Great give and take on the statistical analysis of the game today. Our fellow posters have created an interactive community, which helps to make the experience of following the team and the games more insightful.
I also see our fellow posters alluding to non-statistical elements of the game, things that live outside of the realm of predictability. There are so many human factors in the game that make it difficult to predict outcomes—individual and collective mood swings, self confidence, hormones and sensitivities, the effects of travel, academic pressures, family issues back home, and many more. We send our young women off to games in buses and airplanes to unfamiliar cities, field houses, gymnasiums, hotels and restaurants, and climate zones for game day. Then they have to play!
Why did they play so much better last week against a tougher team? Why can’t they make their field goals this week? What about free throws? Why did they throw the ball away on that play? Again, there are so many elements that make up the playing environment.
Colorado had a great preseason and went 11-0! They played some conference foes very well, others not so good. They almost beat UCLA. They lost by just three points and outscored UCLA 22-11 in the final quarter of their game. Who knows, maybe they will upset a top team in the PAC-12 Tourney, or they might get sent home after a drubbing! I think that the level of unpredictability makes the game interesting and probably holds our collective interests as much as the measurable elements.
So I watch our Stanford women from a different perspective. I don’t expect perfection, not even consistency, but I celebrate it when I see it. I yell loudly from the stands never knowing how my voice might encourage the team to play harder, more intense, or well enough to win. Maybe my voice will serve notice to a ref that they need to watch more closely and call the game more fairly (I’m still working on that one!). Maybe something out of our control will affect the game, maybe the team's pregame huddle will set the tone! The coaches provide strategy, and they also inspire confidence—their inputs influence the game. So what’s it going to be today?
It’s a complicated set of dynamics that play out in a game. I love being a fan for that reason! And I enjoy reading your perspectives before and after the game! And I'm filled with excitement when our players defy the odds and make plays such as Kianna's thrilling, game-ending baskets on Sunday.
I also see our fellow posters alluding to non-statistical elements of the game, things that live outside of the realm of predictability. There are so many human factors in the game that make it difficult to predict outcomes—individual and collective mood swings, self confidence, hormones and sensitivities, the effects of travel, academic pressures, family issues back home, and many more. We send our young women off to games in buses and airplanes to unfamiliar cities, field houses, gymnasiums, hotels and restaurants, and climate zones for game day. Then they have to play!
Why did they play so much better last week against a tougher team? Why can’t they make their field goals this week? What about free throws? Why did they throw the ball away on that play? Again, there are so many elements that make up the playing environment.
Colorado had a great preseason and went 11-0! They played some conference foes very well, others not so good. They almost beat UCLA. They lost by just three points and outscored UCLA 22-11 in the final quarter of their game. Who knows, maybe they will upset a top team in the PAC-12 Tourney, or they might get sent home after a drubbing! I think that the level of unpredictability makes the game interesting and probably holds our collective interests as much as the measurable elements.
So I watch our Stanford women from a different perspective. I don’t expect perfection, not even consistency, but I celebrate it when I see it. I yell loudly from the stands never knowing how my voice might encourage the team to play harder, more intense, or well enough to win. Maybe my voice will serve notice to a ref that they need to watch more closely and call the game more fairly (I’m still working on that one!). Maybe something out of our control will affect the game, maybe the team's pregame huddle will set the tone! The coaches provide strategy, and they also inspire confidence—their inputs influence the game. So what’s it going to be today?
It’s a complicated set of dynamics that play out in a game. I love being a fan for that reason! And I enjoy reading your perspectives before and after the game! And I'm filled with excitement when our players defy the odds and make plays such as Kianna's thrilling, game-ending baskets on Sunday.