#23 You’ll Never Walk Alone: Mi Familia Vasca
Look. at. these. SMILES. and look at proud Paula’s mud ball collection lol :D
AH this photo fills me with happiness. Two weeks ago we had a hell of a game. We held the opposing team up from the try line at least 3 times in the final 10 minutes. We won 10-5. It was muddy, rainy, and gosh darn it was cold. We fought hard through the pain of the cold and the ache in our muscles trying to run through the slippery mud. The day before I had coached my under 8 year old team at their tournament. Their field was in even worse conditions than ours that day. Some played with a huge smile on their face while others were sobbing begging to be taken out of the cold wet field. I was surprised to find that the kids in Basque Country still play even when it’s thundering and the pitch resembles Shrek’s swamp. Although I think the hot chocolate and cookies at the third half made it up to them (it did for me). None the less when I took the field the following day I couldn’t help but think of the kids. I ran out of the locker room with a smile on my face acknowledging that I was essentially just a big kid playing in a field with my friends.
Fast forward 60 minutes and oop, I’m freezing my booty off. I understood why the kids were crying because honestly I might’ve come close myself. My fingers started going numb and I only felt momentary relief when we had a scrum and I could feel the warmth in the shorts of my second rowers lol. I was UNCOMFORTABLE. But, I was focused. My teammates were feeding off of each other’s energies. Their words of encouragement, motivation, and drive kept me pushing for more. Five minutes felt like 30 as the clock slowly creeped up to the 80 minute mark.
Even in these conditions I was still undeniably happy. Especially when the whistle blew and I saw the pure bliss on my teammates and coach's faces, proud of the grit we showed throughout the match. There was pain in my body but fulfillment in my soul :)
This past weekend I didn’t get to play in our game because I tested positive for the covids. So on Saturday afternoon I sat in my bed coughing up a storm watching the livestream on my computer screen. I realized that I was not just watching rugby, I was watching MY team, my gals, my freaking family. After being scored on in the first few minutes of the game we seemed to give in to the idea that we were going to lose. I saw the frustration from my teammates even through the low quality livestream. And the wild thing is that I could FEEL the frustration as if I was standing right there with them. I felt the intensity and determination in their hard runs and felt their efforts to change the momentum of the game. I felt the energy of the game from 5 and a half hours away curled up in my bed. I wanted to be there with them desperately, to share the experience, to support them, and to let them know I back them. It wasn’t until I was forced out of the game that I really recognized how connected I am to my teammates. In quarantine I finally took the time to slow down, rest, and reflect. I haven’t felt alone even though I’m quite literally isolated in my room. I had teammates message me to see how I’m feeling and offering their support. I feel more excited to play alongside this team than I ever have before. And this coming weekend as long as I test negative on Friday, I’LL GET TO DO JUST THAT.
I love my little Basque family. I love the energy that each person brings to the field. I love the passion that they have, not to win but to give everything they have. The highs of the wins, the lows of the losses, the beautiful sunny days, and the shit cold days, we experience together. After a devastating loss for the premiership soccer team in the series Ted Lasso, Coach Ted says to the team, “…there is something worse out there than being sad. And that’s being alone and being sad. Ain’t nobody in this room is alone.”
What a comforting feeling human connection is. Our highs our heightened and our lows are lessened when we experience them together. That’s the beautiful thing about rugby; I know I’m never alone, even when I’m quite literally sitting in isolation.
Ted Lasso is one of the only series I actually watch. Here’s the scene I got the quote from. If you haven’t seen it and you love sports or coaching and a bit of cheese, you’ll LOVE Ted Lasso. 10/10 would recommend.