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Post Up: Miah-Marie Langlois
The Senior Women's National Team is coming off a great start to the summer having won the Gold Medal at the Pan Am Games in Toronto. The next step for them is to qualify for the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro by winning the FIBA Americas Tournament taking place in Edmonton. Leading up to the Americas Tournament we spoke to our SWNT members and they gave us their thoughts on a few things and here's what they had to say. To buy tickets for the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship for Women, click here.
I didn't really hear much about the National Program to begin with. I didn't play on Team Ontario, I didn't play on the Junior National Team or anything like that. It wasn't until there was an open tryout for the Development Team in my third year at Windsor that I even thought about playing for my country. My best friend and I went to it and from there we just made our way through the system. I didn't think playing on the National Team was a reachable goal honestly.
Coming from my area a lot of players went to the States. Really, that was the only aspiration that I might have had but I didn't care to play in the U.S. Basketball was just something that I enjoyed playing. I think it was my third year a university, when I was 19, I played on the Development Team that competed in China and I was exposed to another level of basketball. It was then that I thought I wanted to do this for my summers.
Looking back, getting invited to my first National Team tryout camp was crazy. My first time playing I was with the Development Team I barely played. But I thought I could play at this level. I think the first tryout I wasn't prepared.
When I finally got to the call to the Senior Team, I felt like I belonged. It felt good! I just wanted to contribute in any way possible, and I still feel that way, regardless of playing time or roles. It's an amazing experience! Everyone is competing to be the best and there are no egos. Everyone is trying to get to that one goal no matter how we get there and that is what makes it so amazing to be a part of. It doesnâ??t matter where you come from, what matters is your dedication to the game. That's what got me there, that's for sure.
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