in our Leadership meetings this year…. Go get the book and follow along with us! I will certainly update you along the way on what we are learning!


Until next time….. It’s a GREAT day to be a LION!


Ronda Hubbard
Associate Head Coach

Being Prepared

This week's post is written by So. Forward Michelle Hedgecock:

Hello there readers! So, I've never blogged before so I’m kind of excited/nervous on how this blog will turn out.

Being a returner is great because I know what to expect and I know how to prepare myself for the upcoming season. Last summer as an incoming freshman, I had no idea how much to work out or even what it meant to be in the MIAA. This summer I have been preparing with the knowledge of what it means to play at such a high level.


With only four players returning from our 19-10 team of last year, we are basically starting with a whole new team. Having the freshmen here over the summer helps the team because we are not only showing them what to expect but also we all are bonding more as a team. Also, when our other teammates come, the freshmen will be able to help us show them the work outs and how things work around here.


College is like a totally different world compared to high school. It seems like it was forever ago since I played in high school. My home town is North Little Rock, Arkansas, and yes it’s a different city from Little Rock. I’ve had so many people ask me if it’s the northern part of Little Rock, haha. As a point of reference, the Arkansas River separates Little Rock from North Little Rock. Anyway, I went to North Little Rock High School where I played volleyball and basketball. When high school was over I had to make a decision whether I wanted to play volleyball or basketball in college...of course I chose basketball :) When it came down to it, I chose Missouri Southern because of how friendly everyone is and how it’s not too far from home.


Thanks for reading my blog and I can’t wait to play in the upcoming season!


Michelle Hedgecock
So. Forward

A "NEW ERA" and SouthernFest '09

This week's post is written by Head Coach Maryann Mitts:


The month of July means that summer is in full swing (although the weather over the weekend would fool one to believe it to be September!) and people are vacationing, planning family reunions, and enjoying several hours of additional sunlight. In the coaching profession, there are typically only two times during the year to enjoy a little “R&R” – immediately after classes end in May and the early part of July.

“R&R” as we all know it (rest and relaxation) has been more commonly noticed as rigorous and renewal over the past several weeks. Let me explain…………………..

We are in process of organizing a major fundraiser for Missouri Southern Athletics known as SouthernFest ’09. It is a two-day event being held on Sunday August 2-Monday August 3. The festivities begin on Sunday evening with a Dinner/Auction held at the Downstream Casino followed by the annual Rod Smith Golf Tournament on Monday. The rigors of putting on such an event – an event that will be not only be a financial benefit for our athletics department, but also a fun-filled evening for the Joplin community- can be pretty taxing. As we enter into the latter part of July, the details and specifics become more and more critical and time-consuming.

I am very fortunate to be working along side some great, fun people in preparing for this big event. Kevin Greim (aka “Voice of the Lions”) and Julie Wengert, our compliance director have been wonderful – I have truly enjoyed the extra time that I have been able to spend with them! Our hours are consumed with getting tickets into the hands of those attending the dinner/auction (Over 130 have been sold!) and obtaining auction items. What a process to get auction items – you need big ones, little ones, ones that are appealing to the “eye” and others that are sure to sell. It is our first attempt at such an event – we are anxious and excited to kick off what will hopefully be a Southern tradition that will improve for years to come! So…………if you haven’t bought your tickets or signed up to play golf there is still plenty of time – go to the SouthernFest ’09 site. You can find all the registration information there!

So that’s the rigorous side of the R&R. Now to the Renewal side. On July 6th, a new face began leading MSSU Athletics. Jared Bruggeman arrived on our campus from Northern Arizona University replacing long-time athletic director Sallie Beard. Personally, it was difficult for me to see Sallie retire. Although it was “time” for her to start a new era of her life, it is always hard to see someone like her step away. No matter what profession-when someone devotes his/her life to something and one spends hours upon hours living out their passion in life, it must be so hard to step away. Isn’t there a void, perhaps many voids, to fill? I can’t imagine what it feels like to have something so engrained in who we are to just disappear one day-unfortunately, some day I too will experience this kind of loss, but fortunately not any time soon. Thank you Sallie for believing in me and allowing me to have the enormous responsibility of leading MSSU Women’s Basketball!

At any rate, that being said, Jared has arrived on campus and has hit the ground “running.” No pun intended since he is a former track athlete and coach. I will not go into specifics here because I think the shock effect will be great as people learn of all the changes being made. But, he has been on campus for just two weeks and the pace is quick and productive. Athletic committees are being formed, meetings are being held, and “homework assignments” are being given. I am not one who loves change, but I have learned to embrace it because I recognize that truly great things in life happen only after change has taken place. I encourage you to watch closely with your eyes, and listen intently with your ears because we are moving in a direction that is very exciting and promising!

Lastly, we finished our recruiting for ’09-’10 with the signing of another guard, Danielle Harris. Our website has the details if you are interested. Coaching staffs across the country hold one scholarship into the summer hoping to land a late franchise player. We were very fortunate last summer as we signed Myosha Barnes late in the summer. Anyone who followed us this year knows the impact Myosha made on our team! Well, we are excited about the upcoming year! We have some very nice talent, but will have to deal with inexperience along the way. Hope you plan on following our successes closely!

Well, that’s it for now. Remember to follow us on TWITTER as well. I look forward to our next blog. I am currently reading A PASSION TO LEAD by Jim Calhoun. I will share some of my findings with you then. Please enjoy the blogs by the players……….they have been very impressive to say the least! We are very fortunate to have such great people in our program!

My very best to you and your family…..continue to enjoy a safe and relaxing summer!

Maryann Mitts
Head Coach

New Beginnings

Today's Blog is written by Fr. Point Guard Kelby Fritz:

Well, I guess I can start off by saying...Man, what a change! A few months ago I was so unsure of even moving away from home; now, I can't imagine having it any other way. It's such a big change that's for sure! Just to be honest, once or twice a day you will be able find one of us freshman calling our parents back home.

I come from a small town in Oklahoma called Vinita! Joplin is such a BIG place compared to Vinita. This past season my high school team won the 4A State Championship! Our final season record was 28-1. It was one of the most amazing feelings in my whole entire life. Winning that state title and being able to bring the Gold Ball back home for everyone in Vinita to see is truly a memory that will never leave me! 3 months removed from this State Championship I am facing brand new challenges everyday. First, it was the change of moving away from home. Second, the challenge of meshing with new teammates and learning a new system faced me. I went from playing for Vinita for 4 years and knowing every little thing about how we wanted to play the game, to starting over from scratch and learning a whole new way to do things.

I've noticed already that there are many obstacles to overcome when making this transition. I have to be honest, coming in as a point guard I am at a huge advantage. Randi has been playing that position in this program for 3 years, and I'm getting the opportunity to learn from her! She is an amazing leader and has already showed me in these past few weeks her passion for the game. I've learned just how contagious a good attitude can be. We are a lot alike when it comes to competition as well. We hate losing at anything. We all went out for Erin's birthday this past week and Randi had to remind me before playing any of the arcade games that it was recreational fun, and not to get mad when I lose. Ya got to love that!

I'm enjoying every minute of being a lion! I wouldn't have it any other way!

Kelby Fritz
Fr. Point Guard

Rock Band Anyone?

Today's Blog is writtern by Sr. Point Guard Randi Henderson:

Okay, so I am also new to the world of blogging. Let me start off by echoing Coach Mitts' post and saying that camps went very well. From a player's perspective, we all had a blast working with the kids!

Since camps, the returners have been trying to update the freshmen on the tempo of life at the collegiate level. Mainly we are spending time on our studies, working to improve our game, and working out with Coach J, our Strength and Conditioning Coach, as much as possible. We have been playing Mon-Thur and shooting 20-30 minutes per day.

We really try to spend as much time together as possible...most of the time playing Rock Band! I have to admit, this team is a lot of fun to hang out with! Spending as much time as we do together we find out a lot about each other...so now I would like to share some interesting things I have learned about my teammates:

+Michelle - No question is the team jokester!
+Jolea - Honestly, the best Rock Band Guitarist EVER!!!
+Kelby - The best Rock Band Drummer ever!
+Lauren - Very quiet off the floor & very explosive on it
+Britt - Can get full on a vegetable only dinner!
+Erin - Loves being on the lake and can grab the rim with her hand!!!
+Myriah - Absolutely terrified of any type of bug (even flies!)

Thanks so much for reading our blog! It's a great day to be a Lion!

Randi Henderson
Sr. Point Guard

Going Camping

In a world full of technological changes and advancements, it is simply amazing how easily communication can connect the masses. First it was cell phones, e-mail, and text messaging, but even Facebook and YouTube are not enough anymore…we now have to have Twitter and blogs!

I said I would never do it; thought to myself that it wasn’t necessary, but here I sit on a smoldering June evening writing…yes, writing a BLOG! Now, understand this – I am doing this because my early twenty-something assistant, Coach Moeller, has sold me on the idea and has promised to help me, every step of the way! It is my sincere hope that you find this site to be informative, insightful, and intriguing. It should provide a “link” into the happenings of the Missouri Southern Women’s Basketball family. Fair warning though, I will write like I coach – with all my heart and energetic passion. So…here we go!

That being said, tonight my heart is on camps. Although they concluded a week ago, I still feel the energy and renewed spirit they always provide. You see, camps always remind me of the real reason behind why I coach – which is to teach the game of basketball in its simplest form and to help bridge the gap between the game and the many life lessons it teaches. I love being around K-8th graders who take in every word you say without questioning a thing (and as a result they learn the game of basketball at the same level of our college players!). They perform our RASE program, fundamental drills, and defensive system with such excitement because they don’t have “cobwebs” from years past. And you know what else? They love to RUN! They will run all day…and yet they still smile when you tell them to run. What a pleasure to have the word RUN (yes, R-U-N!) not come with such a negative meaning to it!! These kids sprint everywhere and they love it!

Our camps are different than most others around the country. First of all, most colleges do camps because it makes money. Well, that's part of it, but we don’t look at camps as most do – like a babysitting service. We actually take pride in being one of the best instructional camps in the country. You won’t come to our camps and see a bunch of knockout games and hours of swimming. What you will see is GREAT teaching by our players and a “non-stop” tempo! I actually had a dad tell me at camp that he sent his son to a Major Division 1 University’s Football Camp and when he compared the 2 camp schedules, he was astonished at how much we accomplished compared to the football camp. The football camp was laced with “free time” built into the schedule…listen, kids can have “free time” at home…not on our watch. The best compliment we get from parents after camp is when they tell us their daughter slept the whole next day! The second thing that sets our camp apart is our staff involvement. This staff attends EVERY MINUTE of camp! Head coaches usually show up to welcome the campers, be in the camp photo and then you don’t see them the rest of the week.

Another thing that I love about our camps is that it is a great opportunity to link our current players with previous Lions. It was so wonderful to watch Jaime Green (Labette County Community College Head Women’s Basketball Coach…and Jayhawk Conference East “Coach of the Year”!!), Robin Kantin (Jaime’s assistant at Labette…we all know how important assistant coaches are to a program), and Danielle DeVader (The Lions All Time Leader in 3 Point FG) return to campus as such successful inspiring women. Speaking of Danielle…what an absolute blessing to have Danielle staying in Joplin as an elementary teacher and JV Basketball Coach! The Joplin School District just landed an incredible teacher and coach…but an even better person!

I just returned from St. Louis after being a guest speaker at Ron Letcher’s Referee Camp. Ron, as the Head of Officials for the MIAA, hosts an evaluation/tryout for those interested in officiating. It is a great honor for me to be asked to speak about officiating from a coach’s perspective. Although I do find it a little ironic that I have been asked to speak the last 2 years (because I tend to be a little hard on them at times), I take the opportunity very seriously and appreciate the invitation.

Maryann Mitts
Head Coach