Former Blazer Introduces Daughter to CSB

07/18/2006

St. Cloud Times
By Frank Rajkowski
frajkowski@stcloudtimes.com

For Pam Muetzel, it was a chance to step back in time. For her 11-year-old daughter Brianna, it was a possible glance into the future.

The mother-daughter duo attended basketball camp at the College of St. Benedict last month — Pam serving as a camp counselor and Brianna taking part as one of the campers her mother was helping.

It was a chance for Muetzel (formerly Pam Eaton) to show her daughter the school where she played basketball for four years (1984-88), the last two of which coincided with Blazers head coach Mike Durbin’s first two seasons.

“I loved it,” said Muetzel, who served as a team captain and earned All-MIAC honorable mention honors her senior season in 1987-88. “I think it was even more fun for me than it was for (Brianna). Because for me, it was like stepping into a time warp. I felt like I was 20 years old again, hanging out with the other counselors and talking smack with Mike and (long-time assistant coach) Denny (Johnson).”

Muetzel worked at one of Durbin’s camps following her senior season, but had not been back to one since. She remained in close touch with her former coach, though, and when Brianna was old enough to attend overnight camp this summer, she contacted Durbin asking to come along for the ride.

“He’s been to our house,” said Muetzel, who resides in Oakdale. “In fact, he was supposed to read at my wedding. So Brianna has known him and she’s gotten a glimpse into my past that way.

“He always has a great group of girls working camps for him, so he hasn’t needed me there. But when Brianna was going to go up there, I called him up and asked him if I could come. He said ‘absolutely.’ In fact, in the past, he’s invited us to come up. He said we should come to a day camp and even stay at his house if we needed to.”

While on campus, Muetzel had the chance to show Brianna and a friend around.

“She wasn’t my coach during the 5-on-5 tournament, but when we did certain drills, I got to work with her,” Brianna Muetzel said. “It was fun. I felt like we were at home in our driveway and she was telling me to do things.”

Brianna is the first daughter of a former player to participate in one of Durbin’s camps.

“That’s how old I am, I guess,” her mother said with a chuckle. “It feels a little weird. But as long as Mike is up there, the tradition he’s created will roll on. He’s started something really cool and I’m sure more former players will bring their daughters.”

Brianna had so much fun that she is already thinking about attending St. Benedict.

“I’m not sure about that,” Muetzel said. “You never want them to feel like they have to walk in your shadow. But she had a really good time up there and she says that’s where she wants to go. So we’ll see.”

This is the opinion of Times sportswriter Frank Rajkowski. Contact him at 255-8772 or by e-mail at frajkowski@stcloudtimes.com

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