Anderson Arena Memories - Volume 15
November 22, 2010 | General, Women's Basketball
Former Falcon women's basketball standout Stefanie (Wenzel) Lee checks in
Throughout the 2010-11 season, the BGSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will be celebrating the storied history of venerable Anderson Arena, as we are 'Closing the Doors of The House That Roars' and preparing for the opening of the Stroh Center in the fall of 2011.
To share your favorite memory of Anderson Arena, to see the timeline of events or to keep up with the latest Stroh Center happenings, Click Here. We will be posting some of your fondest memories of Anderson here at BGSUFalcons.com in the coming weeks and months.
Former BGSU women's basketball standout Stefanie (Wenzel) Lee was a 1,000-point scorer and an Academic All-American for the Brown and Orange. She took a few moments to provide us with some of her fondest memories of Anderson Arena ...
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I have literally spent thousands of hours of my life inside the walls of Anderson Arena. As a sentimental person who is not big into change, it is hard for me to face the closing of "The House that Roars." I love this place, and many wonderful moments have taken place for me within it. Even so, when I saw that BG was offering the chance to put favorite memories of Anderson Arena into words, I knew right away that that was something I had to do… but it has been hard for me to pinpoint just a few moments. This place was my home, my sanctuary, my place of comfort for four of the most meaningful years of my life. If everything else around me was uncertain, I knew I had a basket and a ball waiting for me at any time… and I took advantage of that often. Many tears, both of frustration and joy, were shed within these walls. Heartbreaking losses and triumphant wins were fought for here. I learned to believe in myself here. I learned to see the best in others here. I learned to be a leader, to be a good teammate, and to take charge here. I was taught within these walls to never, ever give up. And I didn't.
It has already been over 6 years since I have donned a BG basketball uniform. I am now a wife, a teacher, and a coach… and yet the memories I hold dear and the lessons that were instilled upon me during my 4 years in Bowling Green's Anderson Arena continue to guide me as I persist on this journey of life.
Here are some of my favorite moments in Anderson Arena, in no particular order:
I have always been one of those weird people that find deep satisfaction in the physical punishment of a gut-wrenching, insanely intense workout. With that said, Coach Hillman's hour-long, 3-day-a-week early-morning conditioning sessions in Anderson Arena were definitely my kind of workout. I know it sounds crazy, but I live (yes, as in still do) for that kind of thing. No basketball allowed with this workout… just guts and pride. The endless sprinting, jumping, defensive shuffling, and lunging done during that blessed hour three times a week not only gave us the endurance to make it through a basketball game… but it gave us the attitude and belief that if we can all make it through these crazy workouts together, we can do anything together.
There is something very magical about an empty Anderson Arena. I spent many hours in the building, alone, with just the ball, the basket, and my own wandering thoughts. Sometimes I thought of nothing but the feel of the ball in my hands, the bend of my knees, the flick of my wrist, and the swish of the shot… Repeat. Sometimes I dreamed big dreams while I was there alone… this shot, for the win tomorrow… swish. This shot, for the MAC championship… swish. This shot, for the NCAA championship! …SWISH! Often, when I would leave the Arena after being there alone, I'd feel as if the place belonged to me and the world outside those walls was mine to take.
I loved playing against Buffalo—particularly games at Anderson Arena against Buffalo. During those games, I felt like the basket was as wide as the ocean, and every shot I tossed up splashed right in. I don't know why Buffalo's coach insisted on playing a zone defense that left the outside shooters wide open… but I'm glad she did. Enough said. :)
During my senior year, when I knew the end was near, I savored my time in Anderson Arena. I tried to enjoy every minute of it. I loved the game, I loved my teammates, and finally, as a team we were seeing some success in the win column. The highlight of our home games that year came against first place Western Michigan. The Arena was electric that afternoon. As a team, we played an amazing game, and I personally played probably the best, most well-rounded game of my life. With only a few seconds left on the clock, we found ourselves tied… that is, until my fellow co-captain Lindsay Austin hit her first of three game-winning shots of the season. The feeling I had after that ball bounced on the rim and dropped in can only be described as pure joy. After that ball dropped in, and we realized that we had just beat the number one team in the league, our whole team ran to our hero and jumped on top of each other in a wild fit. Anderson Arena was our place of celebration on that afternoon.
Of all the memories and wonderful moments I have had at Anderson Arena, none quite match the significance of the fact that I met my future husband within its walls. I always thought that I would meet my future husband on the basketball court. I loved the game, and it was my passion in life, so I knew I would need a husband who understood that about me. Little did I know that, in November of 2003, when Coach Miller introduced our team to the "practice squad," I would be face to face with the man I would marry less than four years later. I should've known. His eyes sparkled as they met mine on that first day when I introduced myself, and they sparkled whenever we caught eyes every practice for the rest of the season. He tried so hard to play it cool, but the boy who I was matched up with in practice at Anderson Arena every day to make me a better basketball player ended up stealing my heart in the process as well.
Thanks for the memories, Anderson Arena!
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We'd love to hear about your favorite memories of Anderson Arena. Click here to share them with us, and perhaps you will see your own recollections of 'The House That Roars' right here at BGSUFalcons.com in the very near future. Roll Along!
To share your favorite memory of Anderson Arena, to see the timeline of events or to keep up with the latest Stroh Center happenings, Click Here. We will be posting some of your fondest memories of Anderson here at BGSUFalcons.com in the coming weeks and months.
Former BGSU women's basketball standout Stefanie (Wenzel) Lee was a 1,000-point scorer and an Academic All-American for the Brown and Orange. She took a few moments to provide us with some of her fondest memories of Anderson Arena ...
---------
I have literally spent thousands of hours of my life inside the walls of Anderson Arena. As a sentimental person who is not big into change, it is hard for me to face the closing of "The House that Roars." I love this place, and many wonderful moments have taken place for me within it. Even so, when I saw that BG was offering the chance to put favorite memories of Anderson Arena into words, I knew right away that that was something I had to do… but it has been hard for me to pinpoint just a few moments. This place was my home, my sanctuary, my place of comfort for four of the most meaningful years of my life. If everything else around me was uncertain, I knew I had a basket and a ball waiting for me at any time… and I took advantage of that often. Many tears, both of frustration and joy, were shed within these walls. Heartbreaking losses and triumphant wins were fought for here. I learned to believe in myself here. I learned to see the best in others here. I learned to be a leader, to be a good teammate, and to take charge here. I was taught within these walls to never, ever give up. And I didn't.
Here are some of my favorite moments in Anderson Arena, in no particular order:
I have always been one of those weird people that find deep satisfaction in the physical punishment of a gut-wrenching, insanely intense workout. With that said, Coach Hillman's hour-long, 3-day-a-week early-morning conditioning sessions in Anderson Arena were definitely my kind of workout. I know it sounds crazy, but I live (yes, as in still do) for that kind of thing. No basketball allowed with this workout… just guts and pride. The endless sprinting, jumping, defensive shuffling, and lunging done during that blessed hour three times a week not only gave us the endurance to make it through a basketball game… but it gave us the attitude and belief that if we can all make it through these crazy workouts together, we can do anything together.
There is something very magical about an empty Anderson Arena. I spent many hours in the building, alone, with just the ball, the basket, and my own wandering thoughts. Sometimes I thought of nothing but the feel of the ball in my hands, the bend of my knees, the flick of my wrist, and the swish of the shot… Repeat. Sometimes I dreamed big dreams while I was there alone… this shot, for the win tomorrow… swish. This shot, for the MAC championship… swish. This shot, for the NCAA championship! …SWISH! Often, when I would leave the Arena after being there alone, I'd feel as if the place belonged to me and the world outside those walls was mine to take.
I loved playing against Buffalo—particularly games at Anderson Arena against Buffalo. During those games, I felt like the basket was as wide as the ocean, and every shot I tossed up splashed right in. I don't know why Buffalo's coach insisted on playing a zone defense that left the outside shooters wide open… but I'm glad she did. Enough said. :)
During my senior year, when I knew the end was near, I savored my time in Anderson Arena. I tried to enjoy every minute of it. I loved the game, I loved my teammates, and finally, as a team we were seeing some success in the win column. The highlight of our home games that year came against first place Western Michigan. The Arena was electric that afternoon. As a team, we played an amazing game, and I personally played probably the best, most well-rounded game of my life. With only a few seconds left on the clock, we found ourselves tied… that is, until my fellow co-captain Lindsay Austin hit her first of three game-winning shots of the season. The feeling I had after that ball bounced on the rim and dropped in can only be described as pure joy. After that ball dropped in, and we realized that we had just beat the number one team in the league, our whole team ran to our hero and jumped on top of each other in a wild fit. Anderson Arena was our place of celebration on that afternoon.
Of all the memories and wonderful moments I have had at Anderson Arena, none quite match the significance of the fact that I met my future husband within its walls. I always thought that I would meet my future husband on the basketball court. I loved the game, and it was my passion in life, so I knew I would need a husband who understood that about me. Little did I know that, in November of 2003, when Coach Miller introduced our team to the "practice squad," I would be face to face with the man I would marry less than four years later. I should've known. His eyes sparkled as they met mine on that first day when I introduced myself, and they sparkled whenever we caught eyes every practice for the rest of the season. He tried so hard to play it cool, but the boy who I was matched up with in practice at Anderson Arena every day to make me a better basketball player ended up stealing my heart in the process as well.
Thanks for the memories, Anderson Arena!
---------
We'd love to hear about your favorite memories of Anderson Arena. Click here to share them with us, and perhaps you will see your own recollections of 'The House That Roars' right here at BGSUFalcons.com in the very near future. Roll Along!
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