Training weekend

My first weekend here was filled with softball. It was the “training weekend” for the team and consequently their first weekend playing outside for this season. Friday was spent with a 2-hour practice at our field in the morning. Then lunch in our cantine (team clubhouse next to the field) followed by a 30 minute drive north to Almaar. We had a doubleheader against Alkmaaria. We won the first game 8-0, but lost the second game 4-3. It is a very new team this year with a mixture of girls from all different clubs. There are a few kinks to work out, but I am confident with practice the team will do well. After the games, we showered at the field and then headed an hour south to the city of Den Haag. The team was all staying at Helen our assistant coach’s apartment. We had pasta and found any available space to sit and chat. The next morning we went to the club of the Storks nearby. We dropped off our equipment and then headed on a team jog with Tim our coach leading the way. We jogged some hills, stairs and then ended with a nice run along the beach. There were a lot of people out walking along the beach since it was such a nice spring day. Probably mid sixties and blue skies.

After the run, we had lunch at the club and then continued with two practice sessions of an hour and a half each. The practices were really good and we went over a lot of different situations as well as getting a lot of repetitions. I had a great time with the girls. Spending two days with them I got the chance to really bond with several of the girls. Many of them are 21-26 years old so I can easily identify with them. When we were done with practice around 5:30pm, several of us continued to hang out and went back to Helen’s apartment. We showered and ordered food and hung out. There were seven players and Helen and it was fun sharing funny stories and getting to know everyone better. On the way home Eva told me that I was not a “real American.” The whole car started laughing and then told her to explain why. She had trouble articulating why, but that made it even funnier. She said that it must be because I have traveled a lot through Europe and that I have been to Holland before. I like this team and I am looking forward to the next two months.

Monday was spent with Sol. We went all around Haarlem getting different items for our costumes for Dana’s birthday party this Saturday. It is a super-hero/cartoon character themed costume party. Sol and I are going as ninja turtles. We got inspired a few days prior and then came up with how we would make everything ourselves. There will be funny pictures to come after the weekend. We have games Saturday, but afterwards a bunch of the girls from out of town will shower, eat and get ready at my place before we all go to the party.


Pictures will be added later since I left my camera at the field of the games. We got a hold of a player and she found the camera and now we are just waiting for the hand off from her team to my team.