46.1 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WWW.KANSAN.GOV| BACK TO SCHOOL | MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 2007
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Henrickson enters fourth season with 'Hawks
Kansas women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson directs her team during a game again Nebraska last season. Henrickson came to the University from Virginia Tech following the 2003-04 season.
Coach discusses 'Bonnieball', recruiting and last season's young roster
BY DYLAN SCHOONOVER
dschoonover@kansan.com
June came and went with Henrickson leading three different camps. In July, she traveled for two weeks on recruiting visits before returning to Lawrence for her fourth and final camp of the summer. Henrickson won't have the opportunity to catch her breath in August as her team immediately sets off to play semi-pro women's teams in Australia. Amidst the hectic schedule, the Kansan was able to sit down with the coach and see how everything was going in the world of 'Bonnieball'.
Kansas women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson doesn't get summers off. Unlike students who have a lighter summer load, coach Henrickson has been making recruiting visits while also holding basketball camps for children throughout Northeast Kansas.
Kansan: You've just finished your fourth and final camp, did they meet your expectations?
Henrickson: I was extremely pleased. The numbers were very good at the camps. This last camp was with the youngest age level and it's nice
and light-hearted, but we hope they learn a lot from the experience. I like to think of this level as basketball at its purest.
Kansan: Coach, rumor is that you aren't going to bungee jump with the rest of the team when you head to Australia?
Henrickson: (laughs) I'm afraid of heights. I've been on one roller coaster in my life and I wasn't too sure about that. I'll probably just watch everyone else do it.
Kansan: What do you hope to accomplish in Australia?
Henrickson: We are going to have fun. It is going to be a great time for our players and coaches to bond. We are playing four games while we are over there and will have days in between in which we will get to experience some great things. The team will be bungee jumping, we are going to see the Great Barrier Reef, and we have the same tour guide to show us around as when I was at Virginia Tech. I think it will open their eyes. It's nice to not have the language barrier in Australia. We certainly want to go 4-0 while there.
Kansan: What was last year's season like for you? The team was young and certainly had some tough points.
Henrickson: We had seven freshmen last year. At times it was very challenging to watch their growth. For me, professionally it was unique. My staff and myself were disappointed but we couldn't let them know that. The league is so demanding and we had some trouble at different points.
Henrickson: I do have emotion and show emotion, but yes I try to be calm. I never swear. I will tell a player or the team if I'm angry but I try to be consistent.
Kansan: You don't seem to ever get upset or yell, your demeanor seems pretty calm, is that accurate of your coaching style?
Henrickson: I used to golf. Lew (Perkins) would like it if I played more. I'm certainly not as good as I once was but I do enjoy it. I also like to workout when I have the chance.
Kansan: What do you enjoy doing when you have a chance to get outside of basketball?
— Edited by Maggie VanBuskirk