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Friday August 20th , 2010 ALL SMILES IN SWISS! There are many wonderful things about sports. Being part of a team opens up special opportunities. Shared experiences connect teammates for life. Mike Krzyzewski often refers to the 'lifetime of a team' when describing the connection and synergy shared by a team and its members. While the daily challenges consume everyone's focus, the same experiences turn into fantastic memories for everyone involved. Time marches on. Fast-forward life to years beyond, looking back, we do not remember the points, rebounds or stats. We remember the teammates. We remember the relationships. We remember the times.
All Smiles on the practice floor in Fribourg Switzerland! Arriving in Liberec, Czech Republic for training camp, I was prepared to move outside my comfort zone for a month long basketball adventure. Our lifespan was short, but our life was vibrant and intense --- so much had happened so fast. Our daily routine dictated our day and our next challenge dominated our thoughts. Situations, plays, games became a blur. We lost track of current events. We lost track of days. But we were together. One basketball team playing for the Czech Republic. Challenges had come and gone. It had all gone too fast. We came together at training camp. We took our first steps together winning the tournament in Sofia Bulgaria. We took Lithuania to the wire. We swept Estonia back to back nights in Decin. We won the International Derby against brother-country Slovakia and we smashed Cyprus in our only official FIBA home game of the summer. Each challenge was now a memory scripting the lifeline of our team. We were connected by our experiences. We were bonded by our success.
'For Me?'...Pavel Slezak presents a rose to the waitress at Vyprez restaurant in Decin. Throughout the month we grew together. It seemed as if we spent all day every day together. Somehow, our month together seemed longer. It seemed like it would never end. By the time our final day in Decin dawned August 20th, we were all settled into our teams lifestyle. Comfortable and sure, over the intense month, my comfort zone had expanded. Throughout our lifespan, our team had grown into a positive basketball family. And our family had one more trip together.
Happy to be back on the team bus for another road trip! Traveling with a team, road trips have plenty of structure and plenty of time. Trips allow time for teammates to talk and get to know each other on deeper levels. Travel allows teams to connect. Personally, I love road trips. Espescially in Europe, every road trip is like a sight-seeing tour --- and this month in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia had been a basketball adventure. On the trips, I make a point to talk with team members. While there may be work to be done or books to be read, I believe road trips and travel are the time to connect with people on the team. It's very easy for players today to lose themselves in their own world with Ipods, Ipads, computers or entertainment. If not careful, opportunities to build relationships are missed or time together is lost. Everyone must be able to entertain themselves, but I love to share road trips together.
I love the big board at Prague airport! Friday morning August 20th was a cool day in Decin. Perhaps the town knew our time with her was done. The goodbye would be short. Decin was detached. Our vibrant life had filled the small northern Czech town with life for several weeks. Today, it was over. Players packed up their bags. We cleared out our rooms. I repacked my bags condensing them into one extra bag for the trip. We loaded up our cars and said goodbye. Our time in Decin had been good to us.
Pavel looking like a 'thinker' in a big interview in the leading sports newspaper in the Czech Republic. I rode down to Prague with Pavel. We had the chance to discuss a variety of topics ranging from basketball to life. Pavel called his wife Eve and caught up with events at home in Chomutov. We continued the ride with a basketball discussion which created a basketball-dictionary of terms in English to help him. Ten years ago, that dictionary began. This was just another update for the current edition. I remember my Chemniz times just as Pavel remembers his time in Chomutov. Back then coaching together was somewhere far, far away. Riding down to Prague, we were happy to have time working together. It was not about statistics, but I was very happy to pick up an assist helping my friend.
Czech Republic national team players Lukas Kotsas and Pavel Houska entertaining themselves while waiting for boarding time at the gate. Meeting our team bus in Prague, we were transfered to the airport. Spending time on the team bus in my own thoughts, I reflected on some great moments over the past month. There was the 'Pool party'. Sitting in Pavel's office, as we were planning practice together, I overheard Pavel say to a team colleague, 'Pool party'. Immediately, my eyebrows raised with interest. We had just played soccer for teambuilding. Back in Liberec we hiked up a mountain. It sounded as if our next teambuilding time would be a 'Pool party'. I was all for it. After Pavel finished his conversation, I wanted to double-check the daily schedule. 'So, Pavel, today we will have Ladja warm up the guys and review our set plays 5 on 0 for warmup. Then we will go through the Cyprus stuff. And then there will be a Pool party tonight?'. Pavel was puzzled. I said 'I heard you talking in Czech and it sounded like you were planning a Pool Party for this afternoon.' Pavel laughed. In Czech, 'pul paty' means 4:30pm. No pool party for us, only practice.
Petr Benda looking like Mr Spock. Then there was the day in practice when we introduced the Czech team to 'The Office'. Throughout practice I asked different guys 'does it smell like updoc in here?' Finally, at the end of practice, Honza made my day by asking me in response 'What is Up doc?' Even if Czech children grow up with Krtek more than Bugs Bunny, they still laughed at the joke.
Swiss Air at the Prague Aiport. In the airport, we had some time. Our Swiss Air flight was scheduled for 11:30am to Geneva. We went to Subway for lunch. It was just like home. Making our way through security, one by one or two by two we all met at the gate. The last thing on my mind was that this was our last trip together. We were all enjoying the moment and excited for the next game in Switzerland.
Acting afraid of flying while Lubos Barton catches some Z's. In the air we had some laughs on the plane but used the hour and a half flight time to rest. Arriving in a rainy Geneva Switzerland, our road trip travel smooth. Collecting our luggage at the baggage claim, we all waited through the down time together. Rolling the bags to the bus, the rain had just cleared up. Switzerland welcomed us.
Pavel Slezak, Pavel Pumprla, Michal Carnecky and Petr Benda take it all in while waiting at the baggage claim in Geneva, Switzerland.
Geneva, Switzerland!
Greeted by the host from the Swiss Basketball Federation! Our bus driver, Mortiz, spoke German. I moved up front to sit shotgun with him and speak some German. He told me about Switzerland and his travels as a bus driver. We drove out of Geneva heading toward Fribourg. The Swiss countryside was beautiful. Clouds covered the majestic mountains so visibility was not perfect, but I was just happy to see the sights. Mood on the double-decker was good. Czech jokes entertained the staff sparking laughs and smiles. I was excited to see Fribourg. But I was surprised at its size, 34,000. Even so, my eyes were wide open taking all the sights in.
Michal Sob with all the Swiss Franks!
Beautiful Switzerland!
Czech jokes on the team bus kept everyone smiling!
Hotel Parc in Fribourg, Switzerland! Moritz pulled the bus up to the Parc Hotel in Fribourg. We checked in. As we waited for our room keys, the Switzerland national team for womens soccer walked through the lobby for a team meeting. Later we would find out that their opponents were also in the hotel, the national team from Kazakhstan. I wondered if they play the same national anthem from the end of Borat. click here for Kazakhstan National Anthem
Salle St. Leonard in Fribourg Switzerland!
Later that night was our practice time at Salle St Leonard, a brand new basketball gym opened one month earlier in July. Our team was filled with positive energy and our practice was productive. Players were loose. The team worked through a warmup from Ladja before Honza took the team through fullcourt ballskills. Pavel implemented Kaunas shooting and the guys enjoyed the fullcourt shooting competition. Finishing with some free time for the players to get some shots up and do what they wanted, we were in mid-season form. Everything was clicking. Immersed in our challenge to beat Switzerland, the end was far from Fribourg.
Big Z on the block!
What is this guy doing?
Czech Republic game plan for Switzerland.
Pavel Pumprla working on his game.
Pavel Budinsky overlooking practice in Fribourg.
Lubos Barton lines up a trick shot!
Petr Benda fixing his hair for a picture after practice!
Krtek showing off handles! Time had a pace of its own --- the month, which was short, seemed long and the end, which seemed far away, was very near. Before our final game of the summer, we were all smiles. Our experiences bonded us together positively filling the lifetime of our team. But with one game remaining, anticipation for Saturday nights challenge against the Swiss team, would demand everything we had. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm and international baketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com! GO ULM! MIKE T
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