While Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was training with the U.S. Men's Senior National Team in the desert to compete for gold, another Blue Devil basketball coach was at the opposite end of the world trying to accomplish the same goal with a different team.
Newly-hired head coach Joanne P. McCallie spent much of her summer preparing and coaching the U.S. Women's U-21 team for the 2007 FIBA U-21 Women's World Championship in Moscow. And although her team went undefeated and won the gold medal, McCallie insists that winning was not the sole purpose of the team's trip to Europe.
"It was great that we went undefeated, but that wasn't really the goal," McCallie said. "The goal was to play the best we could. It was a great experience, and everybody had a lot to offer."
The entire process took 26 days, from the start of camp on June 15 in Colorado Springs, Colo. to the team's victory over Australia in the gold medal game on July 8.
Team USA's success was even more impressive when considering the changing conditions the players had to adapt to. The team trained and played in three different countries and on two different continents, and although training went smoothly for the most part, it was not always pleasant.
"We first went to the south of France and trained pretty hard there," McCallie said. "Russia was much more difficult and challenging for a lot of reasons. The conditions were OK, not great. There were a lot of different issues with how to nourish our bodies."
The team was not daunted by these obstacles, however. They showed great poise throughout the tournament, especially in their semifinal match against Russia, where USA trailed by 13 points before coming back to win.
According to McCallie, the team's resilience was indicative of its character.
"This team was unique and very special," McCallie said. "Everything bounced off of them. All the adversity seemed to make them tougher and build their character. They were an easy team to coach that way."
McCallie also had the unique opportunity to get closer to one of her own players, as junior guard Abby Waner made the trip to Europe.
In a trip that included many positives, McCallie believes that a closer relationship with Waner was one of the best things she took from her experience with Team USA.
"I love coaching Abby," McCallie said. "I love what her game is and get very excited about what her game can be too. Having that time with Abby was great, I thought, and a tremendous opportunity for me as a coach."
Although the trip was rewarding, it was also long, occupying the entire month of June and spilling over into July. McCallie had no time to rest, though, as she had to immediately turn her attention to recruiting upon her return.
After visiting several potential recruits, McCallie was finally able to focus on the transition to Duke and her adjustment to life in Durham. Despite all of the changes, she is still readily focused on making Duke a national contender. Although this will be a challenge, McCallie knows one thing is certain-her team is ready to play.
"They're a very low-maintenance team and they're very hungry," McCallie said. "There is so much excitement this year."
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