Phase one - Spain Day 6

Well Day 6 in Spain is winding down. An eventful day. Woke up to breakfast at 9am which was the same old meats and cheese then we hopped on the bus to head to Madrid. It was warm out but very dark in the distance with a sprinkle of rain where we were.

As we headed to Madrid most of the team and staff went to sleep. My curious nature made me stay up. I wanted to see the country side and see what that area of Spain looked like. Along the way there was a lot of livestock in the fields. I also was able to see at least a dozen storks. That's a lot of kids being delivered! They are a very cool bird though. I saw one in Serbia a few years ago but there are a lot here in Spain. The landscape is very rocky throughout the rolling fields and there are a lot of small trees. A very interesting looking place.

As we got closer to Madrid it got much darker and it started to sprinkle some rain. We had to go in a tunnel to go through a mountain and when we came out on the other side it was pouring rain. Very hard rain. The closer we got to our hotel the lighter it got and then it was sunny and hot when we arrived. How would I describe our hotel? Rustic. Yes Rustic would be a word I would use to describe it. Glad I am here for one night only.

Our day after arrival was pretty hectic. We went almost immediately for our lunch which consisted of some very good salad, tremendous bread, pasta and flattened chicken. There was also rice and french fries available. A good meal. We went from meal to our video session on Japan. The team played them last year so we were able to see some things they did in that game. After the video we had about 2 hours before we left for game time. The session ended at 1:40 and we were leaving at 3:45. I decided to head out with our team manager to explore a little bit of Madrid. Well this section looked a little sketchy but we found a grocery store for the team and then decided to walk a little more. I wanted to do a little bit of shopping for souvenirs because I hadnt had a chance to do that yet. I forgot that at 2pm in Spain they have this little tradition called Siesta. Everything shuts down. People close their shops and the streets are a lot less busy. Of course with the shops closed, my souvenir venture went awry. Oh well, I can say I tried.

On the way home we stopped into the grocery store so Livia could get some bananas for the team and when we came out it was a torrential downpour. Luckily we were close to the hotel so we didn't get soaked.

Next up, Canada vs. Japan. We played at a very nice facility but it lacked one thing - Air Conditioning. WEll at 25 degrees or so outside you can imagine what it was like inside. Hot and Humid. It showed in our play too. We lacked energy and were sluggish all game. We got down early and fought back, then got down a little bit again and took the lead. We held the lead for a large chunk and then we went cold. To go with our cold spell, they hit 5 three point shots in 6 trips down the court and they shot them from DEEP range. We battled hard but could get back in it and lost 70-55. The frustrating part was not our defense but our offense. We were absolutely horrid at times. Brutal. Interesting part of the game though came in the 2nd half. We had the 2 doors on the far side of the gym open to let some air in. It started to rain and then got progressively worse. Next came the hardest rain I have ever experienced and then hail the size of peas. The players were distracted on the court and slowed the pace a little.

So we headed back to the hotel for supper which was Salad, Pasta, Fish and potatoes. Not bad but it doesn't rank up with the other spot we stayed at. We decided this evening to go out and relax. We walked to a place Livia and I discovered earlier. It is a beautiful square with outdoor pubs and fountains with a beautiful OLD church at one end. It was a nice relaxing evening. We noted that the sky was bright at 9:40 pm and we were in shorts and t-shirts. Beautiful spot.

So there it is. Spain is complete. It was an interesting trip. I learned that the people here are very nice and helpful. They also love to smoke and eat and I am not sure which one is more important. Nice country though and it is one that I could live in. Having visited China and Serbia before I am not sure I could live there but I could live in Spain. What I also learned while in Spain is that I really love home. We never realize how well we have it until we are away and I have learned that for sure. I just wish that North Americans could live like the people here in some regards. Here they enjoy life, take time to sit down with friends A LOT and they are not tied to a clock. We are so schedule driven it is not funny. It is much more relaxed here.

So without getting too long winded, I just want to say thanks to those people who joined me along the way. It gave me an outlet to think about my experiences and hopefully share what it was like for me here in Spain. I started this blog 4 years ago when I first joined the national program and I started it for one reason. I did it so my mom could follow my journeys around the world so I know 1 person read this every day.

My journey home begins tomorrow and it should be just about 25 hours. I leave Madrid at 7AM and fly to Paris. From Paris it is on to Toronto. Shitty part is the 8 hour layover in Toronto before flying home to Sydney around 1AM. It will be nice to get home but it will be tiring. Am I complaining. Absolutely not. What started as an innocent trip to the gym years ago has turned into an obsession and that little round ball has given me the chance to earn a nice living and travel all over the world and meet lots of people. It's been a fun ride.

I will be back at my blog for phase 2 which is Japan and China later in July. For now I must do some last minute packing and get ready to go. 5AM comes early.

Buenos Noches

Coach

Phase one - Spain Day 5

Well Day 5 is almost in the books. Woke up to a beautiful morning. Sunny and warm. Quite warm actually. Breakfast was the same. Meat and cheese. The coffee still sucks. No surprises for breakfast so far. After breakfast we relaxed a bit and then went to our shootaround at noon. Pretty basic strategy walk through and then we headed back to the hotel.

We got back at 1:25 and lunch was supposed to be at 1:30. as we headed into the dining area they told us lunch was at 1:30 and to come back in 15 minutes. We said it is almost 1:30. They said no, it was 1:15. Spanish time is an interesting thing. As one of our girls who plays professionally here said everything in Spain is Manyana meaning tomorrow.

So we settle down for lunch and it starts with a nice pasta with 2 sauces. A nice tomato sauce with meat you add in yourself or a nice carbonara sauce. I was the only one who opted for Carbonara and I definitely WON. Fantastic. That is all I can say. Next was salad and bread. I was shocked at the next thing. Basically a half a chicken with vegetables. Not a chance I could finish it. I did save a little room expecting fruit again but they came out with Creme Caramel. JACKPOT. It was Muy Bueno. We watched some film immediately after lunch to help us get ready for Spain.

Game time was 6pm but we didn't leave for the game until 5:05 today. Hot out and hot in the gym so we got there in time to do a pre warmup, meet and then do the game warmup. Spain is one of the better teams in the world and finished 3rd at the last world championships. I was a tad worried as they are big and skilled. We lost the jumpball but got a defensive stop and then we scored. We started playing well and led after the 1st quarter. WE kept playing well throughout the 2nd and managed to lead by 6 at half. The crowd was quiet and spain was frustrated. We continued to play pretty good throughout the 3rd and held a 4 point lead after 3. THe game was a battle. Both teams played hard. We slipped to start the 4th quarter and Spain took their first lead of the game with 4:30 left. From there it was back and forth. They managed to go on a little run to go up 4. We had a few bad bounces and had to foul late in the game to stop the clock and we ended up losing 66-59. We battled so hard and our defense was IMPRESSIVE. We had them frustrated all night. Our offense looked much better as well and they struggled with it. They had to change defenses 3 times before they slowed us down.

So back to the hotel after the game. We were supposed to eat right away but our meal was disrupted. A slight delay. By what you might ask. That's right. Dance Class. They had cleared all the tables out of the dining area and were giving dance lessons. So we had to delay a little. Once we got settled we had a nice veggie soup to start and then it went downhill. Some kind of tomato, egg and olive salad with fish oil and tuna on top. Then they brought out artichokes and a flat cut of beef which tasted like it should have been purchased out of the back of a '72 Plymouth Fury Station Wagon. Dessert was nice though so they saved the meal.

After supper the coaches watched some video on Japan that I had prepared. We have breakfast at 9AM and then hit the road at 9:30 for Madrid. We check into our hotel around 11, go for a meal, watch some film and then play Japan at 4:45. A long day of travel.

My night will finish with a whirlwind of packing as I leave Madrid at 7AM the next morning for the long trip back. It has been an interesting journey which I will sum up tomorrow. A little work to be done before bed.

Until Tomorrow

Phase One - Spain Day 4

Well another day over here in Spain. My time here is dwindling. Just two more days and then I make the long trek home.

Woke up this morning to an 8AM breakfast but I had to be downstairs around 7:30 to review the edit I had put together with the other coaches. Breakfast was the standard meats and cheeses like everyday with something different. Our manager says it might be tamarind but it looks like a fruit bar of some sort and it is not bad. Tried the coffee this morning and it just isn't Tim Horton's. The other thing they have for breakfast is chocolate croissants. They are magical.

After breakfast we scooted off to practice for one hour from 9-10. Basically just prepped the girls for what was coming from Cuba. I took them through some video clips and then walked them through what would happen on the court. Immediately when practice was finished at 10 we were whisked away to a private sports school for the clinic. Allison was supposed to speak at 10:15 but they changed it. The Cuban coach went first and he spoke about spacing and how to execute the pick and roll. He was good but we had to fill in the blanks because he only spoke spanish. It looked very good though and we could understand what he was trying to do. Next up was Allison and she did a very good job and had a translator with her. It seemed to go well from what I could tell but on the ride home we asked the driver a question and we weren't so sure anymore. We asked him how old Segovia was and he said, "Yes I will be there at the coaching gym tonight as I look after the referees". So we really weren't sure if anything he translated was legit.

The last speaker was the spanish coach and he talked for 20 minutes to start the session. WHen you don't understand a language, 20 minutes of it is like sticking your head into a beehive. He finally started talking about his defense and it was very good with some neat drills and ideas. We had to leave a few minutes early to get back to the hotel for our video session. We talked about what to expect and showed them the complete video.

Next came lunch. A beautiful Lentil Stew to start with crusty rolls followed by salad and then pork and tomatoes. The pork was done differently than I have ever tasted but it was good. Yogurt and fruit for dessert finished off the meal.

A little down time to get ready for the game and then we were off. We got the team ready and then I experienced one of those moments that are impossible to describe. I have said it before and I will say it again, there are very few feelings quite like hearing your national anthem while wearing your colors. It is an absolutely amazing experience.

So on to the game. We started sluggish and their athleticism put them up 10-3. We were pretty sloppy on offense but were ok on defense. We were forcing too many things and then missing easy shots. We were down around 8 at the quarter break and I believe it was 12 at the half. We made some adjustments and played better in the 2nd half however we had to weather a storm. They pressed a bit and got up 14. We had the chance to fold but didn't. WE rallied back and had a chance to win the game but dropped it 62-59. Interestingly enough, Cuba brought a referee with them and I want you to try and guess who called 5 offensive fouls against us and the worst intentional foul call I have ever seen. Nope not the other 2. You are quite wrong!

After the game we went outside and it was a perfect evening. Absolute perfect temperature and nice. Lots of people around the streets. It was 9:15pm and the sun was still in the sky just hovering above the horizon. Phenomenal.

Back to the hotel after the game for dinner. One of the best soups I ever had. They said it was pumpkin squash with orange zest and some other shit. It looked like baby shit but it was one of the best tasting things ever. Throw in some chorizo sausage, a different cut of pork, a potato and egg quesadilla (kind of like quiche. No tortilla, just egg) and you have yourself a meal. There was also salad and then they came with fish and veggies. I asked if i could trade mine in for more soup and they said sure. The final course was fresh watermelon and a different type of melon. OUTSTANDING. My favorite meal thus far.

More work to do after supper. We finished around 10:30 by the way. Then off to watch our game from tonight. So now it is almost 12:30 and just wrapping up the day. Tomorrow is a 9:30 breakfast, 11:15 video and 12:00 practice. Game vs. Spain at 6. They are GOOD. It will be interesting.

Until tomorrow

Phase One - Spain Day 3

Well I guess it is true what they say about the plains of Spain because it has rained all day. Cooler but still warm. Showers off and on all day though.

9:30 breakfast this morning with the same old same old cheese and meats with toast and jam.

After practice, because it was raining, I stayed in my room and worked on some film of France from last year. I also finished watching a documentary called The Two Escobars about Drug lord Pablo Escobar and soccer star Andres Escobar in Colombia. A Fantastic documentary that I would recommend to anyone. It really shows the connection between the two although Andres didn't seem to want it. IT also showed how a drug lord can really help a country when they put so much back into helping the poor. Great movie.

WE then had a meeting regarding some technical details and then had lunch. ANother great pasta dish today. Fantastic. Also salad, fruit and Chicken with Asparagus. Very good.

Our practice was from 5-7pm so that is what was planned for but as I have learned in international basketball and in foreign countries, things aren't always what they seem. We started at 5 once the kids were cleared out of the gym and the practice was pretty good for the most part. Quite intense and competitive. At about 6:20 a representative from the Spanish Basketball Federation told us we had to leave because they had one bus and they had to pick Cuba up for their game at 6:45 so we had to leave right away. PRactice was shortened quickly and away we went.

When we came back we stopped in for our nightly supper which was an absolute strike out. First one of the trip. Started with a plate of roasted veggies that weren't very good then they followed that with salad. What was in the middle of the salad??? I'll take Sardines for $200 Alex. Not a good start and it got worse. Being Friday, one could only expect fish and they brought out asparagus and some kind of fish i have never had before but one bite turned my stomach. Had to kill the taste with some Lemon yogurt.

So we left supper and headed to the gym to watch Spain and Cuba play. A good game which spain won. THey are very skilled and big. Cuba is not as big but they are fast.We should have 2 good games against them. Spain is ranked very high in the world and you could see why. they execute very well and they are very skilled.

After the game we came back and had a brief coaches meeting in the lobby to discuss the practice tomorrow at 9AM and our game plan for the game.

We have an 8AM breakfast, a 9AM practice and then we get picked up at 10 to go to the clinic. Allison is up first and she wants to have all of us involved. That will be fun. We are also going to stay and watch the other 2 coaches so I am pretty juiced for that. There will be some prep time and then game time at 7pm or 2pm in Nova Scotia.

One last point about tonight. As we were sitting in the lobby, the elevator opened and out walked a Mariachi band. A man with an accordion and a women with a guitar (or at least I think it was) and they had wireless mics on so they were busting out their music right away as they headed for the big party in the large banquet room. As soon as I saw and heard them I thought that "nighttime would find me in Rosie's Cantina. Music would play and Fellina would whirl". If you don't know what that is from you need to download yourself a copy of El Paso by Marty Robbins and give it a few dozen listens in a row. It's a tragic tale of mistakes made and love lost. I think I shall find it now and listen to it.

So now I must get to the video from the Cuba game. My job is to prep the team for games and now I must do the prep.

Until Tomorrow

Buenos Noches

Phase One - Spain Day 2

Well Day 2 is over. Time for some sleep.

Knocked out at 9:30 last night, I was awake at 4:45AM. Did some email stuff and then laid back down and slept from 7-9. Woke up in time for a 15 minute walk and then breakfast. Today was all kinds of meats and cheese with some cereal and toast. Fruit and yogurt as well. I stuck with meats and cheese with toast and peach marmalade. A nice choice.

We had a video session at 11:30 and then hit the bus for our practice at noon. The facility is about 5-10min away and it is not bad. We practiced for almost 2 hours with the girls being very sluggish for the first hour as most would expect. After practice they did a short core workout and then we walked down the street to a little grocery store.

We arrived back in time for our scheduled 2:30 meal which was quite good and interesting. It started with rice and tomato sauce which tasted great. However the interesting topper was the fried egg on top. Very nice combination surprisingly. Salad was next. After this the young lady brought out yogurt and fruit which would be a nice end to the meal. Hold on though because the last course was coming. Grilled zucchini and a steak. The steak was flat and not overly flavorful but some ate it. After lunch our manager spoke to the people here at the hotel regarding portion size so they will reduce it a bit. They love to eat here though so who knows what will happen.

After lunch, a number of us jumped in a taxi and went to the heart of Segovia to walk around. On the way I said that a building on our left must be something they told us to see. She told us in very bad English " No, No, Ole, Ole" while taking her hands off the wheel and making a motion of waving a red cape. It was a bullfighting ring.

The historic part of Segovia was impressive. It featured little cobblestone lanes with shops and cafes everywhere. It also had cathedrals, historical points and a castle. Very pretty. The town is also hosting the International Childrens Festival so there were groups of youth from everywhere around the world singing and dancing. Neat to see some of this stuff.

We arrived back from there around 7PM and headed for a team meeting at 7:30. Just a getting to know you better kind of session. Off to our 8:30 dinner after that. Tonight the meal started with a vegetable puree soup. Then we had 2 fish fillets with roasted vegetables followed by salad and yogurt with fruit.

Tomorrow we have practice again at 12. I will begin watching video of the teams they will face in France in a few weeks. Tomorrow evening we also will go to watch SPain play Cuba so it will give us a chance to scout and see what we need to do.

But now I am crashing. Hitting the wall as they say. Time to go to sleep.

Until tomorrow

Phase One - Day WHO KNOWS

Figured I would start this while I could still think a little bit straight.

Morning started off early in Vancouver. Windy road drive t

hrough the back roads because apparently it was the easy way to get to the airport. Actually it was the easy way to make 3 wrong turns and be later than expected at the airport. Flight from Vancouver to Toronto was uneventful. Big plane and full but luckily the seat next to me was empty.

Walked what seemed like forever to find our gate in Toronto so we could wait for 4 hours to get on that plane. Only a 6.5 hour flight from Toronto to Paris. Luckily again, I had the seat next to me wide open. So far so good onthe planes. Tried to get some sleep but that only lasted about 2 hours. Just restless thinking about our team back home and what needs to be done and how we will be next year. My mind never stops. On the flight I broke down the last of the game vs Japan last year so we would have an idea of how we might play them. I also watched a coaching video (a very bad one) and then I watched a documentary on the debated existence of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker which was supposed to be extinct years ago. After the documentary I would say the people in the area who supposedly saw it really saw a Pileated Woodpecker but purely my amateur observation. If that doesn’t sound like an incredible trip I don’t know what could top it. Oh wait, the $4 bottle of water that I just purchased. I could get 24 of them for 2.97 down at Walmart.

So as I sit and type this part it is 11:16 AM and I am in Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris. I look outside and I think of the movie taken. I want to be Liam Neeson and say, “Over a number of years I have acquired a very special set of skills……I will find you and I will kill you”. What a great movie that was.

So we have been traveling forhours and moreto come. Hope the flight to Madrid goes smoothly. I will be back soon.

Well the flight didn’t go as smooth as I wanted. Couldn’t sleep much but I tried. There was a woman in front of me with fancy clothes and big earrings, blah

blah blah. She is unhappy when I put my bag in the over head bin. She makes a commotion about my bag touching hers, rolls her eyes and takes hers down..of course after she slams mine around. So then during the flight she jams her seat all theway back and keeps on pushing it back. Meanwhile everytime I bump the chair she says something. Glad to get rid of that bitch.

So we land in Madrid. A nice looking landscape as we land. Rolling hills with a ring of mountains around the city. Very dry city though as everything was brown and I have never seen that much graffiti in all of my life. So after almost 24 hours of flying comes the next adventure. We have to wait for over 30 minutes to get our bags and then Allison’s was missing. We had to wait another little while to straighten that out then off to the bus. Cuba was supposed to arrive tomorrow but they arrived today so we had to share the bus. Cramped conditions for an hour and 15 minutes but we made.

Settled into our nice little hotel. It is small but nice and clean. The shower felt awesome but of course the backyard sprinkler would have been sweet after all that travel. So we had an hour to relax and shower and then off for a walk to get some blood flow. The neighborhood around our hotel is beautiful and there are a lot of really nice homes that are fenced and gates. We returned from the walk and hit supper.

Now I must give you fair warning. Sit back and enjoy this tale of our supper.

Started off with wine (not for me) and bread with Olive oil, vinegar and salt. A nice bread to start everything off. Next came a bowl of pasta which was fairly big. Accompanying it was fresh grated parmesan, a beautiful bowl of cooked up meat and veggies (ground beef, ham, onion, sun dried tomato, mushrooms) anda beautiful tomato sauce. Plain but extremely flavorful. We thought “Wow, what a good first meal”. Think again. Next came the salad and then 2 pork chops with pureed potatoes followed by fresh fruit and yogurt for dessert. Mother of pearl that was a meal!!!! If the rest are like this, GIDDYUP!!!!

So now I am at the point of over exhaustion. I am going to crash into bed in a few minutes. We have a 9:30 breakfast and a 12noon practice tomorrow. 2:30meal and then a 7:30 meal again. Try to get my bearings tomorrow

SLEEP AWAITS

Pic 1 - Mountains just outside madrid

Pic 2 - Typical houses in our neighborhood

Pic 1 - Peopl open a gate and drive under their house to park in their garage

Pic 2 - another few houses on our walk

Phase One - Day 9

Well Day 9 -terminado. Gotta work on my Spanish for tomorrow.

Up early this morning for a 7:30 breakfast followed by our last practice of the camp. Not a particularly aggressive practice basically just tying things together. The girls are tired while at the same time anxious to get going and play. We will have 3 good games in Spain and they will get 3 great games in France.

After practice the girls went to the weight room so I came back and finished up my laundry and tried to get some packing done. I also had some time to send some emails and tidy up some loose ends. The hard part about being away is that, while most schools are done recruiting, I am still pushing to try and get some players committed. It is part of the job at CBU that will not change and we have to live with it. Frustrating beyond belief but since we are not a high priority for many kids we have to dig and wait and dig and wait to see what we get. So some of my afternoon was spent recruiting and sending info to people.

Later in the afternoon I went to the grocery store and walmart for some last minute things. We never know what the food will be like so I scooped up a lot of granola bars, trail mix and some beef jerky. Need something in case the food is not good but as people know, I will probably be fine and write about the food in my blog. (Much to the entertainment of certain Philadelphia Flyers fans) Yes I will probably savour some meals in different environments and implant them in memory to be pulled out in some obscure conversation at a place in Halifax while telling Len that the Peanut Butter Burger he took me for is a pile of shit and tastes nothing like the meal I had once in some little restaurant. It's about immersing in the culture if possible and seeing how others live.

This evening the 4 coaches went out for a meal and it was quite nice and tasty. Good conversation and good food. Now I am back here and almost completely packed. Need to work on some things still but still some time although 4:45 AM wakeup comes early.

So now I must finish those little things. Hopefully we have internet in Spain and I can fill in the details of another adventure. I have been working on all the Spanish words that the Mexican girls taught me but they are all swear words and I may get myself in trouble over there.

One last bit of Spanish before I depart

Te Amo Mami. Muchos Besitos.

Buenas Noches

Coach

Phase One - Day 8

Well Day 8 is in the books. We had the regular 7:30 AM breakfast and then off to the gym. Today we had a scrimmage against a local group of guys. It was good to get some competition against someone else. We played well in spurts and ended up losing by 2 points. The guys weren’t supposed to play any zone defense against us but they wanted to win so they played the entire 4^th quarter in a zone. We had 8 turnovers in the first 3 quarters and then 9 in the 4^th quarter. We need work against the zone.

After the game it was off to lunch and then Starbucks for an hour. Tom, our guest coach, and Rich were heading out today so we went out for a last chat. We came back to residence and I tried to sort out a computer issue. I couldn’t get it figured out and it is still bothering me. Not my computer so at least that is OK. I also started to edit our game against the guys which we will watch when we arrive in Europe.

We had an hour and a half practice this evening mostly installing some new offense and working on our transition defense. Off to supper immediately after practice and then back to have cake as it is our managers birthday today.

So I finally have some details on the travel. We leave residence Tuesday at 5:30AM and head to Vancouver for a 9AM flight. About 45 minutes to get to Vancouver and then we have to beat rush hour so that is why it is so early. We fly to Toronto first. Arrive at 4:20PM. We depart Toronto at 8:30PM and arrive in Paris at 9:40AM on Wednesday. Our connection to Madrid leaves at 12:30 and gets in at 2:40pm. So doing the math, we leave Residence at 9:30am Nova Scotia Time and arrive in Madrid the next day at 9:40am Nova Scotia time. 24 hours of travel. Yee haw!!!! Gotta bring a change of underwear in the carry on bag for this trip.

Our schedule in Spain is as follows: (this could change easily as I have learned in my previous travels)

First city and city where we spend most of our time will be Segovia. 30-40 minutes north of Madrid with just over 50,000 people.

Thursday, May 26

4-6pm Practice

Friday, May 27

4-6pm Practice

Saturday, May 28

This will be game day but the fun part for me if we can work it out will be the coaching clinic that will be going on. Allison will be speaking at it along with the other coaches and I will be watching/filming as much as I can. This happens in the morning.

7PM we play Cuba

Sunday, May 29

6pm Game vs. Spain

Monday, May 30

We get up and take the bus from Segovia to Torrejon. This is in Madrid or just on the outskirts. We play at 4:45pm vs Japan.

Tuesday May 31

This will be when I depart from Madrid as the team trains for a week and then heads to France for 3 more games. Crappy part about this is that the 31 and June 1 will be total days off and the team will be exploring Spain. I guess I will miss the exploration.

My travel on the 31^st is to depart Madrid at 7:15AM and arrive in Paris at 9:20AM. Leave Paris at 11:20am and arrive in Toronto at 1:15PM. I then have to wait until 9:40PM and fly to Sydney arriving at 12:55AM that night. Almost another 24 hours. Might have to change that.

So there is the itinerary. Sorry for the long post. Tomorrow is an early breakfast, light practice then the day off to pack and shop for necessities

Until then

Phase One - Day 7

Well Day 7 - OVER. An overcast, rainy, cooler day.

Early breakfast of boiled eggs and toast followed by a 9:30am practice. We watched the film in the gym today. UFV has a video system on a cart that rolls out to the court so we watched that before we got started.

Practice was OK with pretty good intensity but it was shortened slightly. After practice the team went to lift weights at the gym so I came back to get the practice video transferred to my computer. Dropped over for lunch which wasn't bad and then headed back to residence. This was an off evening so some local athletes went home for a bit and then they all got together to watch a movie at the theatre.

Everyone seemed to scatter so while everyone was gone, I did my laundry and then edited the video for tomorrow's practice. With that done, I sent a few emails and watched some film I had on my computer.

Today was cut day so as I was watching some film, the tough decisions were being handed down. Unfortunately Kelsey did not make the senior team this year. A number of factors that I won't get into but she put in a good effort and I am proud of her just for trying. So many kids this days are basically pussies. Yes people don't like the word or description but they are soft little kittens. They don't want to be pushed and they don't want to face adversity. In times of discomfort or when things are perceived to be too hard they quit. To me , that is the definition of a pussy. Softness. I don't like it. This is why I love Kelsey so much. Not soft, not a pussy. She puts in an incredible effort every day to make her dreams come true. I love that. I wish more would be like her in certain areas. But anyway.

Sorry for the off topic rant for a little bit. I get frustrated with people who are not committed to being good at whatever they choose.

So this evening we went up the street to a nice little restaurant called Finnegan's. It was reasonably priced and pretty tasty. nice to get away from the residence and a computer screen for a while. Afterwards we went to starbucks for a beverage. Got to meet a nice coach who is here watching camp and helping with some of the offensive stuff. He has run the same offense for years and he is watching and taking notes for us. Great guy and seems like a real basketball junkie. I enjoy that.

So back to residence. I gave the video for tomorrow to Allison so she could watch it and make some corrections if she needs to. We will watch it before practice tomorrow. Actually, at 9:30AM we are scrimmaging some boys then we have a practice in the evening. Another long day of prep but the reward for the girls is looming in the distance.

Until tomorrow

Phase One - Day 6

Well Day 6 is over. Day started with an 8AM breakfast and an easier practice at 9:30 AM. A lot of shooting and running through offense basically. After practice it was off to lunch which was good. All the meals here are good.

I thought I might get a few hours to get some more stuff done but once again I had to do strength and conditioning video work plus get ready for our own video today. If there was a day I wanted to tell someone off, this might have been it.

We watched some video in the gym before the 2nd practice. The practice was very intense and highly competitive. Bodies flying and crashing into each other. Girls snipping at each other. It was a battle for an hour and a half straight. Good competition and relatively good execution.

After practice we had supper and the other coaches went to Starbucks. We have an early morning video session regarding tonight's practice so I had to get back and get that ready. Basically we go to the gym, go for meals and I sit in front of the computer screen. I am not complaining about it, I am enjoying it but this shit has to be extremely boring to read. I am thinking of just writing when something interesting or different happens so there may not be a lot more updates.

Phase One - Day 5

Well a gorgeous day here in Abbotsford has come to an end. Temp was in the 20's and sunny all day.

We had only one workout today so I figured I could get some sleep and then get some things done. WRONG. I was awake by 7 and the knock on my door came around 8:15. The physiotherapist wanted me to go to the gym and film some warmup activities with a fitness trainer. So breakfast was out the window. After we got this filmed around 10:45, I jumped in the van and headed to Tim Horton's for breakfast and to the grocery store for drinks and a few snacks for my room.

Came back to try and get some video done but NOPE. The physio wanted me to spend some time chopping up video they had filmed in the weight room yesterday. That took me up to 3:30 with a 4pm video session on the horizon. So basically not much time to get my stuff done.

The video session was good at 4 and then we headed off to practice for 5:30. 2 hours of competitive work was very good tonight. The girls played hard and for a while looked very sharp. The execution went down when the fatigue kicked in. After practice we went over for a nice meal of curried chicken and rice. Well done.

Back to the residence for our final session with Roger before we depart for Spain. He spoke for about 10 minutes and then had a friend come in to talk to us. The friend was a former student of his who came in and did about 30 minutes of highly entertaining and highly polished magic. It brought some great energy to a room that had looked tired at the beginning.

After this meeting, we went to another meeting at Starbucks and g0t back around 11:15 pm. So a day i thought would be somewhat relaxed and allow me to get some work done did not happen after all. I am pretty much spent and must get off to bed now.

Until tomorrow'

Phase One - Day 4

Well I am sure by now that not many people will be reading this but if you are, Day 4 is over.

Started with a traditional 7:30AM breakfast then off to practice number 1. The intensity was high and we had most of the players in for at least one practice today so this was it. The girls played hard and competed hard. We worked on executing some of our offense and breaking down some defense. One big thing that is affecting practice is the new 3 pt line. It is further out and makes the game a little different. I actually hope we don't change to the new one but I think we might. It is a very tough shot. The key is bigger as well but it is not really an adjustment. IT is almost the same size as the current one.

After practice we had a good lunch then I came back to watch a bit of video. We then went for a coaches meeting at Starbucks of course. After the meeting, I came back and did s0me more video. We were supposed to have a video session today but we cancelled it as the girls are quite tired and needed some sleep time this afternoon. Our 2nd practice was less intense and we actually ended it a little short. The girls were tired and it showed. They did a core workout at the end while I went to get a new projector for the team. Came back for a late supper and then off to another sport psych session with Roger. He is phenomenal and I took a lot of notes.

So here I am typing this while waiting for some video to load into my computer. I will spend some time tonight analyzing film before bed. We have an easier day tomorrow. We were supposed to have an early video session but now it is changed. Our day tomorrow is 9am breakfast and then we don't get together until just before our 5pm workout. We will watch video then and go straight to practice.

I will get to sleep in a little bit I guess.

Until tomorrow......

Phase One - Day 3

Well day 3 is in the books. Started with an early breakfast of french toast and boiled eggs then off to the gym for practice. We only had one session today. We worked for about 2.5 hours this morning and the practice went OK. Decent intensity with lots of work on offense and some work on the defensive end of the floor. With so many veterans back, it is easier to run smoother offense early in the camp. The injury bug has hit though as we started with 20 and now, on a good day, might have 16 bodies available. Hopefully we can avoid that and get everybody back on the court.

After the practice, the team went to learn about a new weightlifting program. I headed to Future shop to get some cords we were missing for the video gear. After a 30 min plus adventure in future shop and a trip to the Mac store and walmart, we have almost everything we need. There are some things missing in the video box that I thought would be there but we will get it sorted out soon.

We had a video session at 5pm so I made it back in time to clean that up and get ready to roll. The session went well and we were able to show the players some of their issues with offensive spacing.

A quick supper after that and then back to residence for a team meeting with Roger Friesen who is the sport pscyhologist for the team. An incredibly fascinating man. I really enjoy listening to him and I have already made some great notes from chats with him and listening to him speak.

OF course we had to finish up our evening with a coaches meeting at Starbucks. They are going to run out of frappucino flavours before I leave.

So I am assuming that people will be using this to fall asleep but I assure you, it will get better.

Until Tomorrow.

Pictures from my room

On the top a mountain range

On the bottom, a dormant volcano called Mt. Baker

Phase One - Day 2

Day 2 is in the books here at National team training camp and it was a pretty uneventful day.

7:30 Am breakfast was decent but I was up at 6am. Wide awake. Time change got me I guess. We had our first session of training this morning with some testing. We did all kinds of physical tests and it was interesting to see the improvement with some of the kids from last year. After the testing was done we did some walk through of the offense to get the kids prepared for the evening. It wasn’t too bad but a few of the younger kids struggled with it. They will get it after a few days.

Lunch was at noon and then back to my room to get some computer and paperwork done. We had our first on court practice scheduled for 5:30 and it went well. Good intensity at both ends for the most part as we worked on executing on offense and intensity at the defensive end of the floor. Overall the practice was good with lots of work left to be done. The nice add-on for this practice was that I got to see a good friend of mine Rich Chambers. He has been involved with Canada Basketball for a number of years and is a great coach and a great guy. We roomed together out here last year.

After practice we all headed to supper and then came back for a team meeting. We discussed the day and then did a little team exercise. The players also got to be re-introduced to Roger Friesen who is the sport psychologist for the team. He is an extremely interesting guy. I can’t wait to sit in on the sessions with him.

Once the meeting was finished, it was off to Starbucks to discuss some basketball issues and enjoy a few minutes away. A great way to end the day.

So now it is off to video. I will chop up today’s practice and have it ready to watch tomorrow. A great tool for development especially at this level.

Much work to be done. Tomorrow. Same basketball time, Same Basketball Channel!!!!

2011 Phase One - Day 1

23 Hours. That is a long time to be up. I am very tired.

The journey started this morning before dawn with a flight out of Sydney to Halifax. The nice treat was that Jahlica and her folks were on the same flight going home after graduation so I was able to spend some time with her. The not so nice part was the 67 year old woman who had never flown before. She was nervous and asked me a lot of questions so I tried to help her calm down and told her to just follow me and she would be OK. Now she is lost in downtown Vancouver. Just kidding. She made it to Toronto just fine.

I connected to Toronto just fine and then on to Vancouver. I didn’t know it was 5 hours from Toronto to Vancouver. I also didn’t know I would get to sit next to two people with no comprehension of the English language and, from the air around them, I figured they didn’t have shares in Dove Body Wash. A flight that was not so fun but I made it to Vancouver in one piece.

I met Denise from Canada Basketball and 2 athletes. We then made the drive to Abbotsford in just over one hour. Even though I was tired, I got a nice energy boost when I saw everybody. Nice to see the girls I hadn’t seen in a year and meet some new ones. There are some incredibly nice girls within this program.

After a brief sit down to check email it was off to supper with the team and then back for a team meeting. Once that was completed the coaches went to Starbucks for some drinks and planning. These sessions are always great because the talk is centred around basketball and you can really get the sense of passion that these coaches have.

Now it is 11pm and time to try and get some sleep. The temperature here this evening was great but it was rainy. Hopefully nicer tomorrow.

The day starts at 7:30 am with breakfast and then off to do some physical testing. Another practice in the afternoon followed by a sport psych session. I’ll update tomorrow.