Doug Plumb Completes CIS Career…Prepares for Next Level: NPH Diary #5
What’s good everyone!?
I know I’m about two months overdue with this post…so difficult to put into words the finishing of your university career. Here we go…
Well…we didn’t win the cookie.
Rats.
Carleton is simply a machine. I used to hate on them until I saw them play in person. Like everyone I caught myself saying ‘look at these unathletic, robot looking dudes…they aren’t that good’. BREAKING NEWS: they are that good. If I could sum them up in one word it would be: relentless. It’s not that they are that much better than the rest of the country, its that they want it that much more than everyone else in the country. Hard work breeds confidence.
I actually just played with Phil last week in a scrimmage for the first time at the Richmond oval vs. the @drivebasketball U17’s (who are very good in their own right). He doesn’t do anything to amaze you, he won’t rise up and dunk on you, he’s not going to shoot hero shots but what he will do is quietly assassinate you with a dripping wet jumper and as sound of decision making as I have probably ever seen from a player at this level. What I appreciate even more about him is how humble he is. He’s the real deal.
My parents have always joked that it would take me getting carried off on a stretcher to get me off the basketball court…little did I know they were right. Versus Acadia we couldn’t get anything going and I dove for a ball that I had probably 3% chance of even getting my fingertips on mostly because I was pissed off that I just turned the ball over. Next thing I know I wake up there’s blood all over my hands and like 5 people standing over me yelling at me. It was surreal.
Obviously that wasn’t the way I envisioned going out but I have no regrets. I dedicated myself like never before for this season and it was immensely rewarding from a leadership standpoint. I learned a lot about myself as a person and as a competitor. I would like to take a second just to recognize my teammates this year and in the past: Nate Dawg, Murph daddy, Mal(body), Gbath, B, JDub, The BIZ…you guy showed me what it meant to be a T-bird and I tried to carry that over to this next group, much love. To the current birds: Lloyd, Pips, Carp, Ze, Jordo, Swagless, BK… it was a pleasure, party on Wayne. Play Hard, Work harder.
Once the season ended I took about 2 weeks completely off from hoops to let the noodle heal up. That was agony. As an athlete we always say we dream of the day we can sit and get fat…in reality it sucks. You lose your mind.
After that I head down to LA with the boys the check out my main man EL MAMBINO live in action at Staples Center. I was so loud screaming ‘MAMMBAAA’ every 20 seconds the entire game that I kid you not you could hear me on the telecast. I was THAT guy…I take immense pride in this.
Balled at Venice beach too…did my best white man can’t jump impression. Was getting judo chopped but pasty white guys with Canada tattoo’s don’t call fouls and get away with it… so I hit muscle beach after to pump the bicep’s and attempt to regain my dignity and self respect.
Good trip, nice to escape.
Since then I have just been training and working. I’ve developed a passion for coaching and have been working with some super talented and keen kids with Drive Basketball. From kindergarten to College, the level of basketball is exploding out here in BC. It’s exciting to be involved in it, even if it’s just a small portion of it.
I would like to take a quick sec just give a shout out to some of the people who have been so supportive of me to this point in my basketball career, without them it wouldn’t have been possible or even close to as enjoyable as it has been. Gats, Cons, Large, King, Brother Norrie, Brando, Nate the rodent, Kev, Vern, Wa, We, Auntie D, Grandma and Grandpa (RIP), The entire Hanson family, Rich Goulet, Barnaby Craddock, T-money, Grewal, Brooke, Chad, Pash, Randy, Weasel, Mike Lee, Pips, The Keasts, Errol, Howard Pulley, Basketball BC, Kaitlin and many, many more…Much love, thank you for everything.
Colin, Mom, Dad…since day 1. Wolfpack. Love you guys.
So what’s next for me?
Chase the dream. I feel the pressure to conform and ‘get a real job’ breathing down my neck but the truth is…I don’t care. This is what I love to do, so I’m gunna do it. I’m not sure exactly where I’ll play this coming season I’m currently in the process of sorting out all the logistics of it but more than likely somewhere in Europe as I also have family ties over there in Holland. I still have a lot left in the tank and want to play as long as I can. My passion for the game has never been stronger.
In closing I would like to offer a piece of advice to the next ones by quoting the poet Robert Frost:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.”
Be bold, or be forgotten.
Thanks for reading everyone; it’s been a blast!
-Doug
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