Balancing basketball and a baby

Posted: Wednesday February 02, 2000 10:12 AM

Michelle Griffiths was part of the 1996 Olympic team that won Australia's first medal in basketball -- a bronze. An All-Star in Australia's professional leagues, the 6-foot-1 forward played for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury in 1998. Griffiths missed the 1999 WNBA season because of pregnancy, but is now training with the Australian National Team, which looks to win gold when the Summer Games come to their home country in 2000. Check out Griffiths' diary each month on CNNSI.com

February 1, 2000
Melbourne, Australia

Can you believe that 1 month has already passed and there is only 7 1/2 to go until the Opening Ceremony of the SYDNEY OLYMPIC GAMES. I'm just starting to panic a little!

As you know I'm a mum now, and I'm enjoying everyday, but, yes, there is always a BUT, finding the time to do all the training I want is proving to be a little harder than I thought. I seem to be getting in as much as I can, running, swimming, weights, extra shooting sessions, swiss ball work (it's a big ball that you use to help with your core stability and abdominals, some people call it a fitness ball) and of course team training. The only thing is -- I really am tried! At the end of the day I collapse into bed sometimes forgetting to even get into my PJ's.

My day starts at about 5:30 (or 6:00 if he sleeps in) with a hungry boy crying for my chest -- if you get my drift. Yes, I'm still breast feeding. My son Bailey is a little bigger than most 4 month olds. Well, to be honest he is as big as an average 8 month old. He's about 72 cm long and just over 9 kg in weight, so as you can imagine he is a lot to carry around at such a young age. Anyway, after I feed him he usually goes back to sleep for 1 or 2 hours and that gives me enough time to set out my day, have breakfast and do the horrible house work. When Bug-a-lugs (my nickname for him) wakes I'm on my way! Trying to get two sessions in a day.

At the moment the Australian Team (the OPALS) isn't together because our National League (WNBL) is still running. We have a training camp at the end of April, and I'm really looking forward to that because I haven't trained or played with the Opals for two years. After that camp Tom Maher, our coach, has planed a five game test series against Korea. Early June there is another camp then a series versus Russia. After this I'm a little unsure about what happens as I'm hoping to be playing in the WNBA from the start of June. I know Tom has a lot planed with Test Events at the Olympic court and training camps through July and August. There may even be another team or two coming out.

At the moment Tom wants all the Opals to stay home to prepare for the Olympics. Last year seven (eight if I hadn't been pregnant) of the girls that should make the Olympic team were playing in the WNBA. Now only 1 has said that she is going back. I want to go back, and I know that my team the Phoenix Mercury wants me back, I just have to wait for a contract from the league. Hopefully it's a good one, and makes up for everything I'm missing out on here with the Opals.

Michelle Griffiths' daily schedule revolves around her son Bailey.

As for what I'm doing now, I play for the Melbourne Tigers and we are 7th on the ladder but could go to 5th with a win next game. We play on the weekends either home or away. My team has been on the road for the last three weeks because of the Australian Open (tennis); we play our home games in the same venue. I actually went to the tennis twice (thanks to NIKE my wonderful sponsor) and loved every minute. I saw Hingis, Capriati, Kafelnikov, the Aust. Woodies, and Agassi. Seeing it live you really get an appreciation of how hard they hit the ball.

Anyway back to what I was on about; I've had an interesting three weeks. Being on the road isn't that hard, but when you have to take a 3 1/2-month-old baby with you it can prove to be quite a challenge. Take for instance packing. Not only do I have to pack for two, but it's all the extra stuff I need to take -- the car seat, the porter cot, the pram, and offcourse the carry bag with extra clothes, nappies and chuck towels for on the plane. He always seems to throw up all over me whenever I burp him. Feedings can be fun especially when we have a team meeting and he's due. Lucky I have an understanding coach, and he doesn't mind if I feed while he talks about the game.

Organization skills are at an all time high, getting a baby sitter for the game, making sure they have a bottle for him if he needs one, expressing milk for the bottle and also for my benefit so I'm not so top heavy for the game. Getting Bailey to sleep (so mum can get some rest) game day is a little harder than it sounds. People tell me that babies sleep all the time, all I know is that my son is awake though most of the day! If he does sleep it's only for 30-45 minutes twice a day. If I'm lucky maybe three times. One thing on my side is that he is a good traveler -- the plane doesn't tend to worry him too much. I give him his dummy and that seems to keep his ears from popping. One good thing is that all the girls like him and take him away for cuddles all the time.

Well, enough of me talking about my gorgeous boy!

Like everyone, with a New Year started there is always a New Year's resolution. I have a few and I'll share my basketball ones with you:
- To be the fittest I have ever been,
- To play hard,
- and enjoy myself,

I know that if I do these three things my wish to be on the Sydney Olympic team will come true.

Just before I go I'd like to leave you with a proverb: Every new beginning, starts with a beginnings end.

-- Michelle