Orange Beach Preseason Diary by Katie Holtzapfel: Day Four
8/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
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Although it's hard to believe, the fourth day is already over, and today very well could have been the most memorable since we've been here, but not necessarily for the good. We started practice this morning as usual with Jesper's fitness, until Coach handed us some good news and really bad news. Coach first told us that we got a commitment from a very significant recruit for the 2004 season. He then gave us the bad news about one of our current players. Christel Osberry, a redshirt freshman from Central High School in Tuscaloosa, hurt her knee on the very first day here. No one here had really given her a diagnosis, so all of us were hoping for a sprain or anything besides what it turned out to be. Coach told us this morning that the worst had happened, and she'd be having surgery today. It's always sad to see an injury like that happen to anyone, but Christel worked so hard this past summer and came to preseason fitter than she's ever been. Everyone on the team wishes her the best with her recovery from surgery, and we'll be keeping her in our prayers.
After the morning session, we all headed back to the condos, as usual. Since we have three vans carting all of us back and forth to the fields, we all arrive at the condos at different times after practice. So, as part of the last group to make it back, I'm standing outside the elevator with Dawn Nash, Laura Lowman, and Jiselle Decker, and before long, we realize the elevator was taking much longer than usual. It wasn't but just a few seconds later that Dawn heard Lauren (Imwalle, that is) talking behind the elevator door. When Dawn yelled to her, Lauren told us she, and not to mention fifteen others, were trapped in the elevator, and had been for ten minutes. Before we could even make a call for help, a man inside pried the door open. Once the Alabama Soccer Team climbed to freedom (the elevator had dropped below the first floor, and they had to climb out of it), the stories started flying from every direction. Apparently, once the elevator made it to the fourth floor, it dropped and hit bottom. Once they realized they were truly stuck, it's understandable they panicked a bit, but it's only typical of our team to immediately panic over missing lunch. Emily Pitek, one of our freshmen from Buffalo, New York, calmed everyone's fears when she pulled out some beef jerky from her bag, just in case those trapped inside needed sustenance. Thank goodness they were saved before rationing had to take place.
After the traumatic elevator incident, we all grabbed some lunch and headed to the pool for the first time since we've been here. Since we ate dinner tonight at Baker's house, Coach gave us the evening off from practice, and we definitely took advantage of our time off. A few of agreed today that Courtney Cockrill, a redshirt freshman from Austin, Texas, is having an incredible preseason. She's one of the fittest players on the team and has made such huge strides since having shoulder surgery last fall. She's hitting nearly every shot she takes on goal and is really competing for a starting spot this fall. Allison DeLisle, a sophomore from Huntsville, is another having an outstanding preseason, and she has most definitely thrown herself in the mix for a starting spot as well.
We finished off the evening with a great dinner at Rebecca Baker's house. This isn't the first time we've visited the Baker's house, and that's a major reason why we consider Orange Beach our home away from home. Well, another day has passed, and we only have one day left here at Orange Beach before we head back to Tuscaloosa. If everything goes as planned, we should finish on a good note and hopefully finish up our preseason on an even better note on our home field.
Roll Tide!
Katie
