Tag Archives: National Team

Oh, Canada!

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Day One & Two: World Cup Training Camp & Recap

World Cup 2013! Woohoo!

What an incredible experience to participate in the highest level of competition for women’s lacrosse and to get to share it with talented women from 19 countries worldwide. Teams have been arriving over the past two days to the campus where all the teams are housed, filling the hallways with different accents, country colors, and many familiar faces.

I have been meaning to write since arriving here on Saturday, July 6th. Between three practices a day, team meetings, coaches meetings, eating, and sleeping, I have found very little energy to do anything but plop on the nearest soft surface. And I’m not even playing!

It would be virtually impossible to capture all that has happened since my plane touched down three days ago. I feel like I have been here for at least a week, and I mean that in the absolute best way. As a staff we have been working hard to cram in as much conceptual material as possible without overworking the girls’ brains and bodies. Every girl on the team is like a sponge. They improve with each passing hour and are eager to learn and play. We have had five practices and one scrimmage in the past two days. Despite heat and inevitable soreness, the team is energetic and positive. I have come to expect nothing less from Ireland lacrosse.

In the hope of getting into a rhythm of writing about the World Cup, here is a recap of the past 48-hours.

REUNITED

A majority of the Ireland team arrived on Saturday at Toronto airport. Long flights, jetlag, and flight delays did not dampen anyone’s spirit. As I walked through the terminal looking for the team, I was dragging with fatigue. I got married in June and it has been a wonderful whirlwind of events leading up to my arrival in Canada. However, it has been non-stop for over a month and all I wanted was a nap.

All of my fatigue vanished as soon as I saw the Ireland girls. Their enthusiasm and excitement was contagious. I found myself immersed in conversations and laughing to the point of tears within minutes of my arrival. It felt like coming home.

In the midst of all the excitement of being reunited with women whom I had missed more than I realized, I had a pang of sadness. I realized that I would not be playing along with them, but standing on the sidelines coaching them. I worried that things would change, and I would struggle with my new role.

The fear disappeared as quickly as it arrived as I looked into the faces of the Ireland girls. They supported and encouraged me. Yes, things would change. They already had. But change is good. We have many new, talented, and wonderful players. We have a completely new coaching staff. We are ready for anything…and excited to begin.

Meg, our Head Coach, and Jackie, the other assistant, were some of the last to arrive. Not having met Meg before, I did not know what to expect. We have talked and emailed a great deal, but that is not the same as meeting someone. I knew Jackie and I were going to be thick as thieves based on our trip to Ireland in the Fall. As soon as I saw Meg, I relaxed. She greeted me with her easy smile and made me feel instantly comfortable. I knew that it was going to be a great partnership in the coaching staff, and it has proven to be even better than I expected.

After the last person exited the customs’ doors, greeted by cheering and waving teammates, we loaded up a school bus–a first for most English and Irish girls–and headed to our home for the next two weeks: Oshawa.

PRACTICE TIME

Meg started practice off with this quote at 8 am Sunday morning: “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” The girls seemed to absorb the words and their play reflected it. Girls were battling for balls, hustling to the end of every drill, and pushing themselves to be better with every play. By the end of the first practice I was so excited for the next session. This was a new team and a new year. Our year. As coaches we couldn’t wait to keep working with the girls and molding the team into what we wanted it to become.

The following four practices and the scrimmage against Scotland showed that we are heading in the right direction. We are feistier, faster, and fitter than we were at Euros. From last year to this year I have seen significant improvements and changes in the team. Many things are different now, but one aspect remains the same. PRIDE. Ireland pride runs deep to the core of every player, coach, manager, and director involved with Ireland lacrosse. It is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to represent Ireland.

We have been lucky to get great Ireland gear from Brine, Force5, Opro, and other companies. It feels like Christmas to receive all the goodies from Larry, our wonderful equipment manager. The custom Brine stick is already a hit with other teams, and I really appreciate my friend Kathleen Miller coming through for us with the sticks, goggles, and goalie gear. Every team needs a little swag.

LOOKING AHEAD

Tomorrow the real fun begins. We have an exhibition match against Sweden in the morning, followed by a day packed with team pictures, facility tours, practices, and meetings. While it is a busy day, it also launches us into the reason we are all here…to compete in the World Cup. I can hear that team buzzing with excitement to suit up into their team uniforms for the first time and step on the field representing Ireland.

We ended tonight’s meeting with my favorite song, “Ireland’s Call”. Jackie and I both gets chills, or “goose pimples” as some girls would say, each and every time we hear the song. Talk about pride.

In two days the real games begin. We will continue to savor every moment of the next two weeks because this is a once in a lifetime event. In four years there will be new players and some returners. But all we can focus on is right now and making it everything we hoped it could be. I am confident it will be all that and even more.

GO IRELAND!

 

Travel to the EUROS

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“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”  ~Susan Heller

The wait was finally over. After six months of training and days of fretting, the day was finally here. I was heading to Amsterdam to compete in the European Championships for the Ireland Women’s team. Eight games in eight days. Over 2,000 players in attendance. Over 20 nationalities represented. One incredible experience.

I had my bags packed, my checklist crossed off, and I was ready to head to the airport to fly to Amsterdam. Or was I?

Packing for my trip was a struggle. There are four seasons in one day in Amsterdam, so I had to prepare for anything. Sweat pants? Check. Raincoat? Check. Sundress? Check. Quite the combination. Being an clotheshorse and over-packer by nature, luck was not on my side for shoving all my gear into one bag. I ordered a bag long enough to hold my sticks, turfs, and gear. Everything fit without any problem. What a relief!

Until I tried to pick it up.

I forgot one small detail. The size. It could easily double as a body bag. So while I was impressed with myself for fitting everything, I neglected to acknowledge that filling a four-foot long bag to the brim would weigh a ton. And it did. And the bag does not have rollers. No dice.

Judging it to weigh well over 50 lbs, I grabbed a smaller bag and began chucking clothes and gear between bags. Did I think to leave things at home? Nope. I just made more room to off-set the weight. I’m heading to Europe for three weeks, but packed for three months.

Everett, my amazing boyfriend, hauled my bags to the car and off we went to the airport with three hours to spare. I was flying out of Dulles International Airport, purgatory for all travelers. Having had a bad experience before at Dulles, I wanted to allow extra time before my 5:55 PM flight. As soon as we pulled up I knew that I was right. The line wrapped through the lanes and overflowed halfway down the terminal.

I was pulled from line by an attendant because she was worried about my bags being too heavy. My three-bag scheme fooled nobody. Rats. I wheeled myself to the scale, heaved my bags on to find that my body bag was exactly 50 lbs. But I wasn’t out of the clear just yet. My carry-on bags needed to weigh 25 lbs combined. The scale doesn’t lie. I was over by five pounds. Inwardly scolding myself for bringing 80 lbs of who-knows-what to Europe, I asked how much it would cost. $100 unless I took some articles out and wore them to the check-in counter. Well that was an easy answer.

While slowly weaving through a ridiculous line, I begin to look even more ridiculous with each turn. I pulled clothes from my bag and layered like a kid going sledding for the first time. My butt grew four sizes as I wrapped top after top around my waist. I waddled up to the counter hoping the attendant would not comment on the fact that I was clearly wearing a few pounds of extra clothes around my midsection. He didn’t seem to notice. Better yet, he didn’t weigh my carry-ons. All of that for nothing, except maybe the entertainment of my fellow passengers.

Now, for security. I held my breath as I prepared for what would await me at the bottom of the stairs. A massive blob on disgruntled travelers immediately came into view. Traveler’s dreams go to die at Dulles and this was just another day. Like cattle, I was herded with the rest from one end of the airport to the other. All the while I was stuck behind a man who smelled like onions. I’m sure he is a perfectly nice man, but come on. Mandatory deodorant application should be administered when they are checking your boarding pass to enter into security if you will be stuck there for over an hour.

The woman behind me missed her flight. The clock was ticking on making mine. Although I had allowed over 2.5 hours for this endeavor, I was still not on my way to my gate. I sent my bags through the scanners, anxiously eying the time. As I waited for my bag to be scanned, I heard the TSA agent say, “Um, I’m trying not to freak out, but do you see this?!?” Crap. I knew immediately what they were concerned about. In my bag swap, I put my stim machine in my carry-on. The stim machine is in a black case with lots of wires. Doesn’t take a genius to realize what they assume I’m carrying. The dreaded b-word.

Luckily, I was not seized on the spot. An explanation fell clumsily from my lips as the agent eyed me cautiously. Thankfully the case was deemed acceptable, but everything had to go through the scanner again. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

I hurried to my terminal to grab some food to carry on the plane when I heard the final boarding call for my flight. Classic. A younger Sarah who always reached the gate in the nick of time would have still been waiting at the ticket counter covered in clothes. Instead, I heaved a sigh, grateful I have learned a few things over the years.

I boarded the flight only to find that I had a front row seat to the baby brigade. Directly diagonal to me were two infants, one toddler, and one 3-year-old all joining in a chorus of cries. Thank goodness for ear plugs. Ear plugs and complete exhaustion.

Seven hours later we touched down in a rainy and cold Amsterdam. 52 degrees and raining was not the welcome I had hoped for. I ran into some other lacrosse players in the terminal, which instantly warmed me up with the excitement for the days ahead.

I paid the extra 20 euros for early check-in, grabbed a big breakfast, and headed to bed. Devin, one of my teammates, was arriving many hours later, so I hunkered down to snooze for a bit. Devin’s knock on the door woke me up. Head pounding and completely disoriented, I stumbled to the door to let her in.

After lounging for a bit, Devin and I grabbed a burger for dinner. So American of us. Ironically, I hardly eat burgers at home. Go to Europe to eat like an American. Oh well. We wanted a safe and easy meal in the hotel, and we got it.

Now, I am off to bed. I barely know what time it is or what continent I’m on. It is 10:40 pm here and the sky is just beginning to go dark. Such a change from DC. Hoping to be fully rested and energized for our first day of practices tomorrow where the new players have to serenade the existing girls with Ireland’s National Anthem. In Gaelic. I don’t think mouthing “watermelon” will cut it. I will keep you posted.

Erin Go Bragh!