High Five Blog #6: South Korea

"Only the curious will learn and only the resolute overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient." - Eugene S. Wilson

• February 20-28, 2007

• 9 days
• 1 city
• 2 games
• 11 hours spent on plane
• Best Games:
• WKBL (Seoul, South Korea)

  Shinsegae @ Samsung
  Samsung @ Kumho

Highlights: The past nine days have been absolutely amazing! I arrived in Seoul last week after a long flight from Paris. The two games I've seen have been competitive but completely different from the European game. Korean style basketball is built on good passing, quick ball movement and sharp outside shooting. Fan support at the games is limited but extremely enthusiastic and all games are televised live.

Only one foreigner per team is allowed in Korea and they are relied upon heavily. From what I've seen, they live up to their expectations! Lauren Jackson is performing incredibly well for Samsung. Against Shinsegae, (Katie Feenstra's team), LJ helped her team to a win with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 steals in only 27 minutes. Two days later, Samsung defeated Alana Beard's Kumho team as LJ posted 40 points and 18 rebounds. It is such a privilege to watch the best player in the world, in her prime, in great shape and truly enjoying basketball!

Once again I've found the people to be very warm and friendly. It helps tremendously that LJ has an interpreter who is almost always with her, and always available. In a meeting with Samsung's Assistant Director and the General Manager, I learned about the history of the league and also the direction in which the WKBL is going. I am thoroughly impressed with the level of professionalism within each organization and how well they take care of the players. Developing these relationships with team personnel has provided insight into the individual clubs and also what to expect in the coming years. As the quote above refers to, High Five Agency is certainly on a quest to provide the best possible experiences for our athletes.

Preview: One more week in Seoul and then it's back to the beautiful Northwest to prepare for the Final Four and the WNBA Draft in Cleveland!



Samsung vs. Shinsegae (Katie Feenstra, LJ)



Samsung @ Kumho (Alana Beard, LJ)



Sushi Dinner with LJ and Teammates



LJ and Sooz

High Five Blog #5: France, Belgium, Holland

"Laughter is inner jogging." - Victor Borge

• February 14-19, 2007
• 6 days
• 6 cities
• 2 games
• 24 hours spent on trains
• Best Games:
• LFB (France Division I)

  USVO (Valenciennes) @ USO Mondeville (Mondeville)

• Holland

  ProBuild (Landsmeer) @ AutoCAD Amazone (Ziest)

Highlights: The last week of the tour in Europe was filled with blessing after blessing. I had two phenomenal meetings with agents I intend to work with in the future. I also had the opportunity to meet with one of France's best young players (who I hope to share more about in the future). She has incredible potential and I expect she will be showing her skills in the WNBA very soon.

I was excited to see Bianca Ziemann, who I hadn't seen since we met at last year's Final Four, along with her sister Rachael. I also met her parents who were visiting Holland for a few days.

This week's quote was truly the theme while I was with our players in Amsterdam. Although Amy Parrish is dealing with an unfortunate season-ending injury, she has maintained a great attitude and was a joy to be around. Amy Taylor was entertaining, as always, and provided some comic relief with her typical "on-stage performances" for the group...and we have it on film to prove it.

I can't even express what a delight it was to see all of our players on the tour this year. The first annual High Five Welcome Home party in Seattle this summer will be full of great video footage from the 2007 European Tour recapping each of our athlete's experiences...and I expect there will be much "inner jogging."

Preview: Get all the details of the tour's last stop from Seoul, South Korea next week!



USVO @ USO Mondeville



Dinner in Amsterdam



Sooz, Dwight van West (Head Coach, AutoCAD), Bianca Ziemann



Amy Taylor, Sooz, Amy Parrish, Bianca Ziemann

High Five Blog #4: Italy, France, Switzerland

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." - Calvin Coolidge

• February 6-13, 2007
• 8 days
• 7 cities
• 2 games
• 34 hours spent on trains
• Best Games:
• EuroCup:

  Taranto (Taranto, Italy) @ Lattes Montpellier (Lattes, France)

• LFB (France Div. I)

  Lattes Montpellier (Lattes, France) @ Pays d'Aix (Les Milles, France)

Highlights: This was another very exciting and productive week meeting with numerous team presidents, coaches and agents throughout France.

I've been blessed to see some really incredible games during the tour, but the EuroCup game earlier this week topped them all. The stakes were high with Michelle Greco's Italian team needing a win over Montpellier by at least 2 points. Greco went down early with a badly sprained ankle and Montpellier led for most of the game. Taranto had the ball with 12 seconds remaining, down by one point. They shot, missed, and the rebound went off Montpellier. With two seconds left on the clock, the ball was inbounded to a veteran Italian post player who nailed a three at the buzzer with a defender in her face! Taranto wins on the road by two points and moves on in EuroCup competition. Every player dreams of hitting shots like that...it was awesome. I do have to comment - never in my life have I seen a coach celebrate like Taranto's coach did after the buzzer went off...wow.

France is a beautiful country where, despite varying opinions, I found the people to be very warm and friendly. The high level of competition is a reflection of solid organizations and youth development programs. Although the foreign (U.S.) players certainly add to the strength of the teams, there are some tremendous French players that maintain a high level of competition league-wide.

Preview: The final week of the European Tour takes us through northern France, Belgium and The Netherlands. Check back next week for more updates!



#1 Taranto at Lattes Montpellier

High Five Blog #3: Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic

"I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

• January 29 - February 5, 2007
• 8 days
• 6 cities
• 2 games
• 39 hours spent on trains
• Best Games:
• Euroleague:

  UMMC (Ekaterinburg, Russia) @ MKB Euroleasing (Sopron, Hungary)

• Spartak (Moscow, Russia) @ USK Prague (Prague, Czech Republic)

Highlights: This past week was much like the first week of travel visiting six cities in eight days, but this time I ventured through four different countries. I saw two games and had additional meetings with new contacts including local agents, coaches and GM's. It was an incredibly productive trip to the Eastern European countries, and I was thrilled with the networking opportunities God provided.

The highlight for me was having the opportunity to watch some friends play, including Suzy Batkovic, Adia Barnes, (UMMC) and Sue Bird & Diana Taurasi (Spartak). I enjoyed visiting with another friend who I met last year, Shabtai, Spartak's owner. I also had a chance to catch up with Kamila Vodichkova and Janell Burse. They are both recovering from injuries, and it was great to see them while I was in Prague.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to expect from these countries and I was pleasantly surprised. The people were hospitable and friendly and the landscape was breathtaking, particularly through Austria. As I think back on the activities and experiences of the week, I'm reminded of the Bible verse above. Whether it be through injury, as in Kamila and Janell's case, or challenges that arise in new environments, through frustration or struggle, it's important to be reminded that God's grace is new every morning and to press on.

Preview: I'm returning to Italy and France for the next few games, and I expect to make some detours along the way. Check back next week for the latest report from Europe!



UMMC @ MKB Euroleasing (Adia Barnes, Cheryl Ford, Lindsey Whalen)



Suzy Batkovic & Sooz



Sooz, Adia Barnes and Louie



Spartak @ USK Prague (Tina Thompson, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird)



Sooz, Kamila Vodichkova and Sue Bird

High Five Blog #2: France and Italy

"When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable" Clifton Fadiman

• January 21-28, 2007
• 8 days
• 4 cities
• 2 games
• 21 hours spent on trains
• Best Game:
• LFB (France Div. I):

  USVO (Valenciennes) vs. Lattes Montpellier (Montpellier)

Highlights: The second week began with an incredible game in France as two of the top teams tipped off in a regular season match-up. It was extremely competitive, and although underdog Montpellier led for much of the game, USVO stole a win at the end.

From there it was on to Nice, France to watch Nadja Morgan and her team take on another strong French club, Bourges. Even though Nadja has only been in Nice since Christmas, she's adapted quickly and is performing well. I had a chance to meet with her head coach and the president of the club as well. The team had an extra day off, so Nadj joined me for a quick trip to Italy. We had a great time seeing some sights and enjoying real Italian food!

It was good to regroup this week and still have the chance to see a couple of games. France and Italy are two of my favorite countries, not only because the basketball is competitive, but also because of the languages and the amazing food! It's extremely important to encourage our athletes to embrace the culture, taste new cuisine and try to learn the language. Referring to the quote above, we can't expect to be comfortable in a foreign country, but of the athletes I've seen so far, Kristen, Jackie and Nadja have all embraced the culture and are truly getting the most from their experience!

Preview: Next week the travel and game schedule picks up again. Check back for updates from Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic!



Susie Jarosch and Nadja Morgan at Cinque Terre



Fabrizio, Nadja, Elenora and Susie enjoying local cuisine
in La Spezia, Italy at La Tavernetta



Manarola (the second village of Cinque Terre)