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RHIAN'S SOCCER JOURNALS:

MOTIVATION AND PREPARATION 26th March 2008

Today was a harder preparation day than the past few, as we build up intensity and endurance. We had two training sessions; one in the morning. and one in the afternoon.

To accommodate the two sessions, we had to get up earlier as well. A 07:45 am wake-up call is one of the major downers at camp. This is all the more so, because my roommate showed up at 2:00 this morning. Both Brit and D finally arrived from school commitments to join the fun over here in California. Unfortunately their flights were late, so they crawled in at this early hour.

This morning's session was the harder of the two. I can't remember exactly what we did, but I do remember applying A LOT of sunscreen. However, the worst part of the sun screen debacle is that now we are fully prepared, the sun has not been bad for the last two days. The temperature has been average, yet we are still applying the 50 SPF sun block!!! No one ever said that we are an intelligent team!

On returning to our hotel, we met our new Team Psychologist. Her name is Dr. Kirsten Barnes, and to begin, a happy birthday to her today. She is a two time Olympic gold medalist in rowing from the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. So, we have quite the crew around us these days, what with Kirsten and Marnie McBean from Olympic Rowing, and in addition, the appearance of Brian Stemmle.

Brian joined us today to talk about Olympic preparation and pressures. He spoke to us tonight, after supper. The Canadian Olympic Committee like to bring in motivational speakers to inspire their athletes, and I have found this to be an amazing program. To hear from people who have achieved so much in their respective sports is quite something, and I always come away from their talks motivated and raring to go.

Brian Stemmle, for those who don't know, was a skier who participated in four Olympic games. Brian never medaled in any of these Games, but that is of so little of importance when you hear about the set backs he overcame and what he did manage to accomplish in the the sport.

I took notes during the talks, as I like to remember what these speakers say, and benefit from what they explain. However, I have to admit that watching the video of his skiing runs at the same time as hearing him speak definitely added to the overall atmosphere and impact of the presentation. I think I should mention that quite a few of us in the room were teary-eyed by the end of the whole story.

Brian did bring up one funny anecdote that I thought everyone might appreciate. When someone asked him what it felt like to downhill race, he explained that one should imagine how fast a car is moving at 140 Km an hour. Now imagine standing on the roof on a pair of skis and wearing a leotard! We all got the picture. In his career, Brian suffered many injuries and I like how he explained that he came back from each potentially career-ending injury by setting little goals for himself along the way. By doing this he recovered his strength incrementally and built up his courage again to come back. Brian carried around a picture of the Nagano Olympic gold medal in his pocket for a year before the Games were actually held. He did this to remind himself everyday of the little things he would have to do to achieve his goal. It was a smart way of saying that all the little things count; Often, athletes focus only on the big picture. However, Brian really reminded us that it is the things we do today, and tomorrow, that will make the difference when it comes to tournament time. He ended his talk with a quotation from Walt Disney. "If you can dream it, then you can do it." It is a saying that can apply to anyone, in any situation, but it has special meaning for us at this camp.

As Brian says, "tomorrow will be another stepping stone along the way." With this thought in mind, I am going to bed. I'm tired and I want to give my best tomorrow.