I decided to start numbering my IG photos as well as my blog posts from the actual day 1: January 1st, 2017. This way we won’t reset every year, and I’m looking forward to day 500 (beginning of June, right?), day 1000 (end of 2019, I think), etc…
On day 446 (or day 81, according to the Old Calendar) I went in for a bit of practice before the big tournament that weekend. I knew my team was not very competitive, but I wanted any opportunity to get better. This year in VGVA I was bumped back down to Intermediate division after a year in Competitive—and I don’t like it. I get that there was a big influx of high-level players that pushed everybody down, but I want to be more than “at the cusp”. I know I can play in Competitive, and even hold my own decently in Advanced.
So I need to be more proactive. Dropping into higher divisions isn’t going to cut it if I don’t even get in half the time. Friday night at Britannia is good and shakes things up with a different mix of players, but the play level varies from week to week. What I need is to bone up on the fundamentals. I’ve signed up for a 6-week skills clinic at the Roundhouse starting at the end of May, and got a YouTube channel to look at, with lots of tutorials and matches to study.
Chop-chop. I hear evaluations are happen in June this year, instead of August. Makes sense for sorting out sponsors and jerseys and such before play starts, but it means I have less time to train.
Even though we figured we wouldn’t win any medals—or any matches, which really stings—my team did win something very special: our own VIP area thanks to the “Queen For A Day” video contest. We had comfy couches, snacks and energy drinks, a place to store our stuff, and the power to let only the coolest kids hang with us. So that was pretty sweet.
As predicted we didn’t get anywhere in playoffs but hey, there were lots of games to watch!. Lots and lots of games. Watching the big boys play is tons of fun, and definitely an inspiration. I want to tell myself I’ll be that good someday. And who knows? It might happen if I put in the work.
I also took pictures of flowers, because it’s that time of year. Even though the weather’s iffy, Mother Nature is showing off all over the place. Whether it’s pink, or green, or more pink, white, or pink and white together, or all the colours of the tea rainbow. With a nice little Easter Bunny-themed selfie, because why not?
Speaking of Mother Nature, I did visit for the first time this place called Bass Pro, in Tsawwassen Mills. It’s a… weird place, full of huntin’ and fishin’ and campin’, where everything is gendered. It’s a lifestyle that’s really alien to me, and it looks really freaking expensive. Though I guess if you’re regularly hunting for food, those big-ass freezers and duck blinds and things are worth it.