Travel Trip!

Well on our team we have a full roster of about 21 girls. This is a great number to practice and scrimmage against but when it comes to traveling.. not so much. Only 16 girls are allowed to travel, for cost and space reasons. This means that 2 goalies and 14 field players pack up and leave to wherever the game is that weekend to play. When every travel game weekend rolls around nerves and anxiety runs high. The competition increases and practices are very stressful. The first travel trip was in the beginning of February to San Diego. I did not make this first trip. I was so upset that I had a scheduled meeting with Dan to ask him what I needed to work on to change my chances of traveling to the next trip the following month.

In the beginning of March there was trip to northern California to play San Jose and Standford. We would be flying and I desperately wanted to go. I remember when our family flew to Nebraska for Aunt Caren's wedding we sat next to a group of waterpolo girls traveling from ohio to california to play in a tournament. I thought they were the coolest people in the whole and viewed them like celebrities . I was determined to make that be me on this trip!

Two nights before we were scheduled to leave Dan sent out the traveling roster. The roster only had 15 names on it and he said they would announce who the last player would be the next day after practice. My name was not one of the original 15 so I knew I had to have a great practice. So the next morning before practice, I came to the pool early to talk to Dan. I walked into his office and said " Dan.. I want that spot. I am going to work as hard as I can today to prove to you that I am not okay with being left behind." And walked out. I was so nervous my voice was shaking but I figured what could it hurt? Anyways I had a great practice and was told that I would be leaving the next day with the team. I was ecstatic!

Anyways so I traveled with the team up to Northern California. It was so fun to walk through the airpot dressed in matching sweatsuits. I really had fun and it was such a good experience to motivate me through other practices to make sure I travel to other games. We lost to Stanford and San Jose, but we played really well and like I said.. It was an amazing experience. We stayed in a fancy hotel with one roommate. We had every day completely booked. We would meet early to watch video and stay up late preparing for the next day's game. I loved it.

Me, Trudy, and Taylor on the plane.

( I wanted proof that I went!)

This is what Dan did on the plane ride...

Fold dollar bills intoanimals. He was very unsuccessful.

The San Jose Pool

The Stanford Stadium ( So PRETTY!)

On Saturday after our game against Stanford, we were all completely exhausted. Dan called all of us in our rooms and told us to meet in the conference room in 15 minutes because we had A LOT to work on. So we all slowly worked our way to the conference room to prepare ourselves for a lonngg meeting. Instead he handed all of us 3D glasses and said " You're gonna want these". We were sooo excited! We piled into our red, white, and blue mini vans and headed across the street to he IMAX movie theater to watch this:

It was pretty interesting and fun to watch. Good team bonding :)