Wise Words From Friends

I am getting ready to leave for Cincinnati, which is the last regular season event of the year. I have had a few days to sit and reflect on the season so far. All in all, this has been the fastest year of volleyball for me to date. I cannot believe that it is the end of summer and we are getting ready to wrap it all up.

This year has been filled with many ups and downs. I have experienced some of the highest of highs and even some of the lowest of lows. But through it all, I have had some of the most amazing people offer me their friendship, support, love, and kind words which have made it all an unbelievable ride.

I really appreciate the time that so many of you take to send me well-wishes and nice emails. Thank you so much. I wanted to share with you one of the really special messages that my new Brazilian friend, Cassius, sent to me after the Chicago Final.

"In the finals of high level championships, there practically does not exist a difference in the technique between the adversaries, all players have their bodies very well trained and all the necessary information kept in the subconscious mind. Who wins is who dominates their emotions and lets the body work for itself...So nervous in the match? Why? There are many more important things than a volleyball championship, Angie. Because of this, relax in the match, think about good things, think about... Açai! Hmmm!... and let your body work for itself."

How right is he! Sometimes we get so caught up in what we are doing that we forget that we are playing a game. It is supposed to be fun, otherwise it would not be called a 'game', right? The last 2 years of competition have made things much clearer for me. I realize that I play my best when I am having fun.

I watch other teams play and observe the dynamic between the two players. The people I enjoy watching the most are those that look like they are having fun playing. So why would it be any different for the fans? I love to watch Lewis and Lima play when they are loose, dancing, laughing, and obviously having fun. Jenny and Nettie are fun to watch. They are not afraid to laugh at themselves and have a good time. Rosie and Jake look like they have fun playing together. To me, that is what the game is all about... not taking yourself so seriously that you can't laugh at the quirky plays that happen. We can't play this game at the highest level forever. Why not enjoy it while we can?

More wise words came from my workout coach, Erich. He tells me to play like I am a kid again out on the playground, free and having fun. All the hard work is done by the time we get to the tournament. Tournament time is when we just play. He wrote a great article in the latest issue of Volleyball about this very thing. I hope you get a chance to read it.

Well, I am not sure why I felt the need to write about this, but I did. I am really looking forward to Cincinnati where we will have our final shot at trying to crack into the Vegas tournament. Brooke and I are currently tied at #13 ranking and only the top 12 go to Vegas. I am not going to think about that this weekend. I am going to go out, have fun, and play my best. Whatever happens after that, happens. I plan to listen to all my wise friends and play the game.

Have a great week.

Angie

PS - Check out my article in the September issue of Volleyball about my trip to Kosovo. You can also see it on my website. Click here to read.