Upcoming Event: Track & Field versus NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 10, 2026
Track & Field
vs NCAA Outdoor Championships
Coach P's Notebook: May 30, 2007
Hello Blue Devil Fans,
What a great weekend for Duke Athletics. The spring sports have been amazing. As a newcomer, I am excited to spend some time with the coaches and get to know the student-athletes as well. I may be new, but excellence is not hard to identify. Exciting times are here at Duke and congrats to all for fantastic seasons!
I am back commuting to Durham. This is a special trip because it is my last! Next time I arrive in Durham I will move right in to our new home. The travel has been okay, with few delays, but nothing will compare to having our whole family together in Durham.
The team, staff and all are doing well. Summer is such an individual time for all to improve and get better. Strength training, shooting, conditioning are all a huge part of a daily routine that requires each player to "step outside" the box and find ways to grow their game. It is my hope that many, if not all, the players will have obvious additions to their game-- since each player has a great opportunity to define and even redefine themselves to the coaching staff. It makes for a very exciting "offseason.”
The bulk of our time right now is spent on recruiting and our summer camps. Recruiting is a very inexact science, but a great pleasure also. Finding out which student-athletes fit Duke and aspire to be at the highest level academically and athletically is an exciting challenge. At times, there is simply too much information and speculation out there. We tend to focus on the evidence more than anything else. Our conversations with a prospect, her family and coaches are very important to us. We all have a role and we enjoy finding out who is excited to become a Blue Devil!
Camps are a ball. I just love to be with the campers. With a July camp schedule, I am going to be challenged to be two places at once-- on the road with July recruiting and on campus with the campers. Recruiting will take precedent of course, with me making periodic stops to say hello to the campers. Early commitments are a favorite since it allows me more camp time! I have always loved eating in the dorms and hanging out with the kids. Both our kids have been campers and enjoyed being around the team and other campers. July will prove to be an interesting month!
The USA Basketball update?I am getting ready with passports and visas. On June 12, I report to Colorado Springs with Abby [Waner] to begin training camp. The final cut will be made and then we head for France on June 16. It appears that we will be in a beautiful spot or two in France as we play exhibition games to prepare for Moscow, Russia. We have a lot to get done in our four days in Colorado Springs. The whole USA experience is its own season; it is an amazing challenge and journey in every sense of the word.
It is hard to believe that May is coming to a close. I hope you all had a chance to take in Memorial Day with an appreciation for all our freedoms that we enjoy daily because of others who have come before, come after, and continue to come and fight for this amazing country.
I am heading into our second month at Duke and I am just loving' every moment. Thanks to all who continue to help make our transition smooth.
More later from Coach P!
