Hi everyone. I’m back!

All I can say is, “Wow!” What an experience it was to play at the Olympics. It's hard to describe what it was like or where to start.

Our results were a bit up and down. We had the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament in Nanjing, China 2 weeks before the Olympics, which we played very well. We ended up in the final against Argentina and were up by 25 at one stage, but couldn’t hang onto the win. However we all walked away knowing we were on track for our next opponents, the USA in Shanghai. This was an exhibition match, so the result didn’t mean a great deal in the bigger picture, but we wanted to play well in our last game leading into Beijing. The game was a sell out and we performed exactly how we wanted to, only losing to the eventual gold medal winners by 9 points.

So leading into the ‘big dance’ we had faith in our abilities and team mates, but unfortunately we got stuck in our first two games against Croatia and Argentina. Luckily we rebounded and played 3 great games against Iran, Russia and Lithuania, which was enough to put us into the Quarter Finals, against Team USA.

It was an unbelievable experience to be play against the USA. They are best team in the world and although it’s a huge thrill to be involved in any international match, against the USA there's an extra level of excitement.

You have to raise your game when you’re going up against the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony - to name just a few. They are some of the most talented players in the world and I watch these guys all the time in the NBA so to run out on court to play against them is something I'll never forget.

Being part of the Olympics was a fantastic experience. There was a great atmosphere in the athletes’ village and it is amazing to see so many elite athletes from all over the world all in one place.

It was also a great experience to be part of the Australian team. I'll always remember hanging out with my fellow Aussies. We all stick together and there was a really good team spirit.

Now that the Olympics are over, all the Boomers are heading back to their regular teams. I'm looking forward to getting back for another season at St Mary's and taking up where I left off last season.

Thank you to everyone for all your messages of support during the Olympics. Even though I wasn't able to reply, they're always great to read. And hello to all my new friends out there. I hope you enjoy keeping up with my basketball news.

Until next time…

Patty

Hey there!

It's been a good few weeks for the Boomers since I last wrote. First, a clean sweep of the series against Iran (3-0), then two good wins over our old rivals, the Tall Blacks, to retain the Ramsay Shield.
 
The Iran series was good as we had contributions from lots of different players. We had a different top-scorer in each of the three matches, so hopefully that shows we have some good depth in the squad. I managed to get a few in game two in Adelaide.
 
The sporting rivalry between Australia and New Zealand means that there's always an extra bit of competitive atmosphere to the games, which the players really enjoy. Over in Auckland I got a chance to play on another 19-year-old, Corey Webster, who was playing his first game. He did really well.
 
In the Melbourne game, we were really hoping to finish off all our prepatration games in Australia undefeated so we had that little extra incentive. It would've been good to play the Kiwis with fellow mySporter Kirk Penney in their line-up, he'll make a big difference to their side, but I hear he isn’t joining them until they go to Canada.
 
Here in Europe, it's summer so it's good to escape the cold in Auckland or Melbourne! We have a two-game series against Croatia in Croatia, then we're off to Greece to play another game against Croatia followed by Greece and Brazil. Both are good teams, but Greece in particular will be a challenge, as they are ranked three places above us on the FIBA ladder. Some of the guys who went to the World Champs where we lost by 1 on the buzzer are really looking forward to that game!
 
In order for us to prepare properly for the Olympics there was a joint agreement among the team that we will only concentrate on our performance. So we’ve decided not to blog for the remaining preparation and during the Olympics. I hope any disappointment will be replaced by some good Boomers news from Europe and of course, the Olympics in Beijing.
 
Keep looking at the Basketball Australia website for all our Olympic news.
 
Thanks for all your messages. I'll be in touch again after the Olympics.
 
Go Boomers!
 
Patty

Hey there! After spending some time with my family and catching up with a few mates in Canberra, it was back to business with the first of three training camps for the Boomers squad. We're in the middle of the second camp now, here in Perth. The camps are hard work, but it's great getting to know the rest of the players, both how they play and off the court too.

Our campaign is in full swing now, with only a few days to go until the start of a best-of-three series against Iran, starting in Perth next Monday on the 16th of June. The next two games will be in Adelaide on the 18th and finishing up in Melbourne on the 20th. Hopefully some of you can make it along to cheer the Boomers on! We've been keeping a close eye on Iran. They've improved a lot recently, having won the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship in Japan. They also have some top class players like Hamed Hadadi, who's had offers from clubs in the NBA.

We've also been working hard and have a very strong line up too, so it should be a good test for both teams to see where they are in the lead up to Bejing. It's going to be a really hectic few weeks for us before the Olympics. After the Iran series we've got a couple of games against our old rivals the Tall Blacks, then off to Europe for tournments in Croatia and Greece.

The more games the better I say! It's a really exciting time to be playing for the Boomers with the Olympics nearly here. I'll try to keep you up to date with everything in these next few weeks. Thanks for all your messages! Patty PS: Check out the Basketball Australia website for dates and ticket details http://www.basketball.net.au/fs_newsitem.asp?id=79392&orgID=1&Oname=BA&O1c=8&O10c=3  

Hey there.

It's been a while since my last update but it's been a busy, busy time and it's going to get even busier very soon.

I'm now back in Oz and getting ready for the first Boomers camp at the beginning of June. It's great to be back home and catch up with family and friends, but my first season in the US has been a great challenge for me and I am learning a lot.

I’m glad to be back home and have a little time to rest up before a big Olympic campaign. Looking back at my college season, I started all 32 games for Saint Mary's and was named in the Mid-Major Second Team All-American by CollegeHoops.net and the West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year.  Although being recognized is important, I believe I have improved my game and contributed to my team.

People often ask me what am I going to do next season.  I will be going back to St Mary’s to continue my education and play for the Gaels.  I enjoyed my first year and look forward to next season. 

There has been some interest in playing for the NBA, but I've said that at the moment the main goal is to give myself the best possible chance to make the Olympic team and then go back to College. After that who knows what will happen.

Soon after arriving home in Oz I had a short trip down the road to Marist College in Canberra where I went to school.  This was great fun.  It felt like it was only a couple of weeks ago that as a student, I was standing in the assembly singing the national anthem with my friends.  Boys from the junior school were taken through some basketball skills and also put some shots up, but mostly we had great fun on the court. It felt a little strange being back on the outdoor basketball courts again. 

The visit was part of Australia Posts’ support of the Boomers this year. They are sending some of the Boomers back to their primary schools as an opportunity to thank them and as you probably know by now, many of the Boomers played basketball at primary school during recess and lunch breaks. I enjoyed my visit to Marist and I will never forget my school days there as a student.

The Boomers have some games coming up against Iran in June. The matches will be played in Perth (Monday 16 June), Adelaide (Wednesday 18 June) and Melbourne (Friday 20 June) so try and come along and shout us on.

Thanks for all your comments and messages of support. Sorry if I didn't get around to replying to you.

Until next time...

Patty

http://www.basketball.net.au/fs_newsitem.asp?id=79078&orgID=1&Oname=BA&O1c=8&O10c=3

Hey all, sorry it’s been a long time since my last blog entry. Things have been hectic, since my last blog the team has traveled to Hawaii to play in an tournament, my parents have flown over from Australia to visit and I’ve completed the first round of exams. Oh and not forgetting the basketball side of things, we are still winning! We are 16 and 2 at the moment, and have had some great wins over Pepperdine, Cal State and Ohio. There are some tough games coming up though particularly one against Gonzaga - which i here is going to be on ESPN back in Aus.

Having Mum and Dad come to visit while we were in Hawaii was great. Catching up with family in such a beautiful place and then having the opportunity for them to come back ‘home’ to watch some games at St Mary’s was awesome. Everybody really went out of their way to look after Mum and Dad at the games and around the campus. We had a couple of good wins while they were here too so it worked out really well.

As for the school side of things, we had our first round of exams just before Christmas and I can proudly say that I now speak better Italian, well better than ask for a cup of coffee, which is all I could do before! J

Now that the new year is here and I’m actually writing down '2008' it’s suddenly hit me that the Olympics are very very close. The draft Boomers schedule came out the other day and I’m hugely excited about getting ready for it. Usually I’m at the AIS when I’m preparing for an Emus or Boomers camp, so I’ve had to change my preparation a little bit over here. But every time I hit the court for training or games it’s always in the back of my mind that I need to get better for the trials. A lot of friends have been making up their mock Boomers team for the Olympics and whether I’m in it or not we’ve got a pretty good chance of doing well.

Anyway I’d better take off as I’ve got some more study to do. Thanks for all the messages of support.

Until next time…

Hi everyone, welcome to my new Mysport page. I'm hoping to keep this site updated with blogs, stats from my games over here in the US and in-sights into the basketball scene as I make my way through it. Currently I’m playing in the US for a college team called St Mary's Gaels. It is located just outside of San Francisco, California, which is beautiful place that I’m really enjoying. St Mary's is a relatively small college team but so far we have had a great start to the season, beating 11th ranked Oregon which was a huge deal. Right now I’m enjoying the competition and am working on my game so I can come home and try out for the Australia Post Boomers team that is going to play at the Beijing Olympics. Wanna say a big 'hi and thanks' to all my family and friends back home that have been supporting me. C u all soon