Hello to all from Tyler, Texas! My name is Caitlyn Scelfo & I am a junior at the University of Texas at Tyler. I transferred from Texas A&M Universityafter attending for two years as a regular student. I transferred to UT Tyler with high hopes of playing basketball for their Women’s Basketball Program under head coach Terri Deike. However, due to a recent diagnosis of Osteoarthritis in my left knee, after a 4 year struggle with a knee injury, I have had to make the decision to not play basketball anymore. Though it was a difficult decision to make, I had incredible support from my coaches, teammates, friends, and most importantly my family. And I believe that God has a plan for everyone, and desires to use us in ways that may not be quite “on schedule” with our desires. Coach Deike has given me the awesome opportunity to now be the manager for the UT Tyler women’s basketball team. I am still able to be fully involved with the team as I take on a new role. It is a blessing to still have the opportunity to be a part of this basketball program. All of the coaches and the girls are wonderful, and I want to work hard everyday to make a positive contribution to the program.
We enter the 2008-2009 basketball season picked to finish first in the ASC East conference. Our team enters the season with six great freshman, two awesome seniors, six wonderful sophomores, and 1 fabulous junior. They are all working hard each day on the court in practice and off the court hitting the books as we make our way to the next level of being the 2009 ASC Conference Champions. The girls are becoming more of a team and a family each day as they set aside their differences on and off the court, and put together the talents, outstanding individual qualities, and key roles they each have to offer to the UT Tyler Women’s basketball program. Let me introduce you to our 2008-2009 coaching staff, starting with Head Coach Terri Deike. Coach Deike started the UT Tyler Women’s basketball program seven years ago and has led them to three ASC East Division Championships and a 77-51 record in that time. Our assistant coach is Cassi Little, who is in her second year with the program. She was a year starter at post for the University of Texas at Dallasfrom 2002-2006 where she set five career records and one season record. Last but not least is our graduate assistant, RaTonya Hunter. She was outstanding point guard for the UT Tyler Patriots from 2003-2007, helping lead them to two ASC East Division Championships.
We opened our season with a win the other night against Jarvis Christian College. This weekend we play our first two games in front of our home crowd here at UT Tyler as we take on 23rd-ranked College of St. Benedicton Friday night and Wisconsin-Platteville on Saturday afternoon in the 2008 Fred Jacoby I-20 Tip-off Classic. Next week we take our first major road trip traveling south to Seguin, Texas to take on the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs, then head over to Kerrville, Texas to play Schreiner University. Yep, safe to say the 2008-2009 UT Tyler Women’s Basketball season is under-way, and all roads lead to Hope, Michigan, home of the 2008-2009 Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship.
Looking forward to keeping yall updated on the good times to come this season on & off the court! Until next time, take care, and God Bless!
Caitlyn
Caitlyn, I am looking forward to your accounts of this season in the ASC. I hope that you can give the readers insight into what makes the ASC a great conference, especially in women’s basketball. The Lady Patriots catch Hardin-Simmons, McMurry, Howard Payne and Sul Ross State at home this year, so they avoid those brutal road trips (in terms of opposition fans and distances traveled.)