VOLLEYBALL CAMP DIARY: Elizabeth Salstrand, Junior Outside Hitter
8/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 18, 2008
With preseason camp underway for the 2008 Alabama Volleyball Season, different members of the team will take turns keeping everyone informed of the journey to the start of school and the first match of the season. Junior outside hitter Elizabeth Salstrand gets everyone caught up on the Crimson Tide's team retreat.
After practice on Thursday afternoon, the team loaded up the vans and headed to Birmingham. We stopped at the Children's Hospital to see baby Noah, our assistant coach Josh's son. Seeing that little baby angel was inspiration for all of us to appreciate everything and everyone we have in my lives. Being with my teammates and coaches really made it clear that I love those people and am very fortunate to have them in my life.
Dinner in Birmingham was our next destination. I was pleased with the chicken parmesan meal I ordered but was extra pleased when Coach Green surprised the team with chocolate cake! Which we all know was way out of character for her!! It was a dining delight.
After a filling meal the team loaded up again and headed to Camp World Song right outside of Birmingham. The team was ready for some bonding time and a nice day and a half away from everything. We got to our cabin and got to know one another on a different level. We played a game called "Step Out". Questions ranging from happy to sad were asked and if each person individually responded yes to that question then they needed to step forward in the circle. It was an interesting game to play because of the questions that were asked. One question was "have you ever been in love?", and "do you know anyone that has survived cancer?" etc. After we played that game, Ben led the team into Family Photo Album Night where we each shared pictures of our families and talked about our lives. I loved taking the time to do this because we got to see the people in each of our lives that touch our hearts and have an everlasting mark on our memories growing up. There were some funny stories too.
After we talked about our families we headed to the campfire for some much needed S'MORES!!!! We didn't bring S'MORES forks so in order to roast a marshmallow we had to find twigs. Brooks thought she could roast a marshmallow on a twig thinner than a strand of hair. She was proven wrong when the twig went up in flames within ten seconds. After about five S'MORES, we decided to tell scary stories... with a twist. As a team we made up our own scary story.
After an emotionally challenging day, the team finally decided to wash up for bed! With the whole team sleeping on the second floor, Amy, Lindsey, Christina, Brooks, Jennifer, Alyssa, and myself, thought it would be funny to sneak outside and make noises on the windows of Calli, Ashley, Stephanie, and Leigh's room. We thought we were so slick and would scare the wits out of them, but they knew it was us and the comment from Calli, "Go back to where you came from", told us that they were asleep and too lazy to be scared. We rounded up the troops and decided that it really was time for bed.
We decided as a team not to bring our cell phones which meant we were without alarm clocks. Coach Green volunteered to wake us up and she said it was like "waking up the dead". We were all a little groggy when we were walking to get breakfast, but once I finished my ham and cheese croissant I was good to go! The day started off with a few fun games including tag and a dodge ball game called "dragon". I love me some dodge ball! We weren't allowed to hit above the shoulders but when Amy plowed Alyssa in the head I had to laugh. There's always that one person that gets hit in the head and you just can't help but laugh...as long as that person isn't you yourself.
Throughout the morning we played some more fun games, each requiring a specific strategy. One task we had to accomplish was balancing on a swinging log while we sang a song. It took the team about six attempts to get on and keep our balance through the whole song. We talked through some strategies and evaluated what worked and what didn't work and in time we made it! Mission Accomplished!
After singing "row, row, row your boat" on the swinging log, the team split into two groups and competed in a telephone game. There was a Lego model built and only one person from each team got to see it and explain what it looked like to the next person, and so on. One person from each team was the builder and had to get the details from the person before them to build a replica of the Lego model. It was funny. I always like playing the telephone game because as you talk to people things that you say really can be taken the wrong way or interpreted the wrong way. So it was interesting to see what the models came out to be.
Finally it was time to refuel with lunch! We reunited with the coaches after they hiked up the huge mountain! They sure were brave to do that. For lunch we had chicken patties on a sandwich and some of us snuck sweet tea and pop to drink. : ) I got sweet tea... it was good. Brooks was tempted to fill her Gatorade water bottle with pop but she decided not to. She and I saved a chicken patties in a napkin for later... kind of gross huh? Oh well, it was good when our day was over. ...Lots of Laughs!
After lunch we headed over to the HIGH ropes course! Everyone but Brooks and Leigh completed the high ropes course and everyone went down the zip lines! That was so much fun but it was scary to take the initial jump off the platform. When I was on the middle beam of the course, the team was pressuring me into doing a cart wheel! I wanted to but I just could not get myself to do it. I did however announce to the team " I am a large person!" Guess everyone already knew that though. We were harnessed which meant it was completely safe, but I already have a fear of heights as it is. Which is ironic, as tall as I am. Amy and Mary Catherine used their arm muscles and completed a hanging ladder which was apparently a lot harder than it looked. Sometimes you look at an obstacle and you think it will be easy... then you learn that it was the complete opposite. After they talked about their arms burning from the ladder I decided that the high ropes course and the zip line was enough for me!
The retreat was such a nice experience with the team. It was great to bond with everyone on an element different from the volleyball court. Before we left the camp, we talked as a team about what each player will be dependable for. As the season progresses and as times get tough, we need to look back on what we each want to be dependable for and remember what each response was so that we can hold each other accountable. We broke it down and headed back to Tuscaloosa. We stopped at a gas station before the road to get a drink and a snack. I tried to get potato chips but Coach Green caught me. So I got an ICEE and mustard flavored pretzels. They were just as good and much healthier!
We made it back to Tuscaloosa with new great memories together and a day off before we got back into the gym to finish strong with pre season camp.
I love this team!
