I think I'm ready…

I don’t know how to start this post. If you have been reading my blog for the last month you know everything has been about Sweet 16s. I have seriously slacked on my college coverage of local teams in the area. Sorry guys.

We trained, trained, strategized, ate, slept, dreamed, visualized, felt, and wanted that weekend in SC. As I walked away on Sunday afternoon with various bruises and mentally exhausted it still hadn’t hit me. The season is over. No Florida, no nationals rugby.

I know it may have been to much to want or desire, but we wanted it. A young Valkyrie team with rookies, new players, new positions, new ideas and we thought we had it all. And I am here to tell you that we DO have it all. We are a great team that works hard on and off the field.

We just couldn’t get it together in South Carolina. Maybe it was the storm that blew through Friday night that took our hopes with it. Saturday we played the Furies and we played our hearts out. We were a little slow to wake up but then got it rolling. I remember at halftime thinking this is a good game! But then realizing that we hadn’t scored a single point. We spent the whole game in their end and just couldn’t capitalize.

We lost 27-10.

As I stood in the circle holding my mates…I saw tears in all our eyes. Our souls fell out our bodies and fell onto that pitch. Walking away from that field was one of the hardest things I have ever done. All that work and we couldn’t make it happen.

Saturday night was almost surreal, I wanted to badly to be alone and be able to digest thoughts, feelings…I tried to walk around outside but it was all interstate and no green grass to lie in. So I grabbed my notebook and snuck around trying to find somewhere. I finally found a spot and let it all spill out onto that paper. My hopes, dreams, thoughts, loves, aspirations…all came spilling out.

I thought I was ready for Sunday and I thought we were ready as a team. We played well but couldn’t make it happen again. We lost 5-7. I missed the kick by inches and we lost the game. When the whistle blew I fell to the ground and all I remember is Meg and Traci holding me up. I sobbed and let all my emotions be shown. All of our hard work…all the time, money, etc…the sacrifices as a team, individuals…it was to much.

As I was walking to the car that afternoon…I knew I was supposed to be where I was. What if we had gone to Nationals? Would I be ready as a player? Would we be ready as a team? We had only played THREE upper-level matches this season. Were we really ready?

I guess we will have to wait for next year. Thanks for the ride Valks. Lets go camping!!