We are called “to steward” our gifts, talents, resources, relationships, time, and all of creation.  As a team, we will steward, treasure and nurture all who we are and all we do by trying to be our best on and off the court and, value everyone around us as we value ourselves. We won’t be perfect all of the time, but as long as we keep working hard, together we will ultimately accomplish our goal of being the first women’s basketball team to win the new Atlantic East Championship.

As one of the two seniors, we want to leave Neumann with the legacy that we won the championship the first year in a new league.  The way in which we can accomplish this is by practicing the values of Neumann University and the ISSCD.  For instance, one thing that caught my attention on the “Respect Pillar” was a quote by Mia Hamm which states, “I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.”  We will sacrifice for what is best for the team and value each member of the team as each of us bring something unique to the team.

No matter wins or losses, playing time and egos are diminished as we will play as a team and for each other. Entering the new conference and having a completely new coaching staff, we need to come together and play like the team I know we can. We need to have faith, trust, and respect for our coaches, chaplains, and each teammate through this process. It might take some time for everyone to get used to each other but, as a team, we need to push each other to be our best. If someone is down on themselves or struggling, it’s our job to lift them back up. Neumann Women’s Basketball will hold ourselves accountable to be respectful towards referees, fans, and all members of our team and the opposing team throughout the course of the game. We won’t let a bad play or bad call define who we are as a team and what we stand for.

We play for what’s on the front of our jersey. As Neumann Knights, we will represent this University by showing and living our lives with gospel values, especially Respect.  As a team, we will have patience and believe in each other throughout the entire season to work towards our main goal of winning a championship and advancing to the NCAA tournament.  Everyone will have her own role and respect and share our teammates’ God-given talents to make our team better.  Without sacrifice, there can be no victory!

Symbol of Stewardship

We will use this basketball during the season in our pre-game prayer as a reminder that we are blessed to be participating in college athletics and given the opportunity to steward our gifts to our team. It is a privilege to be participating and we will keep this theme throughout the season.