Summer vacation is officially over!!! There were so many things I thought about doing this summer during the coarse of last season, and I just about did every last one of them this time. Keeping busy was the theme for me and the family this summer. There have been a few times where the kids have slept in to about 10 am (which is unheard of with them) because they are wore out from the beach, Sesame Place, Central Park, Local Parks, Family Vacations, etc[read more]
Summer vacation is officially over!!! There were so many things I thought about doing this summer during the coarse of last season, and I just about did every last one of them this time. Keeping busy was the theme for me and the family this summer. There have been a few times where the kids have slept in to about 10 am (which is unheard of with them) because they are wore out from the beach, Sesame Place, Central Park, Local Parks, Family Vacations, etc. It never stopped this summer,mainly because I understand that this season coming up will be a long season. Each day this summer I reminded myself that preseason is right around the corner along with new teammates, new coach, and new organization. Departing from my home to the airport to come overseas to play has always been pretty much the same. Same feelings stir up inside, reflections on my short time home, people i'll miss, moments that made memories, and just being on your own time playback in my mind as I drive to the airport. Packed the family in the truck and headed to JFK, those thoughts came on queue with me looking out the window. I took a deep breath and told myself 'Once Again It's On'. Long preseason, Long season, long winter, hard work, another year working abroad. I love my job and I know how blessed I am to have this opportunity, I am also aware of the many sacrifices that are at hand as well. Missing the growth of my nieces and nephews, seeing my mother, sister's aunt's, uncles, and cousins all grow and get older. My friends getting married and having a family of their own. All those things I miss a great deal of while I'm overseas so when i breath deep on the ride to the airport, that is also the reason why as well. I'm excited about this season for many reasons but the most obvious is basically because I am able to still do what I love for a living and to support my family the way I want to. With everything being new to me this year, it puts up an immediate challenge for me to get comfortable and into the 'swing of things' asap. The sooner i do that the better I can get into basketball form, mentally and physically. I say once again new coach, new team, new organization..............Its a great challenge for me and I'm looking forward to helping Oldenburg achieve the success they have had in the past. Hopefully my teammates and I can pave another road of success for the club as well, but time will tell. All I can do is try to do what I know I can do and push my teammates (and my teammates push me as well) to achieve elite success!!! With that being said, I take one last deep breath and say to myself ' Once Again It's On'
When we get into our profession we are immediately put around co-workers or a team to achieve a goal as a whole. So people are lucky to have co-workers they enjoy working with. Others can't stand the the team or co-workers they are surrounded by.Most of the time its hit or miss whether we have people we like working with. During my time playing overseas I have been very fortunate to have had teammates i've liked and enjoyed going to work with[read more]
When we get into our profession we are immediately put around co-workers or a team to achieve a goal as a whole. So people are lucky to have co-workers they enjoy working with. Others can't stand the the team or co-workers they are surrounded by.Most of the time its hit or miss whether we have people we like working with. During my time playing overseas I have been very fortunate to have had teammates i've liked and enjoyed going to work with. It makes life so much easier when you walk in to your work area to do a job day in and day out. Most of us know what its like to work somewhere where you don't like the people you are surrounded by. It's the worst feeling, you feel trapped and the look on your face gets sour each day you're there. Days seem to never end and the nights zip by so that you are back up and heading to work. Having people you enjoy being around at work is such a gift because it keeps the work area light, refreshing, fun, and positive as each day goes by. When there are days when you are drained and feel like you can't go to work, your co-workers energy will get you through most of the time. If you can't stand your team or co-workers you may not be able to get out of the bed to carry yourself through a long day. Its a bad feeling to see people your don't get along with day in and day out for a long period of time. It's not healthy to be the Grinch all day. It wears you down physically as well as mentally. But people who enjoy their co-workers, often take their bond beyond the workplace. For example, have you ever been out at Applebee's or someplace and you witness a group of co-workers having drinks, laughing, talking loud, and having a good time? People who like their co-workers can understand the idea of going out with the same people you punched the clock with all day!! That means that you've connected with each other on a personal as well as a professional level, which in the long run will help your work area. My current team I'm on now has got to be the best team I've been on thus far.The chemistry we have is great. On a scale from 1 to 10, our rating for fun, sarcasm, pranks and conversations is about a 12!!!! We stay loose all the time by quick jabs of smack talking and sarcastic jokes towards anyone. There are no exceptions, anyone who comes into contact with this team can and will get verbally destroyed if they say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing. From day one we've all had the uncanny will to be brutally honest about each other, mixed with jokes and sarcasm. But more importantly we've all excepted it and take no offense to it. The locker stays fresh with new material to use and new stories to listen to. So on the days when its tough to drag yourself to practice you know you'll get a laugh or some energy from the team. Thats our greatest asset, Our ability to have fun and stay loose is great. It has made this season continue a lot smoother and it helped us all get through the long season. I believe that this team will be the best team I will be grouped with because I've never seen guys so easy going and loose as this team is. It's amazing to me because it all came naturally, we all notice the joking, sarcastic nature in us all and added our own to the team. I can describe each of my teammates in as few words as possible at the drop of a hat and it'll make sense to us all because we spend so much time with each other but took the time to try to breakdown each others personality. Like for instance, B Lucas- KING of SARCASM!!!! (No one beats B at this) Kev Lyde- Ambassador!!! (Most of the heated debates and jokes start with him) Jan- 411 ( what we don't know we get it from Jan) Norm- Brooklyn Bomber !!!! ( exudes and epitomizes the product of BK) Drevo- Dexter!!!! ( Always Emotionless) B Brooks- Baby Boy!! ( Like a devilish little kid B dances to his own beat) Gibbs- Man CHILD!!! ( You'll never know he has a playful side) J Moore Boogie- Uncle JuneBug!!! (old man in a young body) T Martin- Hollywood- always into something eventful Phil - Band Camp Story!!! (Always Got a story for u) My team is by far the funnest team I've been on, and not just funny but enjoyable to be around. I've been lucky this year once again to have dodge the bullet of being grouped with co-workers I don't like. The colorful and charismatic individuals on this team has made my season more of a journey this year!!
Every year playing overseas begins and ends similar with me, and this season is no different. In the summer right when I come to an agreement with a club I get a sense of relief as well as anxiousness to get over and get settled with the team as well as with my family. Through the middle of the season many players tend to get homesick, injured, fatigued (mentally as well as physically) and aggravated with the repeating of each day being pretty much the same[read more]
Every year playing overseas begins and ends similar with me, and this season is no different. In the summer right when I come to an agreement with a club I get a sense of relief as well as anxiousness to get over and get settled with the team as well as with my family. Through the middle of the season many players tend to get homesick, injured, fatigued (mentally as well as physically) and aggravated with the repeating of each day being pretty much the same. This is when the 'season' really begins because the end and the beginning of the season tend to be blurs when u look back. I think back to when I first got here. Getting to know my teammates, fans, town, my kids teachers at daycare etc. was all aiding in balancing my time with basketball. Once I got use to a routine with everything my focus cut down to practice and playing. Slowly but surely I started to feel like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day. Trying to stay fresh mentally as well as physically is by far the hardest thing to do. Motivation tends to escape at times, so you find ways to get you through. Now we're almost at the end of the season and its obvious to recognize some calls the 'home stretch'. To be honest with you, there's not to many feeling better than this one when playing abroad. First the weather starts to break a little bit and one of those days will brush with a scent of home that gets you so excited that you have to calm down and remember that you still got a little while longer. When you talk to your friends who play overseas with you, the two of you start swapping stories on your plans for the summer. You also do the same with your teammate. Things as small as what's the first place you're gonna eat get guys going before practice. The thought of almost being in your own home, your own bed, your own car, and around people and places that are familiar to you, gives you a refreshing focus that will help carry you through the rest of the long season. There is no better feeling for me because you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Up until this point you have been professional and have worked hard day in and out twice a day since August. So beside getting paid, time off is also what players need to refocus. Whatever your teams goals or positions is, that 'home stretch' feeling will help you in your focus to achieve your goals because you know a well needed break is around the corner.
Copyright (c) 1998-2010 Eurobasket Inc. Disclaimer
WARNING:
Do not copy, redistribute, publish or otherwise exploit information that you download from the site !
Do not encumber, license, modify, publish, sell, transfer or transmit, or in any way exploit, any of the
content of the site, nor will you attempt to do so.
USA
