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Chat Reel: Gail Goestenkors
Duke coach discusses Blue Devil basketball
Posted: Thursday February 10, 2000 02:26 PM
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Goestenkors says Duke's goals this year are to win the ACC Championship and return to the Final Four. Aubrey Washington/Allsport |
Duke basketball coach Gail Goestenkors chatted recently with CNNSI.com users. A transcript of the chat follows:
CNNSI Host: Hello everyone. We're pleased to welcome Duke women's basketball coach, Gail Goestenkors, to the chat room. Hello coach, thanks for joining us.
Gail Goestenkors: Great to be here.
From Guest: Has the atmosphere or support increased for Duke women's basketball after your success last season?
Gail Goestenkors: Our attendance has risen over the year. We are averaging a little over 3,000 people at our games. The weather has kept our attendance down, but we are hoping for a strong finish.
CNNSI Host: Who is going to have to step up to fill the void left by Peppi Browne?
Gail Goestenkors: Everyone! I don't think any one person can replace her. We are looking for help from Janee Hayes, and our guards need to do a much better job rebounding because Peppi was our leading rebounder and second leading scorer.
CNNSI Host: From Guest: What professions have some of your players gone into?
Gail Goestenkors: Coaching. Advertising. Teaching. And many have gone on to grad school. We have several who are now in our premed program and engineering program.
From Guest: As the regular season winds down, do you have a different strategy for getting the team mentally ready to play? Are there different practice routines?
Gail Goestenkors: Because we just lost one of our best players to an ACL injury our practices have actually become more intense. We lift twice a week and are trying to maintain our strength and conditioning while still trying to fine tune things on the floor.
CNNSI Host: Related question -- From Guest: Every week it seems you hear about another college player tearing her ACL. What do your trainers tell you about the frequency of these injuries and is there anything specific your players do to try avoid ACL injuries?
Gail Goestenkors: We've been told by trainers and doctors that women tend to tear their ACL more than men because of their body structure. We have wider hips, which places more stress on the knees. One thing that has been suggested as been strengthening the hamstring muscle because our quadriceps tend to be twice as strong as our hamstrings.
From Guest: What have been the disadvantages to this year's motion offense, and do you think it will become a fixture in your program?
Gail Goestenkors: A disadvantage would be that it is a equal opportunity offense, and we need to make sure we have the right people shooting the ball at the right times. It takes time for people to understand their roles on the offensive end of the floor.
I do think that this motion offense will be part of our game in the years to come based on the recruits coming in and returning players.
From Guest: When did you decide you wanted to coach and who inspired you?
Gail Goestenkors: I knew I wanted to coach when I was in college. And was inspired by my college coach Marsha Reall. When I was a sophomore in college, I coached a seventh grade girls team and knew then I wanted to coach college players who were highly motivated and dedicated.
From Guest: Do you have any interest in coaching in the WNBA?
Gail Goestenkors: Not at this time. I feel very fortunate to be in the college game, and I love teaching and watching players learn and grow over four years.
From Guest: What kind of goals did the team set at the beginning of the year? After getting to the title game, are the players even hungrier to get back to the big dance?
Gail Goestenkors: My players always set the team goals, and at the beginning of this year our players decided that the goals would be the same as they were last year, which was to win the ACC and get back to the Final Four.
From Guest: How long do you think it will be before the first female player leaves college early for the WNBA? Do you think this is a good thing?
Gail Goestenkors: I hope it never happens. I'm afraid it may happen in the next five years. The salaries right now aren't that lucrative. And I hope they would not out-weigh an education.
From Jim: It's sad when I attend a game and see so few fans. What do you envision in the future as the best method to market a "truly" entertaining game -- women's basketball? And what do you see as the biggest challenge as these ladies continue to develop athletically to avoid becoming "me-first" players like in the men's game?
Gail Goestenkors: I wish I had the answer for marketing women's basketball because you're right -- it is very entertaining. Once someone comes, they usually come back. It's difficult to get students to come because they seem to enjoy the high-flying aspects of the men's game.
Hopefully, just trying to maintain the team concept. And understanding the only way to reach the ultimate goal -- a national championship -- is through sacrifice and teamwork.
From Anthony: There was a newspaper story recently where Alana Beard, who will be a freshman on your team next year, said she would like to dunk during a game, but does not know if you would let her. Would you?
Gail Goestenkors: *Laughs* I told Alana that as long as she makes it she could do it, but if she misses it she would have to make up for it by getting a steal on the very next play.
From Guest: Is there one key to making it to the NCAA championship? What quality does a team have to have to advance that far in the tournament?
Gail Goestenkors: I think the key is having the confidence that you deserve to be in that game and that you trust in yourself and your teammates and your coaches.
From Guest: What has surprised you about your team this year?
Gail Goestenkors: Their mental and physical toughness. Most people expected us to be down after losing six seniors, including a Kodak All-American, but they have been very determined to prove people wrong.
From Guest: The ACC seems to be getting stronger each year. What do you see happening in the conference in the next few years? What teams do you think will emerge as powers?
Gail Goestenkors: I think every year we have more and more parity and some of the teams that have been at the bottom are rising to the middle and may surprise some people. I think and hope that Duke, N.C. State, North Carolina and Virginia will continue to be powers. But I also understand that on any given night some other teams will upset some teams at the top.
From Guest: Who do you see as the teams to beat in March?
Gail Goestenkors: I think Connecticut and Tennessee have proven to be the powers, and I expect them to be playing their best ball in March. I think La. Tech and Georgia with their Final Four experience will be tough to beat in March.
CNNSI Host: Thanks a lot for joining us today, coach. Good luck down the final stretch of the season.
Gail Goestenkors: Thank you.
CNNSI Host: Thanks for your questions everybody! Sorry we couldn't get to all of them.
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