June 26th, 2007

Postseason and the summer

By A’Quonesia Franklin on June 26th, 2007

Howdy Ags! My name is A’Quonesia (better known as Aqua) Franklin and I’m the team captain of the Big 12 Champion women’s basketball team here at Texas A&M. This is the first entry of the diary I will be writing over the summer for The Battalion.
Ever since we won our first Big 12 Championship and went dancing in March, there have been a lot of activities in the three-month period since then. In mid-May, I was invited to try-out for the U.S. Pan American Games team along with teammates Takia Starks and Morenike Aturnase in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Unfortunately, I did not make the final roster, but it was a great experience to get to play against the best of the best in the women’s game today. I had the opportunity to meet U.S. Olympians and WNBA stars, Cynthia Cooper and Dawn Staley, who gave me pointers about basketball and on how to become a great player, rather than just a good player.

After the USA Basketball Trials, I returned to my hometown of Tyler, Texas, for two weeks and had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my family. We travel a lot during the basketball season, which runs from November through March (or April), so I enjoy every minute I get to spend back home.

Upon returning to Aggieland, my teammates and I started our first individual basketball camp, which included more than 140 campers over the course of four days. We later had five days to recover (which was a much needed break) and then it was right back to working position camp in mid-June. This time around, we had more than 240 campers over the course of three days. On the third day, we had campers from position camp checking out and the second individual camp checking in. You can only imagine how very tired we were at the camp’s end, but working camps is one of the best times of the year for us. Especially, since we get to work with kids.

Next week, I’ll write to you on my return to Tyler for a speaking engagement that benefits future Texas A&M students.

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