Well, as usual this blog comes months after my last post, but luckily I have actual things in the now to talk about, rather than simply talking about what could be!
Before we get to me, I'd just like to say that it's nice to see Newbury starting to hit its stride. After starting the season 0-3, they have won 10 of their last 11 and from the former teammates I've talked to, everyone seems to be on the same page. Credit most of that to Assistant Coach Mike Houlihan. Sounds like he came in and decided to hold players accountable for their actions, and the players have responded. Rob Mullowney was a good volleyball mind, and I'm glad to see him doing well at Wentworth, but from the few talks I had with Houlihan we had a very similar philosophy about the game, and I wish I would have had a year to play for him! Hope they can continue with their recent success!
For me as a worker - it has not been pretty in regards to finding a full-time job, but I've slowly started to find small jobs here and there - I'll do some marketing for a company about 10 hours a week, I'm running a few clinics, I am slated to start reffing at a few local leagues, and a few other potential jobs are in the mix. It's nice to finally see some progress on all the resumes that have been sent out!
The crucial part about the jobs is that it'll allow me to move closer to paying off my final bill at Newbury, which is the final piece to the puzzle in regards to me applying for Grad School. I will not name the one that I will end up at, but I have verbally committed (as well as gotten a verbal commitment from them) to be their Graduate Assistant Coach.
I visited at the end of January and could not have been happier. The coaches were great, the players said all the right things and seem self-motivated, and the facilities were gorgeous. I walked into their arena and couldn't hide my smile, as it's a long way from playing at a school that didn't even have a gym! Everyone seemed extremely polite that I met, and I think it's an opportunity of a lifetime for someone in my position.
I would serve as a First Assistant as they don't have a paid coach in place, which may intimidate others, but I welcome the role. I was lucky in my first assistant jobs that my coaches gave me more than the typical workload, and although I have plenty to learn, the coach and I share similar philosophies, and I have no doubt that she'll help me along the way when I need it. I think I can learn a lot, but also bring my experience to the table to leave the program better than it was when I first arrived. I look forward to the Challenge.
In the meantime, I've finally broken out of my off-season, and find myself back at the level I was before I took my first break in quite some time! I hopped on with Northside Shockers, one of the top AA USAV teams in the Chicagoland area. I have played with/against most of these guys in the last few years, and look forward to being a part of their squad.
I remember the first time I saw them play, when AA was having a tournament at the Sky High facility in Crystal Lake. BB had one on a separate court, but I was able to catch their games when we had breaks. It's crazy to step on the court with guys that 5 years ago you looked up to almost as role models in regards to your play. Tony Jachera was about my height, but had an absolute CANNON of an arm, and I remember watching in awe as he made smart play after smart play, helped out by great setting by Kevin Kwon as his middle Ollie Tan was drawing blocks left and right. Now? I go to work with them in our first tournament of the 2010 season tomorrow.
Although the first couple weeks back were rough in regards to conditioning, I upped the amount I was playing, and this week I played 5 days straight with virtually no fatigue. Wednesday went to a strong open gym and felt about as good as it gets. Pep on the swing, smooth passing, anticipating the hitter and filling the lanes appropriately. Gonna stay up to listen to the UCLA/CSUN match online, then get some rest for an early rise tomorrow. Co-ed games have been fun, but I'm excited to let loose some of the "killer instinct" mentality that you just can't replicate in rec leagues/open gyms.
One final update: Made a highlight video from my last season playing - follow the link to take a look. I'll let others critique the actual footage, but as for choreography, I felt it was much stronger than my other videos, if nothing else because youtube didn't compress the quality as it did previous times! Hope you enjoy!
I will try to post in the next few days with a recap of my Chicago AA debut!
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