I am worn out, people.
After almost an entire month of traveling, dining, freaking out, and counting prayers, the postseason has begun. Now come the national team scrimmages, which begin tonight with a closed match. And the parade! Oh, the parade. Every day at work, people talk to me about the parade.
The national team has been practicing at Gampel with Dad, and the USA honchos have been over at my house for the past few days for dinner. It all culminated in a big shindig last night with the team also showing up, which was a bit nervewracking for me. On one hand it was really great to see Swin, Tina, Kalana and Renee, but on the other hand the amount of basketball greatness was overwhelming. At one point, Todd leaned in and said to Jenna and I "There are seriously some phenomenal people in your living room." I mean, where else am I going to watch Monica Wright, Jantel Lavender, and Kayla Pederson watch VH1 on my basement TV while upstairs Dawn Staley is eating my mom's spinach penne?
One perk of the evening? I finally got to meet Kara Lawson, which was fantastic. She had come over for dinner a few months ago, but due to a date, I was absent. That fellow hasn't stuck around, but thankfully Kara has. We talked at such lengths, she missed her bus back to campus!
One person I didn't get a chance to introduce myself to was Jayne Appel. I've heard nothing but unadulterated praise about her from Dad for years, and it was my chance to just say hello and tell her I thought she was very brave for continuing to play in the amount of pain she was in. Unfortunately, that did not come to pass. Debbie Ryan and Sherri Coale came over as well, which made me very happy. Those two are fantastic. I've known Debbie since I was born, so it was really great to see her and catch up. She told me that she and her husband read my blog, which was a bit surreal to hear. So, hi Debbie!
Another thing that is surreal? The fact that a year ago, I moved to New York City on a wing and a prayer and a very big makeup case, only to move home less than six months later with my tail in between my twenty pounds slimmer legs after realizing my dream may not have been what God had planned for me. It was the most difficult decision I have ever made in my life. I sometimes wonder what could have been, and these last six months have been tremendously difficult both mentally and physically. I have been through career shifts, employment trouble, and an eating disorder I'm still trying to navigate. But you know what? Family is created for times like these. It's like what Dory says in that amazing Pixar film about a father trying to find his son.
When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...
ally
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
it's a beautiful life
I'm going to try and make this entry as coherent as I can, but it's so hard not to just scream and type in caps for fifteen paragraphs. The last two days have been such unbelievable hours, filled with tears, laughter, and star-shaped confetti.
Monday morning I woke up, and ordered breakfast with my family at the hotel restaurant. I attempted to get some sun by the pool, but the weather wasn't exactly agreeing with me. After a couple of hours of being lazy, I went and got lunch at an adjacent hotel and ate it by the pool (I had been dying for fish tacos), then went on the bus to team practice. There was an hour of press in the locker room, during which Kaili was answering a reporter's question and choked on a hunk of banana and suddenly got helium-voiced. The reporter waited patiently while we howled at her.
After a whirlwind practice during which I made the buzzer beater shot again, we all got dinner at a rustic, elegant Italian place just outside the city. Dad and Mom had discovered it two nights previously and we ended up taking over the entire restaurant with our party. Over the course of two hours, many plates of bread, carpaccio, and pasta were consumed, and aside from nearly choking on cocoa powder when I tried my sister's tiramisu, I adored everything we ate. I sat with my sister, brother, brother in law Todd, and Todd's three friends who made the trip down with us. Our conversation ranged from top actors of all time to quotes from The Hangover. I kept checking up on the Butler/Duke score, and by the time halftime rolled around we were begging Dad to get the bus to come around and take us home. Thankfully, he listened, and we spent the ride back to the hotel watching someone's iPod app. I was brokenhearted for Gordon Hayward, particularly after watching a special report on ESPN about how close he really was, scientifically, to making that last shot. He was off by only about the width of a fingernail.
Tuesday morning, I woke up late and again had breakfast with my family. Shootaround was very straightforward. I was watching Kaili shoot after walkthrough when she turned to me and said "Should I shoot a three if I get into the game tomorrow?" I immediately responded "Um, yes!" To which she replied "Okay, I'll make one for you." And then she shot and hit a three from the corner. I loved that moment. Kaili's probably the senior I'm the closest to. We hang out a lot in the back of the bus during trips, and she's the one that convinced me to go on the Texas trip back in November, a trip that I still hold very close. At the end of shootaround, while loading the bus, I found out that Vice President Joe Biden would be attending the game that evening, and I freaked out a little bit. I mean, I've already met Obama. Now on to Biden!
After a nerve-wracked pregame and a quick run on the treadmill (which helped calm me down tremendously), I met up with my family and we all walked to the Alamodome on the pedestrian walkway. I could feel myself get more and more stressed about the game with every step. It wasn't until we got to the entrance line that I felt something off on my person, and realized my fly had been undone throughout the entire walk. It was clearly going to be that kind of night.
And the first half of the game did nothing to assuage my fears. I can't even explain what happened to us. We were either terrified, or the pressures had caught up to us, or something. But our faces weren't scared, just confused and annoyed. I was so stressed and horrified by our performance, I spent most of the first half in the bathroom, pacing frantically. When I did emerge, I was yelled at by my mother for wearing a 'doom and gloom' face. I didn't care. I wanted it so badly for our five seniors that the thought of this not happening was almost too much for me to bear.
At the beginning of the second half, I ran up to the bathroom to calm myself down. I repeated a mantra Mom had given me a few weeks ago, during a particularly stressful period. I kept saying "Have faith, and blessings will come" over and over again. I imagined Maya hitting threes. I practiced the art of visualization. And then, all I heard for the next five minutes were announcements that UCONN had scored. On my third visual of Maya hitting a three, I heard the announcement that Maya had done just that. Surely we were close! I ran out to the court and saw we were up by three! I ran down to my chair and watched the rest of the game, cheering and screaming and holding my mom's hand. It was a crazy atmosphere to say the very least. At one point, Jenna held onto her tummy and said, "Well, the baby's excited!"
One of my favorite moments of the entire game was when Caroline hit those back-to-back threes near the end to seal the deal for us. I felt awful for Caroline last year when everyone ran out to center court and she had to walk. This was her first full season in three years, and then on top of it she had a stomach virus throughout the tournament. So to see her make those big time shots was a thrill I will never forget, and it brought me back to the day I first met her after the North Carolina game in January 2008. Another moment I loved was when Kelly fell to the floor but kept her dribble alive enough to make it down the court. That girl is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
The game didn't truly end for me until the final buzzer sounded, which was very different from last year. In St. Louis, we had the game in the bag for the entire second half, so we were celebrating for a long time before the game actually ended. This time, we stood up holding hands and I counted down the clock, and it took that ringing sound of the buzzer for us all to realize that we had won. We did it. We were the National Champions for 2010, and we had accomplished something that most people dream about. And when that buzzer went off, the scream my family emitted was a combination of joy, euphoric, and dizzy relief. I looked up at the monitor and saw Meghan sobbing into Tina's arms, and that is the exact moment that I lost all control of my emotions.
From that moment on, the one thought in my mind was Dad. Get to Dad. Thankfully, our fantastic Big East liaisons got us sweet All-Access tags and we made our way onto the court, tripping over wires and confetti. I saw Dad getting interviewed by Rebecca (who apparently called his shoulder bag a 'manpurse'...good one, Becca!) and instantly teared up again. When it became clear that he was free from the post-game interview, I waited until Michael had his turn and then launched myself into Dad's arms, sobbing like a little kid. He whispered a few things in my ear to calm me down, and it was all gentle and very knowing. He rubbed my back to get me to calm down, because by then I was leaving eyeliner all over his shirt. I released him and wiped my face...and that's when I saw the camera, pointed straight at my nose. Then my purse, tucked under my arm, began to vibrate uncontrollably. My first thought? Aww, people are congratulating me on the win. My second thought? Oh crap. Everyone just saw me ugly cry on ESPN.
Sure enough, every single text message I received from then on in the night ran along the lines of "Saw your crying face on TV!" Hey, wouldn't you?
The next few hours are a big blur. From getting to hug Marisa (who screamed "I've got one now!" and subsequently realized she had carried Dad five feet in their postgame hug) and emotional speech by Dad in the locker room (where he mentioned that he was so grateful to have such an amazing group of women to coach, and how blessed he felt), to the mini-rally and trophy presentation at the Hyatt, to the amazing post-game meal and countless Sportscenter shoutouts, to Tina not taking off her net necklace, to closing down the hotel bar (at which my mother booed quite loudly) to giggling with Mel Thomas at 2 in the morning in the hotel lobby...everything is a joyous, wonderful mess. As it should be.
The next day was a chore, I won't lie to you. We were all running on about four hours of sleep, and the rainy weather we encountered on the flight didn't make us feel any better. Thankfully, the delicious chicken spinach wrap I ate on the plane home definitely helped. I skipped the Gampel rally in favor of coming home and crashing. After the last three weeks, I definitely needed it.
This year has been so crazy. There were a lot of supporters of our journey, but also a lot of downers and dissenters who said it couldn't be done twice. That we didn't have a true point guard. That our streak was bad for the women's game. Those people should stay away from women's basketball and go watch a sport more worthy of their time and energy. Like golf. I hear that Tiger Woods is one interesting individual.
This group of girls is my favorite out of all the teams I think I've ever witnessed under my father, and not just because of how close I am with them. They approach everything with such joy and zest, it's impossible to not get caught up with it. They are like my little sisters, all of them. And it's a blessing to be close enough to Tina to get to watch her take this next step in her career as a professional athlete, right here in the state that loves her the most (except for New York, and now they've got Kalana!)
Now, on to the post-season festivities, and my activities this summer will be surely documented on this blog. Stay tuned for the laughs, lunacy, humor and heartbreak that is Life Beyond The Postseason...
ally
PS. Just like last year, Dad watched the game again last night with me over dinner. And just like last year, he found plenty to bitch about. One good quote? "A lot of Tina's jumpers from the lane last night were the kind that you sit there and go 'That shot BETTER go in, or else you are in trouble.'"
Monday morning I woke up, and ordered breakfast with my family at the hotel restaurant. I attempted to get some sun by the pool, but the weather wasn't exactly agreeing with me. After a couple of hours of being lazy, I went and got lunch at an adjacent hotel and ate it by the pool (I had been dying for fish tacos), then went on the bus to team practice. There was an hour of press in the locker room, during which Kaili was answering a reporter's question and choked on a hunk of banana and suddenly got helium-voiced. The reporter waited patiently while we howled at her.
After a whirlwind practice during which I made the buzzer beater shot again, we all got dinner at a rustic, elegant Italian place just outside the city. Dad and Mom had discovered it two nights previously and we ended up taking over the entire restaurant with our party. Over the course of two hours, many plates of bread, carpaccio, and pasta were consumed, and aside from nearly choking on cocoa powder when I tried my sister's tiramisu, I adored everything we ate. I sat with my sister, brother, brother in law Todd, and Todd's three friends who made the trip down with us. Our conversation ranged from top actors of all time to quotes from The Hangover. I kept checking up on the Butler/Duke score, and by the time halftime rolled around we were begging Dad to get the bus to come around and take us home. Thankfully, he listened, and we spent the ride back to the hotel watching someone's iPod app. I was brokenhearted for Gordon Hayward, particularly after watching a special report on ESPN about how close he really was, scientifically, to making that last shot. He was off by only about the width of a fingernail.
Tuesday morning, I woke up late and again had breakfast with my family. Shootaround was very straightforward. I was watching Kaili shoot after walkthrough when she turned to me and said "Should I shoot a three if I get into the game tomorrow?" I immediately responded "Um, yes!" To which she replied "Okay, I'll make one for you." And then she shot and hit a three from the corner. I loved that moment. Kaili's probably the senior I'm the closest to. We hang out a lot in the back of the bus during trips, and she's the one that convinced me to go on the Texas trip back in November, a trip that I still hold very close. At the end of shootaround, while loading the bus, I found out that Vice President Joe Biden would be attending the game that evening, and I freaked out a little bit. I mean, I've already met Obama. Now on to Biden!
After a nerve-wracked pregame and a quick run on the treadmill (which helped calm me down tremendously), I met up with my family and we all walked to the Alamodome on the pedestrian walkway. I could feel myself get more and more stressed about the game with every step. It wasn't until we got to the entrance line that I felt something off on my person, and realized my fly had been undone throughout the entire walk. It was clearly going to be that kind of night.
And the first half of the game did nothing to assuage my fears. I can't even explain what happened to us. We were either terrified, or the pressures had caught up to us, or something. But our faces weren't scared, just confused and annoyed. I was so stressed and horrified by our performance, I spent most of the first half in the bathroom, pacing frantically. When I did emerge, I was yelled at by my mother for wearing a 'doom and gloom' face. I didn't care. I wanted it so badly for our five seniors that the thought of this not happening was almost too much for me to bear.
At the beginning of the second half, I ran up to the bathroom to calm myself down. I repeated a mantra Mom had given me a few weeks ago, during a particularly stressful period. I kept saying "Have faith, and blessings will come" over and over again. I imagined Maya hitting threes. I practiced the art of visualization. And then, all I heard for the next five minutes were announcements that UCONN had scored. On my third visual of Maya hitting a three, I heard the announcement that Maya had done just that. Surely we were close! I ran out to the court and saw we were up by three! I ran down to my chair and watched the rest of the game, cheering and screaming and holding my mom's hand. It was a crazy atmosphere to say the very least. At one point, Jenna held onto her tummy and said, "Well, the baby's excited!"
One of my favorite moments of the entire game was when Caroline hit those back-to-back threes near the end to seal the deal for us. I felt awful for Caroline last year when everyone ran out to center court and she had to walk. This was her first full season in three years, and then on top of it she had a stomach virus throughout the tournament. So to see her make those big time shots was a thrill I will never forget, and it brought me back to the day I first met her after the North Carolina game in January 2008. Another moment I loved was when Kelly fell to the floor but kept her dribble alive enough to make it down the court. That girl is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
The game didn't truly end for me until the final buzzer sounded, which was very different from last year. In St. Louis, we had the game in the bag for the entire second half, so we were celebrating for a long time before the game actually ended. This time, we stood up holding hands and I counted down the clock, and it took that ringing sound of the buzzer for us all to realize that we had won. We did it. We were the National Champions for 2010, and we had accomplished something that most people dream about. And when that buzzer went off, the scream my family emitted was a combination of joy, euphoric, and dizzy relief. I looked up at the monitor and saw Meghan sobbing into Tina's arms, and that is the exact moment that I lost all control of my emotions.
From that moment on, the one thought in my mind was Dad. Get to Dad. Thankfully, our fantastic Big East liaisons got us sweet All-Access tags and we made our way onto the court, tripping over wires and confetti. I saw Dad getting interviewed by Rebecca (who apparently called his shoulder bag a 'manpurse'...good one, Becca!) and instantly teared up again. When it became clear that he was free from the post-game interview, I waited until Michael had his turn and then launched myself into Dad's arms, sobbing like a little kid. He whispered a few things in my ear to calm me down, and it was all gentle and very knowing. He rubbed my back to get me to calm down, because by then I was leaving eyeliner all over his shirt. I released him and wiped my face...and that's when I saw the camera, pointed straight at my nose. Then my purse, tucked under my arm, began to vibrate uncontrollably. My first thought? Aww, people are congratulating me on the win. My second thought? Oh crap. Everyone just saw me ugly cry on ESPN.
Sure enough, every single text message I received from then on in the night ran along the lines of "Saw your crying face on TV!" Hey, wouldn't you?
The next few hours are a big blur. From getting to hug Marisa (who screamed "I've got one now!" and subsequently realized she had carried Dad five feet in their postgame hug) and emotional speech by Dad in the locker room (where he mentioned that he was so grateful to have such an amazing group of women to coach, and how blessed he felt), to the mini-rally and trophy presentation at the Hyatt, to the amazing post-game meal and countless Sportscenter shoutouts, to Tina not taking off her net necklace, to closing down the hotel bar (at which my mother booed quite loudly) to giggling with Mel Thomas at 2 in the morning in the hotel lobby...everything is a joyous, wonderful mess. As it should be.
The next day was a chore, I won't lie to you. We were all running on about four hours of sleep, and the rainy weather we encountered on the flight didn't make us feel any better. Thankfully, the delicious chicken spinach wrap I ate on the plane home definitely helped. I skipped the Gampel rally in favor of coming home and crashing. After the last three weeks, I definitely needed it.
This year has been so crazy. There were a lot of supporters of our journey, but also a lot of downers and dissenters who said it couldn't be done twice. That we didn't have a true point guard. That our streak was bad for the women's game. Those people should stay away from women's basketball and go watch a sport more worthy of their time and energy. Like golf. I hear that Tiger Woods is one interesting individual.
This group of girls is my favorite out of all the teams I think I've ever witnessed under my father, and not just because of how close I am with them. They approach everything with such joy and zest, it's impossible to not get caught up with it. They are like my little sisters, all of them. And it's a blessing to be close enough to Tina to get to watch her take this next step in her career as a professional athlete, right here in the state that loves her the most (except for New York, and now they've got Kalana!)
Now, on to the post-season festivities, and my activities this summer will be surely documented on this blog. Stay tuned for the laughs, lunacy, humor and heartbreak that is Life Beyond The Postseason...
ally
PS. Just like last year, Dad watched the game again last night with me over dinner. And just like last year, he found plenty to bitch about. One good quote? "A lot of Tina's jumpers from the lane last night were the kind that you sit there and go 'That shot BETTER go in, or else you are in trouble.'"
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
where them bloggers at?
There are so many emotions running through my body right now. Exhaustion is chief among them. I'm running on four hours of sleep, hotel coffee, and half a cinnamon bagel with yogurt and an apple. But also mixed in there is elation. And relief. And pure joy.
And I didn't even get a chance to blog about the Baylor game yet. So this entry will focus on that day and that game.
After meeting my family in the hotel bar, the great walk to the Alamodome began. We had asked the bartenders about the directions to the arena, so we figured it would take less than fifteen minutes. I think that it's safe to say our bartenders were trying to mess with us, because it took about twenty, stumbling around on the side of a Texas highway. It didn't hit us until later in the game that the area above where we were walking was actually a pedestrian walkway, and that thousands of fans were making their way along with us, but at a totally different time and probably in a much easier fashion. I don't mind saying it: I nearly died about fourteen separate times. Nobody knows how to jaywalk like my mom.
We arrived at the game in one piece, and I was pretty shocked at how many people from CT had made the trip. But then again, why should I be? I'm not exaggerating when I say that our fans are the most dedicated and devoted in the country, almost to the point of fanatical. It's a great thing to see when the UCONN fans outnumber the Baylor contingent, and it's a four hour plane ride from Connecticut and a three hour car trip from Waco. What a sight.
Once we got to the Alamodome, I stayed with Nonna while Mom got waters for the group. We had to wait at the top of the stairs while swarms of people made their way up to the bathrooms and concessions. Nonna curled close to me as numerous people stared, pointed, and even exclaimed "ARE YOU GENO'S MOTHER?!" It was pretty classic, although Nonna kind of doesn't like all the attention. At one point, after smiling and nodding at the thirteenth gawker, she turned to me and whispered "What the hell are these people doing, staring at me? I don't like this, Lysa." I whispered back, "that's the price you pay for being such a celeb, Non."
As we were waiting, the Stanford/OK game was winding down. We had been on our little pilgrimage to the dome when i got a text message from my sister, exclaiming Oklahoma had cut the lead to four with 2 minutes remaining. I wanted to run to the arena and see the ending, but we got there with about twenty seconds left. I felt so bad for Oklahoma. I would've really liked to play Stacey's team in the championship, as a sort of companion piece to our 2002 run. That would've made for great theatre. Of course, the end result was still pretty interesting. But that's, like I said, for another blog.
We reached our seats in one piece, and that's when the nerves kicked in. I always get a bit nervous for the semifinals, especially since the 2001 game when it all just slipped away in the second half. I'm constantly on edge because of that heartbreak, and I just wanted it so badly for our five seniors, it was driving me insane. Plus, I think Brittney Griner could literally murder me with one hand.
Thankfully, we came out in that first half and played lights out. I was jumping up and down, screaming, clapping, and watching Maya just blow the competition away. But as happy as I was for Maya, I was even happier for Tina. She completely disrupted Brittney Griner's game to the point where, as I later found out, Griner begged Kim Mulkey to get her out of the game. Tina had quite simply worn her out. Another highlight of the first half for me was walking into the bathroom at one point and seeing Jamelle, Tamika, and Swin all at the same time. I didn't get a chance to say hi to Swin but I shared a screaming hug with Tamika that I'm sure caused a lot of stares our way. And of course, every five people who came up to us to say hello simply had to touch Jenna's baby bump. But thankfully, every single person who did it prefaced their action with "Is it okay if I...?"
I loved seeing the individual team stuff on the Jumbotron, particularly one in which Dad implored the entire Alamodome with shouts of "Husky fans! Come on! Get on your feet! Don't leave me alone here!"
The second half was a bit dicey for all of us, especially that first five minutes. We kind of lost our composure and didn't put the game away, and Baylor came out and just tore up our defense. Brittney's move, a drop step layup, is effective, and around the third time she did it I got a bit worried. Then we found our footing thanks to Maya and Tina, and we turned it all around. When we go on runs, it is pretty impossible to stop us. That's our trademark, and I think it will never be equaled by any other team.
One of the extreme highlights of the game wasn't actually on the court, but came courtesy of the 'fan cam' used by ESPN. At one point during a TV timeout, the cameraman came over to our section and pointed the camera directly at Jenna. Had he been any closer, I think he would've seen her brain through her nose. Now, a normal person would have grinned and bore it, and just waved hi or done something. My sister's reaction was to put her hands in front of her face, wave them like she was at a rave, and say over and over again, "NO! NO NO NO NO NO GET IT AWAY." The camera man didn't listen, and kept his lens square in her face. Finally, after about five minutes of Jenna's flailing and shouting, he moved to another section. Thankfully they didn't use the footage, or they would've thought Geno's eldest is prone to rage blackouts.
I wish I could remember some of the things that my brother in law, Todd, was saying during the game. They were all absolutely hysterical. But my two favorites occurred in the second half. When Tina was called for a shooting foul far, far away from the basket, Todd stood up and yelled "Horrible call! She was running for the doors!" Then, as Maya releasing a a high-arcing floater, he threw his hands into the air and screamed "JORDAN!!!"
After the game (and waving to Dad as he walked off the court), I walked with my Mom back to the hotel on the actual pedestrian walkway instead of on the side of the road. It seemed to us like a mass exodus out of the Old Testament. I kept wondering aloud "Where's Moses?!" After a short walk up the Riverwalk we happened upon the Hard Rock Cafe, where I managed to satiate my Lent sacrifice with a peanut butter and chocolate dessert shooter. If you haven't had this thing, I urge you to seek out your nearest Hard Rock Cafe and eat it, pronto. Go right now, in fact. I also managed to finish off my sister's ice cream as a sort of digestive.
I will write the National Championship game edition of my blog tomorrow. Too much detail and too much emotion to pack into one edition.
Except I will say this: Rebecca calling Dad's satchel a 'manpurse' was the funniest thing ever...
ally
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome...
Or should I say...Bienvenudos a San Antonio, mi amigas!
That was probably heinous Spanish, but it's the thought and enthusiasm that counts, am I right? Right?!
Out of all of the cities I've been to for a Final Four, I must say that San Antonio is my ultimate favorite (with Phildelphia being an extremely close second. I can only wish that all of you can someday experience the beauty of this city. Except for the heat. The heat/humidity is so bad, I swear I've inflated like a Nerf football.
The flight down was fairly peaceful, save for a few bumps every now and then. Our flight crew had decked out the side of the plane with signs and banners screaming out that yes, this was the UCONN plane. The flight attendant was a bit of a flake (i haven't had the best luck with flight attendants lately, have I?). We flew out of a bright, sunny, warm Connecticut, so I was hoping San Antonio would be the exact same, only multiplied by 1000. We landed...and it was cloudy and slightly rainy. I sucked down all of my complaints and boarded the bus. We took a short detour to the Alamo for a team picture, which, of course, was just as great as I had remembered. It was a bit different being there in the height of spring, rather than the middle of winter.
The best surprise of the day came when we got to our hotel-a mariachi band and huge crowd, celebrating our arrival! We each got an Easter basket with chocolate Reese's eggs and cascarones (confetti filled eggs), as well as offers of melon juice. We received a very warm welcome from the head of our travel party, and made our way upstairs for dinner (fajitas!).
I wish I could tell you that I spent the rest of the next day with the team, at practice. I wish I could talk about the ins and outs of everything that went down at closed practice, open practice, and beyond. But...I went shopping with my mom and sister, and enjoyed a leisurely lunch with plenty of guacamole, then hung out in my room and read magazines. It's the simple things, really, that give me pleasure.
Friday night was the big welcome banquet, or 'Premiere'. After the players got their rings sized and had some dinner shoved into them (literally...they kept ordering us to eat faster), we walked over to another ballroom for the main event. The NCAA treated the entire thing like the opening-night party of a huge movie, including the addition of a red carpet, which I thought was hysterical. I went with my sister, who kind of balked at the idea of walking a red carpet. As did I! I wasn't playing in any of the games, why did I need to make a spectacle of myself? But it was all in good fun. I especially enjoyed the sight of my sister walking the red carpet looking straight ahead, holding a glass of water. She can do whatever she wants now, right? She's carrying Geno's grandchild.
Speaking of that blessed event, I'm so excited. I'm going to be an aunt! I've had to keep a lid on that news for about four months, so now that it's out in the open I can just say we are pleased as punch and it's going to be one loved, worshipped, spoiled baby. Moving on!
The inside of the arena was a cross between a movie theatre and a rave, complete with glow-in-the-dark rings and noisemakers shaped like stars, which my sister and I thoroughly abused. After an introduction by 'party starters' dressed like referees (I wish I were making that up), the teams were made to walk a kind of runway, with one spokeswoman from each team announcing them with a little tidbit about each team. Kaili was picked as our announcer, and personally I thought she was the best. The girls were escorted down the runway by a little blonde boy, who didn't escort them so much as run behind them. When Dad was announced, he walked out, saw the little boy, and motioned to him like "What the hell are you doing?" It was classic.
After the intros came a question and answer session with the coaches, led by Hannah Storm. No revelations to report, although Dad got a huge kick out of Kim Mulkey's leather jacket. "When do we get our official Members Only jackets?" he asked loudly. Kim's reply? "I'll trade you. You get the jacket, we get your timeouts and no shot clock!"
The night closed with a replaying of 'The Power of the Dream', the unofficial anthem of the women's tournament. It's supposed to be our 'One Shining Moment' of sorts...but honestly, both songs are awful. They just are. Not as bad as 'Sneakernight' by any means. But still. The night closed with me, my sister, and my mom in my mom and dad's hotel room, eating Edible Arrangements and watching the replay of the 1995 national championship game on ESPNClassic.
Yesterday I was too exhausted and dehydrated from all the sun and fun to even do anything remotely related to the team, so once again I rainchecked. I spent the day out by the pool with my family, ordering lunch and watching my brother drink Dos Equis. It was a much nicer day than the day before, which had been unbearably sticky. That night came the arrival of my Nonna, aunt Anna, and my weekend roommate, my cousin Stephanie. I love Stephanie because we're incredibly alike in a lot of ways: We both love makeup, clothes, shoes, and we have a tendency to be messy. We ordered room service and watched the men's semifinals. I thought the moment shared by Bob Huggins and Desean Butler was one of the most moving and memorable of any tournament I've seen. You could tell that they really both just respect and love each other, and Butler's agony on the floor gripped me in a way no fictional drama ever could.
Today is Easter, so once again, I spent the majority of the day with my family. Apparently CD had the team go on an Easter Egg hunt! After breakfast (where we heard a few people at the tables whisper loudly "It's the whole family!" like we were God's relatives), we went to church at the local parish which was very nice but it was led by a pastor who was the reincarnation of Harry Kalas. i thought he was going to start talking about Jesus' RBIs.
I write this poolside, as the sun struggles to part from the clouds. It's been off and on sunny today. And I'm not going to lie, so has my mood. On one hand, I'm extremely excited to watch tonight's game. The other hand is terrified. I always get nervous, but this is different. I don't want this trip to end like the last time my whole family came down to a Final Four-Tampa, 2008. I spent the night crying in my hotel room that night as I carefully repacked my things, waiting for the news about our flight home the next morning.
I hate that feeling. Let's hope tonight isn't a repeat of the worst kind...
ally
That was probably heinous Spanish, but it's the thought and enthusiasm that counts, am I right? Right?!
Out of all of the cities I've been to for a Final Four, I must say that San Antonio is my ultimate favorite (with Phildelphia being an extremely close second. I can only wish that all of you can someday experience the beauty of this city. Except for the heat. The heat/humidity is so bad, I swear I've inflated like a Nerf football.
The flight down was fairly peaceful, save for a few bumps every now and then. Our flight crew had decked out the side of the plane with signs and banners screaming out that yes, this was the UCONN plane. The flight attendant was a bit of a flake (i haven't had the best luck with flight attendants lately, have I?). We flew out of a bright, sunny, warm Connecticut, so I was hoping San Antonio would be the exact same, only multiplied by 1000. We landed...and it was cloudy and slightly rainy. I sucked down all of my complaints and boarded the bus. We took a short detour to the Alamo for a team picture, which, of course, was just as great as I had remembered. It was a bit different being there in the height of spring, rather than the middle of winter.
The best surprise of the day came when we got to our hotel-a mariachi band and huge crowd, celebrating our arrival! We each got an Easter basket with chocolate Reese's eggs and cascarones (confetti filled eggs), as well as offers of melon juice. We received a very warm welcome from the head of our travel party, and made our way upstairs for dinner (fajitas!).
I wish I could tell you that I spent the rest of the next day with the team, at practice. I wish I could talk about the ins and outs of everything that went down at closed practice, open practice, and beyond. But...I went shopping with my mom and sister, and enjoyed a leisurely lunch with plenty of guacamole, then hung out in my room and read magazines. It's the simple things, really, that give me pleasure.
Friday night was the big welcome banquet, or 'Premiere'. After the players got their rings sized and had some dinner shoved into them (literally...they kept ordering us to eat faster), we walked over to another ballroom for the main event. The NCAA treated the entire thing like the opening-night party of a huge movie, including the addition of a red carpet, which I thought was hysterical. I went with my sister, who kind of balked at the idea of walking a red carpet. As did I! I wasn't playing in any of the games, why did I need to make a spectacle of myself? But it was all in good fun. I especially enjoyed the sight of my sister walking the red carpet looking straight ahead, holding a glass of water. She can do whatever she wants now, right? She's carrying Geno's grandchild.
Speaking of that blessed event, I'm so excited. I'm going to be an aunt! I've had to keep a lid on that news for about four months, so now that it's out in the open I can just say we are pleased as punch and it's going to be one loved, worshipped, spoiled baby. Moving on!
The inside of the arena was a cross between a movie theatre and a rave, complete with glow-in-the-dark rings and noisemakers shaped like stars, which my sister and I thoroughly abused. After an introduction by 'party starters' dressed like referees (I wish I were making that up), the teams were made to walk a kind of runway, with one spokeswoman from each team announcing them with a little tidbit about each team. Kaili was picked as our announcer, and personally I thought she was the best. The girls were escorted down the runway by a little blonde boy, who didn't escort them so much as run behind them. When Dad was announced, he walked out, saw the little boy, and motioned to him like "What the hell are you doing?" It was classic.
After the intros came a question and answer session with the coaches, led by Hannah Storm. No revelations to report, although Dad got a huge kick out of Kim Mulkey's leather jacket. "When do we get our official Members Only jackets?" he asked loudly. Kim's reply? "I'll trade you. You get the jacket, we get your timeouts and no shot clock!"
The night closed with a replaying of 'The Power of the Dream', the unofficial anthem of the women's tournament. It's supposed to be our 'One Shining Moment' of sorts...but honestly, both songs are awful. They just are. Not as bad as 'Sneakernight' by any means. But still. The night closed with me, my sister, and my mom in my mom and dad's hotel room, eating Edible Arrangements and watching the replay of the 1995 national championship game on ESPNClassic.
Yesterday I was too exhausted and dehydrated from all the sun and fun to even do anything remotely related to the team, so once again I rainchecked. I spent the day out by the pool with my family, ordering lunch and watching my brother drink Dos Equis. It was a much nicer day than the day before, which had been unbearably sticky. That night came the arrival of my Nonna, aunt Anna, and my weekend roommate, my cousin Stephanie. I love Stephanie because we're incredibly alike in a lot of ways: We both love makeup, clothes, shoes, and we have a tendency to be messy. We ordered room service and watched the men's semifinals. I thought the moment shared by Bob Huggins and Desean Butler was one of the most moving and memorable of any tournament I've seen. You could tell that they really both just respect and love each other, and Butler's agony on the floor gripped me in a way no fictional drama ever could.
Today is Easter, so once again, I spent the majority of the day with my family. Apparently CD had the team go on an Easter Egg hunt! After breakfast (where we heard a few people at the tables whisper loudly "It's the whole family!" like we were God's relatives), we went to church at the local parish which was very nice but it was led by a pastor who was the reincarnation of Harry Kalas. i thought he was going to start talking about Jesus' RBIs.
I write this poolside, as the sun struggles to part from the clouds. It's been off and on sunny today. And I'm not going to lie, so has my mood. On one hand, I'm extremely excited to watch tonight's game. The other hand is terrified. I always get nervous, but this is different. I don't want this trip to end like the last time my whole family came down to a Final Four-Tampa, 2008. I spent the night crying in my hotel room that night as I carefully repacked my things, waiting for the news about our flight home the next morning.
I hate that feeling. Let's hope tonight isn't a repeat of the worst kind...
ally
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