Made the Squad!

I am sitting in the Miami airport, having just returned from a spring break trip serving in the Dominican Republic with Young Life. The experience was life changing for me in so many ways! The week I spent with 57 new friends serving, completely disconnected from the rest of the world, was refreshing and full of adventure. Even though it felt freeing to be disconnected from my phone and internet access, a part of my mind was anxiously awaiting an email from Netball America about the outcome of preliminary try outs for Team USA for the sport netball.

I tried out for the team in early February, going into trials with an attitude of having fun. I've only been playing for a few years so I didn't expect to be a competitive canidate for the national team. Because I knew that I wouldn't be able to check my email, I put it aside in my mind until I got back into the US to find out. But for three days in a row, referances to South Africa came up and it was more and more difficult to put it out of my thoughts. Our trip leader brought his laptop and had access to the internet and on Thrusday, I caved. I sat under a porch on a bench next to a Dominican and went to check my email, ignoring the other fifty some emails to look at the one about the team.

Once I found the email, I didn't have to read too far beyond the first line of, "Congradulations!" to be moved with shock and exitement. I made the team! I started to shake and cry with excitement and couldn't say much more than an "oh my gosh, oh my gosh". For the Dominican sitting next to me, the language barrier between the two of us couldn't have been farther apart and I think he might have thought someone died because he gave me a questionable look, said something in spanish, and outstretched his hand. I shared a smile and thumbs up but couldn't say in spanish more than "bueno".

To be able to share this huge news with my 57 new friends on the trip was absolutely amazing. Even with each person I got to tell, it felt (and still feels!) surreal. I made the squad for the national netball team - wow! I am one of a handful of girls that they'll pick from when the final weekend of trials goes on in late April/early May. I'm so excited!