It was time, we were to play Orebro, my old club. There was a little bit of hype around this match about me coming back "to the home court". A reporter asked me why I didn't go back to Orebro for another season. Wasn't it obvious? Almost the entire team had quit, the coach was a rookie head coach and to top it off, they didn't offer me a contract anyway. Sollentuna has given me an amazing contract. One that I could not imagine to get anywhere else here in Sweden, so why go back to Orebro? My time there was fun and I appreciate everything they had done for me, but it was time to move on. I miss the teammates, coaches and friends I made over the past three years and am forever thankful to the coaches who have helped shape who and what I am today. Their coaching methods and advice will stick with me forever.
Moving on, the match...it was a good one and one that we, Sollentuna, should have won in 3 sets. We were up 2 sets and they were not easy to win, it was close. Set 3 was relaxed on our side, however we kept up until the end. Set 4 seemed like we had given up and set 5 was us trying to make up for everything we had done wrong a little bit too late. Personally I could have done a bit better in attack, being a bit smarter when it came down to it. Our serve was really good and gave us a chance. Our serve receive was too up and down to create a consistent trust with our setters and middle attackers. Our defense was good, however we needed to put balls on the 3 meter line when we were in trouble and our block needed to be more disciplined. The free balls have to be almost 100 percent perfect next match, they were here and there this time. Overall, I felt we made them fight for the win. I wish we would have closed them out in 3, but there will be more chances this season, so I am not worried about this one loss. Plus we walked away with a point so we are still ahead in the rankings and will hopefully go up a bit more after these next 3 matches. As for the feeling I got from the audience, it was great! I believe I even heard people cheering when I would make a kill occasionally. It took me about 20 minutes to make my way back to the locker room after meeting everyone. I think I hugged about 80 percent of the people who were there. It was a really nice feeling to get from an ex club. The people I created wonderful bonds with still care and I them. It was great to see them all and I still really appreciate all their love and support, even from afar.
The next match on our list was Gothenberg. We were to take the train the morning of. I was ready to go and had everything packed. I had enough time to eat breakfast and take my time. I consistently kept checking the clock to make sure I wasn't running late. Once it was time to go, I took one last look around to make sure I had everything. As I was rounding the corner to the bus stop outside my apartment complex, my heart stopped. The bus was pulling away from the stop right before my eyes. My heart bounced up to a panicked rhythm as I watched in horror as it pulled away. I thought "shit....shhhhit was that my bus?! SHIT IT WAS!!" After that I kind of blacked out and ran around the center of my small residential area trying to think of what to do. I thought my phone ran out of battery so I sprinted up to my apartment and tried to quickly recharge it, which wasn't happening. Luckily I was still able to receive and send text messages. A teammate and assistant coach told me to get on the next bus to Sollentuna and just try to go for it. The train we were to be leaving on left at 8:14....I was going to get there at 8:14, it was going to be close. Once the train doors opened at Stockholm central, I went into a full out sprint towards the platform, which I missed and was scanning the board for my train which had left already. Thankfully there is a happy ending to this story. My assistant coach told me in an earlier text that he would buy another ticket for a train that left an hour later and had the tickets waiting for me at Espresso House. Once I realized I had missed it, I almost started crying my eyes out. I was so mad at myself! This had happened once every season, being late. So this was my one time pass, which was by far the worst time to be late! I asked the assistant coach what I owed for the ticket and he told me "Just win tonight and you don't owe us anything." All I thought and said was "Deal! I'll do everything in my power to do that!". I got to the lunch spot about 30 minutes after the rest of my team, so I wasn't that much later then I thought and the girls and coaches just made fun of the situation which put me at ease for the match. Thank you team and coaches :)
Now for the match. This will be short. We won in 3 sets. The start of set one was shaky and peppered with mistakes from our attack. Once we settled in, there was no stopping us. The second set was a nervous mess. Still too many mistakes from us making it super close at the end but we prevailed. The 3rd set was easier, however we let them in towards the end a little. I was wanting to just end it and I know most of the others wanted the same so I am happy we finished it out with a bit more breathing room at the end, points wise. I ended the match with 19 total points and MVP. Not to shabby for the late comer. Overall I was happy the girls kept up a progressive and positive attitude. They kept focused on the end result.
RIG Falkoping was next, at home. The first set was slow and it seemed that we couldn't get a handle of the set at all. I was making to many hitting errors and stupid mistakes. The rest of us were having trouble figuring out how to get out of the hole we had dug ourselves. Luckily Bella, one of our middles served the other side into submission and gained back a huge deficit. Unfortunately it wasn't enough for us to grab the set, however it helped us gain momentum into the next. Our coach said that we needed to up our blocking and to take care of the ball when we had the chance. Which is exactly what we did to clench the next 3 sets in a row. Personally I did not have the best match which is why I am happy the other attackers on the court took care of business. Elina, one of our opposites played a great match and received her first MVP in the Eliteseries with 15 total points. Adding another 3 points to the rankings for us was a great feeling.
I am going to preface this last match against Hylte Halmstad with one word, underprepared. We lost in three...now let me tell you why (at least what I think). Monday we prepared for RIG so we were not thinking about Hylte yet. Tuesday was game day, wednesday was a day off. Thursdays practice came around (which by the way was our only practice besides an hour and 15 day of) to prepare for Hylte and the team seemed sluggish and unfocused. It was sloppy and pretty much a waste. My feelings about practices are, you come in and commit your time for however many hours allotted and do your best. When you step into the gym, its time to work. Even when I was in College and before that, when I went to practice, that was the time to get better as an individual and to succeed as a team. To be prepared for whatever was to come our way. Thursday was the exact opposite. I stopped us (a bit to late, we had 7 minutes left) in the middle of what seemed to becoming a daunting drill except for maybe the middles, opposites and setters. One side was to play defense against the team getting a free ball. The setters were to only set the 10 (back row attack on the right side) and the middles. It was a productive drill for about 15 minutes and then it went down hill from there. People stopped talking, stopped going for it, stopped trying pretty much. Towards the end it looked bad. So, like I said earlier, I stopped us and tried to re-motivate the team, by simply stating, how we were playing, was complete bullshit and we all knew it. If we play like this in practice we will surely play like it during the match Sunday and lose. Well, our match reflected how we played on thursday entirely.
I talked to one audience member and he told me that it seemed we weren't ready to play the moment we walked into the gym. He was right. Even if some of the girls were ready, it sure didn't look like it. A clear sign of an unprepared team is frustration and on court fighting, which we had and did. We were a bunch of individuals trying to play a match together. One of the girls would come into the huddle and say "together as a team now". I wish everyone would have listened and snapped out of it. But we definitely did one thing as a team that night...we lost as a team.
One of our opposites, Sophia Tacktor, came off the bench and performed really great and received MVP (very proud of her). My personal game, I thought, wasn't bad and my hitting errors were down but with only 3-4 people on the court doing their jobs, it just isn't enough to win a match against the number 2 team in the league. I don't like nor encourage people to use end all be all words like MUST, NEED TO and HAVE TO, to describe what has to happen on court and in practices. In this case, I don't care anymore. As a team we MUST, NEED TO AND HAVE TO keep the way we come to a match and work in a practice consistently tough. There needs to be a certain level of discipline that we as individuals need to follow. I am in no way saying we need to be robots. I for one, am not the type of player who is always serious and for those who know me as a volleyball player, know that. When it comes down to getting work done at practice and or in a match, it is all about doing your job and having fun doing it right. I am a competitive person and I expect my teammates to be the same when it comes to game time. We may not always agree with how things are done at practice but in the end we need to do whatever is being asked of us, as well as we know how, to get a positive result from it. Or else we are going to be lost and unsuccessful the entire season.
Its time for this team to grow up a bit and get tough. Stop blaming others for own mistakes and take responsibility for your job on court because that is what will make us better. That is what will help us succeed. Being disciplined in practice and during work outs while helping each other out will get us to the top.
I am excited for our next match against Katrineholm. I hope that this week in practice will be much better and a lot more focused on the job at hand. HEJA STORA TUNA! I believe!
Monday, November 17, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
Svedala and a Free Weekend
Finally, our first home opener against Svedala. This season, they have 3 foreigners and one or two Swedes who can hold their own on the court. The team we met was pretty well balanced but when it came to crunch time, the foreigners took control of their side. From my point of view, we were pretty well matched. I thought for sure, we could have beaten them, at least taken them to a 5th set. Unfortunately that was not the case and we ended in the 4th set, beginning to get momentum to late in the game. This match upset me the most so far. It was apparent that we were holding our own out there, it was just to inconsistent. I hope the next time we meet them, we will be sharper and can take them with out contest. Maybe I am being a little unrealistic, but I feel that this team gets better and better with every match we play. Until then, we continue practicing hard and perfecting our skill sets.
It has been said by many, that when you meet a good friend and you don't see them for a while, then come together again, its like you were never apart. It feels as if no time has passed. That is when you know you have found a friend for life. This is exactly how I felt this passed weekend when I travelled to Linkoping to visit my old teammate and friend Nikki. I met her three years ago during my first season with Orebro Volley. It was her first year playing in the top league in Sweden and the nerves were there, but she was ready to get after it. She was so excited to get the chance to play at a higher level, to play with others who knew all about it. That is why it was extremely unfortunate when her ankle took a turn for the worse, she was forced to quit playing for the season. After only about 5 months she had moved back to Linkoping to live with her boyfriend. I was sad to see her go, she was such a lively spirit on and off the court and extremely funny. We tried numerous times to visit one another but it never seemed to work out. Last weekend was the first time in three years we got to hang out with one another and it was awesome!
She prepared a "whit-tinerary" that we could loosely follow. The first day I was there, we walked through town, had brunch at her favorite spot, went on a bike ride through an amazing forest, met up with my old teammate Lena and her husband Magnus for their baby boys first birthday, ate some cake and went back to her apartment to have dinner with Albin her boyfriend and Calle who is also a friend I haven't seen in forever as well. After we ate, Calle, myself and Nikki decided to paint our faces for Halloween and to head out on the town. I hadn't painted my face since I was in grammar school, so this was going to be interesting. Nikki found a great tutorial on a really simple mouth skeleton. All three of us looked awesome! Nikki and I wore all black while Calle wore all white. Once out on the town, many stares were headed our way but all seemed to be stares of admiration. I even told one person it was a tattoo....amazingly he didn't believe me! Oh well.
Nursing hang overs with Espresso House coffee's and food the next morning, we headed to the Linkoping mens teams NEVZA match at 12. They were playing against a Norwegian or Danish team. Linkoping beat them easy in 3 to advance to the next round. It was great getting to see mens volleyball being played at such a high level again. Everything is so fluid and the players make the game look easy. I got to see parents of an old friend of mine that I hadn't seen in so long, I was a little surprised they actually remembered me. They hugged me like I had been around all along.
That night, Nikki made a wonderful chicken roast with potatoes. Her domestic side is pretty awesome when she wants it to be. That being said, they are pretty lucky to have one another regardless of who does what around the house. I envy their life together a bit. Although, Nikki needs to admit to tooth paste tube hoarding. I think she is on her way, with the picture she sent me the other day of the tubes in the trash. Bra job Nikki!
I left the next morning with a slightly heavy heart, but know we will meet again at the very least one more time before I go back to the USA. Until then, I hope nothing but the best for her and hope her man and his team do well in the Eliteseries.
Swedish words for du:
Flytta: Move (Pronounced Flee-tah
Känslor: Feelings (pronounced sh-en-slor)
Höft: Hip (Pronounced Huft)
It has been said by many, that when you meet a good friend and you don't see them for a while, then come together again, its like you were never apart. It feels as if no time has passed. That is when you know you have found a friend for life. This is exactly how I felt this passed weekend when I travelled to Linkoping to visit my old teammate and friend Nikki. I met her three years ago during my first season with Orebro Volley. It was her first year playing in the top league in Sweden and the nerves were there, but she was ready to get after it. She was so excited to get the chance to play at a higher level, to play with others who knew all about it. That is why it was extremely unfortunate when her ankle took a turn for the worse, she was forced to quit playing for the season. After only about 5 months she had moved back to Linkoping to live with her boyfriend. I was sad to see her go, she was such a lively spirit on and off the court and extremely funny. We tried numerous times to visit one another but it never seemed to work out. Last weekend was the first time in three years we got to hang out with one another and it was awesome!
She prepared a "whit-tinerary" that we could loosely follow. The first day I was there, we walked through town, had brunch at her favorite spot, went on a bike ride through an amazing forest, met up with my old teammate Lena and her husband Magnus for their baby boys first birthday, ate some cake and went back to her apartment to have dinner with Albin her boyfriend and Calle who is also a friend I haven't seen in forever as well. After we ate, Calle, myself and Nikki decided to paint our faces for Halloween and to head out on the town. I hadn't painted my face since I was in grammar school, so this was going to be interesting. Nikki found a great tutorial on a really simple mouth skeleton. All three of us looked awesome! Nikki and I wore all black while Calle wore all white. Once out on the town, many stares were headed our way but all seemed to be stares of admiration. I even told one person it was a tattoo....amazingly he didn't believe me! Oh well.
Nursing hang overs with Espresso House coffee's and food the next morning, we headed to the Linkoping mens teams NEVZA match at 12. They were playing against a Norwegian or Danish team. Linkoping beat them easy in 3 to advance to the next round. It was great getting to see mens volleyball being played at such a high level again. Everything is so fluid and the players make the game look easy. I got to see parents of an old friend of mine that I hadn't seen in so long, I was a little surprised they actually remembered me. They hugged me like I had been around all along.
That night, Nikki made a wonderful chicken roast with potatoes. Her domestic side is pretty awesome when she wants it to be. That being said, they are pretty lucky to have one another regardless of who does what around the house. I envy their life together a bit. Although, Nikki needs to admit to tooth paste tube hoarding. I think she is on her way, with the picture she sent me the other day of the tubes in the trash. Bra job Nikki!
I left the next morning with a slightly heavy heart, but know we will meet again at the very least one more time before I go back to the USA. Until then, I hope nothing but the best for her and hope her man and his team do well in the Eliteseries.
Swedish words for du:
Flytta: Move (Pronounced Flee-tah
Känslor: Feelings (pronounced sh-en-slor)
Höft: Hip (Pronounced Huft)
Sunday, October 26, 2014
1-1
The past two weeks have gone by fast and slow. Last week, we travelled to Lindesberg...proceeded to get our asses handed to us towards the end of each set, except for set 3. I don't think I will never get over how mad the coach for Lindesberg gets when his team isn't winning EVERY SINGLE point. The man has a very short fuse. I mean, come on! give them a bit of a break! Mistakes and good points happen, the game is not going to perfect every time. You will not win 25-0 in this league, sorry, not going to happen. I know you aren't supposed to pay attention to the other teams antics, especially the other their coach, they aren't even on the court. Hard not to notice though, when his booming screams stun the audience into silence. Now, I mean no disrespect, he is a very good coach. I wouldn't mind him coaching me. I would find it hard however, to keep a straight face when his eyes bulge out of his tomato colored face, if god forbid, the other team "miraculously" gets through the block. Perfection is a very high goal to reach in volleyball as a team, but hey, good luck! Been trying to reach that same goal since I was 10 and still have yet to have the absolute perfect all around match.
We traveled to RIG Falkoping Sunday at an unfortunately early time of 6:30 am, thanks to the mens team, wanting to get to the gym two hours before their match (understandable). I appreciated getting to watch the guys beat the absolute shittake mushrooms out of those teenage boys (RIG is a volleyball high school where the promising young volley stars go to ensure they are looked at first for the national team in the future...and also to get better of course). The first set was tough for our guys, those teenage boys aren't terrible in the least, they brought the heat indefinitely, just on an inconsistent note. Plus, our guys were better. Mr. Sean Anthony was having a phenomenal match. He made 17 points total and easily took player of the match. Big Tuna (my phrase for Sollentuna) prevailed in 3 sets. Then it was our turn to take that dubya!
RIG's girls team, were good in some areas and not so good in others. They had a hammer for a middle who was smart (very awesome combo). Tipping right over our finger tips in the block when the open angle wasn't there, see, smart. She saw the court well and took advantage, driving our libero's crazy. My old teammate Tilda, their right side, has improved a lot and was hitting harder and passing nails. I was impressed to see her getting better. Their small setter was just that, she was small. Good hands and consistent sets, but it was sure fun to hit over her since about half her hand cleared the net. The one other player I remember was their 6 foot something outside hitter. With time, this girl is going to be hitting the 10 foot line over the block. I see a lot of potential in that gal. OK, now for how we played! It was a bit up and down but not huge ups and downs. The first set was tight with us finally getting off our asses and starting to really play in the end of the set. The second set was a fairly easy win as we settled into our flow. The lows were higher and we were awake. The last set was tight as well. We got lucky with a net call on the last point (I had hit the ball out) and were able to take them a few points later at 28-26. I too collected 17 total points and the player of the match. I am very happy and proud of the team for finishing this team off in three sets, earning 3 points for the charts.
Today is yet another game day. We are up against Svedala at home. The guys play Linkoping (champs in the past and basically beasts, next to the mens team in Faulkenberg). Svedala has three Americano's, a setter, oppo and outside. Watching video last night it was obvious that their lefty oppo is a beast. She looks like a solid player. Their setter has a quick touch and is good on defense. Their outside is also tall but we didn't see too much from her in the video so I hope that we will be on our toes looking for options and cracks in this team to exploit tonight for the win.
HEJA BIG TUNA!
Some Swedish for you:
Tjena = Howdy
Vi ses = See you
Puss och Kram = kiss and hug
We traveled to RIG Falkoping Sunday at an unfortunately early time of 6:30 am, thanks to the mens team, wanting to get to the gym two hours before their match (understandable). I appreciated getting to watch the guys beat the absolute shittake mushrooms out of those teenage boys (RIG is a volleyball high school where the promising young volley stars go to ensure they are looked at first for the national team in the future...and also to get better of course). The first set was tough for our guys, those teenage boys aren't terrible in the least, they brought the heat indefinitely, just on an inconsistent note. Plus, our guys were better. Mr. Sean Anthony was having a phenomenal match. He made 17 points total and easily took player of the match. Big Tuna (my phrase for Sollentuna) prevailed in 3 sets. Then it was our turn to take that dubya!
RIG's girls team, were good in some areas and not so good in others. They had a hammer for a middle who was smart (very awesome combo). Tipping right over our finger tips in the block when the open angle wasn't there, see, smart. She saw the court well and took advantage, driving our libero's crazy. My old teammate Tilda, their right side, has improved a lot and was hitting harder and passing nails. I was impressed to see her getting better. Their small setter was just that, she was small. Good hands and consistent sets, but it was sure fun to hit over her since about half her hand cleared the net. The one other player I remember was their 6 foot something outside hitter. With time, this girl is going to be hitting the 10 foot line over the block. I see a lot of potential in that gal. OK, now for how we played! It was a bit up and down but not huge ups and downs. The first set was tight with us finally getting off our asses and starting to really play in the end of the set. The second set was a fairly easy win as we settled into our flow. The lows were higher and we were awake. The last set was tight as well. We got lucky with a net call on the last point (I had hit the ball out) and were able to take them a few points later at 28-26. I too collected 17 total points and the player of the match. I am very happy and proud of the team for finishing this team off in three sets, earning 3 points for the charts.
Today is yet another game day. We are up against Svedala at home. The guys play Linkoping (champs in the past and basically beasts, next to the mens team in Faulkenberg). Svedala has three Americano's, a setter, oppo and outside. Watching video last night it was obvious that their lefty oppo is a beast. She looks like a solid player. Their setter has a quick touch and is good on defense. Their outside is also tall but we didn't see too much from her in the video so I hope that we will be on our toes looking for options and cracks in this team to exploit tonight for the win.
HEJA BIG TUNA!
Some Swedish for you:
Tjena = Howdy
Vi ses = See you
Puss och Kram = kiss and hug
Friday, October 10, 2014
Update #3 Weather, butterflies and of course, volleyball.
The past week and a half or so have moved along pretty fast, which I welcome, since I would like to get this season underway. To get after it, some may say. We participated in a two match scrimmage against our distant neighbors, Lindesberg. We played 10 sets in total and won 2. Lets face it, they are a good team, but I think we are and can be better with a little more time and practice together. Maybe I am delusional, or maybe I am just being an athlete. Never stop trying to win, never stop thinking "we are better, faster, stronger" and most importantly, never giving up. All teams in this league have strengths and weaknesses. Its all about exploiting those weaknesses, however big or small, during a match and taking full advantage of them for the win. Its about being aggressive in the moment, not through feelings of disappointment in the locker room, after the game is over. My thoughts about the game are simple, if I put my all into every match and do everything I can to win, there is no reason for me to be upset or down on myself after its over. Win or lose. On another related note, we will play against my old team, Orebro, this saturday. Some asked me if this was going to be tough for me or in some sense, like a grudge match...the truth...the team that is there now, is completely different then the one I spent 3 years with. Yes, there are 3 girls I played with before and one that went through all 3 years with me. So I guess it will be fun to play against them, otherwise, I have no idea who this team is. I am interested to see how our team has progressed or digressed and work on sharpening the rough edges before our first match next Thursday.
Taking a break from volleyball talk for a moment, the weather has started to take on the feeling that winter is on its way. I was told that the summer was warmer then usual, which apparently means a lot of snow. I love a lot of snow, so bring it on! Can't wait. Like common Swedish weather, it has been cloudy, rainy and cold since the beginning of October. Today is the first day I have seen the sun come out for longer then an hour. Does this bother me? Yes, sometimes, but other times, I like the feeling of cold and seasons when its supposed to be. I like feeling cozy and warm in my apartment when the weather is cold and wet outside. It is starting to get darker earlier now, but have no fear I say, its only dark for about 2 months and then it gets lighter again. Like I have said in the past, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, always. So bring on the cold weather and snow. This is how season should be experienced anyway!
I wanted to mention the butterfly house I recently visited. The amazon like tent is located in Haga park near Stockholm. It took me a little bit to find the area via bus, but I eventually found myself in the right spot. Once I walked into the huge tent of lush greenery, man made ponds and humidity, I instantly felt like I was in an actual rain forest. Hot, wet air and green tropical plants and flowers everywhere you looked. At first I didn't see any butterflies and felt a little disappointed. After looking closer and up to the ceiling, they began to make their presence known, flapping their wings all around and above me. One, that looked as big or bigger then a small bird, clumsily flew straight towards me and proceeded to try and land on my face. It took everything in me to not swat it away like I would a fly. There were so many different types of butterflies and some that were in the middle of hatching as well. It was amazing in there, I could have stayed all day if I hadn't felt like I was going to pass out because of the heat. My favorites were the ones with brownish wings and then when opened, a bright color would be shown on the tops of their wings. I also spotted one with green and brown spots on its wings. I could definitely see myself going there during the winter time, the heat alone would get me out of a winter funk.
Our first match of the season is the 16th next week. I, like many others, are excited to finally get this league started. We play Lindesberg and will hopefully find a crack in their armor and beat them. I believe we can and I hope that everyone else on the team feels the same. Just because they are ranked higher and seem better then us doesn't mean we can relax and just lose. Winning is hard, losing is easy. I prefer to win, however hard it may be. Until next time!
Swedish words:
fjäril (fee-ya-rrill) = Butterfly
Soligt = Sunny
djungel = Jungle
Taking a break from volleyball talk for a moment, the weather has started to take on the feeling that winter is on its way. I was told that the summer was warmer then usual, which apparently means a lot of snow. I love a lot of snow, so bring it on! Can't wait. Like common Swedish weather, it has been cloudy, rainy and cold since the beginning of October. Today is the first day I have seen the sun come out for longer then an hour. Does this bother me? Yes, sometimes, but other times, I like the feeling of cold and seasons when its supposed to be. I like feeling cozy and warm in my apartment when the weather is cold and wet outside. It is starting to get darker earlier now, but have no fear I say, its only dark for about 2 months and then it gets lighter again. Like I have said in the past, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, always. So bring on the cold weather and snow. This is how season should be experienced anyway!
I wanted to mention the butterfly house I recently visited. The amazon like tent is located in Haga park near Stockholm. It took me a little bit to find the area via bus, but I eventually found myself in the right spot. Once I walked into the huge tent of lush greenery, man made ponds and humidity, I instantly felt like I was in an actual rain forest. Hot, wet air and green tropical plants and flowers everywhere you looked. At first I didn't see any butterflies and felt a little disappointed. After looking closer and up to the ceiling, they began to make their presence known, flapping their wings all around and above me. One, that looked as big or bigger then a small bird, clumsily flew straight towards me and proceeded to try and land on my face. It took everything in me to not swat it away like I would a fly. There were so many different types of butterflies and some that were in the middle of hatching as well. It was amazing in there, I could have stayed all day if I hadn't felt like I was going to pass out because of the heat. My favorites were the ones with brownish wings and then when opened, a bright color would be shown on the tops of their wings. I also spotted one with green and brown spots on its wings. I could definitely see myself going there during the winter time, the heat alone would get me out of a winter funk.Our first match of the season is the 16th next week. I, like many others, are excited to finally get this league started. We play Lindesberg and will hopefully find a crack in their armor and beat them. I believe we can and I hope that everyone else on the team feels the same. Just because they are ranked higher and seem better then us doesn't mean we can relax and just lose. Winning is hard, losing is easy. I prefer to win, however hard it may be. Until next time!
Swedish words:
fjäril (fee-ya-rrill) = Butterfly
Soligt = Sunny
djungel = Jungle
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Update #2
The past week or so has been a mix of meeting new people, riding too many busses to get from A to B and of course volleyball. Last Friday I heard there was an IKEA "close by", this meaning about an hour. This is common, however a huge pain in my ass. That being said, I am forever appreciative for the efficiency and abundance of Sweden's public transportation. Let me just say, and this is a universal tip, pay close attention to the end station on the front of the bus, train, metro whatever. Unfortunately I ended up taking one to many busses to get to the IKEA and one to many to get back, all because I didn't think to make sure the bus number matched the direction I wanted to go. Rookie mistake on my part. I don't need to go into what IKEA was like since I assume that everyone reading this has been in one or at least knows what it is by now, and no I did not eat any swedish meatballs...I had a grillkorv med brod (hotdog in bread) and it was delicious!
Saturday I convinced two of my teammates to join me in taking part of what I thought was going to be a big food and beer fair called, "Elefanten". I was so excited to try some new beers and check out the food trucks they were advertising. We arrived, a bit after 1pm, to a small outdoor restaurant...that was it. No food trucks, no beers I hadn't heard about or wanted to try and the menu was weak sauce! I was so disappointed! Plus I felt bad dragging my two teammates all the way out there for a less then satisfying result. The three of us decided to ditch the food shack and head to Kungshallen, a food court with the right amount of choices and plenty of outdoor seating. We put up shop and grubbed on some grand steps over looking an open air market where foreign venders yelled things like "halva, halva, halva" (half half half), "Halva priset!" (Half price) and whistled at pretty girls, asking them if they were from Italy...not sure why. It was such a nice day, that we spent about an hour or so just sitting there people watching. After, we headed to a well known coffee spot called Espresso House for some Fika time (coffee and cake). That night, some of the girls and I had fun at a party and then got after it out on the town. Team bonding is always easy over a few beers and some dancing.
This week has been good and progressive volleyball wise. The team is finally all together, there were 16 of us at practice on tuesday! The one thing that has been bothersome, however, is the amount of hitting we are doing during practice. Personally, my shoulder will not be able to last the whole season if the amount of hitting continues. Therefore, a few of us decided to have a conversation with the coach. We asked him if we could limit the amount of hitting, so that we can preserve our bodies in order to make it through with minimal tension on the hitters shoulders. Now, my intention was not to change the way he runs practices, or to demean or disrespect him in any way. My point was to inform him on how we, as players were feeling and for him to help us in the preservation of our hitting shoulders. He responded with a simple, no. As in, "no, there will be no change in the practices right now, this is what we need to do. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their bodies and take themselves out when they need to." So, I nodded and said ok, what more could I do? Plus, he was right. Everyone on the team needs to take responsibility for their own well being. Therefore, I will do just that, especially since I was given the ok by the coach to do so. I will continue to believe he has a plan and trust him. This weekend will be the team and coaches first test as to how well we can work together. We play a team called Lindesberg. In the past 3 years they have been a force and have won the championship as well. I am excited to play them but mostly, I am excited to see what we can do, what we can handle and what we will learn from this pre season match.
Today was our day off (wednesday). I woke up around 10am, made my favorite, cinnamon whole wheat hazelnut milk pancakes with maple syrup (syrup wasn't cheap! but so worth it), watched a few episodes of New Girl including the most recent and then got on my way to Stockholm. My mission, to find an efficient yet not so over priced blender. Mission accomplished! Clas Ohlson was the spot and my two speed blender is the ticket to perfect morning smoothies, can't wait!
Once I was finished shopping, I decided to continue walking around a bit. It was cloudy, cold and a bit misty but there were people everywhere still. Fortunately it was the type of cold that didn't hurry you into coffee shops, department stores or restaurants. I walked to the end of one of the main shopping streets that opened up towards the royal families castle and old town, then cut across in front of the castle and down towards a bridge over the water. I stopped for a moment to look out at the harbor filled with guided tour boats and public transport ferries. My walk continued towards the park with the ice skating rink during the winter and the promenade covered with two lanes of trees with still full branches that blocked out the sky. I passed Fridays, which seems to be a hot spot for a lot of Swedes around here, and continued on passed the galleria and down to T-central for my train. During all this time, I figuratively, had to pinch myself. I am still in a state of slight shock that I am finally living in the Stockholm area. As I looked around at the buildings and listened to the hum of the city, it was all I could do but smile and think of how lucky I am to be here. I intend to fully enjoy every minute I have during this season.
Some Swedish for you:
Trevligt att träffas = Nice to meet you
En öl = one beer
Tack = Thanks
Saturday I convinced two of my teammates to join me in taking part of what I thought was going to be a big food and beer fair called, "Elefanten". I was so excited to try some new beers and check out the food trucks they were advertising. We arrived, a bit after 1pm, to a small outdoor restaurant...that was it. No food trucks, no beers I hadn't heard about or wanted to try and the menu was weak sauce! I was so disappointed! Plus I felt bad dragging my two teammates all the way out there for a less then satisfying result. The three of us decided to ditch the food shack and head to Kungshallen, a food court with the right amount of choices and plenty of outdoor seating. We put up shop and grubbed on some grand steps over looking an open air market where foreign venders yelled things like "halva, halva, halva" (half half half), "Halva priset!" (Half price) and whistled at pretty girls, asking them if they were from Italy...not sure why. It was such a nice day, that we spent about an hour or so just sitting there people watching. After, we headed to a well known coffee spot called Espresso House for some Fika time (coffee and cake). That night, some of the girls and I had fun at a party and then got after it out on the town. Team bonding is always easy over a few beers and some dancing.
This week has been good and progressive volleyball wise. The team is finally all together, there were 16 of us at practice on tuesday! The one thing that has been bothersome, however, is the amount of hitting we are doing during practice. Personally, my shoulder will not be able to last the whole season if the amount of hitting continues. Therefore, a few of us decided to have a conversation with the coach. We asked him if we could limit the amount of hitting, so that we can preserve our bodies in order to make it through with minimal tension on the hitters shoulders. Now, my intention was not to change the way he runs practices, or to demean or disrespect him in any way. My point was to inform him on how we, as players were feeling and for him to help us in the preservation of our hitting shoulders. He responded with a simple, no. As in, "no, there will be no change in the practices right now, this is what we need to do. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their bodies and take themselves out when they need to." So, I nodded and said ok, what more could I do? Plus, he was right. Everyone on the team needs to take responsibility for their own well being. Therefore, I will do just that, especially since I was given the ok by the coach to do so. I will continue to believe he has a plan and trust him. This weekend will be the team and coaches first test as to how well we can work together. We play a team called Lindesberg. In the past 3 years they have been a force and have won the championship as well. I am excited to play them but mostly, I am excited to see what we can do, what we can handle and what we will learn from this pre season match.
Today was our day off (wednesday). I woke up around 10am, made my favorite, cinnamon whole wheat hazelnut milk pancakes with maple syrup (syrup wasn't cheap! but so worth it), watched a few episodes of New Girl including the most recent and then got on my way to Stockholm. My mission, to find an efficient yet not so over priced blender. Mission accomplished! Clas Ohlson was the spot and my two speed blender is the ticket to perfect morning smoothies, can't wait!
Once I was finished shopping, I decided to continue walking around a bit. It was cloudy, cold and a bit misty but there were people everywhere still. Fortunately it was the type of cold that didn't hurry you into coffee shops, department stores or restaurants. I walked to the end of one of the main shopping streets that opened up towards the royal families castle and old town, then cut across in front of the castle and down towards a bridge over the water. I stopped for a moment to look out at the harbor filled with guided tour boats and public transport ferries. My walk continued towards the park with the ice skating rink during the winter and the promenade covered with two lanes of trees with still full branches that blocked out the sky. I passed Fridays, which seems to be a hot spot for a lot of Swedes around here, and continued on passed the galleria and down to T-central for my train. During all this time, I figuratively, had to pinch myself. I am still in a state of slight shock that I am finally living in the Stockholm area. As I looked around at the buildings and listened to the hum of the city, it was all I could do but smile and think of how lucky I am to be here. I intend to fully enjoy every minute I have during this season.
Some Swedish for you:
Trevligt att träffas = Nice to meet you
En öl = one beer
Tack = Thanks
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Europe, Round 7
Now, I didn't sign with this team just for the city access. It is a perk, but its not the only reason. I have always admired this teams defense and energy to keep the ball in play. I believe that will get us far in the league this year. All they have needed, is a few power hitters to put the ball away. I believe that is my role on this team, to help inspire the aggressive nature on court that I know is in all of them and to make points. This group of girls have been playing together for about 3 years and know one another pretty well. I feel they have grown together and become a strong force that has the ability to take on any team with the right mindset. I have no doubts that we can make this season one for the books. Its up to us and us only to make that happen. I am excited to see our team in action. (The picture above is of the mens team in the gym we play our matches in).
Some Swedish for you :)Hej = Hey
Hej då (hey doe) = goodbye
Vi ses snart = See you soon
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