Heebonics is proud to present the last installment of Canadian Women's Basketball player, Adina Herbert's blog from the games in Israel.
(Above: An image of the closing ceremonies held last weekend)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the games are over, and with everything in Israel, flippant Internet access and just an overall sense of a balagan, the blogs were not as frequent as I would have liked. But I will try and recount the last few days of the games with as much fervour as I had at the time.
The days went by busily and enthusiastically. We would wake up, play basketball in practice, eat lunch, play a game, and then the night was ours to socialize. It was an interesting mix of concentration and lack of concentration on the actual sports themselves. There was a sense of romance in the air, as there were many who believed they would meet available Jewish men and women (after all, this is the Jewish olympics.)
The courting was in the air, and at times, it was funny to watch. My teammates and I would have debates; were we here for the basketball and the competition, or were we here to have a good time and enjoy ourselves with other Jewish athletes in Israel? Perhaps the attitudes of some teams leaned to the former, and they succeeded more. Perhaps some attitudes were of the latter, and so, well you can imagine their results. I think the unique part of the tournament was that it could be either, or both, for everyone there.
Apart from all else, playing basketball in Israel was truly a unique experience. Playing in perhaps my last game at a high level (and having to get back to my real life and my real job), I felt a sense of pride, nostalgia for the game, and a sense of belonging, to something bigger than myself. It is something I still can't put my finger on, but I'm sure in 10, 15 years from now, I will feel its significance. And it will move me.
- Adina
No comments:
Post a Comment