Today, we beat the fourth seed in our league in a five-set nail-biter (21:25, 25:21, 24:26, 25:18, 15:12). The fans were totally awesome. It was an exciting match and a great way to finish off our season at home. This was an especially momentous game for my team because we hadn't won a five-setter yet this season.
This game was also very rewarding for me personally because I was finally picking up defensive balls that (before this season) used to fall inches away from my fingertips (and then torment me for a week!). Maguy has been working hard with me in practice to rewire my digging and diving (sometimes I would dive too soon, sometimes too late, and sometimes not at all - and almost always with the wrong arm). I know, I know - my poor coach, right?!?! Anyway, she somehow managed to connect a few circuits that enabled me to shine on defense tonight. Though this match wasn't my best, it was very cool to see marked improvement in my ability to dig. It felt so great to be on the floor scrapping together a play with my team. And, of course, it was totally worth it for the WIN! Yay.
Showing posts with label team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label team. Show all posts
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Just Another Day in Paradise
Tonight we ventured to Paris to steal a tough four-set win (25-20, 19-25, 16-25, 21-25) against a formidable rival. It felt so great to get a W!
I also finally found my name on USAVB dot com. It doesn't really matter, but for some reason it feels super good just to see my name on the same list as some of the greatest female volleyball players in the world right now (Logan Tom, Nicole Davis, Alisha Glass - just to name a few)!
That's all for now. More later!
That's all for now. More later!
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Footage is Fun!
Oh my goodness! I finally get to share some rare footage of me in the wild! Haha... Billy took this video during our game against Rennes Etudiants Club on Feburary 9th. Rennes is the capital of Brittany (far northwest France) and Tours is the capital of Pays de la Loire (central northwest France), so it's kinda like a regional rivalry... This team is so fun to play against because, even though they aren't very tall, they are dynamic and energetic and go after every ball. Here are a few clips Billy caught from our match against them:
I'm jersey #11 and wearing a white headband.
Our next official match is away on March 23rd against Vie au Grand Air de St Maur (a suburb outside of Paris). Hopefully by then my ankles (yes - still sore!) will feel better and I'll be jump serving again.
Here is a link to our standings if you're interested:
http://www.ffvbbeach.org/ffvbapp/resu/seniors/2013-2014/index_2fd.htm
We are Reveil Sportif de Saint-Cyr.
It's really hard to believe we only have five matches left... to WIN! :)
Sunday, December 22, 2013
The French National Team
The husband of my coach
is the Head Coach of the National-Championship-winning professional men’s team in Tours and also Head Coach of the Female French National team (who has been
practicing here this week to prepare for their World Championship qualification
matches against Bulgaria, Croatia, and the Netherlands). So, I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday watching
the women’s French National team trainings that have been open to the public at
the Palais des Sports in downtown Tours. These ladies totally rock and inspire me by the way they play the
game. Their power and speed is just astounding! They don’t make mistakes. Here is me with my two favorite powerhouse players, both outside
hitters:
 |
| These girls make the ball go BEAM! |
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Getting Better!
Yep! This is pretty much how I feel about my game right now!
I am so thankful to be here improving my game with such an amazing group of people. My coach is so incredible. My team is - day by day - making me a better volleyball player, and I hope that by the end of this year they can say that I did the same for them. Oh man - good things are happening! Every practice is getting a little bit better! Getting so much better all the time! :)
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Bordeaux!
At 10:30 AM Sunday morning
the whole team piled into a nine-person van to make our 4PM match against team
AMAZON (I mean, Bordeaux Merignac). This team
came down from National 1 at the end of last season and has been dominating National 2 with their scrappy
defense and ferocious offense ever since.
Unfortunately for our record, the road trip was the highlight of the day. The freeways here are fast,
direct, and cost a fortune. The gas was
110 euros, and the tolls totaled 150 euros!
OUCH! Coach Maguy said if you
aren’t pressed for time the national routes here are beautiful *free* back roads
that wind through the countryside and tiny town centers (a great way to see
the French way of life up close).
Bordeaux was unlike any
wine country I’ve ever seen... Lush
vines extended from the freeway in their uniform lines for as far as the eye
could see in every direction. Vineyards
weren’t nestled in a valley, or shelved along steep, rocky cliffs. They just stretched on and on and on forever. Rows of trees and solitary farm houses
spotted the landscape and spurred deep conversations about food, farming, and
the environment.
You will never believe
this, but it turns out that on this three hour car ride, I happened to be
sitting next to a girl on the team who has also been to Madagascar! Oh, we went on and on, sharing with Maguy all
the coolest things about Mada. Since Maguy spent most of her life in Brazil, she could relate to a lot
of the eating habits that characterize that latitude (ie tons of rice, a
million different types of bananas, and avocados for dessert). Mmmmm…
I often forget that Madagascar
is where I first developed a respect for food.
Despite annual family outings to Apple Hill and my mom’s lifelong
gardening and fearless foraging habits, before studying abroad in Madagascar in my mind food primarily existed prepared, packaged, and priced on a shelf, in an aisle, in a huge
air-conditioned building with slick floors and friendly employees. Madagascar is where I finally realized that
even the ingredients for pop tarts are planted, grown, and harvested, before
being shook up in a test tube, squirted out a mechanical arm and zipped up in a
rectangular foil wrapper. Haha!
That reminds me of a great bit from Jerry Seinfeld on pop-tarts:
Pop-Tarts aside, it’s really rare to meet someone else who has
been to Madagascar! It was so nice being reminded of the year I spent learning, eating, and experiencing life there while studying abroad. So many names, faces, moments, and meals flooded back into my memory; devouring banana
and nutella sandwiches around a campfire; meditatively chatting while peeling
apples and oranges; snacking on boiled manioc doused in sweetened condensed
milk; harvesting, de-husking, sorting, washing, and cooking huge pots of white,
red, brown, and black rice; savoring samosas and skewers of beef with lemony
hot sauce; and washing everything down with THB (Three Horses Beer)... It made me want to go back so bad!
To put it lightly, the game we played once we arrived in Bordeaux left something to be desired... Enough said. Bordeaux Merignac provided post-match pâté and crêpes (YUM!) and on the ride home we chowed down on a yogurt and nutella cake that our setter baked and my dad’s famous chocolate chip cookies (which arrived in the mail this week!). Even though all of us were stuffed from the snacks, the club paid for a pit-stop. We sat inside a gas station dining area and supped on delicious (by American standards) microwaveable pasta boxes. Outside the sun set on distant forests and farms in hues of highlighter yellow, orange, and pink behind wide blankets of dark purple clouds.
To put it lightly, the game we played once we arrived in Bordeaux left something to be desired... Enough said. Bordeaux Merignac provided post-match pâté and crêpes (YUM!) and on the ride home we chowed down on a yogurt and nutella cake that our setter baked and my dad’s famous chocolate chip cookies (which arrived in the mail this week!). Even though all of us were stuffed from the snacks, the club paid for a pit-stop. We sat inside a gas station dining area and supped on delicious (by American standards) microwaveable pasta boxes. Outside the sun set on distant forests and farms in hues of highlighter yellow, orange, and pink behind wide blankets of dark purple clouds.
We made it home by
10:30 PM. My head hit the pillow hard,
gears still turning over missed serves and bad plays from earlier that
night. Alas! Sunday nights remind me to
look forward to a sit in the sauna and swimming, and a week of hard work for our next match.
That’s all for now. More later!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
We won!
Our first home match was a smashing success. We beat Landaise in three straight sets (26-24, 25-21, 25-22). I was so nervous! The team did some really great things.
After the game both teams stayed and hung out in the team room. We drank and ate (I had been waiting all day to eat bread, so I went a little overboard on the baguette and brie). Ha! It was especially delicious after such sweet success!
Tough week of training ahead... That's all for now. More later!
After the game both teams stayed and hung out in the team room. We drank and ate (I had been waiting all day to eat bread, so I went a little overboard on the baguette and brie). Ha! It was especially delicious after such sweet success!
Tough week of training ahead... That's all for now. More later!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Snuggling Up To French Women
Wednesday morning! Yay! Today was the outdoor market Mecca at Les Halles. I rode down in the misty morning light and immediately got in line for the same fruit booth I went to last week and the week before to get a refill on apple/pear juice and the seasons best apples, pears, peaches, and plums. I've witnessed a large spectrum of acceptable behavior at French farmer's markets so far... Sometimes people fill their own bags, but still wait in line to weigh and pay. Sometimes people wait in line for just the bags and pay when they're done picking out what they want. Sometimes people wait patiently in the whole line with their empty bags and then order their household fruit and vegetable consumption in terms of kilograms per week from the overworked farmer behind the table. (Me? I'm getting used to the kilometers and degrees, but I still think of fruit and vegetables in units - 2 plums, 4 apples, 2 pears - like a French kindergartner.)
Today, I got out my empty bags from last week and eagerly started filling them up with deliciousness. It wasn't long before I started pissing off the woman in front of me who did not hesitate to scold me for touching all the fruit. Here is a rough translation of what was said in French + make sure to add a terrible American accent to my part...
Her - "If you squeeze all the fruit, you're making it bruised for everyone behind you in line."
Me - "I never squeeze the fruit."
Her - "That's right. Don't squeeze it."
Me - "I don't."
Her - "Good. You shouldn't."
I continued to pick my fruit out awkwardly when it became obvious that this random French woman never wanted to think about me or see me ever again. We don't know each other so that shouldn't be too difficult... Not a great start - culturally speaking!
Next stop: garlic, onions, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes! I quickly find myself in line behind another French woman who had the exact same haircut as the Shih Tzu in her arms (no joke). I tried not to stare, but her fingers were all over the place! She'd take a stroke of her precious pet, then fondle the onions, pet pet, sift through garlic, pet, ew... I was starting to understand what I might've looked like to French Lady #1.
Done! Cue French Lady #3... A well-dressed woman with straggly white hair handed me a flyer and instead of my normal, "non, merci" I welcomed the flyer and looked her straight in the eyes and genuinely asked if this flyer would tell me where I can find some friends. We stood in the middle of the market for a second laughing like insane people and then she said, "Maybe! You never know." I walked away pretty pleased with my joke of the day... The flyer was for an antique fair. Wah wah :)
Practice was great last night! I had a terrible stomach ache beforehand (probably because of the anti-inflammatories I've been popping like red hots), but as soon as I got with my team - it was like magic - my stomach pain just went away. Seriously, I was sitting alone in the gym doubled over with pain and as soon as my team arrived and we started talking and laughing - GONE! I love practicing with my team!
Today, I got out my empty bags from last week and eagerly started filling them up with deliciousness. It wasn't long before I started pissing off the woman in front of me who did not hesitate to scold me for touching all the fruit. Here is a rough translation of what was said in French + make sure to add a terrible American accent to my part...
Her - "If you squeeze all the fruit, you're making it bruised for everyone behind you in line."
Me - "I never squeeze the fruit."
Her - "That's right. Don't squeeze it."
Me - "I don't."
Her - "Good. You shouldn't."
I continued to pick my fruit out awkwardly when it became obvious that this random French woman never wanted to think about me or see me ever again. We don't know each other so that shouldn't be too difficult... Not a great start - culturally speaking!
Next stop: garlic, onions, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes! I quickly find myself in line behind another French woman who had the exact same haircut as the Shih Tzu in her arms (no joke). I tried not to stare, but her fingers were all over the place! She'd take a stroke of her precious pet, then fondle the onions, pet pet, sift through garlic, pet, ew... I was starting to understand what I might've looked like to French Lady #1.
Done! Cue French Lady #3... A well-dressed woman with straggly white hair handed me a flyer and instead of my normal, "non, merci" I welcomed the flyer and looked her straight in the eyes and genuinely asked if this flyer would tell me where I can find some friends. We stood in the middle of the market for a second laughing like insane people and then she said, "Maybe! You never know." I walked away pretty pleased with my joke of the day... The flyer was for an antique fair. Wah wah :)
Practice was great last night! I had a terrible stomach ache beforehand (probably because of the anti-inflammatories I've been popping like red hots), but as soon as I got with my team - it was like magic - my stomach pain just went away. Seriously, I was sitting alone in the gym doubled over with pain and as soon as my team arrived and we started talking and laughing - GONE! I love practicing with my team!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
I Need a Miracle
Riding back from my second weight lifting seance with a team mate, this song was stuck in my head...
Mostly because it was the last song playing at the gym before we left, but also because it's really how I feel about how much better I want to be at volleyball. I need a miracle! Ahahah...
After our tournament Saturday (we won six straight sets!), it's clear that I need to work on front row defense, defending the tip, and serve-receive passing! Maggie helped me with two concepts: 1. serving between players (making them move and make decisions) and 2. speeding up my arm swing when my timing and the set are right. "BEAM!" she said. Haha!
I'm really excited to work hard at practice tonight... That's all for now. More later!
Mostly because it was the last song playing at the gym before we left, but also because it's really how I feel about how much better I want to be at volleyball. I need a miracle! Ahahah...
After our tournament Saturday (we won six straight sets!), it's clear that I need to work on front row defense, defending the tip, and serve-receive passing! Maggie helped me with two concepts: 1. serving between players (making them move and make decisions) and 2. speeding up my arm swing when my timing and the set are right. "BEAM!" she said. Haha!
I'm really excited to work hard at practice tonight... That's all for now. More later!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Good Finds and First Official Practice
Today, I set out on foot again, this time really determined to find this farmer's market and post my personal chef flyers around Tours.
2. Farmer's market - one farmer! That's right. The farmer's market was comprised of one farmer. I bought six apricots, four carrots, two lemons, two gigantic summer squash (one green, one yellow), and a bunch of chard (which would spend the rest of the afternoon wilting in my bag unfortunately) - all for just five euros!!!! We spent a while talking and he told about his family (his wife and daughter) and how he grows his produce. Really beautiful stuff. I gave him one of my personal chef flyers. He said his wife works on the radio and that he can pass that along to her. Woohoo!
3. Bike shop - I tried out a bike that was only 93 euros, but it was too small for me and the handle bars were all whack. Everyone likes to ride upright here... Bleh! In one shop I met a guy from Poland (whose household employs a personal chef from Thailand!!)... He works as a specialist in the whisky and spirits industry. He's in Tours learning French and researching the wine industry. Not a bad lead... I gave him a flyer!
4. APARTMENT! There is a really, really perfect apartment for rent in Les Halles (an amazing area on the perimeter of downtown Tours) that I checked out today. The manager showed me around and it really seems like exactly what I need (except that there's no bedding, cookware, laundry, etc., hmmm...)
I returned home triumphant today. After a week here, I finally feel like I'm organizing my life and settling into France in my own lazy-American-accent-driven sorta way. :)
I went shopping to the little organic market and got home at around 4pm ready to cook! On the menu today? Quinoa with almonds and raisins, sauteed salt and pepper carrots, and roasted garlic and rosemary summer squash (in hindsight, I'll admit I should've roasted the carrots and sauteed the squash...). I guess they have a convection oven here, so it cooked the shit outta that squash in twenty minutes flat! We didn't eat until after practice (11pm-ish) anyway, so I planned on blaming any faults on the microwave... Hehe!
Tonight, was our first practice with the entire team. There were ten girls in all. Maggy sat us down all together. We introduced ourselves and listened to her philosophy. Looking around, it felt like a team we can invest in and be proud of! If we miss a practice, the girls agreed, we have to bring snacks for the entire team (Isn't that awesome?!?! I love them!). I have been tasked with coming up with a pre- and post-practice cheer for our team - OH MY GOD THE PRESSURE!!!! Anyway, we had a hard practice (a lot of running and passing and jumping). I'm going to be sore as hell tomorrow and I can't even imagine how the other girls must be feeling right now... Ey!
Here are a couple of fun words I've encountered recently and their meanings:
piquer - to sting/to be spicy hot (like food)
grignoter - to snack
clignoter - to blink
une cloque - a blister
la sueur - sweat
respirer - to breathe
transpirer - to sweat
s'égoutter - to drip
pleuvoir - to rain
la tonnerre - thunder
le coup de foudre - lightning
...and YAY, yoga tomorrow, so I'm quick studying body parts vocab - you had it coming! ;)
to stretch - s'étendre
head - la tête
back - le dos
neck - le cou
chest - la poitrine
shoulder - l'épaule
shoulder blade - l'omoplate
arm - le bras
armpit - l'aiselle
elbow - le coude
wrist - le poignet
hand - la main
finger - la doigt
stomach - le ventre
belly button - le nombril
hip - les hanches
leg - la jambe
knee - le genou
calf - le mollet
ankle - la cheville
foot - le pied
arch - la voute plantaire
heel - le talon
That's all I can think of for now! More later!
Good finds:
1. Simply - grocery store right on the bus line where I know I can buy Nutella, the coffee capsules I've been using non-stop at the house, and also price out shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste against the organic brands here.2. Farmer's market - one farmer! That's right. The farmer's market was comprised of one farmer. I bought six apricots, four carrots, two lemons, two gigantic summer squash (one green, one yellow), and a bunch of chard (which would spend the rest of the afternoon wilting in my bag unfortunately) - all for just five euros!!!! We spent a while talking and he told about his family (his wife and daughter) and how he grows his produce. Really beautiful stuff. I gave him one of my personal chef flyers. He said his wife works on the radio and that he can pass that along to her. Woohoo!
3. Bike shop - I tried out a bike that was only 93 euros, but it was too small for me and the handle bars were all whack. Everyone likes to ride upright here... Bleh! In one shop I met a guy from Poland (whose household employs a personal chef from Thailand!!)... He works as a specialist in the whisky and spirits industry. He's in Tours learning French and researching the wine industry. Not a bad lead... I gave him a flyer!
4. APARTMENT! There is a really, really perfect apartment for rent in Les Halles (an amazing area on the perimeter of downtown Tours) that I checked out today. The manager showed me around and it really seems like exactly what I need (except that there's no bedding, cookware, laundry, etc., hmmm...)
I returned home triumphant today. After a week here, I finally feel like I'm organizing my life and settling into France in my own lazy-American-accent-driven sorta way. :)
I went shopping to the little organic market and got home at around 4pm ready to cook! On the menu today? Quinoa with almonds and raisins, sauteed salt and pepper carrots, and roasted garlic and rosemary summer squash (in hindsight, I'll admit I should've roasted the carrots and sauteed the squash...). I guess they have a convection oven here, so it cooked the shit outta that squash in twenty minutes flat! We didn't eat until after practice (11pm-ish) anyway, so I planned on blaming any faults on the microwave... Hehe!
Tonight, was our first practice with the entire team. There were ten girls in all. Maggy sat us down all together. We introduced ourselves and listened to her philosophy. Looking around, it felt like a team we can invest in and be proud of! If we miss a practice, the girls agreed, we have to bring snacks for the entire team (Isn't that awesome?!?! I love them!). I have been tasked with coming up with a pre- and post-practice cheer for our team - OH MY GOD THE PRESSURE!!!! Anyway, we had a hard practice (a lot of running and passing and jumping). I'm going to be sore as hell tomorrow and I can't even imagine how the other girls must be feeling right now... Ey!
Here are a couple of fun words I've encountered recently and their meanings:
piquer - to sting/to be spicy hot (like food)
grignoter - to snack
clignoter - to blink
une cloque - a blister
la sueur - sweat
respirer - to breathe
transpirer - to sweat
s'égoutter - to drip
pleuvoir - to rain
la tonnerre - thunder
le coup de foudre - lightning
...and YAY, yoga tomorrow, so I'm quick studying body parts vocab - you had it coming! ;)
to stretch - s'étendre
head - la tête
back - le dos
neck - le cou
chest - la poitrine
shoulder - l'épaule
shoulder blade - l'omoplate
arm - le bras
armpit - l'aiselle
elbow - le coude
wrist - le poignet
hand - la main
finger - la doigt
stomach - le ventre
belly button - le nombril
hip - les hanches
leg - la jambe
knee - le genou
calf - le mollet
ankle - la cheville
foot - le pied
arch - la voute plantaire
heel - le talon
That's all I can think of for now! More later!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
First Practice
Welp! After our first practice, it's clear that our Head Coach has her work cut out for her.
For two solid hours straight we focused on getting in quality touches. Coach said no jumping at this practice, which reminded me of some good advice Naoto gave me when I was going to try out for the dream team in 2012 - "stay grounded". :) I didn't jump once! Haha! Oh, and my serving looked a lot better today (thanks to Coach's focus points)! For a lot of reasons (but mostly to protect the privacy of my coach and teammates) I don't want to write too much here... Coach stopped us about fifteen minutes early to do partner stretching and massages. A great way to end the team's first week back! So far, I feel great about the team, the work, and the community. Everyone is really really nice and hard working! Possibly my favorite combination!!
net - le filet
court - le terrain
team - l'équipe
coach - l'entraineur
game - le match
practice - l'entrainement
serve - le service
to pass - balancer
to set - passer
setter - passeur/passeuse
to hit - attaquer
hitter - attaqueur
to block - bloquer
to go block - aller au bloque
to dive - plonger
to jump - sauter
in - dedans
out - dehors
short - court
deep - long
mine - laisse
sorry - désolée
good play - bien joué
Linguistically, I'm following most of what is said around me, but when I try to chime in, all I do is joke and my vocabulary and grammar is all wrong, so I'm getting a lot of blank stares - which I'm kinda used to anyway - Haha! I'm gonna keep at it... Right now, I'm just reading everything I can get my hands on and enjoying my silence. I've always envied introverts - so I'm mimicking a little bit of that and trying to observe and listen more: skills I've been wanting to hone more for about as long as I can remember! :)
There are still some players on vacation, so we won't have the whole team until our next practice on Tuesday night. We have private meetings with the Head Coach (Maggy Paes - yes, she's a badass - google her!) on Monday.
More later!
For two solid hours straight we focused on getting in quality touches. Coach said no jumping at this practice, which reminded me of some good advice Naoto gave me when I was going to try out for the dream team in 2012 - "stay grounded". :) I didn't jump once! Haha! Oh, and my serving looked a lot better today (thanks to Coach's focus points)! For a lot of reasons (but mostly to protect the privacy of my coach and teammates) I don't want to write too much here... Coach stopped us about fifteen minutes early to do partner stretching and massages. A great way to end the team's first week back! So far, I feel great about the team, the work, and the community. Everyone is really really nice and hard working! Possibly my favorite combination!!
Vocabulaire du Volley Ball
ball - le ballonnet - le filet
court - le terrain
team - l'équipe
coach - l'entraineur
game - le match
practice - l'entrainement
serve - le service
to pass - balancer
to set - passer
setter - passeur/passeuse
to hit - attaquer
hitter - attaqueur
to block - bloquer
to go block - aller au bloque
to dive - plonger
to jump - sauter
in - dedans
out - dehors
short - court
deep - long
mine - laisse
sorry - désolée
good play - bien joué
Linguistically, I'm following most of what is said around me, but when I try to chime in, all I do is joke and my vocabulary and grammar is all wrong, so I'm getting a lot of blank stares - which I'm kinda used to anyway - Haha! I'm gonna keep at it... Right now, I'm just reading everything I can get my hands on and enjoying my silence. I've always envied introverts - so I'm mimicking a little bit of that and trying to observe and listen more: skills I've been wanting to hone more for about as long as I can remember! :)
There are still some players on vacation, so we won't have the whole team until our next practice on Tuesday night. We have private meetings with the Head Coach (Maggy Paes - yes, she's a badass - google her!) on Monday.
More later!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Day 12 - I Had a Dream
I awoke in a wet warmth on the pavement outside a Target store. When I came to, there were workers spraying psychedelic graffiti art of targets all over the walls outside, turning doors into walls, and covering up secret compartments… A sliding glass door opened nearby so I wrapped myself in a thick, rough white cotton blanket and ran deep into the hospital-white hallway. I sensed some movement behind me, so I dodged into a women’s bathroom. There I found a locker room and a shower where many women of all ages, shapes, and sizes were engaging in what looked like post-game clean up. I joined them and nobody noticed that I didn’t belong (including me). When we were ready, the owner of Strauss Carpets called us into an adjacent room to talk to us. As we entered the room I noticed the girls’ faces more… Some were plump with darker skin and hair, some were very young and skinny, some were older with wrinkled leathery skin and light hair. The owner of Strauss carpets, a short, fit older man with tanned skin and white hair, looked at us through wire glasses and spoke in a confident tone. The team had a tentative, scrutinizing air... I forget what he said, but he was looking right at me and I was immediately overwhelmed with the thought “I’m here because of his generosity”. My eyes welled up with joy and shame and fear and I couldn’t help it – the tears just flowed…
I woke up in the spare room where I slept last night - sunlight pouring in through the window. My whole upper body was covered in sweat and the deep sense of gratitude from my dream was still strongly present in my mind and body. The generosity of others has brought me this far. I wouldn’t be here without my incredible friends and family. I can’t believe this is happening… I tryout tonight. Wish me luck!
...
I ate breakfast at the house and then spent the day sight seeing in Tours. It really is beautiful here and there is so much that reminds me of home... Seriously, don't laugh, but I was super stoked every time I saw a gay couple (like absurdly glad that people are out here). Haha! I walked to the City Hall where there was an exhibition on the new tramway they've built here. Cool artist, Daniel Buren, conceptualized the whole project and he has some amazing ideas. You can read about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Buren
I checked out the town, the shops, the markets, and the churches. At 8pm, I met six girls on the current team and started working out with them. Everyone is white, which bums me out a little, but at least we're all different ages (13-36!!!!)... And, yes, you probably guessed it already, but I was, in fact, aced by that thirteen-year-old!
Seriously though, I hit well, showed off my fitness and my attitude, but didn't exactly give them the best example of my serve-receive passing and serving. The coach is SO AMAZING. She's perhaps the fittest fifty year old I've ever met. Very even keel. Knows her shit... I know I would be so so lucky to be coached by her. After practice, I shared a snack and a drink with the leadership and gave them my terms: an apartment, a bike, health insurance, visas, USA Volleyball fees, a salary, and possibly a ticket home. They seem interested in my ability to coach. The work required would be two practices and one game a week until May of next year. Obviously, I would have to put the extra work in to improve my game. They are going to counter offer tomorrow before the last train back to Amsterdam...
Very exciting! More later...
I woke up in the spare room where I slept last night - sunlight pouring in through the window. My whole upper body was covered in sweat and the deep sense of gratitude from my dream was still strongly present in my mind and body. The generosity of others has brought me this far. I wouldn’t be here without my incredible friends and family. I can’t believe this is happening… I tryout tonight. Wish me luck!
...
I ate breakfast at the house and then spent the day sight seeing in Tours. It really is beautiful here and there is so much that reminds me of home... Seriously, don't laugh, but I was super stoked every time I saw a gay couple (like absurdly glad that people are out here). Haha! I walked to the City Hall where there was an exhibition on the new tramway they've built here. Cool artist, Daniel Buren, conceptualized the whole project and he has some amazing ideas. You can read about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Buren
I checked out the town, the shops, the markets, and the churches. At 8pm, I met six girls on the current team and started working out with them. Everyone is white, which bums me out a little, but at least we're all different ages (13-36!!!!)... And, yes, you probably guessed it already, but I was, in fact, aced by that thirteen-year-old!
Seriously though, I hit well, showed off my fitness and my attitude, but didn't exactly give them the best example of my serve-receive passing and serving. The coach is SO AMAZING. She's perhaps the fittest fifty year old I've ever met. Very even keel. Knows her shit... I know I would be so so lucky to be coached by her. After practice, I shared a snack and a drink with the leadership and gave them my terms: an apartment, a bike, health insurance, visas, USA Volleyball fees, a salary, and possibly a ticket home. They seem interested in my ability to coach. The work required would be two practices and one game a week until May of next year. Obviously, I would have to put the extra work in to improve my game. They are going to counter offer tomorrow before the last train back to Amsterdam...
Very exciting! More later...
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Day 6 - Make it Rain
We practiced this morning at 11am. Not my best performance (my left achilles is feeling better, but now my right shoulder is starting to ache a little). Aches and pains aside, I actually feel pretty healthy right now and I'm still enjoying every second being on the court with the remaining ladies... I know it's idiotic to hold up hope at this point since the odds are stacked against all of us getting contracts, but I still feel strongly that we're all good enough to play professionally... I find myself wishing that the states had a pro volleyball league like they do here so that these incredible American women could play volleyball together on their home courts and not feel so culturally displaced. The PVL is coming along, but it's going to take a long time to develop that circuit to match what the adult female athletes have here. They are so lucky!!
After practice we ate and showered and I jumped on my bike to run down to the store to pick up some odds and ends (first aid, air freshener, etc.), then it was off to Ruse to play a division one professional team here. They were all ages! Girls fourteen to forty!! So cool...
Thankfully, they let us borrow their amazing setters (Anna and Ulska (sp?)). We won three out of four games against them. In the game I played outside hitter, we were behind the whole time, but then came back to win 26-24. Close one! I got aced by a fourteen year old - haha!!! - :( That little girl could SERVE! I got one great kill down the line and one good one sharp angle. My digging and in-play passing was good, but my serve-receive?!?! Choked again! While I wasn't on the court, I was head cheerleader and just had a blast cheering on the sideline for our amazing team! A couple of girls really had outstanding performances - low errors, high sideout percentage, aces, etc... This team was not easy to ace (unlike me - hehe...). Anyway, came up with a couple great nicknames and cheers for people (I know they love me so they don't mind how crazy and loud I was).
Oh oh - the title! It rained and drizzled all day - and I guess it's supposed to freeze again tomorrow, but we're off to Vienna to play another team there (fun fun fun!).
Also, the American men arrived for their tour today! Gotto run now. More later...
After practice we ate and showered and I jumped on my bike to run down to the store to pick up some odds and ends (first aid, air freshener, etc.), then it was off to Ruse to play a division one professional team here. They were all ages! Girls fourteen to forty!! So cool...
Thankfully, they let us borrow their amazing setters (Anna and Ulska (sp?)). We won three out of four games against them. In the game I played outside hitter, we were behind the whole time, but then came back to win 26-24. Close one! I got aced by a fourteen year old - haha!!! - :( That little girl could SERVE! I got one great kill down the line and one good one sharp angle. My digging and in-play passing was good, but my serve-receive?!?! Choked again! While I wasn't on the court, I was head cheerleader and just had a blast cheering on the sideline for our amazing team! A couple of girls really had outstanding performances - low errors, high sideout percentage, aces, etc... This team was not easy to ace (unlike me - hehe...). Anyway, came up with a couple great nicknames and cheers for people (I know they love me so they don't mind how crazy and loud I was).
Oh oh - the title! It rained and drizzled all day - and I guess it's supposed to freeze again tomorrow, but we're off to Vienna to play another team there (fun fun fun!).
Also, the American men arrived for their tour today! Gotto run now. More later...
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Day 3 - A Day to Forget!
I started out great today! Had great butterfly passing and nice hitting lines. But later on, during the six on six scrimmaging, I really started to see my dreams fading for the first time during this trip!!!! I lost confidence on serve-receive and never really recovered...
After the live streamed inter-squad match I was feeling down for not making the top 14 remaining players. So, I took a long beautiful hike up the ski run behind the hotel to clear my mind and relax a little... It was so beautiful! Breathing in the fresh mountain air felt amazing and at the top of the hill was this incredible view of the whole valley. It really gave me some perspective on what I'm here to do. I hope it helps me do better tomorrow.
The whole time - I don't know why - I just kept thinking about this quote from a Gordon Ramsay interview where he said about Hell's Kitchen something like, "They're all great chefs, but it's about getting through the process, winning challenges, and gaining experience along the way..." Something like that... Anyway, I just hope I can get my confidence back and put forth my best effort tomorrow.
Sleepy time! More later...
After the live streamed inter-squad match I was feeling down for not making the top 14 remaining players. So, I took a long beautiful hike up the ski run behind the hotel to clear my mind and relax a little... It was so beautiful! Breathing in the fresh mountain air felt amazing and at the top of the hill was this incredible view of the whole valley. It really gave me some perspective on what I'm here to do. I hope it helps me do better tomorrow.
The whole time - I don't know why - I just kept thinking about this quote from a Gordon Ramsay interview where he said about Hell's Kitchen something like, "They're all great chefs, but it's about getting through the process, winning challenges, and gaining experience along the way..." Something like that... Anyway, I just hope I can get my confidence back and put forth my best effort tomorrow.
Sleepy time! More later...
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Billy Means Business
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| My Rock |
Monday, April 29, 2013
2013 Email exchange with Greg Gibbons
Amy,
I wanted to let you know that you will not be on the travel roster this year. I thank you for playing in the few practices and exhibition that we had and hope you continue to work hard to make the travel team in the future. I had to make my decision based on what the needs are for this team and the limited amount of practice we will have before leaving for Kentucky.
Thanks again for your efforts and time,
I'll work on the right side for sure. This is the highest level volleyball I've ever played, so I'm so grateful for the opportunity.
I'd like to help the team in any way I can (even if that means just being a practice player for now).
Thanks, again, for giving me a chance!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Northern California Dream Team Exhibition Match in Reno
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| Photo courtesy of Margaret DeCoux |
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