OT: Where you from? How'd ya get here (CT or BY, take your pick)? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

OT: Where you from? How'd ya get here (CT or BY, take your pick)?

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Born and grew up in Danbury, where I read about a local New Fairfield girl, Jen Rizzoti playing ball and UConn and that the game would be on TV. Watched it and was hooked ever since. Went to Bridgeport last year for the biggest games I've seen in person, have seen a few regular season games in person over the years. Don't miss one now if I can possibly help it. If there is a game, it's on my TV.
 
Born in Jersey City, NJ during the Baby Boomer era. Lived in the suburbs of NYC until I went to college in upstate NY, St. Lawrence University (not too far from Nan's school). Spent a year studying in Rouen, France during that time. After college, moved to a NJ suburb of NY, Hasbrouck Heights, and taught French in Rutherford NJ, but eventually migrated into the business world (Ingersoll Rand Financial Corp) and found I loved it even more than teaching. I have no idea why!

Met my husband (and if you think I am a lurker, my husband is "he who posts nowhere, ever!") at said job and just around the time we were getting married, he was transferred to CT, so we settled in Enfield where we remain to this day.

In the year of the Rebecca Lobo championship, older daughter was in high school planning on attending UConn, and a whole group of them went out to welcome the team back, and it was all uphill from there as excitement built. My husband was gifted with some tickets in the corporate area so we started attending games in, I believe it must have been 1998. Both daughters attended and graduated from UConn, one of them being a tuba player in the women's pep band during the Diana years. Met her husband there in band, too.

For a period of time, we attended all games at both venues, but it got to be too much, time-wise, so now we only go to games at the XL Center where we sit with the originator of this thread! She and I met on the old AOL boards, at one point had a large group attending together, but they drifted (not that they are not still huge fans, but they just don't go to games).

Not quite ready to retire yet, but when we do, it may be to the Lakes Region of NH.
 
arty155 said:
Bravo Zulu! Good to see you aboard, HH. So, Chaplin Corps or Medicine? (Not that it matters… come to think of it, I prayed at least as earnestly in the dental chair, as in any chapel!)
Semper Fi,
Arty
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Thank you! Ooh rah...Navy doc. First to the Fight, Inchon...1st Marines!
 
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Some good stories (lives) here. I guess I can do mine too. I think I've done this before, but probably nobody paid attention anyway....soooo.....

I was born about 52 years ago in Galesburg, IL. Did not live there though until about 7th grade. Had moved all over IL (Mattoon, Rockford, Peoria) and even Atlanta GA (for a couple years) before returning to my (and Carl Sandburg's) birthplace. (no sign for me though) Graduated from there and went into the Navy, and started moving around again (Great Lakes IL, Orlando, Idaho Falls ID, Norfolk VA, Scotland and finally ending up in CT - Groton, Norwich, E. Windsor) After I got out of the Navy settled in the Springfield area, where I am still. Though would love to be someplace warmer. Have worked in the Nuclear Power and Electrical Distribution industries since I got out. Had 3 kids while I was in the Navy. All 3 are still in the area as is their mother, my ex. Remarried (much better) 5 years ago. Her 2 kids are still in the area too. We try to get them all together when we can. But kids got their own lives now. No grandkids or sons-daughter in-laws yet. My ex's birthday is today. She's fitty, looks much older (:D), I should give her a call and laugh at her. :cool: (yes, I am a smart@ss)

Followed sports my whole life. Remember watching the St. Louis Cardinals growing up. Basketball, baseball, football, olympics, anything sports. Remember in HS watching the boys and girls HS tournaments on TV (yes the girls HS tournaments were on TV back in the 70's in IL - IN ain't got nothin' BB on us :D). Jackie Joyner (no Kersee then) and her E. St. Louis Lincoln team winning the state championship.

Picked up UCONN women around the 94 season I think. I remember following their run in 95. Wasn't (and really still not completely) a UCONN fan, mostly just a UCONN women's fan. Although I'm fine if the men and the FB teams do well. My roots are too deep in FB (Michigan, Illinois) and men's BB (Indiana, Illinois, Duke, Michigan) to really get into UCONN (and my kids went to UMASS). Found the BY around the same time, through the Courant. DD and I made sure Jacobs knew they were partly responsible for all this. :rolleyes:

Do a lot with soccer now. Arsenal is my favorite team (as one can tell from my avatar). I coach, ref, mentor, teach reffing, but knees won't allow me to play anymore. But I watch as much as I can. Looking forward to the World Cup this summer. Would love to have another in the states before I die.

Well, I've probably bored you enough, I'll sign off for now.
 
meyers7 said:
Some good stories (lives) here. I guess I can do mine too. I think I've done this before, but probably nobody paid attention anyway....soooo.....

I was born about 52 years ago in Galesburg, IL. Did not live there though until about 7th grade. Had moved all over IL (Mattoon, Rockford, Peoria) and even Atlanta GA (for a couple years) before returning to my (and Carl Sandburg's) birthplace. (no sign for me though) Graduated from there and went into the Navy, and started moving around again (Great Lakes IL, Orlando, Idaho Falls ID, Norfolk VA, Scotland and finally ending up in CT - Groton, Norwich, E. Windsor) After I got out of the Navy settled in the Springfield area, where I am still. Though would love to be someplace warmer. Have worked in the Nuclear Power and Electrical Distribution industries since I got out. Had 3 kids while I was in the Navy. All 3 are still in the area as is their mother, my ex. Remarried (much better) 5 years ago. Her 2 kids are still in the area too. We try to get them all together when we can. But kids got their own lives now. No grandkids or sons-daughter in-laws yet. My ex's birthday is today. She's fitty, looks much older :)D), I should give her a call and laugh at her. :cool: (yes, I am a smart@ss)

Followed sports my whole life. Remember watching the St. Louis Cardinals growing up. Basketball, baseball, football, olympics, anything sports. Remember in HS watching the boys and girls HS tournaments on TV (yes the girls HS tournaments were on TV back in the 70's in IL - IN ain't got nothin' BB on us :D). Jackie Joyner (no Kersee then) and her E. St. Louis Lincoln team winning the state championship.

Picked up UCONN women around the 94 season I think. I remember following their run in 95. Wasn't (and really still not completely) a UCONN fan, mostly just a UCONN women's fan. Although I'm fine if the men and the FB teams do well. My roots are too deep in FB (Michigan, Illinois) and men's BB (Indiana, Illinois, Duke, Michigan) to really get into UCONN (and my kids went to UMASS). Found the BY around the same time, through the Courant. DD and I made sure Jacobs knew they were partly responsible for all this. :rolleyes:

Do a lot with soccer now. Arsenal is my favorite team (as one can tell from my avatar). I coach, ref, mentor, teach reffing, but knees won't allow me to play anymore. But I watch as much as I can. Looking forward to the World Cup this summer. Would love to have another in the states before I die.

Well, I've probably bored you enough, I'll sign off for now.
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Meyers,
You are many things, but boring is never one of them.....;) Thanks for sharing from your Midwest buddy (me).
 
I was born in Ohio (western suburb of Cleveland), went to college in Michigan, went to NYC after graduation, worked for a bi-lingual law firm where I met my husband, an international banker. Married and moved to NJ. Moved to South America for eight years. My mother-in-law's health started to fail, so we moved to CT to help take care of her in 1988 (New Haven). We're a little dense and couldn't quite understand why the local broadcasters were making such a fuss about Yukon basketball. I finally wised up in '89 just in time to catch the dream season, and I was hooked. I also began watching the women on CPTV about then. I got a master's in education and worked in the New Haven school system for 9 years. In 1997 we moved to Idaho. I had to get satellite TV to watch the men and was only able to watch the women when they were broadcast nationally.

In 2001 my parents' health started to fail, so we moved back to Ohio. I was able to get full court to watch the men and streaming CPTV when it became available. Now the women's games are available on full court, also. So I'm all set.
 
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Born, raised and still living in Cromwell CT. Started watching the men's hoops on TV in the late 70's when I was 10 and my oldest brother was going there. Got hooked right there. My brother also used to come home and bring me to some of the soccer games which deepened my love of the school. There was never any other school I wanted to attend. Graduated in 1990 and follow all sports at UCONN, though I mostly only attend football with a group of friends. I did get invited to the men's home game versus Memphis and it reminded how great the games were when I was in college. I will try to make more games next year.
 
Fairfield_1st said:
Born, raised and still living in Cromwell CT. Started watching the men's hoops on TV in the late 70's when I was 10 and my oldest brother was going there. Got hooked right there. My brother also used to come home and bring me to some of the soccer games which deepened my love of the school. There was never any other school I wanted to attend. Graduated in 1990 and follow all sports at UCONN, though I mostly only attend football with a group of friends. I did get invited to the men's home game versus Memphis and it reminded how great the games were when I was in college. I will try to make more games next year.
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Born in New london,Ct. and now reside in Milford,Ct. Spent time working in the UCONN Sports Information Office.
 
Great thread!
DD you're a puppy. :p
Icebear haven't seen yours yet.;)
 
It is on page 2, 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down.
 
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doggydaddy said:
The man has almost 17,000 posts and he can only say "Born and raised in Branford. I still have family there."??????
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I like that; I have an employee of whom I have to always request the "Reader's Digest version".
 
Since I'm new here, least I can do is introduce myself.

Originally from the Erie, PA area (back to that in a minute). I went to college at University of Chicago and have been in Chicago ever since graduating in 2010 (currently located in Noble Square).

Without me really thinking about it, I've been a fan of women's basketball most of my life. When I was in grade school, my high school, Fort LeBoeuf, had a star player that ended up going to Providence. She led FLB to the district playoffs for a few years in a row and my dad, brothers, and I always went to the games.

In college, I worked for Chicago's student newspaper, the Maroon and women's basketball was my favorite team to cover. A couple years after I graduated, one of my ex-housemates won D-III player of the year. The team at that time had five seniors and went undefeated in the regular season before losing in the sweet 16...and then the coach left for Bucknell and Chicago stopped being good, but oh well.

Watching my alma mater play reminded me that to check out that Erie girl who I heard so much about when she was in high school...one Kayla McBride. So, yeah, K-Mac is the reason I started following D-I women's basketball. Needless to say, I am a Notre Dame fan. I'll try to play nice but just yell at me if I post something that's not Boneyard-appropriate. Doggydaddy already set me straight once!

Ever since Chicago drafted EDD, I have also followed the WNBA and just bought a 5-game ticket package for this season. So I'm excited for that.

But mostly happy to be here and discuss women's basketball on what seems to me to be the best WCBB forum on the web.
 
I was born a poor black child. But I persevered. Graduated HS in the early 80s from RHAM in Hebron. Went to SCSU and partied too much and stopped going after soph season. Movie star #Michael Jai White roomed right across the hall from me in Hickerson Hall. He was Mike White from Bridgeport then. We hung out.

In '86 I watched Laura Lishness play against Platt HS a couple of times. I decided to follow her as she went off to UConn. Been watching Geno's teams ever since.

Went back to college and graduated from CCSU in '97. Got married in 2003 and reside somewhere in Madison. I feed2 cats and a dog daily. I bird a lot. I work in land use.

I am Dove of the Boneyard. I think Nan is cool.
 
I am amazed at how far-flung we 'Yarders are! It seems like we have posters from all over the US and plenty of other countries as well. And one thing we all have in common is our love for the national capitol of basketball and it's reigning queens! This thread is a great read, and I'm grateful to Chapette for starting it, and everyone who is reading and/or contributing to it. It's very instructive to learn what an interesting bunch we belong to....:) Go Huskies!

And on edit, yes, I posted this because I mean it, but also to bump it up and keep it going....
 
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Dove said:
I was born a poor black child. But I persevered. Graduated HS in the early 80s from RHAM in Hebron. Went to SCSU and partied too much and stopped going after soph season. Movie star #Michael Jai White roomed right across the hall from me in Hickerson Hall. He was Mike White from Bridgeport then. We hung out.

In '86 I watched Laura Lishness play against Platt HS a couple of times. I decided to follow her as she went off to UConn. Been watching Geno's teams ever since.

Went back to college and graduated from CCSU in '97. Got married in 2003 and reside somewhere in Madison. I feed2 cats and a dog daily. I bird a lot. I work in land use.

I am Dove of the Boneyard. I think Nan is cool.
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Good ole RHAM. We scrimmaged RHAM in the pre-season in 1978 and 1980 when I played at E.O. Smith...probably before your time though.
 
Born in Springfield, but moved to Agawam at a young age. Graduated from Agawam High School in the 60’s. Attended AIC, but hated it. Once skipped 6 straight weeks of classes. and was politely asked to leave after my freshman year. Drafted in January 1966, but fortunately never left the USA. After a few drug hazed years returned to college at the University of Hartford in the early 70’s. Spent my last semester at the library reading everything I could find about computer programming. Married a girl from Rockville in 74 (celebrating 40 years this fall) and began working at a local Springfield bank in their programming group in 76.

Moved to the Boston area in 1978 and eventually got my first real software ‘engineering’ job at Honeywell in 1980 writing IBM terminal emulation software for Honeywell mini-computers. Had a house built in Pepperell in 1980 and our son Ian was born there in 1987. He’s currently finishing up his 2nd year of law school in Chicago, which turned out to be a great coincidence since I’m a livelong Cubs fan and have now gotten to see 2 games at Wrigley Field (a 3rd this August). During the 80’s also worked for Ztel, voice/data PBX startup writing communication firmware and IDEAssociates writing terminal emulation software for PC’s.

Moved to northern California (Dixon) in 1989 and went to work for Apple in Berkeley, this time writing IBM emulation software for Mac’s. Later in the 90’s worked for another small startup writing ODBC & JDBC database driver software. After our son came back east to attend Connecticut College my wife and I moved to Washington St. (it was pretty, reminded us of New England) and I went to work for a small company writing Java-based client/server software. Turns out we hated the Washington weather and decided to retire in St. George, Ut. Still do a little consulting for my former Washington employer and also do some iPhone/iPad software. Currently one app in the app store and working with my brother (lives in Connecticut) on another.

After moving to St. George decided to return to tennis, which I played avidly in the 80’s, but had not played since moving to Ca.

Started following the UConn women during their 1st championship run in 95 and have never looked back.

Serve.jpg
 
Grew up in the SF bay area and decided on 3 basic criteria for selecting a college.
1. As far away from home as possible
2. A great basketball team
3. A chance to walkon and play football

UCONN provided all three and so I arrived on campus in 1990 with a garbage bag full of clothes that included the first winter jacket id ever owned and the rest is history.

ps. I left Connecticut for Lake Tahoe immediately following my senior year and never looked back. I love the place with all my heart but west coast livin is for me.
 
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toadfoot said:
Moved to northern California (Dixon) in 1989 and went to work for Apple in Berkeley, this time writing IBM emulation software for Mac’s. Later in the 90’s worked for another small startup writing ODBC & JDBC database driver software.
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You must be a great emulator. And I always hated the ODBC driver errors!
 
This thread has ended up getting a lot more traction than I thought it would. Figured one or two would contribute then it would quickly move to page 2.

I especially love the fact that a lot of "novice" posters have chimed in.

Seems there are a lot of connections among us, obscure and otherwise. Fun reading.
 
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CAHUSKY said:
Grew up in the SF bay area and decided on decided on 3 basic criteria for selecting a college.
1. As far away from home as possible
2. A great basketball team
3. A chance to walkon and play football

UCONN provided all three and so I arrived on campus in 1990 with a garbage bag full of clothes that included the first winter jacket id ever owned and the rest is history.

ps. I left Connecticut for Lake Tahoe immediately following my senior year and never looked back. I love the place with all my heart but west coast livin is for me.
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You used us.
 
Ok, here goes. Born on Long Island a while ago (!) lived in 5 towns until we moved to Southern CA at age 11. Mom hated it there so we moved back a year later. Finished High School on LI and went directly into the Service. (Hence the picture). Trained for a year in Denver, did 3 years in Myrtle Beach, (how hard is that?). Met Dan Hurley there and married, moved up to CT for job opportunity. Had 2 babies in rapid succession and moved to a little town called New Fairfield. Dan Hurley and I did night school at WesConn to get our degrees. Eventually, I ended up working with a woman named Mrs. Rizzotti and the rest is history. All four of us have been crazy wild fans of UConn since 1994 and enjoy watching all winter, keeps us sane! (Hate winter) Every game is watched and every ref that calls something on a UConn player is informed of their mistake, (sometimes loudly). This year was particularly fun because we followed the men's team with as much enthusiasm as the women. This was a very happy household indeed on April 8th!

No matter where our paths take us in the future this family will always be a UConn family. Bleed Blue!!!
 
Chapette, I’m hoping that I won’t loss a grade point for tardiness but in any event, here goes….

Born on Long Island, NY while my parents were on a visit to my fathers parents and then quickly back to my true home in CT. Did what every young man in Fairfield county does... I went to college in Boston(1969)... after a year I decided it was time to go out on my own and 'discover' America so I bought a panhead and westward I went. A year or so later I was in the USMC and on my way to an all expenses paid 13 month trip to SouthEast Asia. Once back stateside I made a plan because that's just the right thing to do... ask my grandfather, he'd tell you so... like any good plan, my plan had to meet my goals and that meant that my plan would be pretty simple because my goals were pretty simple... my Goals:: to chase and catch unchaste girls, Beer--lot’s-o-beer, & a world class tan. Check, Check & Check… Man alive that was a GREAT plan and well executed too!!!

So, Florida it was.... I picked up a BA in Accounting, a BS in Marine Biology, played college baseball(right field-I was there for my bat NOT my glove) but more importantly I dated a very pretty journalism student that knew exactly how to tame me.

It was the mid 1970's when she got her first job at a regional paper as THE women's sports reporter-read that “let her cover girls sports-chuckle-chuckle-chuckle and it won’t cost us much(no expense account)”…. I had a reliable but tiny car(a 1973 MGB), soooooo I spent a few years driving her from one university to another. Softball games to bball games, to coach and/or player interviews to anything and everything that had some connection to women's sports. We normally traveled from Florida to as far west as Texas and as far north as Virginia. My favorite team women’s bball team at the time was Rutgers. I became my favorite with the hiring of Coach Grentz… she was a great hire and a real character. She’s a hard person not to like.

Life was easy in Florida but back in those days making a living was damned near impossible so I moved to CT where I picked up my 3rd & 4th degrees:: Math & Comp Sci and worked as an Assembly programmer on Sperry Univac 1100 series and IBM 360/195’s and eventually 370’s. I did a little micro-coding by mainly systems work… By the early 1980’s the most interesting work in Comp Sci was found in Silicon Valley and on the Rt 128 Tech highway north of Boston, so off to Massachusetts again where I picked up 3 grad degrees. I admit that I may have education addiction but it is a pretty harmless addiction don’tcha think?

One of my coworkers was a UConn men's bball fan(his brother-in-law played on the team-1988). Every so often he and I would drive down to watch his brother-in-law practice and on a few occasions we’d catch the women practicing… but my switch from being a Rutgers fan to a UConn fan came with their first sweet sixteen. And so it goes…. The rest of this story is still unfolding… and I’m lovin’ every moment of it.

Your Ol’ Pal Boo
 
I grew up in Norwalk CT and still live there. Growing up playing sports and working as a caddy at Shorehaven Golf Club. Attended St Thomas the Apostle School and Central Catholic High. Then won the lottery.....military lottery and attended Finance School and spent 2+ years at FT Bragg NC Finance and Accounting Office. I was incharge of the finance records for the POWs who came back from Nam. Went to Sacred Heart Univ. and was very involved with everything there. Graduated with Degrees in Accounting and Business. Was Captain of the Golf Team for 2 years. Got married and have 3 daughters. I own Coppola Accounting and Financial Services in Stamford CT. I followed the Huskies on CPTV in 1995. Dont remember how I learned about the Boneyard or from who, might have been Kib. I been a fan ever since.
 
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Flyegirl said:
Ok, here goes. Born on Long Island a while ago (!) lived in 5 towns until we moved to Southern CA at age 11. Mom hated it there so we moved back a year later. Finished High School on LI and went directly into the Service. (Hence the picture). Trained for a year in Denver, did 3 years in Myrtle Beach, (how hard is that?). Met Dan Hurley there and married, moved up to CT for job opportunity. Had 2 babies in rapid succession and moved to a little town called New Fairfield. Dan Hurley and I did night school at WesConn to get our degrees. Eventually, I ended up working with a woman named Mrs. Rizzotti and the rest is history. All four of us have been crazy wild fans of UConn since 1994 and enjoy watching all winter, keeps us sane! (Hate winter) Every game is watched and every ref that calls something on a UConn player is informed of their mistake, (sometimes loudly). This year was particularly fun because we followed the men's team with as much enthusiasm as the women. This was a very happy household indeed on April 8th!

No matter where our paths take us in the future this family will always be a UConn family. Bleed Blue!!!
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Too bad that they are retiring the Warthogs!
 
Yawn Alert-do not read this is you are getting ready to operate heavy machinery!

Born (1963), raised and stayed Mystic CT. Grew up on the hardwoods as my father, Walter Brown was a 35+ year basketball ref in SECT (as well as baseball umpire). Despite the good bloodlines (Dad and his Stonington Bears won the state title in 56' and supposedly Dad never saw a shot he didn't like), the closest I got to basketball greatness was playing alongside Harold Pressley for 4 years before he achieved his greatness at Villanova and the NBA. In HS hoops quickly found out that there are two things that can't be coached-hustle and jumping ability and I had just one. Fortunately the HS track/jumping coach saw me in the layup line and rescued me!!

Like many others I can say Rebecca and Jen pulled me into WCBB and Uconn women's hoops and the TASSK force and DT pretty much sealed the deal. By the time Maya came around I was beginning to forget that Uconn was still fielding a men's team. I have to admit that I only learned of the Boneyard about 3 years ago and believe it or not before that I thought:

1) Tonyc was a tragic Red Sox slugger
2) David in Naples was a high end hair salon in FL
3) I knew was a jump shot was
4)Knowing the Uconn recruits meant you could point to the end of the bench on opening night and name names
5) I was the biggest Uconn women's hoops homer (see #1)

Seriously, I can't put into words how much this BY forum has contributed to my enjoyment of Uconn Women's Hoops-thanks to all!!
 
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