Oct. 6 - Oct. 12 Blog #1 - Leiden: Nikki's First Week and Hanging with Pete

Basketball update: 

We had a great bounce-back W versus a solid Belgian team, Okapi Aalst. That win got us to 3-2 in league play and was important because we play our first two-game week of the season this week. The first few minutes of the game were fairly back-and-forth, but by the end of the 1st quarter, we started to pull away. At the end of the first half, we were up about 20. We took our foot off the gas a bit too much and let them hang around in the second half. We had some sloppy turnovers and did not play with the same energy compared to the first half. We won by 12 at home, and it was the first game that Nikki got to watch in person. It was awesome to play well in front of her, and it also made a good introduction to the rest of the team that she is good luck. It was also probably my best game of the season. I was much more aggressive and was able to really establish myself in the post which I haven’t been doing as good of a job with. I hit a couple of threes early and rebounded well also. My body is feeling good. My elbow infection I think is finally leaving my body for good, so I felt much more energetic on the floor during the game. We play Zwolle on Friday at home and at Bemmel on Sunday. Two Dutch matchups which are huge for us. Personal highlights from the game are below.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBJYDlAIqL8/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Leadership Lesson:

Something that I have learned and tried to work on since coming to Leiden is how important competitive endurance is. It is a difficult thing to do especially when we only play one game a week. Getting up for the games is easy, but when you practice five times per week, it can be a challenge to be competitive day in and day out when you practice versus the same guys and have the same matchup every day. Drills are drills and practice is practice. However, I have found in my basketball career that you cannot go through the motions and have a “just get through it” mindset in practice and flip a switch to expect to dominate in the game. Everyone has the right mindset on the first day of practice or their first day on the job. I remember after our first practice of the summer while I was at CSU, I saw Coach Medved the next day while in the weight room. I told him I thought we had good energy and a good first practice of the year, and he responded, “Every team in the country has a good first day of practice.” He was right. The energy, communication, and mindset are always great on the first day of practice or when you are trying to make a good first impression. This inevitably wears off when you get comfortable and fall back into your old habits. Making the conscious decision every day to compete will result in daily improvement. The little improvements made during practice will result in a big leap by the end of the season. It all starts with making a decision every day to compete and have the right mindset when you go to work, whatever your job may be. 

Top 5 of the week:

Green Bay Packers

1. Aaron Rodgers - My favorite athlete of all time. This was an easy choice for me. Never ever felt like you were out of a game. Gets unbelievably unfairly treated by Packer fans which really irks me. He loves Green Bay and made some enemies by being himself. Agree or disagree with him on his controversial opinions, at least he is authentic. Smooth thrower of the football and only Super Bowl win I have been alive for. Not to mention the fact he is largely responsible for the development of our guy right now. 

2. Donald Driver - I read his book when I was younger (not a big reader), so I am a big fan of his. A super talented player who is very underrated in Packer history. Played with both Favre & Rodgers and blew expectations out of the water. Drafted in the 7th round as an undersized guy out of Alcorn State and a lifelong Packer. Also a Dancing With the Stars champ. 

3. Brett Favre - While I only have faint memories of watching #4 in the green and gold, I can still appreciate why the boomer generation of Packer fans are obsessed with Brett. An iron man who put his body on the line countless times to put himself on the field. He played with passion and perhaps more joy than any other athlete ever. Super Bowl champ. Easy decision here.

4. Jordy Nelson - Someone I looked up to a lot as a white wide receiver growing up in Wisconsin. He always had a homerun play in him and established an almost perfect connection with Rodgers. Wish he could have retired in GB, but he has many great years for us. 

5. Jordan Love - This is early, but the feeling many Packer fans had watching this dude carve up the Cowboys in Jerry’s World during the playoffs last year stamped him on this list. The #5 placement is also contingent on the future success I expect him to have in GB. His ability to throw off-platform while still mostly being a good decision-maker. Learned a lot from #12!

HM - Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson, Mason Crosby, B.J. Raji

What Else Did I Do?

Nikki got here last Sunday, so a lot of the week was spent shopping at Ikea, Hema, etc. trying to get things for the apartment and figure out our living situation. We both got bikes to be able to get around together, and it has been so fun having your best friend as your roommate. We have been cooking and going around Leiden to check out markets and some restaurants too. We went to Amsterdam on Oct 6th when she got here, and we had a great time. We mostly walked around and had some really good food. My old Hillsdale College teammate, Peter Kalthoff, came to Amsterdam on Sunday from Bochum, Germany (he is playing basketball overseas as well), and we had a blast. He, Nikki, and I did the Heineken Experience and a canal tour which were great. It was a blast spending time with him and catching up. I am definitely planning on going to Bochum which is about a 2.5-hour train ride away to visit Pete, Bella, and Ezra.

Top Meal of the Week:

This award goes to Siri Thai in Leiden. Nikki and I had our first date night in Leiden here. We almost did not get a seat because the restaurant has a small seating area with only about 5 or 6 tables. We biked there in the rain and had to wait a little bit for a table, but it was well worth it. I got a beef dish, and Nikki got a chicken dish. They were both unbelievable with immense levels of flavor. The staff were great too. We will definitely be back. 

One Thing I Miss About the United States:

I miss Chipotle. I realize that this is two food topics in a row, but that is just how much I miss Chipotle. Some chicken al pastor, brown rice, pinto beans, fajita veggies, and the whole rest of the right side of the buffet with vinaigrette and a side of chips sounds so good right now. Nikki tells me, “We can make Chipotle here… we can make everything and have all the ingredients available.” No, no we don’t. It isn’t the same. Chipotle has a very distinct flavor that is difficult to replicate. It will most definitely be my first meal back in the States.