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Softball Coach Heather Tarr Blog
Aug. 22, 2008
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Ni hao again...
Last night was a very surreal experience watching USA play Japan for the Gold Medal. We knew going into the stadium that the winner would take all this game, but didn't expect to see such a dominating performance by Japan. Japan had a lot of momentum going into the game, coming off two huge extra inning games the day before.
I was really impressed with Japan's pitcher and how she competed in the circle. She was throwing a consistent 67 mph and was nails when the U.S. loaded the bases with one out. She got the U.S. to pop up twice to get out of that inning.
It was sad to see the U.S. not win its fourth gold medal, however, it was exciting to see such a great performance by Japan - they were the better team last night. They had to be to beat the best team in the world and they did. If there's any silver lining in Japan taking the gold, it shows that there is a great amount of parity in our game, a factor that may lead to getting softball back into the Olympics in 2016.
It was sad to see the last game played by many of our Olympians, however, I believe that our sport will continue to thrive at the professional level and I am excited to watch these women compete at that level for years to come.
Now that the softball games are over here in Beijing, it's time to take advantage of my last few days here with some shopping, see some more sights and try to get into some other events.
See you all soon!
Coach Tarr
Softball Coach Heather Tarr Blog
Aug. 20, 2008
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Ni hao from Beijing!
I haven't had much access to email, which for me, is probably a good thing. So far our stay in Beijing has been more that I expected. It's a city that I compare in many ways to a combination between New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles in size, magnitude and vibe.
We traveled to the Great Wall and spent about two hours climbing up and down the stairs of the immense structure - it would be an awesome way to condition our team. Can you imagine that this 7th wonder of the world spans about 6,000 kilometers and can be seen from the moon? We have also spent time touring the Forbidden City (Gu Gong) - it's an amazingly large space - so vast and immense that I can't even begin to describe it. This grand palace has 9,999 rooms in it, at the request of the emperor for whom the palace was originally built.
Of course, I have done some shopping...there's a few markets here that are absolutely overwhelming. You can barter for anything and everything, Coach purses, ipods, Wii's, pearl necklaces, etc. I have only purchased a watch, but plan on doing more damage later.
Also - so as to not forget the reason I came here...the SOFTBALL has been really exciting to watch. We have seen almost all of the games so far. Fengtai Softball Stadium is located to the southwest of Beijing - quite far away from the center. It's about a $10 cab ride - which in US dollars seems cheap, but in China it's relatively inexpensive - the cab ride takes about 25 minutes.
It's been really neat to see Danielle Lawrie with the Canadian team. She has had several opportunities to pitch and every time we see her we are amazed to know what she and her team have been through to get to this point. Today we will watch them play Australia - a team of women who are all around my age! If Canada wins, they advance to play the loser of the USA vs. Japan game. The winner of that game advances to play for the Gold medal, while the loser of that game gets the Bronze.
Everything about Beijing is awesome. The softball, the history, and even the weather... The only bad this is our inability to communicate. My years of studying Spanish is definitely NOT paying off. So far all I know how to say in Mandarin (Chinese) is hello, thank you, and you're welcome!
More to follow!
Coach Tarr
Swim Coach Whitney Hite Blog
Aug. 15 & 16, 2008
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Woke up this morning and went to the Cube one last time for the final session of swimming hoping to see history. Tickets outside were going for $2,000-3,000 American. I feel very fortunate to have a ticket.
As everyone knows, Michael did it and it was spectacular. What a feat. I don't think we will ever see another performance like that again....maybe in all of sport.
As I reflect on it, as wonderful as it is...8 gold medals, the greatest thing I take away from it is that he had the courage to go for it. To try what some said was impossible takes courage and I feel blessed that I was there to witness it.
As I reflect back on the whole experience, I think I spent a third of my time at the cube, a third of my time shopping for souvenirs, and a third of my time in a cab traveling somewhere. There were about 867 ways to get from my hotel to the Cube...I know because we took all of them.
It was truly an unbelievable experience and great walking around the Cube and Beijing in Washington Swimming clothing. As I arrive back in Seattle, I am of course aware right away of all the things I take for granted in this great country of ours. I am so proud to be an American and live in America.
As you entered the Cube every day after going thru security, there were ticket takers who tore away your ticket stub and smiled and said, " Enjoy your game!" in their best English. This is a lasting memory for me because I did "enjoy my game"........very much so.
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Friday, August 15 Today was my last full day in Beijing. It has been a great trip. Since the rain on Thursday, the weather has been beautiful. The smog has totally cleared off, the sky is blue for the second straight day and you can even see the surrounding mountains. The moon the last two nights has been big and nice as well.
I started the morning by going to the Cube for the one and only session today. Michael Phelps tied Mark Spitz's record for 7 gold medals with a little luck, winning the 100 fly by .01. Had great seats again, and from where I was it didn't look like he did it. Thank God for long fingernails! Tomorrow should be thrilling.
Went to Nike for lunch one last time and enjoyed their hospitality. In the afternoon, I went to a men's beach volleyball match which was fun. It's good to see a different venue and sport. Beach volleyball is much more festive than swimming...people are definitely more interested in having a great time than who wins.
I leave tomorrow after the last swim session in the morning. I will give one last report before I leave.
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Swim Coach Whitney Hite Blog
Aug. 13 & 14, 2008
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Today we didn't have tickets for the swimming again, but we secured tickets for the remaining swimming sessions....no easy feat.
The highlight today was visiting the Great Wall. It poured down rain on us but it was an experience I will never forget. Truly unbelievable. The good thing about the rain was that there were hardly any people on the wall and I got some great pictures without other people in them. Overall a terrific experience.
Tomorrow we have tickets to both sessions and will finish up shopping.
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Wednesday, August 13
Today I did not have tickets to swimming and learned how lucky I have been to be able to see every session up until now. I checked around for tickets and they were going for $500 (American). I decided to hold off on that since I have Friday and Saturday tickets.
Anyway, went to the Drum Tower which was neat and did some shopping at a market. I haven't been feeling great, so laying low for a day was good. Tomorrow I head to the Great Wall and I am excited about that.
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Brett Newlin Blog
Aug. 11, 2008
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Here's a short recap from row2k about the race that describes it well:
Men's Four
The semi draw was a bit lopsided; all six crews in the first semi would have placed in front of the second place crew in the second semi, and both the defending champ NZ crew and the World Cup medalist US crew ended up on the wrong side of the dividing line on the results sheet. The times for places 2-6:
-5:56.2 (AUS)
-5:56.73 (FRA)
-5:57.31 (NZL)
-5:57.52 (USA)
-5:58.14 (IRL)
Owwww...
We race Final B today to determine places 7-12. We'll see if it happens as scheduled. As I type this a storm has rolled in and we're getting pelted with rain and strong winds!
Husky weather. Bring it.
-Brett
Megan Kalmoe Blog
Aug. 13, 2008
 Megan Kalmoe and teammate Ellen Tomek show off their college gear while in Beijing.  |
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A few more days of racing have unfolded and things are still looking good for the Huskies and Team USA at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing- Canoeing Park.
I competed in the repechage on Monday, with great results. Ellen and I led our race against the Ukraine, Czech Republic, and Australia from start to finish. With two boats to advance to the Olympic Final from our race, the stakes were very high, but we executed our race plan really well and came away with a very positive result. The best thing about our race on Monday was that we were able to take something away from our heat race, and make considerable improvements to get the result that we wanted in the rep. As an athlete you can't ask for much more than that; and so the next logical step is to improve on our rep performance to achieve the best possible result in the Final.
So aside from winning an Olympic race which feels good in and of itself, two more positive things have come of our performance: first, we will be given an inside lane (lucky #5) for our Final, which is preferable both ergonomically and competitively (we like to have boats on both sides of us to be more "in" the action), and secondly, Ellen and I are officially in contention for an Olympic medal.
That's not to say that we weren't on the medal hunt before we began racing here in Beijing, but to get to the Final has been a series of necessary steps that we have now successfully completed, and so now to have the opportunity to line up with the five other fastest crews in the world to duke it out for medals is really exciting!
Our final race will be (1) Germany, (2) Great Britain, (3) New Zealand, (4) China, (5) USA, (6) Czech Republic. There is absolutely no telling who will walk away with medals after Sunday's final because everyone in this race has traded victories and losses over the other crews throughout the entire spring racing season. Everyone seems to have had good races and bad races, at least one trick up their sleeve, and a lot of heart. To count anyone out would be a gross error in judgment, so my best shot is to be prepared to fight to the line six boats across and then look up after it's over and see where we're at. That's what I was coached to do as a Husky, and that's what I'm going to do here in Beijing.
More racing unfolds this afternoon with more qualifying races for the singles, the men's pair, the men's double (fellow 2006 Captain, Ante Kusurin for team Croatia) and the men's four. Depending on how hot it is, I may head down to the course to cheer for my teammates in the grandstands. I had my first experience as a spectator in the stands yesterday afternoon to cheer on the women's quad, men's eight and women's pair, which was phenomenal! The energy level among fans is just great, and it was a blast to be a part of a huge group cheering, waving flags and sporting USA gear.
Go USA and GO HUSKIES!!!
Megan
Swim Coach Whitney Hite Blog
Aug. 11 & 12, 2008
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Much of the same today. Went to the Cube in the morning and saw another remarkable performance by Michael Phelps. I believe he will get all eight gold medals and all by world record. He is truly the best ever.
Natalie Coughlin and Aaron Peirsol were also awesome. We had great seats in the fourth row at finish...one row better than Tom Brokaw who was across the aisle in row five.
This evening we went to the Houhai District for dinner. Pretty cool area. I have been feeling a bit sick, but hope to be better tomorrow.
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Monday, August 11
I have gotten into a routine of going to Paul's Steak and Eggs for breakfast and then to the Water Cube for the swimming. I have decided that Chinese drivers are the best in the world. Although I did see three firsts yesterday: an accident, a female driver (up until then every driver had been male) and a man pulled over on the side of the highway going to the bathroom as a cop pulls up and goes right around him.
On to swimming... the morning finals session provided me with the greatest race I have ever seen....ever. The men's 400 free relay is the greatest race ever and it was simply unbelievable. Thrilling. People in the stands were openly weeping. Jason Lezak is my hero.
I did get to go to a women's volleyball match and although the U.S. lost in straight sets to Cuba, it was fun to go to a different venue and watch something different. I also went to the zoo and saw the pandas before the swimming at night.
Another full day here!
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Megan Kalmoe Blog
Aug. 11, 2008
 Anna Cummins, Mary Whipple and Portia McGee from China. |
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Well, Day 1 of racing has come and gone at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing Park. Yesterday was hot and heavy to say the least, with visibility back down to a minimum and humidity that kept us totally drenched during our time outside. While I can't say one way or the other on the quality of the air, the humidity does present some real challenges beyond the typical levels of sit-and-sweat discomfort for us scullers who have to maintain control of an oar in each hand. If and when the oar grips get slippery with sweat, unlike our sweep counterparts we do not have the luxury of sneaking an odd hand off the oar for a quick wipe. It can be difficult just to hang on at times, let alone race an all out 2k. Ellen and I have incorporated some matching sweatbands into our uniform that not only look sharp, but do help with the humid, sweaty grip problem...sort of. As far as the heat goes, it didn't really hit me until after the racing was done. We were issued some serious-looking ice vests from Nike that help with the cool-down process, though I don't personally prefer the Robocop look while paddling around the cool-down area.
Yesterday was a blast. It was a lot of serious work too and there's certainly more of that to come, but getting my first Olympic race under my belt was quite an experience and definitely had its memorable moments that are going to stick with me. We started off the afternoon with a quick warm up run during which we were greeted with cheers from the grandstands and got to share the course-side path with five inflatable Fuwas (the "Friendlies" who are the 2008 Olympic mascots). I was really surprised to see how many people had turned out just for the preliminary heats in the small boat events--considerably more than had showed up for any of our other events this season. Then as we were launching for our warm up we had a few moments to wonder what was causing the enormous cloud of billowing black smoke pouring across the race course toward the grandstands (it turns out it was a mechanical fire due to a faulty generator). But our pondering of the smoke was cut short by an official on the dock reprimanding us for not having matching socks. Apparently this is a new rule just for this event thanks to the nifty overhead zipline camera that takes close-up aerial shots of the racing crews near the finish line. Guess which items are now taking priority in the laundry queue...
Probably the most notoriously memorable moment from yesterday was our timing to the start line which was...not ideal. Remember how in my last post I said my job in bow seat was to get us to the start line safely and on time? Well, let's just say that yesterday we cut it a little close. FISA rules that crews must be locked on to their stake boats no later than two minutes before start time--traditionally that means that crews show up at the start area with around five minutes to go, in order to have plenty of time to get oriented in the lane, get comfortable, take a look around, get pointed and "relax" (yeah right). Well, due to a small error in judgment on my part, Ellen and I came roaring onto the course with the rower's equivalent of squealing tires, spun around in our lane and locked on with just three minutes to go. I don't know who was more stressed out about it, us or our coach. The good news was, that with less time to sit still at the starting line, we didn't have any time to build up our nerves before we were polled and started for our first Olympic race.
We drew a very solid heat for our first race. We were lined up next to our friends from Germany, Christiane Huth and Annekatrin Thiele who we raced in Munich and Lucerne earlier this season; the doubles from the Ukraine and Romania; and the Evers-Swindell Twins from New Zealand (defending Olympic Champions, three-time World Champions and current World Record Holders). But just like any other race, it's not who you have been--it's who you are now. And as it turned out, we're contenders. We didn't win our heat race yesterday, but we executed our race plan and felt really good about what we accomplished as a first step toward the Olympic final. We were able to come away from our race with a better idea of what we can focus on for improvement in tomorrow's repechage. It was awesome to come into the last 250m of the race to loud chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"--I can only imagine how spectacular the crowd and resulting energy level will be for the final on the 16th.
I've been bumming around the hotel today eagerly anticipating results from the big boat events via internet feed. As much as I love being a rowing spectator, I'm glad that I decided to stay put today as we've been experiencing a pretty steady downpour for the past hour or so which has actually delayed the men's and women's eight heats. I can't imagine it's good for the nerves to delay the onset of the first race, but at least it's considerably cooler this afternoon than it was yesterday, and with a whipping tailwind to boot.
Go USA and GO HUSKIES!!!
Megan
Brett Newlin Blog
Aug. 11, 2008
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On a completely unrelated note, we had Chinese tailors come to the hotel earlier in the week. Many of us jumped at the chance to buy very nice, custom-fitted suits at very good prices. Suits only run about $100...so I got two. They arrived back from the tailors tonight, and a lot of the team is now walking around the halls in their new duds, checking how they look and feel. Our floor could easily be mistaken for a firm of bankers or stock brokers. We look sharp. Everything from pinstripes to tuxes to white linen. You better believe it.
Brett Newlin
Swim Coach Whitney Hite Blog
Aug. 9 & 10, 2008
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Day five started great. We went to Paul's Steak and Eggs which is an American restaurant. Then we went to finals at the Water Cube and saw Michael Phelps win his first gold and break his own world record in the 400 IM . We then went to lunch at Nike, did some shopping, and went back to the cube for prelims. It rained throughout the day and poured after prelims at night. It felt like home.
I am pleased that I have been able to stimulate the Chinese economy, I'm just trying to do my part. Also, I have been overwhelmed smell wise.....it seems at every turn there is a new, strange smell waiting for me. I believe my nose will never be the same.
Have tickets to both swimming sessions tomorrow and will try to do more sightseeing.
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Saturday, August 9
Went to the Forbidden City in the a.m., which was really spectacular. The history and architecture is so cool and impressive. Then went to Nike for lunch and went to the swimming at night. The Water Cube is an unbelievable facility. The pool and architecture is the finest. On a side note, all the toilets in the building are American standard.
The swimming was awesome and I had great tickets right on the finish. It was so exciting to watch prelims and have my first live Olympic experience be so wonderful. This was truly a day I will never forget. From the Forbidden City to the start of swimming it was awesome. Oh, and beers are 90 cents at the Water Cube, just sayin'. Tomorrow we have finals tickets and prelims. It should be another great day.
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Swim Coach Whitney Hite Blog
Aug. 8, 2008
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I woke up around 6 a.m. after sleeping on a bed that feels like it is the box spring only and no mattress. Only 8 more nights of that! I had breakfast at the hotel. I'm not courageous enough to venture out. I went to the Lama Temple which was closed due to the opening ceremonies. Bummer. Decided to go to the Pearl Market and did some shopping. After that I went to the Nike hospitality center where I will be eating every lunch. It's really a great setup. I got more tickets for swimming and have tickets for almost every session, which is amazing and very difficult to do. I then tried to go to dinner in an area just north of the Forbidden City but it was blocked off by the government so I went back to the hotel, pointed at something that looked edible, ate dinner and watched the opening ceremonies. A good day. Swimming starts today and I am pumped! Go Dawgs! Whitney
Swim Coach Whitney Hite Blog
Aug. 6 & 7, 2008
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I arrived in Beijing yesterday, which is today for you all back home...it's kinda like Groundhog Day. The airport is massive and luckily Kris Kubik, the assistant swimming coach at Texas, was there meeting his wife, April, and he is the first person I saw out of customs. He had an interpreter who was able to get me in a cab to my hotel.
The hotel is fine but I have no idea where I am... somewhere in Beijing. Since I didn't sleep on the plane, I stayed up as long as I could and went to bed around 8 p.m. and slept until 5 a.m. I am off today to sightsee, shop, and hopefully get more tickets to events. I will be checking in.
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Thursday, August 7
Yesterday included a ton of walking. I now realize that what looks close on a Chinese map isn't necessarily.
I probably walked 12 miles or so in hot, humid weather so there was a lot of sweating going on. I got lost several times but had very friendly Chinese people ask me if I needed help and point me in the right direction. Also, there are Olympic volunteers every block or so and some speak English.
I saw Tian'anmen Square which was great. It was very neat and historic. Then I went up to the Olympic venues, the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, both very impressive and massive. I also went to Silk Street for some shopping and, wow, that was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I bartered with one lady for a polo shirt. Her first offer was 600 Chinese dollars and I countered with 100. I started to walk away since I didn't even really want the shirt and finally left her yelling at me and had her down to 25.
At another kiosk, three women tried to sell me a North Face jacket for $600 Chinese (about $90 American). They proceeded to not take no for an answer, took my map, and told me I was tall and looked like a movie star. I agreed with them, but didn't buy anything, much to their great dismay. I also experienced my first public restroom in a mall. Not bad and the toilet was an American Standard, I'll have you know! I haven't seen a lot of American-made cars... lots of Audis and Volkswagens. I did see one Ford.
Ordering dinner was an adventure. Fortunately they had pictures on the menu so I just pointed and hoped I wasn't ordering something mysterious. It was pretty good either way.
That's about it from here. Tonight is the opening ceremonies and swimming starts tomorrow.
Go Dawgs!
Whitney
Brett Newlin Blog
Aug. 6, 2008
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Our hotel is very nice and very new. A lot of the hotels along the strip of road leading up to the rowing course were put up especially for the Games. The rooms come equipped with universal outlets, Chinese ESPN on the tv, an internet jack, a couple of rather hard beds, and thankfully, air-conditioning. The team is all located on the same floor and we all leave our doors wide open. It's a good time going from room to room and seeing what everyone's up to. The food is a nice mix of Western and Asian dishes. Usually I've have a nice omelet and some fried rice for breakfast. While there were some noticeable absent food comforts at first, the cooking staff has learned that we love coffee and sugar, peanut butter, and desserts and has stepped it up in those departments. They're doing a great job. In fact all the hotel and venue staff has been very hard-working, polite, and eager to help in any way.
The venue is nicely constructed and has some warm, fast water. We'll see what the wind does. We're ready for anything but if it's a tailwind, look out for some fast times. We usually get to the course by riding sweet bicycles that we're WAY too big for. When the four, the eight, and the quad have the same practice times, we've got a big, low-riding bike gang heading down the street, intimidating the locals and disregarding all traffic laws. I'm sure it's quite a sight.
Training on the course started out great. We were essentially the first team to arrive so we had the water to ourselves for the first few days. Since then, as more teams have showed up, it's a lot more crowded and the water is rather wakey. It's nothing we haven't dealt with before, and we've been finding the optimal practice times to find the best water. It also helps that the four is a relatively low maintenance boat. Giuseppe Lanzone (3-man, Husky class '05), Paul Teti (2-man, Princeton grad), David Banks (bow man, Stanford grad), and I get along well and have shown good chemistry both on and off the water. Something we've learned not to take for granted after living in close quarters with each other for the past 2 weeks.
Early in that first week, most of the team had the afternoon off and hopped on a bus to see the Great Wall. That was an amazing experience. We visited the Mutianyu secition of the Wall, where there are typically less crowds. It was a humbling feeling being on top of that Wall. I watched it stretch across the peaks of the silent, forested mountains as far as I could see in both directions and couldn't help but quietly whisper "damn" to myself. On the way down the mountain, I bartered with the shopkeepers lining the path and picked up an ornate ink stamp that the shopowner carved with my name in both English and Chinese on the spot. Giuseppe saw it and couldn't resist getting one too.
We're three days away from our first race and are anxious to start really bending some oars. Until then, it's practice, eating, video games, and skype. Good stuff.
-Brett Newlin
USA M4-
Husky '05
Megan Kalmoe Blog
Aug. 6, 2008
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I've been in China for just over a week now enjoying the hospitality of the local culture and preparing for my first Olympic experience with the USA Rowing team. The journey to Beijing has been a whirlwind for me, having only begun my rowing career in 2002 as a sophomore at UW (a relatively short amount of time compared to many other team members) and then only having trained with the National Team squad in Princeton, NJ for the past two years. It took flying around the world to make me realize just how amazing, improbable and exciting it is for me to have made my first Olympic Team for the Games here in Beijing; I certainly never envisioned myself as an Olympian while I was still at Washington, and even in Princeton I had my doubts. But being here now and participating in this enormous global event alongside the best athletes from all over the world I am nothing less than overjoyed to have undertaken this journey and now to have arrived at my destination.
And what a destination it is! the Shunyi Olympic Canoeing and Rowing Park is a spectacular venue that is everything that an Olympic race course should be: all brand new structures and facilities bordering an eight-laned manmade course, an effervescent support staff, and --on clear days-- a beautiful showcase for the Yanshan Mountain range to the north. I believe that athletes and spectators alike will enjoy the atmosphere created at Shunyi for the upcoming week of Olympic rowing races.
I will be competing in the women's double sculls (W2X), a two-person boat in which each athlete controls two oars. I began sculling in the fall of 2006 when I first moved to Princeton, after only having participated in sweep rowing (one oar per athlete) in college. The sweep equivalent of the double is the pair, which is a fundamental part of the rowing program at Washington, and I credit my comfortable transition from the collegiate pair to the Olympic double in large part to my experience in the small boats as a Husky. And as much as I loved rowing the pair at Washington, the benefit to making the switch to the double is that you get to go much faster! My teammate in the double with me is Ellen Tomek, a 2006 graduate of the University of Michigan with a walk-on background similar to my own. Ellen and I are not only some of the youngest and most inexperienced athletes in our event, but are also the newest pairing in the field. On Saturday we will line up against doubles that have been racing together for several years, let alone the women who are defending Olympic Champions, World Champions, and World Record holders. They'll all be there. And so will we.
We have just three days remaining to prepare for our first heat race on the 9th. Preparations have gone well to this point, and I am excited about the progress we have made since our last race at the World Cup in Lucerne this June. Nerves haven't kicked in just yet--and I'm sure they will--but when they do, I'll be ready. My training over the past two years has made me realize that even though I'm going to feel nervous before racing, I don't have anything to be nervous about. This race, just like every other race I will compete in, is just an opportunity for me to test myself against other athletes who are out there doing the exact same thing. It is a celebration and culmination of all the hours I've put in to my training, and race time is the time to enjoy that (even through the searing pain coursing through my body). Since I'm in the bow seat, my job is to get us to the starting line safely and on time--and then to have some fun.
Go USA, and GO HUSKIES!
Megan Kalmoe Women's Varsity Crew Captain, Class of 2006
Danielle Lawrie Blog
July 29, 2008
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Hello everyone!!
Sorry it has taken me this long to write everyone. I have been "very" busy. Can you believe it is only 10 sleeps until the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Olympics? WOW! I remember starting this journey in 2005, the summer I was heading into UW for my freshmen year. I remember telling myself, `you have three full years to prepare for this,' and here I am, 10 days away from the most important event of my life.
I'll be honest, I'm not as nervous as I thought I would be. I think sometimes as athletes we forget how much hay we have actually put into the barn and we just psych ourselves out. I feel as ready as I ever will be. The hard part right now is making sure you don't over train and you don't under train. We are doing the right amount of work right now and I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. We head to China on the 5th of August and get settled in and then opening ceremonies are on the 8th. After that we have three days to practice from the 9th-11th and then we start play on the 12th against Chinese Taipei at 9:30 a.m.
I was told by the girls on my team that you are not allowed to send blogs while in the Olympic Village so as soon as we finish up and I get home I will let everyone know about my experience. We have a team website that will be updated that everyone can check up on. It is http://www.softball.ca/main.asp. That should be updated with scores as well as game times back at home.
As for the two months I have been gone it has been an experience. It's weird, it doesn't even feel like we have been gone for that long. We started out in Oklahoma where we had some good quality days to practice and then we were rewarded with some games against China, USA, and a Pro All-Star team. We got to watch some College World Series games as well. That was pretty hard for me to do remembering a year earlier that was us on that field playing. I would like to congratulate ASU on a great year and a great victory at the WCWS. It was fun to watch.
After Oklahoma, we set off on our tour playing against the pro teams. We played the Chicago Bandits, Rockford Thunder and then finished a four-game series playing the Akron Racers. Those 12 games went by quickly and then we were on our way to Ontario. We played the Aussies and Japan there in a tournament called the Tri-Nations Cup. After that was done, we headed to British Columbia for the Canada Cup, which is my favorite of them all. We get such a big home crowd there. I know for all the girls on the team, they get a home feeling when they step on to that field. The fans are amazing. I know I saw a couple of familiar faces out there as well from Seattle. I want to thank you all again for coming! I will see you guys soon.
After Canada Cup we had one day off to go home to our families and then we headed to Japan. It took us 10 hours and 50 minutes. I slept zero minutes so you could imagine how I was feeling once I stepped off the plane. After the plane ride we had to take a seven-hour bus ride to Sendai, Japan. We did not get to our hotel until midnight and I had barely slept. We were going on 17 hours of travel. That is the only part I hate about traveling!!
Once we headed into our rooms, it was time to call it a night. At 12:26 a.m. I was woken up to our whole room shaking. At first I thought it was a dream. It felt like we had a vibrating bed. It started to get worse and then I finally realized we were in an earthquake. A bad one! I woke my roommate up and said we needed to get up and go in the doorway close to the hallway and see what we need to do. Our whole team was out there and by the time we got out there the earthquake had stopped, but the building was shaking back and forth. That was probably the scariest moment of the tour for me. It was hard for me to sleep that night. I kept thinking there was going to be an aftershock and something would happen.
Nothing else happened that night which is good but that morning I turned on the TV and it turns out it was a 6.8 and the damage it had done to a lot of the buildings was very, very scary! I feel lucky that our team ended up all safe and sound. After that incident, we had games to concentrate on. We played three games while in Sendai. This takes us to yesterday where we had a six-hour bus ride to Chiba where we are right now. We stay here until the 5th and head out that day. Sorry I didn't get into much detail about the games. Like I said if you check out our website it will have all the results on there.
I just want to thank everyone who has been supporting me all this way. I feel so lucky to have the fan support like I do in Seattle. I feel very honored to have this opportunity to represent my country in this event. I have worked my whole life for this and now I just need to go out and play. I'm looking forward to seeing you all very soon! I have a quick poem I want you to read that my mom gave to me that I think about every single day.
I believe in you
In the things that are important to you
And in the way you choose
To live your life...
I believe that you can accomplish
Anything you set out to do,
That you have many talents
And the wisdom to use them well...
I believe that you have what it takes
To overcome obstacles
And to grow from every experience
Life brings your way...
I believe in your courage,
Your compassion,
Your integrity,
And your strength...
I believe
In your goodness...
I believe in you.
Thank you all again! Miss you guys and cannot wait to get back to Seattle in the fall. Go Dawgs :)
Love, Danielle Lawrie # 15
