So I heard that we had a scheduling problem with our practice gym. Somehow, although we had a practice scheduled this afternoon, the gym was given to another organization for an event. I was discussing this issue with the manager of the team, and I made an effort to get the team a much needed day off. We had been going very hard over the past 2 weeks because we had a Christmas break and a bye week in a row, so it made for a mid-season training camp, if you will. Our coach is a no non-sense type of guy and he also believes in pressing full-court as much of the game as possible. He has been adamant about preparing us to press and run all over people in this second half of the season.

So, I mention to the manager, "if we can't find a gym for practice, maybe this is OK, because the girls are really tired, and we need a break." He laughs, but knowingly, not condescendingly, so I am feeling positive about my efforts. Later that morning, however, I receive a phone call from our other manager. He informs me that practice is cancelled, 'YAY'. But instead we will go to another team's game, since that's our next opponent. HUH? We have a field trip? It's not so bad, except this team is 2 hours away. So what seems like an afternoon off, is really a long night. We take our team bus to the small city of Ceyhan (also the name of the team we are going to watch) and file into the small gym to watch the game. We have prime front row seats...well front row seats, not exactly prime. The benches have a large thick plexiglass protective backstop, so we were forced to watch the game through it. As if we had on glasses that weren't the right prescription. 

I should have prefaced things by saying that I played for Ceyhan a few years back, so I already knew what we were in store for, and therefore, had little excitement about the field trip. I really enjoyed the support and excitement of the fans as a player, because it made for an exciting game and a hostile environment for the opposing team. As a spectator, however, I was a bit overwhelmed with the energy in the small gym. The game was close in the second half, so the fans were really cheering and stomping and fussing at the referees to try and will their team to victory. By the time the game was over, my ears were literally ringing and I was exhausted from enduring such madness. 

I guess my coach wanted to prepare us for our next opponent not only by watching them play, but also giving us a sense of the hostile environment we were going into. It was a good lesson for the players that had never witnessed it first hand...but for me it was a field trip I could have done without. 

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