I remember back in November 2009, I was sitting with Cathy, Linden and my dad discussing volleyball options for the upcoming summer. I’m not exactly sure why I was even thinking about summer volleyball when the current season at the time wasn’t even half done, but I guess planning is always best done early rather than late. The previous summer I had played with the regional Team and because I enjoyed it so much I was interested in finding out if there was some sort of equivalent to it. That was when I found out about The High Performance Center and The Provincial Team.

I’ll be honest; my initial goal was to make HPC. Once that was accomplished, I set out to learn from all the knowledgeable coaches and players. My new goal became to take advantage of all the information and opportunities those 6 grueling days offered. It was towards the end of the HPC week that I realized I really wanted to pursue this experience to the end. So my final goal was to make Team Ontario. Looking back, I find it really weird that this wasn’t my initial goal as it probably was for most of the athletes at HPC. Then again, I’m the type of person to take small steps and slowly figure things out so making this decision last minute didn’t faze me too much.

It was a quick transition from HPC to Team O. Three days after coming home, I was driving back down the 401 to the University of Toronto to start training for NTCC’s. The theme of Team O training was Preparation. Paul Funk (a.k.a the Funkanator) along with the 3 other coaches were constantly drilling the following into our heads: “If you want to be a high performance athlete, you have to train like one. To be able to train like one, you must prepare like one too.” Little did I know, preparation didn’t only consist of having your kneepads, t-shirt and shoes on before the start of practice. A high performance athlete is punctual, self motivated, encouraging, focused and both physically and mentally present. For example, we had to plan out our meal and traveling time to and from Varsity Arena depending on our personal needs. (A little side note: I’m not exaggerating when I say, varsity Arena was the hottest place I have ever played in. No air-conditioning or fans were present. It also wasn’t unusual to pack 3 shirts and use them all in the course of one practice.) Once at the gym, which you had to be there early enough to help set up equipment and get taped if needed, you had to do a self-check to prepare your whole self for the training session. There were no excuses for showing up to a practice and not practicing your hardest. After practice, you had to take into consideration preparation for the next gym or weight session. So if you needed ice or extra attention, it was up to you. Our practices usually had one or two main focuses. From passing to team play, all aspects of the game were covered. I really enjoyed that because it meant that during that 2 hour session, you only had to concentrate and attempt to perfect one or 2 skills.

Being given the opportunity to live on my own was one of the highlights of my team Ontario experience. It was almost like a little prep for university. Amidst all the excitement, I quickly figured out how important organization really was. I’m not just talking about keeping your room clean, especially when you’re rooming with another teammate. Outside of the gym, the coaches don’t watch your every move to make sure you’re doing everything right. It’s up to you to know the schedule, where meals are and what time they’re served. The biggest piece of advice I can give is to discuss with your roommate if you plan on locking your door at all times and if so, to always have your key on you. Living in residence was great but it wasn’t fun getting locked out of the room while my roommate was already in the caf eating dinner. Aside from that, living in residence had its benefits; late nights card games, popcorn and watching Friends, little dance sessions here and there and of course, Russell Peters on DVD.

Sometimes it really pays to be a girl. While the boys stayed in Toronto for the remainder of their training, the girls got the opportunity to fly out to Winnipeg, Manitoba. For the last half of Team O, we trained there to compete in the National team Challenge Cup. Lucky us, the University of Manitoba (location of competition NTCC’s) was also hosting the National Team Training Center for the Canadian Women’s National Volleyball Team. The head coach was nice enough to take time from his busy schedule to do a session with us for an hour and a half. Even with such a short period of time, Lupo did not fail to demonstrate how smart and respected of a coach he really is. Not only did the coach spend time with us but 2 girls from team Canada graced us with their presence by hosting a classroom session. It was great to hear about their stories and separate paths to getting to be on team Canada.

I was on the 17U team which consisted of 10 girls. From the very first time I saw who would be on the 17U roster; I knew we’d have a blast. The girls as volleyball players were some of the most skilled and focused. As people, they were hands down some of the best I’ve ever met. Back at U of T, both the 18U and 17U teams trained together, so there were minimal opportunities for team play and bonding. I think the coaches wanted us to develop more as athletes rather than as separate teams. If that was the case, I think it was brilliant because I witnessed the development of all the girls due to the combined sessions. Due to the lack of team preparation, it meant that we would have to go to Winnipeg and play together for the first time. We were tentative at first also because we weren’t just playing against other provinces our age but 18Us as well. We were the underdogs so a lot of the big pressure that our 18 team might have felt wasn’t present and it definitely showed. The first half of the tourney we rocked. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun and such a drive to compete to win. The most unforgettable game was against BC, where we had lost the first 2 sets and came back and won the final 3. We learned that if you fight for something hard enough, you just might get it.

Overall, I had a blast training and playing for Team Ontario. It was a summer I’ll never forget and it’s not just because of the level of volleyball I was blessed to play at. If the volleyball was exchanged for another sport and what remained were the girls, I still would’ve remembered this experienced forever. The camaraderie between us was unforgettable and we still keep in touch which is a plus. Coming home was something I was longing for since the first couple of days it had all started because I missed my family and friends. But my emotions were conflicted because I had met girls who I shared a common passion with. These girls became my friends and now we’re all anticipating the upcoming volleyball season for a big reunion. After all this volleyball, one thing’s for sure. I’m pretty sure by now I could drive to Toronto and back with my eyes closed, I’ve been there for volleyball so many times!