As I sit with the windows open, sun beaming in and the smell of fresh air coming into the house I think my brain is starting to clear away the textbook haze!
HAPPY EASTER to all - I hope you are enjoying the weather, family/friends and great food where ever you are.
Well I have been pretty fortunate to have friends and family consume the last week of my life so I haven't really had time to realize I start school over again in a week - but lets not talk about that for now. So here is the much needed update of the last few months - can't believe I have to start with reading week! haha
1. The past 2 months I have had constant subtle reminders of why I probably didn't NEED to go to Mexico for reading week because I should have used the week to catch up on school …. but I really WANTED to go so …. it was awesome! It was my first time doing some travelling in 'all-inclusive style', and I quickly learned it wasn't really in the same category as the other travelling I have done. It's kind of like behind dropped in a foreign place with a silk screen to cover all the real character of a country. It's not that I will never do it again but I now know when that type of vacation is needed - when you need extreme relaxation and recovery. I mean it takes about 2 days just to get use to the fact that you no longer have to feel guilty about doing nothing all day and than you start to get into the lifestyle of sleeping, sun and food/drinks.
For me I was really lucky to get to catch up with my cousins, aunt and uncle in a very relaxing and happy environment. Which I now know is an amazing tool for putting a positive spin on anything happening in your life - so that was really neat to be a part of! I also got to really test out my new camera for the first time, which was lots of fun thanks to some very patient subjects (hopefully share some of that with you all in the next few posts).
Than with everyone tanned talking about the crazy happenings of the week on the plane, you really only have the plane landing into 2 feet of snow to bring you back to reality - or getting instantly sick from the temperature change seems to be my body's way of telling me haha.
All in all I was very fortunate that my hard work from the past semester allowed me to jump at this opportunity to take the trip and have lots of fun with the family!
2. So as I just mentioned my parents took my obsession with taking pictures to heart and gave me a really sweet birthday/christmas gift - a new camera. They got me a Pentax K-r due to the fact that my dad had one back in the day so the old lens may work with it. It's the perfect one for me, not too complex but has the capabilities to take some really nice pics! I'm just starting to learn how to use it and not even to it's full potential, so I'm hoping the summer will be full of exploring with it :).
3. Coaching is pretty much the most time consuming part of my life at the moment. I was lucky enough to get to go on some professional development focused trips in March (school was in there somewhere haha). I got to experience CIS nationals in Windsor from a coach's perspective which definitely was a little surreal - especially when you are sitting around a table with all these coaches that I only played against a year before. But it was a great experience and I'm glad I got more insight on how things work from a different angle.
Than we finished off our official training with the university team for the 2010-2011 season with a tournament in Grand Forks, ND. It was a good chance for me to coach on my own and get to work on my relationship with some of the players I still didn't know that well because I came onto the coaching staff in January. The tournament was poorly run but we got two good games out of it and it was rewarding for some of the players who hadn't played much during the year to get some key minutes within game context so that they have a better idea of what they can work on this summer.We also had some good chats, eats and laughs - so team sports at it's core.
Than I topped the PD off with a grand trip to Indianapolis for the women's NCAA final four, where the WBCA holds there annual coaching conference. It was an awesome experience and I'm so glad I decided to go, after much debate if missing the school was going to be worth it. We got to attend on-court demonstrations, coaching discussions on various aspects of the game, guest speakers, product booths and the most exciting - final four practices and games! I suddenly understand why employers sent their employees to this types of things for their particular fields - the amount of passion and dedication that everyone had there for their respected programs and teams was inspiring enough. But on top of that to be remind that being obsessed with basketball 24-7 can be a very rewarding process and bring about so many positive things other than a national championship. And being only a year out from playing getting to feel a part of the weekend was still pretty cool from an athletes perspective! (And if there is still any doubt out there Maya Moore is the best female basketball player ever!) Also getting to watching the men's NCAA final game Bulter vs. UConn in Butler's gym on their campus was a very cool added bonus to the trip.
As I sit here and type this I still get the fire in my gut and excitement about my continued passionate for the sport and that I'm really looking forward to the changes and progress we are going to make this year as a program. I will definitely keep you updated on that one :).
4. With that said most of you are probably thinking or have asked me on many occasions why I'm still in school for engineering. Well for me I have always done better when I have more than one passion in my life. Still believe to this day that I would have never gone to university if it weren't for my success on the playing field and vice versa - and the last month has really reassured that for me in the present. My excitement for coaching has fed my excitement to be in the classroom and by trying to do well in both, it is my hope that I will have success in both. So I'm still enjoying school very much and I'm looking forward to continuing to work towards expanding my knowledge in the profession.
(Snap shot of my exam study spread)
5. And I think the final big update is that I am now a proud owner of an iPhone 4!!!! I am actually infatuated with it - I feel like I hold the world in my hand at all times. And I now find myself tweeting my thoughts to the world - which I have already explained you will never understand until you actually try it for yourself. So basically it has changed my morning routine, now before getting up to go the washroom I check my messages, check my email, check my twitter and than I feel prepared enough to face the day haha - it's like a seek peak as to what the day will bring! (Hint: Have really inspiring or funny people on your twitter and it almost guarantees a 90% chance that your day starts well.)
So those are the major things I should have updated you on long ago. I hope to get back to regular blogging - I'm still trying to find balance in my weekly schedule to be a bit more selfish and do somethings for myself for a few hours here and there. Anyways I look forward to a fun filled summer and sharing it with you all as it progresses. Until next time thanks for reading and I miss you all more than you know!!
"Be intent upon the perfection of the present day." WL
Mich
