Beginning of December...

Ciao Famiglia e gli amici! I hope everyone is enjoying the best time of year. The weather is a bit chilly but the days are beautiful. We've had clear skies the past couple weeks, which has been great for Lele and I because we've been out and about. The Christmas lights are up in the city, there is an ice skating rink in the town square, a huge Christmas tree and little wooden shopping stands all around 'em. It's approximately a 15min walk from our apartment to downtown and we get to walk right along the lake. I feel very fortunate to be living in such a great place in Europe. I'm certain there are a lot of players out there who wish they had a place to live like Lugano, Switzerland.

A few days ago I took Lele to Bellinzona to see the castles. After visiting 2 castles in Poland the castles in Bellinzona are as of right now my favorite. Lele loved them too. Although, I think the highlight of her trip was the crepe we had in the square of Bellinzona. Similar to Lugano but a lot more stands, probably because we went on a Sunday, there were tons of merchandise to be had. While looking gifts for family to take home with her we stumbled across a crepes stand served with jelly or Nutella. Good thing we went with Nutella, Man oh man was it delicious. We stopped at a coffee shop to enjoy our crepe with a nice warm cup of coffee. Lele has been practicing her Italian and ordering for us now.

December 13th is my Dad's birthday so I like to do something special if I can. Woke up by playing my favorite song "Just the Two of Us" - Will Smith to get the day started off right. Lele and I decided to hike Mount Bre to get a little closer to him. It felt really good up there too. I shared a story with Lele about him as I do so often with her because she never had the opportunity to meet him but I know she has a pretty good idea of what kind of person he was now. He was and still is the world's greatest husband, Dad, grandfather, friend and person. We had a coffee at the top of the Mountain to warm up because it was a bit chilly. I know my Dad can do a lot of things but making it warmer might have been stretching his strengths haha. On that note, I had practice later that evening and I don't think I could of had a better practice. I knew for a fact Pops was helping me out. RIP Pops. I love and miss you so much. NFA

Last night we had out 5th Euro-challenge game and one convincingly by 22. The team played great and I unfortunately again had to watch from the sidelines. We needed this win to stay in the hunt for advancing to the next round. In order for us to advance we need to win the next game against Lukoil of Bulgaria and we need Benefica of Portugal to lose to T/U Rock of Estonia. Keep your fingers crossed for us. I'm hoping to get some PT in the game against Lukoil, I'll keep you posted. We have 2 more games this week one Thursday and the other on Saturday. One is a League Cup game and the other is a Swiss Cup game. Both games are against my old team SAM Massagno. Our goal for the last five games before Christmas was to go 5-0 and we got two knocked out of the way so far. Wish us luck!

I hope all is well back home. I sure do miss you guys. This time of year is great but being over here makes me really want to be back home with family and friends. Good thing I have Lele here to share the Holidays with. Until next time......................................................... Love

"Enjoy the Journey"LoveBud

11-1 LNBA 1-3 Euro-challenge

It's been almost 2 weeks since my last blog. A lot has gone on since then. Basketball wise we've lost our last 3 games. Extremely disappointing but it's a long season and a lot of things can happen from now until the end of the season. We lost our first league game of the season in a derby match with Vacallo one of our rivals because they live in the same province as us. I got my first start of the season in this game but I did not play the way I would of liked too. It was an extremely frustrating game we couldn't seem to get into a rhythm and they seem to be in a groove. It was just one of those games you're glad is in the past. Our last game was a Euro-challenge match with T/U Rock in Estonia. I didn't get to suit up for this one, which is difficult to deal with because I want to help make a contribution to the team and unfortunately we lost this one too. We were up by double digits and lost in overtime by 3. That's kind of been the story of the season for us as we seem to let teams get back into the game when we should be putting them away. We got 5 games left until Christmas and the goal is to go 5-0.

Outside of basketball things are going well. Lele arrived safely on December 1st but a little later than expected. Because of weather problems, the last portion of her trip she had to lug around two 50lb bags and take a train from Zurich to Lugano. I was pretty impressed that she was able to do this all by herself and not to mention it was her first time using a train in Europe, which can sometimes be confusing especially in Switzerland where 3-4 different languages are spoken. The first few days I showed her around Lugano and all the places I used to and currently hangout. She approved of my studio flat and the tub that came with it. I think even last year it was tough for her in Poland trying to shower in my small cornered shower. As much as I hyped Lugano up I think the small town of Ticino has already received her stamp of approval. Carrying on, because the the month of December is a busy month for basketball and it's hard to make time for trips, we're trying to make the most of the month and 10 days she has. The best part is obviously getting to spend time together and the trips are a bonus. That being said, I would like to mention we just booked our reservations for PARIS! Her and I are both are overly ecstatic about getting to visit there over Christmas. See the Eiffel Tower, Arc of Triumph, Louvre, etc... We've already visited Milan, Italy got to see the Duomo and the shopping sector of the city. I'm hoping we can make it to Venice & Como, Italy. I'd like to show her the singing tree in Zurich and lastly the castle in Bellinzona. If we have time I'd also like to meet up with my close friend from college Anna in Munich before Lele leaves. If not I'm sure I'll be able to squeeze that end before I leave in May. May WOW! That's a long ways away. Good thing I'm living in the moment and enjoying every second I have here and get to share it with someone I care about.

I hope everyone is enjoying this time of year. It's a special time for everyone and should be celebrated and enjoyed with family and friends. Happy Holidays to all! I love and miss you back home. Until next time........................................................... Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

P.S. The first photo above is compliments to a very generous Kenyan man who offered to take a picture of Lele and I while putting on bracelets. The funny thing is we posted this photo on Facebook and people that have been there before commented on our picture letting us know they were hit up by the Kenyans too. He then preceded to take more than one and get all pro photographer on us. All the while in the back of his mind he only did it to get money from us. I can't knock his hustle, he took great pics and I am very grateful. I know now is the time of giving, which is why I am admitting what I did. I only had 70 cents on me other than two 50euro bills so I gave him that and we were on our way. I felt really guilty and if I had more change I would have given it to him. So to make up for it I made a small donation to the poor in the Duomo. I hope this act doesn't put me on the naughty list and my redemption deed puts me on the nice list.

11-0

It's an incredible winter day in Lugano, a cool 45 degrees, sunny, with the trees no longer a mix of warm fall colors but bare and the Swiss Alps covered with snow in the distance. We got back late last night from Boncourt after celebrating our 11th victory in league. It wasn't a pretty win but a win is a win. We got one practice tonight and tomorrow we have our 3rd Euro-challenge game. I'm hoping I'll get to make my first euro-challenge appearance tomorrow but who knows. It's tough being the position I'm in, coming in late, having 7 Americans on the team (meaning one has to sit out each game) and they've been winning and playing well. They brought me in to play point but things have been going well so why change anything. Time will tell though, we got a talented team and a good group of guys.

Tomorrow's game will be against the top team in our group Lukoil Academic of Sophia, Bulgaria. Roster wise they boast a lot of talent. They're the only undefeated team in our group and a win tomorrow will really increase our chances of advancing to the Final 16.

I can't believe I've gone this long without mentioning that Lele will be here on the 1st. I'm truly more excited then I was last year when she came to visit. Our relationship really grew the 3 months she was in Poland with me. Surprisingly our bond grew even stronger over the summer, which probably explains the feelings of excitement I have about arrival. This year she'll only be visiting for a little over a month because she starts the CNA (Certified Nurses Assistant) program next semester. I can't wait to show her around Switzerland, Italy, France and hopefully Germany too. So far we have a Paris trip planned for Christmas and a trip to Venice a few days before New Years. Exciting times ahead!

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving and got everything they wanted on Black Friday. Until next time....................................... Love

Pictures:

1st: Me holding our dog Izzy on my head

2nd: Me, Taylor & Lele after the EHS v. WV game

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

Lisbon, Portugal

We arrived in Lisbon, Portugal on Monday and the weather was great, partly cloudy and a temperature of 61 degrees. One of the administrators from Benefica met us as we walked out the airport and escorted us to our bus (double decker with the opposing team’s name on the side so we got plenty of honks in traffic on our way to the hotel). The hotel we stayed at was a 4 star hotel just outside of Lisbon. The only complaint I had was we were outside of Lisbon so it was difficult to get any sightseeing done. Fortunately, there was a strike at the airport and we were forced to stay another day. We changed hotels to a much more satisfying location, one that had multiple areas to explorer.

Day 1:

A majority of the time we spent at the hotel. We had practice later in the evening to loosen up from the flight and go thru some of their plays in preparation for the game. At practice I found out I would not be playing in this game, which is understandable seeing as how they have been winning, so why try and fix something if it isn’t broken. It was kind of a bummer because my shot felt great that night and I was really looking forward to getting an opportunity to play. I’ll live though we have 4 more games.

Day 2:

Again we spent a majority of the time at the hotel. One of the great things about this trip was the food though. We may not have been able to sightsee but the food made up for it. It was phenomenal and more than plenty to go around. We had a morning shoot around at noon and spent the next 6 hrs waiting to leave for our game. The 9pm start time just added to the difficulties of playing away in a game like this. Sitting in your hotel being bored, outside the states you have a limited number of English channels to choose from. My roommate Matt, teammate Derek and I spent a good couple hours on the VH1 channel here. The episode was called “Guess the Year” so we had contests on who could guess the year of the video of the song that was being played. When we arrived at the gym I was expecting there to be a lot people there because one of my teammates read on Eurobasket.com that they were hoping to have a sellout. Needless to say they didn’t make it, the stands were a little over half full at best. We started out the game in typical fashion a little slow but had a lead after the first. The second quarter is when we made a run that led us into halftime with a 9 point lead. At this point the shirt I was wearing was starting to get a little moist under the armpits from cheering LOL. The start of the second half we let Benefica back into the game. They had a guy hit three 3-pointers in a row and went on a run that saw their lead reach 7 at one point. We weathered the storm & the crowd and managed to keep it close to the end. We got the lead back and it changed hands a couple of times before a few mistakes on our side allowed them to get the W. I could really since the frustration of my teammates after the game knowing they played as hard as they did. We really played well enough to win this game and I wish I could have contributed my services to the team but sometimes this is what happens and all you can do is move on, learn from it and bounce back.

Day 3:

The day after the game we had breakfast and a shooting practice before changing hotels. When we arrived in Lisbon we already had an idea that we may be staying an extra day so our President of the club made plans for us to try out this Brazilian restaurant. Our trainer and assistant coach both of Portuguese decent said the chicken at this restaurant was amazing. We spent the 3^rd walking around checking the sites. I would have posted some pictures but my camera unfortunately fell out of my jean pocket when I was in a cab (Bummer). On top of that we had to spend Thanksgiving day in a plane but we were blessed to be served Turkey as our in-flight meal.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I love and miss you all back home. Until next time………………………………………………….. Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

Finished Product & SMART Car

Ciao tutti! I wanted to show everyone the finished product after my nose got fixed and give everyone a good laugh because my car is in the shop right now and they gave me a SMART car to drive around until it gets fixed.

We have a game Saturday against Geneva and take off for Lisbon, Portugal Monday for our second Euro-challenge game. Both games are important for us. We only beat Geneva by 2pts the first time we played them and it would be great if we can pull out an away win against Benefica. Wish us luck and I will keep you posted on the outcomes.

I'd like to send props to my nephew. He made the varsity team at alma mater (Enterprise High School) as a sophomore. I am really excited for his opportunity to improve his game and become a better player. There is nothing in this world that I want more than to see him excel in all his endeavors. I just wish I could be there to witness it. Best of luck Baboon! Until next time................................................. Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

9-0 in LNBA & 1-0 in Euro-Challenge

Ciao mi amici e la famiglia, it's been about a while since my last post. Mainly because I have been out of commission. Yesterday morning I had my nose fixed and spent the night in the hospital. I'm supposed to be out for 10 days but I'm hoping to make my return sooner than that. I can start practicing in 5 days and I get to remove all my bandages tomorrow. So, so because of my injury I have missed the last 2 games but fortunately for us they didn't need me. We won both games convincingly. Yesterday was our first Euro-challenge game against TU/Rock of Estonia. They also play in the Baltic league. This was a very talented team but played extremely well forcing them to take tough shots, which resulted in a low shooting percentage for them. Offensive we executed well and with a good crowd turnout we had a lot of momentum when we made our runs. I sure wish I could of been out there playing but my role last night was a supporter on the bench. I was actually just happy I made because originally the doctor was going to keep 2 nights in the hospital but I told them I was too "God damn tough minded" (Coach Davey) to stay another night.

Our next game is Saturday @ home against Geneva the 3rd place team in our league and very talented team. I will miss this game also as I am still recovering from my injury. The picture above is right after the surgery when I woke up. I hope all is well back home. If any of you get a chance, my mom just had surgery on her eyes and is recovering at home for the next 2 weeks and could probably use some TLC. So, if you have some free time pay her a visit or give her a call. You all know the phone probably won't get picked up it never does even when we are home so I recommend going over there LOL. Until next time.................................................... Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

7-0

We got a great road win this weekend against Fribourg. It was a well balanced team effort in a newly built gym (it is by far the nicest gym in Switzerland that I've come across). If you guys didn't notice from the picture above "The Green Hornet" or as some of my Swiss teammates labeled him "Zorro" made an appearance at the game. He jumped in and out of character between timeouts and halftime LOL. At times he seemed a bit winded like he was only breathing out of one nostril but managed to help contribute to his team's victory.

On the way home we had a traditional road trip victory dinner in Europe, McDonald's! I don't know what it is but when I am in Europe I eat more fast food than I do in the states. It truly is unbelievable. In all honesty I try to avoid fast food with the occasional In-N-Out Burger here and there. I guess it's because it is opposite for them as it is for me, they want what they hear so much about in our culture and I want to try what we hear so much about in their culture.

Lastly, I see a specialist tomorrow about my nose and we have a game on Wednesday against a team from Monthey. I hope everyone back home is doing well. I love and miss you. Until next time.......................................................................................... Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

Busted da Nose...

Something seems crooked in this picture LOL. I broke my nose today in our Swiss Cup match against Vacallo.

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

Back in a Routine...

So here is my weekly schedule for the coming week. This is probably what my schedule will look like from now until Christmas because we have 3 games a week until then. This is because of regular season games, Swiss Cup games and Euro-challenge games all beginning this month.

Monday:

Cardio:

- 15min Bike

- 15min Elliptical

- 15min Treadmill

Weights:

- Deadlifts

- Pull ups

- Dumbell Shoulder Presses

- Lunge w/ Knee drive

- Overhead Row

- Ab Roller

- Single Leg Squats

- Bent over row/Band rows

- RDL’s

- Dumbell Bench w/ Swiss ball

- Dumbell Curls

- Russian Twists

Abs w/ Swiss ball

Practice 6-8pm

Tuesday:

Cardio

o 15min Bike

o 15min Elliptical

o 15min Treadmill

o Abs

Practice 6-8pm

Wednesday: Game Day

Thursday:

Cardio

- 15min Bike

- 15min Elliptical

- 15min Treadmill

- Abs

Practice 6-8pm

Friday:

Cardio

- 15min Bike

- 15min Elliptical

- 15min Treadmill

- Abs

Practice 6-8pm

Saturday: Game Day

Sunday: Optional Day

Cardio, Walk downtown or Swim

No Practice

On another note, one of my closet friends CJ Blanc got married yesterday. Congratulations to him and Jessica. I sure wish I could have been there to help celebrate but judging from the pictures and videos I was definitely there in spirit or should I say paper. Thanks for letting me still be apart of a very special celebration. The first of 5 is out of the way. I hope all is well back home. Until next time.................................................................................... Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

5-0...

We're 2-0 since I've been here and have continued our unbeaten streak this season. Yesterday we played my old team Massagno. It was nice to get the win. I saw a lot of familiar faces and after the game went to dinner at a Pizza place with some old teammates and coaches called "Bivio". It was good catching up and seeing everyone again. Our next game is Saturday against a team from Basel.

So, late nights here have turned into competitive video game matches of Top Spin and Call of Duty. Those of you that know me know I'm not a gamer. In college the only game I ever played was Halo and I was less than average at best. But it's been a lot of fun thus far playing and just hanging out. Having 7 other Americans on the team makes the transition over here much easier. That's all I got for you today. Until next time....................................................... Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

4 - 0

I got game one under my belt. We beat a team from Zurich this weekend 91-52. I had 8 pts and played 22 min. I'm still trying to get acclimated with my surroundings, learning the system, my teammates and what exactly my role will be. It's also tough trying to play on 3 hours of sleep. I didn't get much sleep the night before because I'm still getting used to the time change. I should be OK by the end of this week though. Here are some photos from the game:

http://www.laregione.ch/interna_tipress.asp?tp_serv=20101023_sport_tigers&tp_serv_img=tipress_czz231010_05.jpg

I hope all is well back home. I'm glad to announce my Nephew's team won the Riverbowl and unfortunately the varsity didn't. Good luck the rest of the season Hornets. Until next time.......................................................... Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

Article

Above is a picture of my coach (Joe Whelton) and I from an article about my arrival in Switzerland. Below is the link to the article from a local paper here in Lugano, Switzerland. The second link is of some pictures of my first year here with my old team.

http://www.tio.ch/aa_pagine_comuni/articolo_interna.asp?idarticolo=593585&IDSezione=7&idsito=101&idtipo=437 ........ Article

http://www.tio.ch/aa_pagine_comuni/articolo_interna.asp?idarticolo=593585&idsezione=7&idsito=101&idtipo=437&dossier=foto ......... Photos

My first game is tomorrow against a team from Zurich and I am currently not eligible to play because my old team in Poland has yet to release me but were hoping the fax with the release will be here tomorrow by game time. Practices so far have been great. Learning a lot and coach is throwing a lot of plays at me so we can hit the ground running. It helps that he is American and speaks English, it makes getting the messages across easier. I still haven't gotten adjusted to the time change and my legs aren't quite there yet still a little jet lagged. But pumped about the game and ready to play.

Tonight after practice I went downtown to meet up with some old friends and teammates at a restaurant called Argentino. It was great seeing everyone again. It was like we picked up right where we left off, except I feel like I need to brush up on my Italian. We actually play each other next Wednesday and I am looking forward to that game as well. I don't know if I mentioned it in my last blog but we will play somewhere between 20-25 games between now and Christmas and will be traveling a lot. I got a lot of work ahead of me and I'm excited to be back in a routine. I hope all is well back home with everyone and enjoying the football season. My nephew plays Shasta tonight our crosstown rival for the traditional Riverbowl bragging rights. Good luck Tayman and good luck to the Hornets. Until next time.................................................... Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

Back in Switzerland...

As one chapter ends another begins. My last post was a little over 5 months ago. After a long wait, two and a half months to be exact, I finally got a job. This year I find myself in a familiar place, I’ve returned to Switzerland but not to Massagno, to their next door neighbor Lugano. For those of you who don't know it is the Italian cultured region in the southern part of Switzerland. I arrived here safely with no bumps or delays. I am extremely excited to be back here. I have a lot of fond memories here and good friends to reconnect with. I am also excited to show Lele where I live. She arrives on November 30^th, I haven’t booked her flight yet but that’s the date. Her first taste of Europe was mainly Poland. Although we had a good time in Poland I think Switzerland is just what she needs to get the real European experience. Speaking of European experience, I know everyone who has traveled or played in Europe understands the differences we Americans are spoiled with in our everyday lives. I am by no means complaining just pointing out the disparity and the gratefulness I have for my blessings back home. For instance I am in a 150-250sqft studio flat, with old towels, used bedding sets, warn chairs, 15inch TV that doesn’t work, no internet but should have it shortly, a killer whale night lamp, heated floors, can hear trains passing by, a bidet next to the toilet, a restaurant/ bar on the first floor and only 3 outlet plugs in the whole place (there is more outlets in the bathroom). Life of a professional basketball player in Switzerland can’t get much better than that. LOL good thing there is an IKEA here.The Lugano Tigers (www.Luganobasket.ch) is the name of my new team. They’re the top team in Switzerland and a Euro-challenge team. Prior to my arrival they already qualified for the Euro-challenge regular season and have begun the Swiss League (LNA) 3-0. Last year they won the championship and return most of their players. Coach (Joe Whelton) said they had a veteran Swiss point guard but he retired at the beginning of the year so players have been playing out of their typical position. That being said, I was told they’re in need of a true point guard, more of a pass first, knock down the open shot , take care of the ball and play good defense type. After watching our practice tonight it’s easy to see guys can score and are talented. As of right now that’s what I see my role being, obviously it could end up being different but I think that’s where it stands currently. The main goals of this year are to win the Swiss Cup, The Swiss Championship and advance as deep as possible in the Euro-challenge (http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.compID_BYg5Rb55Jw-G5I3MZ6JB01.html). We’re in Group C of the 24 team bracket play. We’ll play each team twice, Benefica of Lisbon, Portugal, T/U Rock of Tartu, Estonia and Lukoil Academic of Sofia, Bulgaria. Here’s the website if you want to check out the results, our first is Nov. 16^th.

That’s a little update on my current status. Here are a few highlights from this past summer. I spent most of my time back home hanging with the family and Lele. I got to watch my nephew play baseball and I also got to catch a few football games. Made it to the lake only a few times, which was kind of a bummer but I’ll be sure to get out there a few more times next summer. I did some serious camping. My first camping trip was in the back yard of my girls place, she owns 11 acres and I met all of her mom’s side of the family (18 tents & 54 relatives). Another camping trip I made this year was to the northern coast a campsite called Patrick’s Point near the Redwood National Forest. Some great one on one time with Lele, the first day we got there we hiked five hours to all the major vista points and along the beach. I also made 2 trips to Las Vegas this year, once for my girlfriend’s cousin turning 21 and another time for my good buddy CJ’s bachelor party. I spent way too much money on both trips.

Furthermore, I spent Labor Day weekend in Phoenix playing in a Chicano tournament with my friend Chris Gonzalez. Even though I was there playing it was a great chance to see my family. Over the past 3 summers I have made it down to Arizona to see them, even though my stay wasn’t for the duration it usually is, nor the reason, it was great to see them and is very important to me that I get to see them as much as I can. I made it down to the bay a few times this summer too but definitely not as much as I would have liked. My Santa Clara extended family is important to me and I didn’t get to see them as much as I would have liked. So if any of you are reading this I apologize. I also wanted to them to get to know Lele as she is such a huge part of my life now and my SCU family is also, I want to be able to bring the best of both worlds together. Lastly, I will miss date nights with the babe. Whether it is matinee all day, dinner at Rivers or at aqua golf, it seemed like those were my happiest times this summer.

Anyway, enough of this sappy stuff its basketball season, time to eat, sleep, play and make a little money on the side. I hope everyone had a good summer and are enjoying the fall weather. I’m trying to get acclimated in my new environment and excited about my new Journey. Until Next time……………………………………………………………. Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

Semifinals

SKS! SKS! SKS! That was all you could hear at the end of the game in Koszalin. The small crowd of supporters who made the trip and watched both games were the only ones in the gym after the buzzer sounded. It is hard to describe the feeling of being apart of something like this. Those of you who are athletes have probably tasted this feeling before so you can relate to how I'm feeling. It is the best this club has ever finished. As much as I would've loved to be on the court playing, my new role on the team is from the bench and even though I watched from there I could still feel the flow of the game. Friends and family back home who I haven't gotten the chance to speak with, 4 days before the quarterfinals began I dislocated my right wrist going up for a rebound in practice. Which explains the cast I have been sporting the last week.

We came out with a lot of energy in both games and if you were there it was easily visible. In games like this, where you've played a team twice already in the regular season, watched a number of hours of game film, went through all their plays in practice, there is only so much preparation you can go through before you start beating a dead drum. In games like this it comes down to who wants it more. I want to commend my teammates for their effort, everyone of them deserves credit for these wins. Everyone made a contribution in some way shape or form. A job well done fellas.

Up next Anwil: they finished the regular season in 2nd place, we split with them 1-1 during league, they beat Polonia Azbud to move onto the semifinals and according Eurobasket.com Top 100 they are ranked 67th (We're ranked 92nd). The games will be televised on TVP Sport May 8,10,13,15,18th at 6pm that's 9am PST (Go to plk.pl/ and click on the link. I'm sure it will be on our team website too sportowa.com.pl/) It's going to be a tough series and as I mentioned earlier, numbers aside and scouting preparation disregarded. It's going to come down to who wants it more.

I hope to see you all at the games at home and those of you who make the trip to Anwil I wish you safe travels and you'll have a high five waiting for you when you get there. I'll leave you with one last notion; my dad used to write me letters during situations like this in college before games in our conference tournament and he would always end those letters with "GOTTA BELIEVE!"

Until next time................................................................................................... Love

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love

Bud

P.S. Don't be surprised if my cast is off next week................ haha

Playoffs...

Playoffs are here and our preparation for our first game has long already passed. It feels like we have been preparing for our opponent for some time now and an unexpected event added to our wait. Before I explain, I would like to send out my thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of those lost in the tragic plane crash this past weekend. The President of Poland was killed in a plane crash Saturday morning on his way to Russia to commemorate the lives lost in the Katyn Massacre that occurred 70 years ago. As a result of this tragedy the playoffs were moved back a week to give time for the country to mourn their loss.

Here is a look at the schedule for the playoffs. Because we finished the regular season in 3rd place with an 18-8 overall record we skip the pre-playoffs and go straight to the Quarterfinals.

Changes in the schedule were caused for national mourning after the crash in Smolensk as I mentioned above and the need to end the season before the World Cup in South Africa.

Qualifying play-off (pre-playoffs), to two wins on Monday 19 April, Wednesday 21 April, Friday 23 April (or Saturday April 24).

Quarter-final play-off to three wins on Tuesday 27 April, Wednesday 28 April, Saturday May 1, Sunday May 2, Wednesday 5 May.

Semi-final play-off, the three winners:

couple I - Saturday 8 May, Monday 10 May, Thursday 13 May, Saturday 15 May, Tuesday 18 May;

couple II - Sunday 9 May, Tuesday 11 May, Friday 14 May, Sunday 16 May, Wednesday 19 May.

Final play-off for four wins on Saturday 22 May, Monday 24 May, Thursday 27 May, Saturday 29 May, Tuesday, June 1, Friday June 4, Monday 7 June.

The third place, two wins on Saturday 22 May, Tuesday 25 May, Friday 28 May.

PLK SA Board agreed to the elimination matches played on two playoff AZS Koszalin - Stal Stalowa Wola in Koszalin, within 19 and 20 April.

The BOLD is our first round series. It's win or go home now and I am not quite ready to go home. I hope to see you all at the games helping us reach the next round. Thanks again for your support all season. I have only one favor to ask you and that is to be louder than you have all year and I promise we will return the favor with even more effort than we've given all season. Enjoy the weather I think spring is finally here. Until next time............................................ Love

P.S. The picture above is at the Chicago Bulls practice facility. It's the 6 championship trophies they won during the Michael Jordan era. I went there last summer as I do every summer to visit some close friends from college. I hope by the end of this season we will have something to put up in the Hall of Starogard....

"Enjoy the Journey"

Love
Bud

Highlights

Here are some highlights from last game...

http://sportowa.com.pl/fanclub/wideo?view=play&id=8

"Enjoy the Journey"
Love
Bud