LIGHTBULB!!

So maybe it was the sunny day out there for today's practice, or maybe it was simply that it was time "I GET IT". But I have been struggling, even perhaps a bit worried about my ability to be able to actually do this sport. As my previous posts have described, the physical demand was not an issue, skills are not horrible, but definitely needs improvement, but my "aggressiveness" in one-on-one game skills and setting up/ comprehending "plays" was HORRIBLE!

I was having trouble improving on this aspect as well. I could practice fitness as i train for the knee knacker, I could even practice skills with my pro-husband.. (who doesn't really benefit in any way from helping me but does anyways) but for setting up plays... you can't practice without the whole team there, knowing when I was making mistakes, and me asking a number of questions trying to understand each role in a play and how I was to execute them. This was even more complicated by still having to have the skill aspect relatively proficient, or else the drill/play just falls apart anyways!! SO MUCH FOR THE BRAIN TO THINK ABOUT!

SO today.. at Grimston Park in the sunny weather we had another practice. I was pumped to be there. We'd had a week of no practices and I was eager to get back into it.

We started with some finally familiar drills which I could see myself improving now over the past few weeks and then we moved on to some more difficult (for me) offence/defence drills. Particularily this new drill where the coaches instructed us to work in pairs on the one side of the floor.

This required a fair bit of freedom vs them telling us where to go and what to do. So, paired up and making "plans" , and these plans included phases that were still foreign to me, I was going in blind.... But as I was in the moment- I GOT IT! So much made sense of that minute! It was like a giant lightbulb went off in my brain and I
completely understood what to do with ALL these drills and plays we were doing!!!!

Now, the major concept was understood, but there are still some details to be improved:

1. ANTICIPATE THE NEXT MOVE OR PLAY! I passed the ball, and then just stood there to see what happened instead of anticipating the next move (Kev says I do this all the time, in tennis, 21, etc),

2. WHEN THE BALL IS CAUGHT, AUTOMATICALLY PROTECT IT OR IT WILL GET KNOCKED OUT OF THE STICK. Kev makes fun of me if I carry the stick and ball like an egg on a spoon... it doesn't just look dumb.. you will get the ball knocked out of your stick.. trust me!

3.NO HITTING FROM BEHIND.... whoops.. if the girl turns and takes the hit in the back it a. hurts more (note to self.. take hits in the shoulder) and b. it's her own fault and i WON'T get a penalty for that...

4. LOOK AROUND BEFORE MAKING THE NEXT MOVE IF YOU CAN. When I get the ball I wildly pass it or shoot as if I am terrified of having the ball and getting rid of it! This usually makes for a crappy pass and a crappy shot. I am not sure why I have started doing this!

But overall there was a giant clearing of the fog and (I think) I actually understand! The rest of the practice went well too! I think I could focus on other things now that the big picture made more sense. I am beginning to feel like maybe I look good in this sport! HA!

I decided though, that I like practices so much I just want to keep doing that. I am not ready for any games yet! Especially ones that are in super sunny weather like below!