My Favorite Baseball Memory Is... Volleyball?

You want to hear something super exciting? Kasey and Jessa have started a BASEBALL link-up to help us count down to opening day! I may not talk about baseball much in this corner of the Internet, but suffice it to say that I have more Mets shirseys than I care to admit. (Almost all of them are gigantic, though, and only one of those players is actually on the team anymore. Let's not talk about it.) So Thursdays this month will be dedicated to talkin' baseball. :) Today's prompt is your favorite baseball memory, and mine is... rather different. I mean, hello, I'm a Mets fan. It's not like I've had anything to celebrate since 1986 (which was, oh, FIVE YEARS BEFORE I WAS BORN. No I'm not bitter, what are you talking about?).

I went to school at the University of Miami, where I double majored in sport administration and journalism. During my last semester I took a sports reporting class, which was every bit as amazing as you'd imagine it to be. The professor that teaches the class is a sports writer for the Miami Herald (Michelle Kaufman. Look her up, she's awesome), which means she has all sorts of connections in the sports world, which means she gets her classes some really cool assignments. Not only did we cover Miami Hurricanes teams for class assignments, but we also covered a Miami Heat game, the Sony Open tennis tournament, and a Miami Marlins game.

At the Marlins game, someone from the PR department spoke with our class about getting jobs in the industry, and that talk completely freaked me out. At that point I was still looking for a job after graduation, and hadn't had any interviews or anything, so I was already in panic mode. As we made our way up to the press box to get settled in for the game, it felt like there was an elephant sitting on my chest. But lo and behold, when I opened my laptop, I discovered I had an email from someone at USA Volleyball; they wanted to interview me for the post-grad internship I'd applied for.

Needless to say, I was over the moon. The rest of that evening was fantastic: the Marlins won, I kicked butt on my story, and all was well.

In fact, I did so well on that story that when MLB.com needed a writer to cover a Cubs vs. Marlins series a few weeks later, the job ended up in my lap. Seriously. And funnily enough, the first game I covered was on the same day as my USA Volleyball job interview. Both were entirely awesome, but I'm surprised I didn't develop an ulcer from the stress.

Not long after, I found myself back at Marlins Park yet again, this time as a spectator with my friend Christina. They were playing the Mets, and Christina (who covers the Marlins for all sorts of news outlets) was friendly with the Mets' new catcher, John Buck, from the time he spent with the Marlins. The Mets had acquired Buck in the same trade that sent R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays, which I was still completely bitter about. Long story short, Christina had told him about my bitterness, he joked that he'd have to prove his worth to me, and then went on an unbelievable hitting tear. So we went to this game in an attempt to introduce me to John Buck. Christina caught his attention while he was warming up in the outfield, and we actually did chat briefly! He pointed out that I wasn't wearing a Mets shirt -- the only one I had with me in Miami was Dickey's, and it would've just been too painful -- and said he guessed he'd just have to do more! (And he did. Got a few big hits in that game, if I remember correctly. LOL, the dude was magical, I swear.)

Anyway, while we were at the game, I checked my phone and noticed that I had a missed call and voicemail from a number with the Colorado Springs area code. It had to be USA Volleyball. Internally, I cursed a massive blue streak and put my phone away; if it was bad news, I didn't want to get upset in a public place. And it's not like I'd be returning their call from a baseball game either way!

As soon as I got home that afternoon, I listened to that voicemail. It was USA Volleyball offering me the internship. And I sat down on the floor and cried a little bit.

So, baseball may not be why this is my favorite baseball memory (ironic), but I will always associate my volleyball internship (and, therefore, the start of my career) with baseball. And I've definitely got some really good juju going on in Marlins Park. :)

Definitely Not The Last Straw

I've had this post in my drafts for almost seven months and, what do you know, suddenly it's relevant to my life again! So it's time for Christmas in July. Which is ironic, really, since I'm Jewish. But let's roll with it.

Waaaay back in December (it feels like a different lifetime!), I went to the USA Volleyball Christmas party. It was pretty fantastic, but I mean, after the Halloween party, does this surprise anyone?

Team Jamaica, still friends even after our bobsledding careers were over. ;)

A good chunk of the staff went out together afterwards, and by "went out" I mean "stayed at the same place but at the bar instead of the private room we had the party in." Because really, when the temperature is in the negatives, why go outside? Exactly.

That week we were graced by the presence of Bill Hamiter, the head coach of the women's national sitting volleyball team, who's based in Oklahoma. Since he was in town, he joined us for our holiday festivities. He's incredibly nice and was the life of the party when we were at the bar. He has a veritable arsenal of party tricks that he was showing off and teaching everyone, starting with this straw thing. Wish I had a better name for it, but no, it's just the straw thing.

Basically, you put a straw in your mouth so it's sticking straight out. Only using your mouth -- no hands allowed! -- you turn it sideways and shuffle it along to the other end. Then you turn it so it's sticking straight out again, turn it sideways again, and shuffle it back to where you started. You're essentially trying to rotate the straw 360 degrees.

I promise, it doesn't look or sound difficult until you have the straw in your mouth. 'Cause we all sat/stood around, straws sticking out at odd angles and littering the floor, whining about how we were stuck and couldn't turn it. Eventually most of us were able to turn it at least, but then very few were able to move it from there. That's where I ultimately got stuck; the straw sticking sideways out of my mouth. It was hilariously frustrating and I lamented about how I couldn't do it.

But then someone piped up. "Oh, no, I read your blog. I know how you are. You're going to sit in your room and practice, but never say anything about it. And then in ten years, when you're working at a different NGB and making five times as much money as the rest of us, you're going to have it down and be like, 'Take that, Bill Hamiter!'"

Well... I have not been practicing the straw thing. Whoops?

But there's a reason I wrote this all down immediately after I got home that night. This exchange happened a week or two before my internship ended and I was plunged into my first stint of unemployment. It was cool to know that someone reads my blog, first of all, and it was also really neat to hear that someone thinks that my eventual success is inevitable (though I definitely won't be rubbing anything in Bill Hamiter's face!). It's kind of hard to envision that life right now, while I'm not working anywhere and my big accomplishment for the day is getting out of pajamas and into real clothes. But knowing that other people have faith in me is a pretty nice boost and keeps me feeling positive! (Guys, it's been a week and I'm still riding my optimistic wave! This is UNPRECEDENTED stuff right here!)

For the time being, though...

Welp. Hopefully it doesn't take ten years.

Signing Off From Colorado Springs

A few years ago, right after my first close-but-no-cigar situation with regards to getting an internship out here, an episode of Castle aired about the murder of an Olympic hopeful swimmer. The night before he was killed, he'd broken up with his high school girlfriend. When they brought her in for questioning she told them about it and howled, "Like suddenly I was a distraction! Suddenly I wasn't good enough for Colorado Springs!" At the time, that line was a reminder of what I hadn't accomplished.

That episode was on TV yesterday. I watched it as I took a break from packing up my room at the very same place that girl was crying about. Considering this is the last blog post I'll write from inside the Olympic Training Center, potentially ever, I appreciate the eerie timing. Now that line is a reminder of what I have accomplished, which is pretty cool.

But I hate lasts. I hate leaving. I hate goodbyes that hang. Not "bye, but I'll see you in a few months!" but "uh, I'll see you again sometime in the future, probably, right? Maybe...?" And that's what this is. You'd think I'd be better at this by now. I've figured out how to get some sort of closure on a chapter of my life before ending it, but does anyone know how to make it, y'know, hurt less?

It's always the little things that sneak up and make me nostalgic out of nowhere. Of course I'll miss the beautiful views of the mountains, living with an awesome built-in network of other interns, unlimited swipes into the dining hall, walking around the OTC and thinking about who has trained here in the past, the fact that it's acceptable to be friendly to strangers, and of course my amazing internship.

But I know I'm also going to miss things like waving at the security guards as I pull into the OTC. I got my parking pass back before my internship was extended, so it expired on August 31... and when I got extended, I never got another one. The security guards already knew me and my car, so nobody looks at the date on my pass. I'm actually weirdly proud that I managed to never need a new one. I'm going to miss seeing my name on the mail board. I'm going to miss needing to take a running leap to get up onto my bed. I'm going to miss microwaving water to make tea in the lounge. I'm going to miss my classic rock radio station, the one that was playing in my car the very first time I turned it on. I'm going to miss knowing Charlie is approaching my cubicle because I hear the telltale sound of him dribbling his volleyball. And shoot, I might have to start getting coffee from McDonald's just to keep those styrofoam cups in my life.

Why? WHY? Does anyone else get so hopelessly attached to places and the familiarity that goes along with with your life in them? I've always been like this, and I think that quote up there sums it up. I like the way things are, and I know they'll never be quite the same from this moment forward. In the past that's always ended up being a good thing. Here's hoping that trend continues.

And with that, it's time for me to check out.

Colorado Springs, it's been real. Thanks for seven months I'll never forget.

Biking, Bowling and Bruising My Ego

When I went to Berlin back in 2012 with Jen and Amanda, we did an hours-long bike tour around the city. They were super gung-ho about it, and I was slightly warier. I mean, I couldn't remember the last time I'd been on a bike. But I used the stationary bike at the gym all the time, and Berlin is a very bike-friendly city, so I threw better judgment to the wind and went for it.

I was atrocious.

Okay, so a big part of it definitely had to do with the fact that my bike was just plain too big for me. They didn't have anything smaller (gee, this seems to be a pattern in my life!). So every time I had to stop, I fell over because my foot couldn't reach the ground, and then I had so, so much trouble getting going again.

It was bad. I was perpetually at the back of the group, holding everyone up, and I felt so bad for the guy designated to be at the back of the pack to make sure we didn't lose anyone. 'Cause it was me and him together, ride or die, that whole stinkin' tour. And he was an incredibly experienced biker, too, so I felt like a complete moron. But he was super nice about it, encouraging me and giving me pointers.

At some point during those endless hours, I learned to throw out whatever ego I had left. I was awful, plain and simple. No use trying to play it cool or getting upset about it or giving two hoots what everyone else thought of me. All I could do was laugh at myself, figure out how to correctly fall off that stupid, too-big bike and learn how to get myself started again.

And I did. I still wasn't fantastic, but by god, I improved.

Photo courtesy of Amanda. I did NOT have the wherewithal to take pictures on this tour!

Yesterday, I was right back on that tottering bike in Germany.

USA Volleyball held a Turkey Bowl, which was early office closure, bowling and nothing to do with turkeys. I hadn't bowled in god knows how long, so I knew I'd be bad, but what the heck? I'd go, do my best, and hang out with some awesome people.

Well, LOL, I was awful. Like, let's-not-even-talk-about-it awful. I just could not get the ball to stay out of the right gutter. I was trying to aim left, but my arm did whatever the heck it wanted, and it wanted to go right. It was like falling off that damn bike over and over again; I knew exactly what I was doing wrong and I still. couldn't. fix it. People were trying to give me pointers and coach me; do this with your body, do this with your feet, do this with your arm, do this with your hand, and you'll be good to go! Er, maybe it's just me, but trying to think about a zillion different things while simultaneously doing all of them just made me even more confused.

So I just laughed at myself. I mean, it still stung a little when people joked about how horrible I was. But hey, it was true! No point in denying it! I was even bestowed the honor of the Twinkle Toes award, given to the worst bowler on staff. Just in case you thought I was exaggerating!

As documented on the USA Volleyball Twitter account, lol.

Yep. That's a thing.

Towards the middle of the first game, the owner of the bowling alley came over to help. I kid you not. I don't know if he did that of his own volition or if someone asked him to, and quite frankly I can't decide which is more embarrassing. But either way, he broke it down for me. As you're bowling, point your index finger at the pin you want to hit, and when you follow through, make sure it's still pointing at that pin.

Lo and behold, it worked! I improved steadily for the rest of the game, and hardly got any gutter balls in game two. I ended the second game on a strike and a spare (it would've been two strikes if there hadn't been a freaking gutter ball in between!) and beat all but one person in my lane, improving my first score by almost 70 points. Twinkle Toes my ass!

That's more like it! #ballslap

As I was sitting there in this Twinkle Toes jersey that proclaimed loudly, "HEY LOOK, I SUCK AT BOWLING!", my boss turned to me and said, "I smell a blog!"...Am I really that predictable? (Don't answer that.)

Let's be real, it sucks being awful at things. But being named Twinkle Toes also gives you the chance to be Most Improved. So learn from people who know what they're doing, laugh at yourself, and don't worry, that bruised tailbone from riding a bike for four hours will heal itself way slower than your pride will.

IDK My BFF Kerri Walsh Jennings

My internship is pretty cool sometimes. Well, a lot of times. I've already told you the story of how I had a Twitter conversation with Misty May-Treanor, and saw the men's national team play against Bulgaria, and talked to Karch Kiraly on the phone... but this one takes the cake:

I interviewed Kerri Walsh Jennings -- Six Feet of Sunshine, four-time Olympian, winner of three consecutive Olympic gold medals, most winningest women's beach volleyball player ever -- live and in person.

She's in town for a few events with Peak Vista Community Health Centers; first was a volleyball clinic for kids followed by a VIP reception, and the second day was a "Breakfast of Champions" at which she was the keynote speaker. USA Volleyball got a table at the breakfast so Kristina and I claimed seats because, hello, Kerri Walsh Jennings. But then word came down from The Powers That Be that we should give the event some coverage. Twist my rubber arm!

It was decided that we'd do a quick "Humans of Volleyball" photo/blurb of her on Instagram. Kristina and I were all ready to do it at the breakfast, but yesterday the plan changed -- we were going to the clinic that afternoon to catch her there instead! *insert mild panic here*

So we just, uh, casually strolled into the World Arena (seriously) and, y'know, introduced ourselves to Kerri Walsh Jennings (seriously). Luckily, though, we were with our boss; Charlie's interviewed pretty much every big-name athlete on the planet (seriously), so he breezed right in, chatted her up and presented The Interns. And she introduced herself back, as if we haven't known who she is since we were in middle school.

The actual clinic stuff came next, and Kristina snapped away on her fancy camera as Kerri helped some little kids play volleyball.

(My iPhone photos are pretty lame, but click HERE for a gallery of Kristina's pictures!)

I shagged a couple of balls, waiting nervously with my recorder and trying to keep my feet from going numb with cold (the floor was laid over the ice rink). The initial approach is always my least favorite part of interviewing people, and I felt like a really awkward vulture circling her as she signed autographs for a bunch of little kids. But I eventually snagged her! And LOOK, there's proof!

Photo cred to Kristina, awesome my partner in crime! #BallsNetsAndMoney

Clearly, she's about eight feet taller than I am. But it was a really great interview! Important people sidled up to her to try and steal her away, but she never broke eye contact and actually made me feel important. She's also incredibly sweet. :) Every sport should be so lucky to have an icon so passionate about growing the game and giving back to the next generation of players. (And I'm not just saying that because I work for USA Volleyball. Kerri gets it.)

It was a very giddy drive out of there with Kristina, let me tell you!

This morning, it was up and at 'em bright and early to head over to The Broadmoor (fancy shmancy) for the breakfast (they served steak. STEAK). It was definitely a good call talking to Kerri last night, as she was totally surrounded by people today.

Please ignore the giant ear on the right.

Kerri started her speech by stepping up to the podium, kicking off her shoes and saying, "Seriously, I don't know how you do it, ladies. I spend my days in bare feet. This is awful!" So I think it goes without saying that she's overwhelmingly, ridiculously likable, even before she donated a ton of money to Peak Vista and then offered a two-hour volleyball clinic to the silent auction to raise even MORE money. She's also a really good speaker. She flat out said that public speaking is way out of her comfort zone, but instead of being awkward about it, she was actually incredibly personable and engaging. (Again, not just saying this because I work for USA Volleyball.)

And when it was over, I got to go to work and transcribe my interview with Kerri. Then THIS HAPPENED!

We got a HEART from Kerri! :D

But my favorite part?

Who the heck are these random 38 people favoriting this?

And there's also this:

Yay, that's me! I'm one of the newbies! :)

I never know how to end posts like this. I'm all "FLAIL FLAIL FLAIL, so uh, yeah, it was pretty cool." But just know that Kerri is every bit as awesome as she seems on TV and in interviews and that we're totally BFFs now, obviously!

EDIT: Sooooo...

*drops mic*