Back to the grind.

The first week of practice is always rough no matter how much training you do beforehand. Your legs are use to moving at your speed and its probably been a few months since you've seriously pursued a ball to the floor. My first week of practice went just as expected: leaving me unable to walk by Wednesday. Surprisingly however most of my soreness didn't come from playing, in comparison to my training stateside this was my worse nightmare. Low weight, high reps...Olympic lifts. I'd always been a fan of Olympic lifts but after five years of traditional lifting my body wasn't accustomed to the technique I had once learned in my high school years. Monday was a lift day, an hour and a half lift day with a 14-time female Olympic lifting champion. It's fair to say after years of owning the weight room I had finally met my match. She wasn't very tall or jacked but could drop into a clean with a deep squat faster than I could blink. Myself, my roommate and a girl who had missed the week prior due to the flu where with her for our workout while the others cycled through with our assistant coach. Frustration is the only word to explain the lift for me. For a while I couldn't conceptualize the move, especially the "kick" that helps move the weight more effectively than improperly using your arms for assistance. Once I was able to grasp the technique and easily progress the motion into a squat we did overhead presses as well, my bread and butter. Overall, Monday was a good experience for me. It was the first time I had been challenged physically in a long time and the perfect opportunity for me to use different mental techniques to make it through the workout.

Tuesday. Holy. Sugar Honey Iced Tea. Did I forget to mention we did my all time favorite overhead kick hanging abs after our countless reps of cleans, snatches and overhead press? I thought I wouldn't be able to straighten my legs Tuesday morning let alone make it through two practices. Somehow I managed to peel myself out without ripping my hip muscles from their resting position. Tuesday practice was normal. Passing reps and movement in the morning then another high-intensity practice at night ran by our assistant in preparation for our first scrimmage Wednesday. Tuesday's evening practice would be the first and only time all of the team would be in the gym together taking reps before our game Wednesday. Volleyball is a game of adaptation. Your opponent makes a play X amount of times, you reply with the counter move. The same works for playing with new people. You stretch your limits and see how they react then discuss what moves feel most comfortable to them and how they can help you. Practice was good, I began hitting from that back-row that day, something I didn't do in college, but thankful my summer training had more than prepared me to execute successfully. After practice a man and woman in match plaid summer grass green shirts came to speak with us as we stretched. The translation: We're here for dope testing. Of course I had nothing to worry about but just like when the police pull you over, you always feel as though you've committed some major felony. Individuals chosen for drug tests were at random and it only occurred once a year. I was not called but I made sure to pay attention to the instructions they were giving those selected. 

Once back at home it was the usual routine: change, shower, make dinner, Netflix and FaceTime. Cooking in my kitchen is very simple, the only thing I had to lookup was the conversion of Celsius to Fahrenheit so I didn't burn my chicken. All my free time allows me to do a lot of food prep in the beginning of the week, which lets me keep my diet very healthy and clean. So does the fact that I can't read Finnish menus and everything closes around 5 except the grocery store.

Wednesday was another lifting morning. Cleans, tricep press and yup you guessed it, overhead kick hanging abs. Just like anything you try for the first time, the second time was much easier. I had practiced my clean form at home, I'm a perfectionist so judge me, and the abs are just a matter of repetition and strengthening that tiny muscle. Since today was our first scrimmage we left earlier to drive two hours away to our opponents home gym. The bus was small; four seats across the back with a table and three across, then a row of two, a row of three with an aisle heading back, table between, another row of three and the driver. At least we were in a Benzy? Even though the ride was tight it gave us time to bond. I was asked questions about recruitment and opportunities for college and after college in the US. I continued to just ask more about the culture and language. It was funny to see the girls reactions to things I told them about the U.S. It seems as though someone has painted a cozy picture of America and it's lands of endless equality and opportunity. These same expressions of complete disbelief would reoccur as I explained our healthcare system to everyone at dinner. Talk about a deterrent. Prior to the scrimmage, I experienced no feelings of nervousness. I was excited and really had no idea what to expect so I focused on my game. Our first match was against the best team in the league, they had won the league for five years in a row. Naturally I expected a team of 6'2+ girls with a dynamic setter and sick libero, that's not what I saw once on the floor precisely. Although the team lacked size they made it up in scrappiness and the well-known European shot game. As I walked onto the floor I instantly felt dozens of pairs of eyes staring at me. I don't know if it was because I may have been the only person of color they'd seen in months or because I was American but the stares continued the entire match. The match was great, a good opportunity to work with my teammates and get myself into six-rotation mode. It's an indescribable feeling to be locked in. I can hear nothing but my teammates and coach. The crowd disappears and it's as though there is light only on the court and darkness all around. It's a feeling I hadn't felt in months. Our coaches were very laid back during the entire match, he kept stressing that we have fun. I was very perplexed by this request. In moments where I would express frustration I was greeted by smiles and reminded that at the end of the day it's just a game, an idea I always used to calm myself after poor performance but ignored for two hours during the match. Viesti is a good team. Their key play makers are older than ours and their knowledge of the game put us at a disadvantage at times but our response was eye opening. In sets we would be down by a large deficit we'd fight back relentlessly, we even took a set off of them. To see the level we can play at after only two practices of all being together is electric. It makes every day in the gym worthwhile. Overall, my first match as a professional player rocking number nine in black and red, two colors I've been DYING to wear for years, was amazing. The trip back was tiresome, especially after a hearty meal of salad, mashed potatoes and meatballs at a common post-game meal stop. We got back to our meeting spot around 11 and just as I thought exhaustion was about to set it, texts started to pour in and conversations were budding. It was 4 pm back in the states. 

Thankfully Thursday morning was off. Yet again I peeled myself from my bed around 10:30 and relaxed some before lunch. Practice focused on attacking and defense, mostly block defense. I wasn't use to jumping after a match so I had to mentally prepare myself to make it through. After practice we lifted, again. Cleans and abs. I'm curious to know our coaches strength training philosophy but I'm unsure if it's my place to ask. With everything else that goes on in my life that I don't understand, I decide to give my best effort until I'm told to do otherwise. This morning, Friday, was similar to Thursday, but my coach justifies our jumps by saying we have the weekend off. This morning we did a lot more passing and work with our setter, which I appreciated. No lifting today! 

Today I am headed to Estonia to see a friend I had played with many years ago and actually stayed with during my layover in Detroit last month. It was so good to reconnect with her and see where she is in life. It was a little bit of a bia trying to coordinate my train ride from Tampere to Helsinki and boat trip from Helsinki to Tallinn but it's my last Friday evening off before normal practice begins so I made sure everything worked out. Catching the bus from Kangasala to Tampere is very straight forward, as is the train station in Tampere. I have about and hour until the boat leaves from Helsinki so I'm just going to roam around until I have to locate the harbor from which I am leaving. 

Whenever I speak with someone from back home, people always ask me the same thing: "How is Finland". So far my experience has been amazing. Great food, great people, and a beautiful country. I couldn't have asked for a better place to start my professional career and I thank God every day for this memorable experience. 

Moi moi. 

Side Note: High-top Converses, really high-top anything, are EXTREMELY popular in Finland. Looks like I have some shopping to do...