Bad Loss at Charleroi and Saturday in Amsterdam - Blog #19 (Feb. 24 - Mar. 2)

Basketball Update:

I was about one sentence away from finishing this blog, and the page made me refresh. Then, the whole blog was deleted. Tough one. It is a perfect reflection of how we played against Charleroi on Sunday. The Sunday games are nice because the tip times are earlier than usual, so we don't have to wait around all day for the game. We can get straight to it. We had a longer bus ride to one of the three French-speaking Belgian teams in our league down to Chaleroi. Their stadium is gorgeous and big. We were never really in the game from the start. We ended up losing by thirty, and I do not have much other detail to offer up about the game. It was a bad performance which was especially tough for two reasons. One, we were coming off of international break and two weeks of practice. With that much time to prepare, it was very disappointing. Second, we had lost by thirty to them already this season and were poised for some revenge. That did not go as planned. No game this week, and two the following week against Groningen and Oostende.

Leadership Lesson:

I have found there to be extreme effectiveness when it comes to bonding and fostering cohesion in a group when they endure some kind of adversity together. The group members almost always come out of the adversity having forged a deeper connection with one another. This is something I learned about in a social psychology class during undergrad. A group's perceived bonding and cohesion is greater when the group goes through a difficult time together. Personally, I think of coming out on the other side of a difficult preseason with my teammates and having felt a strong bond with them. When I think of my closest relationships, it is not the result of getting to know one another through small talk. It comes from accomplishing things, making memories, and/or coming out on the other side of some kind of adversity. Adversity can make or break a team, but coming out the other side of it can strengthen bonds like few other things can.

Top 5 of the Week:

Rap/Hip-Hop Artists

1. Drake - Even in light of recent events/rap beefs, I still have Drake at my top spot. Hailing from Toronto, he has the most hits of any rap artist ever. Many of my favorite songs are Drake songs, and the sheer quantity of bangers puts him at the top.

2. J Cole - A great artist with an awesome voice. Also, the best basketball player of all the rappers I believe which is a plus.

3. Post Malone - More of a country singer nowadays, but has some all time hits in his hip-hop era. Also, I hear he is a great guy. Would love to check out a concert someday.

4. Young Thug - Not too much to say here. Not a great guy but has some awesome music. Great pump-up/pregame music, too.

5. Migos - RIP Takeoff. A shame that this group ever broke up. Their prime was almost unbeatable, but I wish they had a bit more longevity. The best to ever do it regarding ad-libbing.

What Else Did I Do This Week?

It was a bit of a slow week for me this week. Because of the Sunday game, I always try not to overdo it on Friday and Saturday. We had only one practice on Saturday and it was in the morning so Nikki and I had the rest of the day to hang out. After my Saturday morning, practice, Nikki and I headed into Leiden to stop by the market to grab a couple things. Then, we went into Amsterdam and met up with Hagen and Jenny at Hagen‘s houseboat. It is a great place to hang out and enjoy the Amsterdam weekend vibes. They planned their spring trip to Dublin while I went to check out Amsterdam’s Saturday Noordermarkt and grab some lunch. I got this steak wrap thing that was delicious. Then we went to this really cool bar/restaurant on the water, Waterkant. We hung out, and I had a 0.0 Heineken beer which are actually really solid. After this, Nikki, Jenny, Daria, and I went to a wine bar, Fabus. They had some wine, and I got this really good, homemade kombucha. It was a really neat spot. We got food to share for dinner which I will talk more about later. Then, I headed back, and Nikki stayed the night at Jenny's place. Great night and fun weekend. The weather has also started to turn here. We have been able to open up our patio door in the apartment and get some fresh air which has been awesome. It has been getting warmer, and we see the sun on a consistent basis too. It's going to get up to 60 degrees this weekend, can't wait. I also just finished watching Band of Brothers which is an HBO miniseries about Easy Company and the paratroopers in WWII. Unreal and great story.

Top Meal of the Week:

My top meal was the one we had at Fabus Saturday night. We ordered this really good cheese-based dip with toasted bread as an appetizer. We also got some chickpea fries, a cauliflower dish, and fried chicken. Great place with good vibes and very friendly service too.

One Thing I Miss About the States:

I miss Girl Scout cookies. Not sure why they have been on my mind, but Nikki and I were talking about them the other day, and I miss them. My favorites are PB Patties and Caramel deLites. Could go for a box right about now! Thanks for reading!