Owls celebrate their Thanksgiving tradition

Thanksgiving is the time of year to pause and remember all the things one has to be thankful for. An athletic team is a family, and so, since I have been coaching, I have used this holiday to gather the team together and have everyone that is part of "our family" express what it is that they are most thankful for.

This year, we will do this at Wednesday's practice, our final one before sending our players off to enjoy the holiday, with family, loved ones, or in the case of players like Sergio Olmos, close friends, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
What typically occurs as we gather around the center circle, is that players talk about their families. They may also talk about their health or the fact that they are so fortunate to be playing college basketball.

Good things always come out of this team gathering. At times it can be emotional, as one of the players may think about a loved one that has passed, or a friend who is not doing well. This is just our way, as a family, to give thanks for what we are fortunate to have.

Even though we play on the road Saturday, we still will take off Thursday to celebrate the holiday. We will come back to practice Friday, refreshed and ready to work hard in preparation for our game at Buffalo.
Happy Thanksgiving,