April 2010

Thursday, April 29th - Maria Giovannetti discusses age and what it means to get older. [permalink]

Let's take the court...my co-workers vs. your co-workers, game to 15, play by 1's and 2's. Who's in? I'd bet on my crew 10 times out of 10 without a doubt! This past Saturday some of the Mystics' finest from the front office took the court for a friendly game of hoops. With several former Division I athletes on the court along with others who are very competitive by nature, I use the word "friendly" loosely. "Competitive," "intense, "hard core" would be better words to describe our play. I am totally OK with saying that my basketball career is officially over. It's been over for about 5 years, so to me, a "good day on the court" is any day that doesn't end with an injury. Being sore to the point that it hurts to walk the next day is one thing, but as long as I don't get hurt it was a good day for me. Does this mean I'm getting old? In March my "little" sisters turned 17 and 20 and in April, on Tax Day, I celebrated a birthday so I've been thinking about the old factor for several weeks now. I've concluded that age is only a number and as long as you have the right mindset, you'll be 21 forever! One way that I'm proving to myself that I'm not old is by running a half marathon this year. You people who run full marathons are full of 26.2 miles of craziness! There is no way in this world that I'd ever run a full. So far my training (all two weeks of it) has been painful to say the least...right calf, left hamstrings, both quads, right foot...you name it. I've played basketball my entire life so running has always been a punishment for me. I have zero happy or fun running moments. It is going to take some mental toughness to push through and get over the hump. I'm still waiting to experience the "runners high" I've heard so much about. Hopefully it comes in week three training.

What would a sales staffer's blog be without any mention of getting seats for the 2010 season? Again this year, we have a fantastic line up of events throughout the season. Even if you're already a season ticket holder, these events are fun, unique opportunities to experience the Mystics and the Verizon Center in a new way. Make sure to check our website for information about Wine & Cheese Nights, the Girl Scout Overnight, Princess Parties, Ladies Night, Networking Night, Go Green Night, Dad's and Daughter's Day, Health and Wellness Expo, Barkin' and Ballin' Day and more! As always, feel free to call you account representative or call 1-800-DC-HOOP1 for details.

See you on May 21 for the first game of the 2010 season here at Verizon Center!

Maria


Wednesday, April 28th - Nicole Boden talks about her adventures in the Rain Forrest. [permalink]

Hello Mystics fans! I can�t believe we are only a few days away from our preseason game and only a few weeks away from Opening night.

Every year, right before the start of the season, I try to take a trip out of town. This year I made a trip to Puerto Rico. What a beautiful country. The weather was so nice and I had such a great time. My idea of a great vacation is sitting on the beach, reading a ton of books and just relaxing. My friend on the other hand, likes to sightsee and she convinced me to go to El Yunque, the Rain forest in San Juan. It seemed pretty easy, our hotel was not that far from the Rain Forest and we would just drive through the rain forest and take pictures along the way. Even I could handle that. We get there and the rain forest is absolutely beautiful. There were great views of the city and waterfalls along the mountain. I must say as we were driving up the mountain and with the great views, I started to get more and more into it.

As we were making our way up the mountain and I�m looking at the map, I start to think, wouldn�t it be great if we drove to the top of the mountain and checked out the views from up there. It didn�t dawn on me that on the map the trail leading up to the top of the mountain became more of a dotted line and no longer a solid line indicating it is safe to drive. As we are driving up the mountain we start to see fewer and fewer people on the road. It was starting to get darker as you got higher and it was starting to rain. As we were getting higher and higher up the mountain I notice that my heart was beating faster and faster and then I started to notice that I was getting a little light headed. Now, I have been called �dramatic� from time to time so I looked over to my friend who thankfully was driving and she seemed pretty calm so I didn�t worry too much about how I was feeling. Then after a couple of minutes I turned to my friend and calmly asked her if she felt as if the air was getting thinner. In that moment I start to panic because I really felt as though I was going to pass out and I start yelling at my friend to TURN AROUND. She in that second started to feel the way I was feeling and whips the little Toyota Corolla we were driving around on a very narrow mountain road and speeds down the mountain.

As we got down the mountain I start to breathe better and at one point we pull over and just both fall out of the car to catch our breath. We never considered the elevation and how driving to the top of this mountain at 3000 feet would affect the way we felt. Of course being the drama queen that I am, I called all my friends to tell them that I survived and that I was still alive. We can laugh about it now and I�m happy to be here to tell you about it!!

Well Mystics fans that�s all for now. See you on May 5th at our School Day game and on May 21st for Opening Night. This is going to be a special season� I can just feel it!!

Nicole Boden


Tuesday, April 27th - Trudi Lacey shares her advice on handling disappointment. [permalink]

Have you ever noticed that when you walk into a dark room, it stays dark until you turn the lights on! Many times in life circumstances occur that we have no control over. We get frustrated, angry and we lose our light. We get down! What use to keep me down for weeks now only keeps me down for a few days then I whittled it down to a couple of hours. Now things that use to bother me don�t bother me at all.

I replace any negative thoughts with positive ones and I refused to be easily offended. I am like a duck, I let things roll off my back! In other words I �keep my light on�! I know who I am and I control my actions and reactions. They do not control me. (I still have to work on that everyday but I am making progress!)

At the beginning of my college season my team lost five games by one point, we lost five players for various reasons (injuries, death in the family, academic difficulties, etc.) We were down to eight players and the team was pretty down because of losing those tough games. I was faced with a dilemma: find a way to give them hope and keep the light on or give up. Giving up is never an option for me so I decided to give them hope. There is power in perseverance. We finished our season with the second best record in school history, going to the championship game in our conference.

This is what I recommend to keep your light on:

� Stay in peace, be consistent and be fearless� Trust
� We realize we are not our thoughts and our feelings. We are so much more. We can stay in peace when people hurt us, when we don�t get the promotion or when things don�t work out just like we planned. Stay in faith, stay positive and believe your best is yet to come
� We recognize we can not always control our circumstances. The key is to live in hope and stay consistent. When we give up or stop for a period of time we lose our momentum. We may be closer to our goal than we think. My coach Kay Yow (North Carolina State University) would say �when you are behind don�t give up, when you are ahead don�t let up.�
� We give our power away to others by constantly reacting to every little thing that doesn�t go our way or when people don�t act like we want. We make rules for others that they don�t know about and then we are upset because they have let us down. Celebrate �real� freedom by letting go of trying to control others.

Monday, April 26 - Chris Waldmann talks kickball and the wonders of moving. [permalink]

Hello again Mystics fans,

I hope everyone had a good weekend and is making it through another lovely Monday morning alright. Don�t you just love when the first two or three days of the week are forecast for rain? Yeah, me too! Thankfully it didn�t really affect the morning commute, but I�m sure it will at some point over the next couple of days, yeah, I�m not a big fan of the rain. Also, it messed up my DirecTV last night and made watching the Amazing Race a little difficult. Don�t worry, we caught most of it including the end, although I won�t spoil it for those of you who may watch it but missed it last night�Erin Mitchell, ahem!

For everyone that�s keep track at home, my kickball team is now 5-0! We had another solid victory this week, although we did allow a lot of base-runners, only one scored as our highly touted defense continued to shine through. We�ve now outscored our opponents 28-7 in the four games we�ve played. Our other win came via forfeit as our opponent that week got scared and didn�t even bother showing up for their inevitable loss. (I�m really humble about all this aren�t I?)

I did accomplish a lot of packing this weekend. I discovered things in the back of my closet that I hadn�t seen in 5 years, and promptly through them away! That�s one of the best parts of the moving process; throwing away large amounts of the things you�ve needlessly collected over the past few years. Apologies go out to my garbage man who�s got at least 4 extra heavy bags of crap to pick up outside of my house tomorrow morning!

I hope that everyone is getting ready for the Mystics to tip off the 2010 season! Our preseason game is coming up fast in just over a week here on May 5th. Then we�ll be starting on the road for our first two tilts of the year before our home opener on May 21st! If you haven�t gotten your tickets yet I really don�t know what you�re waiting for, give us a call and make sure you don�t miss out on what�s sure to be a good year for the Mystics!

5 Random Thoughts
1. This does not look like the Red Sox�s year�just a hunch, but I think we need help, no wait, I know we need help!
2. What�s up with the Lakers, and specifically Kobe? I think his legs are getting to him. He�ll struggle his way as far as they get this postseason, but the minutes need to come way down next year, all those miles are adding up fast now!
3. The upcoming slate of summer movies does not excite me, except for Toy Story 3. (I�m a sucker for Pixar, except Cars; Cars was not good at all�)
4. The Caps better close this deal out tonight, no need to risk the chaos of a Game 7.
5. Bryan Bulaga! I look forward to watching you keep Aaron Rodgers upright this season, great pick for the Pack at #23!

Until next time�
Go Mystics!


Friday, April 23rd - Veronica Sander shares her Earth Day celebration. [permalink]

Greetings Mystics Faithful!

As I�m sure you all know, yesterday was Earth Day. I am extremely excited about Go Green 2010 and had the opportunity to attend various Earth Day events in the past week. Live Green hosted their Green Rush on Saturday with over 500 participants, Sarah and I attended the American Forest Foundation�s breakfast at the O Street Mansion yesterday morning and last night we celebrated with the Nationals! It�s great to see many wonderful organizations working towards this mission and we will have many of them present on June 5, 2010 at Go Green Night vs. Atlanta. Please be sure to check them out on the concourse that night.

Speaking of the O Street Mansion, I must say it is definitely one of the coolest places I have ever been in DC! They have 5 interconnected row homes with 32 different secret passage ways. We walked into a living room, pulled the bookcase out, and went to a completely different part of the house. There were mirrors that pull open as doors, an eat-in wine cellar AND a log cabin. The log cabin was definitely an amazing little space with an upstairs and everything. We were only there for a short time, but I am looking forward to attend another event there and exploring the whole house again! If you ever have an opportunity to go, I would suggest you take it.

Our pre-season game is only two weeks away and we are getting anxious around the office. I hope you are ready for a fantastic season with the Mystics!

Until next time, GO MYSTICS!
Veronica


Thursday, April 22nd - Rebecca Hunt shares her recent vacation plans. [permalink]

Hi Mystics fans!

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone has had a great week and you are looking forward to the weekend.

It�s hard to believe the season is about to begin! I decided to get in a few long weekend trips before the summer. Two weeks ago I headed to Arizona to visit my older brother, Will, and his wife Laura. They live in Tucson. We had a blast and got to do a ton of fun stuff. We took a horse ride through the foothills, we saw a Diamondbacks baseball game, visited the Desert Museum and an ostrich farm just to name a few of the activities. This time of year was gorgeous in Tucson, all the wild flowers are blooming and it is not too hot yet. Similar to our Mystics Courtside Club, the Diamondbacks have a space you can rent out during each home game; it is an area just beyond right field with a pool! Imagine floating around in a pool, munching on a hot dog, sipping a beer and being ready to catch fly balls from the outfield! I think those Diamondbacks are on to something� I had a great visit and it was hard to leave.

Last weekend I spent in Boston with my two best friends from college! My friend, Cox, is a teacher near Lynchburg, Va. We flew up to Boston last Friday to visit Sarah, who is doing her residency in Boston at Beth Israel Hospital (She is going to be a podiatrist�not many people are interested in feet but she is!). Sarah lives right in the city and the T train is right outside her front door. We had a blast! We did a tour of the city (did you know Brooks Brothers is the oldest clothier and it is said that Abe Lincoln was wearing a Brooks Brothers suit the night he was shot!), saw a Red Sox game (technically two games because the Friday night game was called and they finished that Saturday night -12 innings later� before starting the Saturday night game), quick stop at the Science Museum (Cox is a high school biology teacher), ate cannolis from a famous pastry shop and just chilled! Unlike Arizona, Boston was cold and miserable, they were calling for snow while we were there and it rained the entire weekend. BUT we did not care; just getting to hang out was great.

This weekend I plan to do a little relaxing and catch up on some laundry. I hope y'all have a great weekend, remember to keep up with us online, check-out our facebook page for updates and become our follower on twitter @WashMystics. Training Camp starts Sunday.

Becca


Wednesday, April 21st - Mike Ragan is excited about the 2010 season. [permalink]

Hey Mystics Fans- can you beleive our season is rapidly approaching? Doors open on May 5th with our preseason game! Excited to see all the ladies back in action, as long as the Lost Esque Black Smoke doesnt strand them overseas! Things get going for real on May 21st with our home opener against New York and I for one can't wait!! This offseason is way too long!

Things are good on the home front as Matthew had a very good follow up appointment and our doctor said his heart looks strong...so tons of praying was well worthwhile...our boy is up to 12 pounds which is quite remarkable since he started at 4 and a half!! He is also celebrating his 5 month birthday today!!! Daddy is real excited to bring him to a game!

Other random thoughts:

  • Redskins Draft Pick-- can you just make it already? how many articles about college offensive lineman is one supposed to read?
  • Caps playoffs- play like you did in Game 3 fourteen more times and you win a Cup
  • Parenting- never thought I would appreciate sleep now that I don't get any
  • Living In Manassas-- well it could be worse I guess
  • Seeing all the players slowly start to come back---good stuff

    Look forward to seeing everyone real soon...until then,

    Go Mystics!
    Mike


    Tuesday, April 20th - Tim Gallant advises us to enjoy each day. [permalink]

    Hello Mystics Fans,

    I hope all is going well and you are finding each day better than the last. I was watching an interesting piece on television the other day, about how as a society, we tend to always be looking towards the future, instead of appreciating the present. I am constantly guilty of this as I am often caught day-dreaming about upcoming trips and events that litter my calendar. However, I would implore you to instead live each day with excitement and vigor. Set out daily goals and take in the finer details. Too often, we will complain about how long the day has been, but look back wondering where the time went. Let us enjoy this moment, and let everything take care of itself.

    One of the highlights of my week has been talking to an old professor that I had at Elon. Truly I do owe everything to our LSM program and the University as a whole. While others may have had a tumultuous time in college, I had a fantastic experience; growing not only professionally, but individually. The school offered me a variety of outlets, inside and out of the classroom to express my individualistic talents and ideas, for which I can not thank them enough. If you are a senior in the DC metropolitan area, I would ask that you seriously consider Elon for your academic rigor, it is worth every moment.

    That is all for now, I must now live in this present moment and get my present work pile complete!

    Best regards,
    Tim


    Monday, April 19th - Sheila Robinson is planning a fun filled summer. [permalink]

    Good Monday Morning Mystics Fans!

    Not a whole lot going these days. Just counting down the days when school is out. It seems as though the kids get burned out before May hits and quite frankly I am getting there myself. How many more times can I wash and press uniforms.

    Anyway, we are looking forward to some family time this year. As Spencer gets older the window of opportunity is narrowing so the planning has begun. We are planning a lot of short trips to random places like the beach, grandmas, Williamsburg, Hershey Park and of course Six Flags & Kings Dominion. We will also do a lot of local things like: golfing (miniature golf for me), although Spencer has a nice set of clubs I guess he should use them on a real golf course. Laser Tag and Go Carts are also on the list, oh and I know you didn�t think I forgot about the Mystics games.

    I know it sounds like a lot but this is the time to do these things. I am a big kid at heart and I just want to have fun. When Spencer is an adult we want him to reflect on how much fun he had as a child, so important. Well that�s it for now! Have to get to work, lot�s to do.

    Until next time�..

    Sheila Robinson signing off


    Friday, April 16th - Sarah Novak has new appreciation for the band Nickelback. [permalink]

    This past Tuesday I had the pleasure of going to the Nickelback concert with my BFF who is also the most amazing customer service rep for the Caps, Miss Julie Bohling! She had gotten the tickets, I don�t know how but that really doesn�t matter. What mattered was the fact that we were going to a concert! So the first thing that we noticed was that it was definitely an older crowd! So we were guessing that it would not be that rowdy! However in the section that we sat in, there was this guy that kept on barking. Not sure what he was barking at or why he was barking but it was definitely loud and he did this thought the entire concert. The concert started at 6:30 pm with two opening acts and finished with a 2.5 hour long set with Nickelback! This made for a long evening! However not being a die hard Nickelback fan, I really had no idea how they would be in concert. Surprisingly they were pretty amazing. I like the fact that the lead singer talked to the crowd however there were fans that were yelling vulgarities out to make him play more music. Now coming from someone that works in the sports & entertainment industry, they can�t hear you. The people on the stage cannot hear you if you are sitting in the stands! However the concert was a great time and I now have a new found appreciation for the band Nickelback!

    Sara


    Thursday, April 15th - Rob has the latest on the Mystics' corporate partners for the upcoming season. [permalink]

    Happy Springtime Mystics Fans,

    As we close in on the start of the season, I�m happy to report continued great successes with respect to new and renewed Mystics corporate partners. We all know the inspiration behind our play on the court is you, the fans. Your support and enthusiasm is clearly the engine that makes our team go. Oh, and your investment in the Mystics experience is critical to our success both on and off the court.

    Similarly, our corporate partners are the lifeblood of our business and the key to our continued growth as a franchise. It�s their valuable investment both in dollars, resources and creativity that spurs the ongoing enhancement of our organization and our ability to deliver world class sports and entertainment. It�s both complex and simple, all simultaneously. The fans sustain the team, which in turn drive the players, which in turn produces results, which in turn brings more fans, which then inspires preexisting sponsors to renew and motivates new corporate partners to come on board, which in turn increases critical revenues which in turn helps create even better experiences for fans, which leads to growth in attendance, which leads to more sponsors...and the cycle goes and goes until it�s a well oiled machine. Very cool stuff. We�re not quite where we would like to be but thanks to you and many hard working individuals, we make strides all the time.

    Since you last heard from me, we�re thrilled to welcome back the likes of RLJ Development, ExxonMobil, Turner Construction and Westwood College while proudly introducing new notables Cisco Systems, Under Armour, Lucky Strike and State Farm Insurance into the fold. Others not mentioned are nevertheless highly appreciated.

    The snapshot of companies listed above reminds us again of the broad possibilities available when you combine value, creativity and market differentiators with a corporation�s desire to invest differently and meaningfully within our marketplace. In each instance, these organizations were forward thinking when applying objectives and strategies against willingness, capabilities and uniqueness. At the proverbial end of the day, it�s a recipe that continues to produce exciting results from which we remain humbly grateful to those who have joined us. But our work is not done, and there is still both the room and the need for more. Spread the word to all your business colleagues and friends, the Mystics is a phenomenal chance to align brands, products, causes and services and our business doors remain open for the next possible partnership.

    Next time I share thoughts there will be wins and losses in the standings and the weather will officially feel like summertime. The season will be well underway and we�ll be watching closely as our team builds off the momentum and excitement created in 2009 and during this recent off-season. It�s also during that period that we make our greatest impression on all corporate contributors, as we strive to meet and exceed the expectations and interests of each and every one of them. Here�s to seeing your company or organization represented here sometime in the future.

    Go Mystics!!
    Rob


    Wednesday, April 14th - Eboni is excited about the upcoming Sex and the City movie. [permalink]

    Hey Mystics Fans,

    It is SPRING! So you should know that the WNBA season is approaching. It has been a long time waiting. The time is finally here to get back out there and get this party started. This is the time when the Best of the Best of Women's basketball athletes strut their stuff as they compete through the hazy days of summer.

    Your 2010 preseason game ticket(s) are in the mail. They will be coming separately from your season packages. They are coming out to you via the United Postal Service. The pre-season game is Wednesday, May 5th at 11:30am vs. New York Liberty. This is our annual School Day game and the doors will open at 10:15am. Please check your tickets carefully. If you find any errors, contact the Mystics Guest Services Department immediately at 202.266.2365.We will be mailing the season ticket book, the season ticket holder gift and additional information about the upcoming season beginning May 6th. The Washington Mystics Home Opener is May 21st vs. the New York Liberty.

    Thank you for supporting the Washington Mystics this Season!

    On another note, Sex and the City 2 is coming to Theaters! Let me say it again, SEX IN THE CITY 2 is coming to Theaters! Yes my fabulous 4some is back! On Thursday May 27th with Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon). It will be great to see the friendship, love and the fashion that those ladies bring to the big screen. I HEART THEM�
    Eboni


    Tuesday, April 13th - Chris Waldmann talks Cherry Blossoms. [permalink]

    Hello again Mystics Fans,

    Well it�s been a little while since I�ve had the opportunity to blog here, so I�ll try and get caught up quickly. Since we last met Duke (booo) and UConn (yeah!) both won National Titles, MLB had it�s Opening Day, my BSSC Kickball team has improved to 3-0 on the young season (yeah, we�re pretty good), I�m moving in a couple weeks, Spring officially started, the Mystics had our draft and improved our depth at the post, my nephew is now topping 23 pounds at just 9 months, I saw President Obama throw out the first pitch (he throws like Johnny Damon), and if I�m to base things on a level of importance by number of people in attendance�I went to the Cherry Blossom Festival for the first time.

    Let�s stick with those blossoming cherry trees for just a moment if you don�t mind. If you know me (I see three of you nodding your heads already!) you might know that I�m not really big into flowers, flowering trees, trees, etc. Now don�t get me wrong, I enjoy nature, being outside, doing things, etc. However, I�ll never be the kind of guy that runs into a room and says, �Hey guys, I know the game is on, but the local botanical garden just announced they're showcasing a rare Japanese Orchid, we better get down there!� That�s just not me, so imagine my enthusiasm when my roommate suggested that we attend the Cherry Blossom Festival prior to attending the Nats/Red Sox preseason game a couple of weeks ago.

    Now I know you�re saying to yourself �Chris, why didn�t you just say you didn�t want to go?� Well, when you�re going to a game where your roommate got you the tickets for free, and he�d rather look at cherry trees than hang out and have an extra couple of beers, you�re not really in a position of power. Plus, he drove, so I really had no hand in the situation. So as we walked past my last ditch attempt to forgo seeing cherry trees - the Nats Bullpen beer garden - I did my best to mentally prepare for thousands of tourists snapping pictures of pretty pink trees and national monuments, �oh boy, I can�t wait!�

    Again, for the three of you reading this who know me, let me begin this section of my journey by reminding all of you that I do NOT live in DC. I live in Baltimore, and about 99% of my time in DC is spent driving to, being at, and driving home from the Verizon Center. I know New York Ave, I know Chinatown, and that�s about it. Seeing as how the festival does not stretch up to the Verizon Center, we were immediately out of my comfort zone. We rode the metro to what we thought was the Smithsonian stop (that�s the one the Post said to get off at for optimal blossom viewing) only we missed the stop. So we waited for the next train, which had to be one of the three most crowded metro trains I�d ever seen, and narrowly squeezed back onboard. As we fell out the doors onto the platform (not literally but it makes for great literary imagery doesn�t it?) we fell in line with the crowd moving up the escalators and stairs, and squinting into the sun as we emerged onto the mall.

    I figured that we�d see everyone kind of heading in one direction towards the cherry trees. Wrong. People were walking everywhere and I couldn�t find one of those handy DC tourist cops who love to tell people how to get from Point A to Point B. We walked a few blocks, didn�t see any trees, checked my iPhone, discovered that the Tidal Basin was in the opposite direction, and promptly turned around. We end up at a dead end in front of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Finally, a tree! It�s really happening, we looking at a blossoming cherry tree, only we�re about half a mile away from the darn thing! However, I�m unfazed, we saw a tree, and we can go right? Wrong again! �I wanted to get some pictures,� my roommate says. After a trip to the facilities at Starbucks and a bottle of water on this 80 degree day, we embark again on the hunt for the great cherry tree. I decide that we can cut through the hotel to get to a walkway which will surely lead right to the trees. God must have taken pity on me because this plan actually worked and before I knew it I�m standing under dozens of blossoming cherry trees surrounded by 10,000 of my new best friends. Snap, snap, a couple of photos, and I hear �ok, we can go.� My first reaction was (as my colleague Veronica would say) �Wonderful!� Then I felt a slight bit of resentment in the fact that we walked over what seemed like half of DC on a hot day, to see these trees that we had to see, and now we�re leaving immediately. However, I decided to cut my losses and just start the walk back to L�Enfant to pick up the green line back to Nats Park.

    So there it is; my trip to see the Cherry Blossoms. I didn�t get into the man that held up an entire lane of traffic at a green light so that his wife and child could run across the street to catch a cab as he screamed at them to hurry the (expletive) up, or the bus that honked at me as I walked in front of it even though the traffic wasn�t moving and didn�t move for another 2-3 minutes afterwards, or the woman that appeared to be having a heart attack in front of the hotel on our walk back, or even the fact that I spent the game sitting two seats away from a grown man more interested in playing with his stuffed Nats monkey than watching the game. Yes my friends, it was quite a day in DC, quite a day indeed!

    P.S. Veronica Sander has a cat, and she just said that she�d be really happy if said cat made it into the blog, so there it is. Cat�in�blog. Done.

    Until next time�
    Go Mystics �10.


    Monday, April 12th - Nicole Jones is excited about the 2010 season. [permalink]

    Good Monday Mystics Fans,

    I hope everyone had a great weekend with this beautiful weather! Thankfully it has cooled down from last week. It seemed as if we skipped spring and went straight to summer!

    Speaking of summer, I hope you are excited about our newest additions to the Mystics family. On Thursday, we welcomed Jacinta Monroe, Jenna Smith, Shanavia Dowdell, and Alexis Gray-Lawson to the squad. Training camp should be a very competitive one this year! Can you believe that it starts in just two weeks?

    While I�m not ready for the permanent return of HOT weather, I am ready for the season to begin. I�m excited to see who makes it to the final roster and how we compete as a unit. The off-season saw a lot of teams improve and change altogether. This makes for a VERY interesting and competitive season!

    I hope to see you out this summer for our games with your season tickets; if not the whole season, then at least one or two. Be sure to contact me if you have not yet gotten your game tickets situated for the season.

    Have a great day!
    Nicole


    Friday, April 9th - The 2010 WNBA season is officially here, says Liz Sellers. [permalink]

    Hey Mystics Fans �

    Well I think it is safe to say the 2010 season has started. Although every front office across the League, including the Mystics, began preparations for this summer back in October of 2009, the WNBA Draft is a great milestone each season to welcome elite collegiate athletes to the professional stage. Yesterday the Mystics welcomed four new athletes to the Mystics roster including Jacinta Monroe with the sixth overall pick. Welcome ladies!

    It is exciting to anticipate the great talent that will walk out on the hardwood this season. Returning stars from 2009 with the outstanding additions including Katie Smith to the 2010 group, there will be high-quality, exciting basketball being played in DC this summer. With 35 days until Opening Night, off the court the office is buzzing. Mystics� staff is hard at work finalizing plans for theme nights, welcoming new corporate partners, and creating exciting game-day entertainment. I have a great feeling 2010 will be an exceptional season for the Mystics and encourage all to pair the warm sunshine of summer with Mystics basketball!

    I look forward to next time�
    Liz


    Thursday, April 8th - Chuck Kacsur welcomes spring. [permalink]

    What a time of year to be a sports fan; baseball has just begun, NCAA basketball tournaments, the looming NHL playoffs, outdoor track and field getting up to full speed, MLS kicking off, and WNBA action on the horizon. Around the Mystics office, everyone had an eye on the college basketball tournaments, and I think just as many eyebrows were raised by upsets as to my approach to guessing who the victor would be.

    More important to me than those games was the retirement ceremony of my father from the U.S. Army, two weeks ago. It was bittersweet watching him retire after 30 years of service, and seeing how many people came out to celebrate his career.

    Now that spring is here I look forward to some random trips, running lots of mileage, and maybe a concert or two coming up. Also I don�t think I have mentioned the great work my graphic design intern, Sean, has been doing in my previous blog posts so I thought I would give him some recognition for his hard work here.

    Chuck


    Wednesday, April 7th - Erin Mitchell talks about UCONN, McNabb and the Mystics. [permalink]

    Hello Mystics Faithful!

    Here we are�one day before WNBA Draft Day 2010, one day after the UConn Lady Huskies became the Women�s College National Champions (again) and three days after the Philadelphia Eagles traded Donovan McNabb to the Redskins.

    Let�s talk about Draft Day - the �War Room� is being set up and our Basketball Operations Crew are analyzing, strategizing and maybe even agonizing as to which player will be selected tomorrow as the newest member of the Mystics family. There are boards with names, numbers, X�s, O�s, arrows and all sorts of other notes that only Basketball Ops can decipher. Admittedly, the excitement level isn�t quite as high as this time last year when we had the number 2 pick in the draft, but rest assured the decisions as to how to enhance our already PHENOMINAL team are not being taken lightly. Be sure to tune into washingtonmystics.com, ESPN2, ESPNU or NBATV to see the drama of tomorrow unfold.

    Now let�s talk UCONN!!!! For those that don�t know, I lived in Connecticut for a number of years before landing here in DC. I can honestly say that my love for women�s basketball began in the early 90�s as a result of being introduced to the Lady Huskies. I won�t bore you by repeating all of the records, stats and facts about Coach Auriemma and the team but please know that I am really happy for that program and can�t wait to see what unfolds next year.

    Yesterday afternoon I caught a few minutes of the introductory press conference of Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins. All I can say is that I�m looking forward to going to one if not both of the Eagles vs. Redskins games this season. I really hoped Donovan would retire in Philly, but I guess my memo didn�t make it to team owners in time.

    Lastly, where can you go this summer to �Go Green�, show appreciation to members of the military, bring your little Princess to a party, have an opportunity to network with the areas most influential women, show support for Breast Cancer Awareness, or make plans for your upcoming wedding all while enjoying WNBA basketball? You�ve guessed it � at a Mystics game! Season and group tickets are still available. Make sure to get yours soon!

    Go Mystics!!!
    Erin


    Tuesday, April 6th - Julie Plank looks forward to tonight's women's championship game. [permalink]

    Hello Mystics Fans!

    Do any of you know what happened on this day, exactly two years ago (April 6th, 2008)? It was the very last time the Connecticut Huskies lost a game! WOW! Believe it or not, it was against the Stanford Cardinal, coached by Tara VanDerveer, and lead by All-American, Candice Wiggins. Can the Cardinal figure out a way to beat the Huskies, in San Antonio tonight? What a game it is going to be, and the match-up that most people have waited for this entire season!

    Stanford is going for their 3rd National Title in school history. Ironically, Angela Taylor was on both of their Championship squads, back in 1990 & 1992. And, I just happened to be coaching at Stanford during those special years. I would say that Tara and her crew are �more than ready� for this game. Yet, Connecticut is trying to do what no other women�s college team has ever done�winning back-to-back National Titles, while going undefeated in both years!!! I love the fact that Geno is challenging ALL other teams to �bring it�. His confidence and swagger is what has made this UConn team so incredible. They strive for perfection on every possession, at both ends of the floor. It is going to be a great one, so don�t miss it! I KNOW Angela will not be �tweeting� in the middle of this one!

    The college draft is just two days away! I will never forget last year, at this time, Vickie Bullet walking into the draft room sporting her stylish, Maryland sweatshirt. Hum�I wonder who she wanted to select? It was an exciting time for our franchise to add Marissa Coleman (Maryland grad) to our Mystics squad! Who will the Mystics pick in 2010? Will it be Jayne Appel? Jacinta Monroe? Kelsey Griffin? Kalana Greene? Or, will it be a �sleeper pick� at #6? Whatever the case�you can be sure that our staff will make the very best selections with our four draft picks! It has been a long season of evaluating, watching games/practices, talking to coaches, gathering stats, doing video edits, and talking to the actual players. I am certain that this draft will impact our team in 2010! I can�t wait till Thursday afternoon! This April started out pretty funny, with Alana Beard pulling a great April Fool�s joke on myself and Angela. While I would like to say that I am fairly hard to �get��this one was well thought out, and had me quite nervous! As many of you know, the players who are in town work out in the mornings for about an hour and a half. Well on April 1st, Alana had something else going on. She sent me an unbelievable text, I wont go into details but I stood and read the text message �for about 5 straight minutes� (from what Natalia Isaac said). Meanwhile, Marissa and the rest all knew what was going on, and were enjoying every second of Alana�s April Fool�s joke!

    Oh no�it gets better�I proceed upstairs to share the text with Angela Taylor and both of us were shocked. Next thing you know, Sheila Robinson (our office administrator) comes in the office to tell us that Alana was on the phone and �wanted to speak to BOTH of us�! As we sit down slowly in Angela�s office, waiting for her to transfer the call, we did not know what to expect. Alana then says �AT is Coach there too�? Angela�s response was quickly �Yes we are both here�. Alana then says, �April Fools�!!!

    Well, all I can say was I am so glad it was an �April Fools�! The worst part was that everyone else knew (which most of them denied), and that we were fooled! The payback was however, Natalia and Cassaundra going to Alana�s house to try to steal her dog, Chloe. As they entered her place, there was no Chloe! How ironic it was, that Chloe just so happened to be at the groomers. Needless to say, Alana came back home to �pranks� throughout her entire house. Although I was not a part of the revenge, here is a picture of what took place!

    � Congratulations to the Capitals for clinching yet another play-off berth! It is good to see that �Winning never gets old�!
    � March was a record month for ticket sales�the most in Washington Mystics history. It is going to be a great summer, in 2010!
    � Welcome Paige Jackson, our new video coordinator from the Detroit Shock. We add yet another piece that has CHAMPIONSHIP experience. She even has a ring!
    � Training Camp is less than three weeks away!!!

    Until next time�Coach Plank


    Monday, April 5th - Lauren Lafayette is excited about the Mystics and Spring. [permalink]

    Good Morning Mystics Fans,

    After a long off season the Mystics 2010 season is finally among us. I am so excited to see the new team in action. Last year, we clinched our first playoff berth in a few seasons and now we are back again this year to really do some damage to our competition. I hope you all were in attendance for the monumental Katie Smith signing back on March 16th. This was a really great day for all Mystics family and friends who came out to join us in our celebration.

    In addition to the upcoming season emerging its head, spring is also here in full effect. Even though I have terrible allergies and am an inhaler dependent asthmatic, I am truly excited for spring. It is always so great to see the flowers in bloom, the people out in the streets and most importantly, no snow on the ground.

    While I can only speak for myself, I will also encourage all of you who gained a few �winter� pounds to try your best and shake them off before summer. It seems as if all of the holidays and nasty weather drove me to delve deeper and deeper into my everlasting bag of Doritos day after day until the scale and my clothes told me I had a problem. So if any one else is experiencing this trauma, do not be alarmed because you are not alone. In the last month, I have taken off seven pounds and now only eight more to go. Now if I can only stay away from these yummy Chinatown eateries until the weight is gone, everything will be okay.

    Well, friends and family it�s been nice chatting with you this morning. So as always GO MYSTICS and see you behind the glass.
    Lauren


    Friday, April 2nd - Heather Locke enjoys a weekend in Boston. [permalink]

    Happy Spring Mystics Fans!

    I hope everyone is enjoying the amazing spring weather. I'm writing from New Hampshire where it is sunny and 65 degrees so I can only imagine how beautiful it is in DC at the Cherry Blossom Festival kick off!

    We are only a month away from Mystics opening day and the excitement is in the spring time air. April seems to fly by every year and it has been no different in Mystics world. Next week marks the draft and the on sale date for individual game tickets. I'm sure all of our loyal blog readers have a season ticket package, but if not, be sure to get your plan in place before the public descends on the arena!

    Enjoy your weekend, I'll be back in DC on Monday for opening day at Nat's Park. For today, it's biking and lunch in Boston and a celebration of my brother's birthday. Until next time, GO MYSTICS! See you on May 5th at Verizon Center for Mystics School Day Game!


    Thursday, April 1st - Tim Gallant shares his weekend plans. [permalink]

    Hello Mystics Fans,

    The nice weather has finally arrived, and it would appear that we have finally escaped the wrath of winters� harsh cold; and what a perfect opportunity to get out there and enjoy the sunshine. I have a pretty packed weekend as it were, so I will chronicle my upcoming events, in the hopes of inspiring you to get out for a few hours.

    Tomorrow morning, I will be hitting the links with my grandfather, at the retirement community of Leisure World. I fully intend on breaking the course record while simultaneously breaking out the John Wall dance. You know the one: flex your biceps for the entire world to see? Admittedly, I don�t have any muscles, but if there were ever a time to do so, a retirement community full of disabled bodies is just the spot to boost your confidence.

    Afterwards, I will be meeting up with a dear college friend to head down to the Cherry Blossom Festival. I have not made it down to the Tidal Basin in years, and I am a bit leery. As I walked onto the Metro last night to head home, I was amazed at the amount of out-of-towners that had come for the cherry blossoms. You can always spot these tourists because they have an ear to ear grin on their face while riding the metro. Really? You enjoy riding a cramped subway train that wafts smells reminiscent of the boys� locker room in 6th grade? At least they are contributing to the DC economy.

    Finally, on Saturday, I will be heading to Easter Vigil mass to hear my mother sing in the choir. Now, I don�t know if it is just my family or what, but my father and I loathe sitting in the middle of the pew. It may not be the right Christian attitude, but anytime some family of 10 comes into the church 20 minutes late, they always look at you with that same face, the �you can either scoot in, or have 12 people climb over you� look. My dad returns this look with a, �listen buddy, I don�t care if this is church or not, I am not giving up my end seat� look. This results in a 5 second standoff, where inevitably, the wife turns to the husband and whispers that they should look for another spot, as this bench seems crowded. Call us petty, but it sure does feel nice to stretch out and not have toy trucks flying at you throughout the service. Thanks dad.

    So, I hope this inspires you with a few ideas on how to make your weekend fun. Get out there and enjoy the company of others and the weather most of all. And if you would like to see history made, I tee off at 8:40am. See you there!

    Tim