Ok, so its been almost an entire month since I have been back and a lot has happened. First off, we had a match 3 days prior to getting back from break. After a good showing at the last match we played before the break, I was not in the starting line up and barely saw court time during that match, bummer and slight confusion. Post match they told us that a player from Canada was coming for a try out. I knew my head was on the chopping block if she was any good. I had to buckle down and play hard in practices and hopefully get another chance to play in the matches. I had a meeting with the two coaches and a sponsor, in short I told them that I would not stop trying, that I was not going to quit unless they wanted someone else to come in for me. I am not a quitter and I made sure they understood that. She arrived on a Monday and was practicing with us by Tuesday. I knew of her since I played against her in Slovenia but I wasn't sure how she was playing now since that had been 2 years ago. I had heard that she hadn't played in about a year so I had a little bit of hope. At her first practice we got to talking and it turned out that we had a lot more in common then I was expecting. We clicked right away which was something I was not expecting to happen. Through the week I could tell that she was in fact a little rusty and was not really ready for the level of play at the moment, I think she knew this as well. Personally I was going for it, I didn't want there to be any reason why they shouldn't keep me on the team. I did everything I could do while in practice but still was not given a chance to play when it came time for our TV match. The coach told me that I had two very good practices but that she was going to start the other Finish right side over me. I would be lying to say that I was ok with this, I definitely was not. But I put on my game face and tried to cheer on my team as I tried to mask the annoyed feeling I had deep down. In all fairness I hadnt been doing that great a job all season (like a roller coaster) so I can understand why the coach didn't trust me but if I was showing that I could get the job done in practice then you would think she would give me at least a chance to show in the matches. Anyway, that is neither here nor there anymore. I ended up having a great time with the Canadian girl and was actually hoping that she would stay so the next couple months we had left would fly by. Unfortunately we were informed again that another Canadian from a team in the league was coming to us because she was out played by another foreigner who in turn took her job. After a week and a half of proving myself, I had to do it again with someone new. Once this other player showed up I knew I was on the outs. She walked in at 6'3-6'4, she was huge. She ended up wowing the club with her height and was starting in the next match while I watched from the stands. The worst that could have happened to me that night amazingly happened. She was awarded two awards for most points and something else, but since I can't speak or understand Finish I didn't know what for.
After the match I went to talk to the team we had just played since I knew two of the girls on the team. While I was talking to them about everything that was happening their libero was saying how they needed another hitter pretty badly and that I should talk to their coach. I didn't know what was going to happen with my current club so I wasn't sure if talking to their coach was even an option. The setter went and got their assistant coach and then asked me to come talk with him, so I did. Realizing that I probably wasnt going to see court time with the tall Canadian at my current club and the fact that they didn't have enough money to fund a 4th foreigner we (assistant coach, sponsor, and myself) decided as a group that it would be best if I went for a try out with this other club. I got on a train Tuesday morning with all of my stuff in tow and was on my way to Kangasala with a new motivation, to make that team. I met up with and have been staying with the two girls I know, Becca Sarenceno and Lauren Bledsoe who are from the South Bay area of Southern California (weird we all meet up here in Finland of all places). Rebecca went to Redondo Union High School who are rivals with Mira Costa High which is where Lauren and I went to. Crazy, this world continues to get smaller and smaller. I am glad to be here and ready to do work and get the job done. I hope this team want's to keep me here because it would be a great last couple of months and also a lot of fun to play on this team.
Lauren
Rebecca
......I made the team :)
No comments:
Post a Comment