Women's Basketball Enjoys Team Trip to Fort Knox
October 01, 2015 | Women's Basketball
The Cardinals went to the Fort Knox Army post on Wednesday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville women's basketball program took a trip on Wednesday to Fort Knox, a historical Army post in southern Kentucky.
The Cardinals arrived at the base in the afternoon and immediately were briefed in a simulation room, where the team had access to 10 different shooting-simulated stations. The group then split into two, with one going to shoot pistols and the other using a simulated grenade launcher.
Louisville's team and coaching staff then took a picture with Brig. Gen. Barbara Lynne Owens, a 28-year veteran in the Army and the Deputy Commanding General at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command. She spoke with the team and imparted wisdom on being a cohesive unit and how important it is to listen.
"I thought it was a great experience," sophomore guard Arica Carter said. "We learned about being great listeners – in order for us to get everything accomplished, we have to listen and understand. I think that can carry over to our team – we have to listen to our leaders. If someone isn't listening, that can affect the whole team. I really took away that we have to be disciplined and work as a team to get through obstacles."
Following the talk, Louisville's freshmen and the upperclassmen took part in a contest, where they had to put on a full bomb suit – from head to toe – and run to an area, get on the ground, and collect a specific amount of change and sprint back. The upperclassmen ultimately won the timed event.
The group also had the unique opportunity to operate a robotic bomb diffusing bot using a remote.
"It was really cool to see how the brave men and women who serve our country are trained," redshirt junior Cortnee Walton said. "There are so many different weapons that they have to learn how to use that can be complicated to load and they need to communicate with each other in order to be successful. We also learned how, in the heat of battle, it is important to trust one another to do the job they are assigned, because if one person is behind, they could seriously be hurt.
"I personally learned that it is important to lead, but also to listen to the people you're leading because your way isn't always the right way."
The Cardinals listened to and spoke with other members from the Fort Knox post before heading back to Louisville.The team opens its 2015-16 campaign on Nov. 15 at home against California in the KFC Yum! Center. Season ticket information can be found on GoCards.com.
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