“Alright girls, I have exciting news. We are choosing eighteen girls to stay with us for a weekend to participate in our training camp in preparation for upcoming international tournaments. We will focus on endurance and fitness, as well as practicing on some additional football techniques that I would like to teach you. It is also a perfect time to be able to spend time with your teammates and grow closer to them. This will help in trusting each other on the field and as well as build chemistry between you guys. I will now list the eighteen girls who will participate.”
She went down the list reading everyone’s name. She read Sama’s name, Fereyal’s name, and several others. I grew worried and nervous to see if she would choose me. This would test to see if she truly wanted me on the team or not, and if she accepted me. If I wasn’t chosen to go to this camp, it would mean the end of my time with the National Team.
She continued reading names, and she was almost done. I had lost hope that I would be chosen, but that quickly changed when the last name she said was mine.
A bright smile appeared on my face, and I had finally felt welcomed (by the coach at least) and was excited that I would be able to attend this camp with the National Team. I knew this would be a great experience, one filled with memories, and a camp that would build me up as a football player and as an athlete.
I was also surprised because I was one of the eighteen people chosen out of the thirty-five players on our team. I felt bad for all the other girls who were not chosen, especially because they had been with the National Team longer than I had. Although, there was nothing I could do about it.
From the corner of my eye I could feel Sama giving me the stare down. I’m sure that she wasn’t thrilled that I would be joining the training camp, and would prefer not to have me come. However, she would have to live with the fact the coach wants me to be a part of the team and is giving me the opportunity to do so.
After the coach had let us leave, I ran up to her and gave her a hug. Startled, the coach had taken a couple steps back to prevent herself from falling over. This was the first step to being accepted onto the National Team, and I was grateful to the coach for letting me be a part of it.
“Thank you, coach. This means so much to me.”
“You are welcome Taleen. I had picked you to come to the training camp with us, because I think you can really benefit the team, and help us to continue to win international tournaments.”
With a smile on my face, I walked off the field and went back home.
Chapter 20
To Be Continued
I came to practice with my luggage and left it next to the pile of all the other suitcases and bags. I found it ironic that we had to train right before our camp; the camp was meant specifically for more training. I would have thought that we needed to rest before the immense amount of practice we were going to endure in the next couple of days.
I walked onto the field and took a good look at it. I was surprised that I was one of the 18 players that got to proceed with the National Team, where the other 18 people did not get to.
After we completed our light practice, we hopped into a massive bus with all of our luggage and were on our way to the hotel. I was quite nervous about this trip, as I did not know what to expect, because I had never spent so much time with this team. I didn’t know how different it would be compared to my school football trips or the summer camps I attended back home in the States. I was also a little worried about how I would be treated throughout this trip, and if I would feel comfortable with these girls. We were very different culturally, and I guess personality wise, too.
On the bus I sat towards the back with the other girls; however, I did not say a word. I slipped on my headphones and listened to my music while the other girls talked to one another. I sat throughout the entire bus ride in silence. As we reached the hotel, we all sat down in the lobby to organize who we were going to room with.
This was the part I was quite anxious about, as I did not know who I was going to stay with, and if the person I was going to room with would be someone I would like.
“Alright girls, we are going to have two girls together in one room. Once I announce who you’re going to be rooming with, you will take your room cards and go straight up to your rooms. Okay?” the coach said in a commanding tone.
She started choosing the roommates, and gave each pair their room cards. One by one people would approach the coach and take their room key cards. The coach then called my name.
“Taleen, I want you to room with Fereyal. Here are your room keys and your room number is 324.”
A wave of relief came over me, as the coach handed me the room keys. I was happy that I got to room with someone who had always been nice to me, and someone who I felt comfortable with. I now was more excited for this camp as I was rooming with someone who wouldn’t bother me the way Sama would.
We walked into our room and placed our luggage on the floor. I decided not to unpack, as I would be leaving in two days anyway, and it would mean more work for me. I just took out my toiletries and placed them in the bathroom.
This hotel room wasn’t the prettiest, but I hadn’t expected to stay in a luxurious hotel. It had old, antique-looking furniture, and an old TV set against the wall on top of the drawers. The carpet was slightly dusty and the view from the window showed only a construction site plastered in front of our faces.
I sat on the bed across from Fereyal’s bed and started a conversation.
“I am actually glad you got to be my roommate, because you’re practically the only one who is nice to me,” I admitted.
She giggled and said “Thank you. I am glad I got to room with you.”
We then received a phone call from the coach on the hotel phone. She wanted us to meet her in her room in an hour, along with the rest of the team. Fereyal and I agreed that we should each take a shower considering the fact that we just came back from a practice. Once we showered and changed, we took the elevator up to the floor where the coach was staying. When we entered the room, everyone had already been in there. They were all showered and changed, and waiting patiently to hear what the coach had to say.
“Girls, we are going down to eat dinner now. After you guys eat, I want you all to go straight to bed.”
Sounds of moans and sighs filled the room, and one girl proceeded to say with a disappointed voice “But Arab’s Got Talent will be on tonight! Can we please stay up and watch it?”
The coach’s straight face broke into a smile, and she said “Yeah, sure why not.” This was mainly because the coach had enjoyed watching the show, too.
We went down and ate dinner, and sat and chatted together. We then went up to Lana’s room to watch Arab’s Got Talent. I have never really taken an interest in watching the show, but the other girls seemed to love it. We sat there watching it until 11 pm, and then Fereyal and I went back to our room and passed out.
Friday morning we received a wakeup call at 5:30 am. I moaned at the sound of the phone ringing. I effortlessly picked up the phone, as it appeared Fereyal was still fast asleep. The coach had told me to get dressed and go down to the lobby to eat breakfast. My eyes were still trying to open, and I was slowly blinking, trying to keep my eyes closed for as long as possible to get a couple of seconds to sleep. Once my eyes fully opened, and my mind wasn’t as fuzzy, I took off the duvet cover that kept me warm, and stood up. I was dizzy for a moment and yawned really loudly. I threw an empty water bottle at Fereyal (the nearest object I could reach) to wake her up. As the bottle hit her, she groaned and reluctantly rolled out of bed. We both slipped into our uniforms and got ready to start the day.
We went down to the lobby to eat around 5:45, a little later than everyone else. We were told to only eat a small bowl of cereal as we were going to go and train at 6:30. I scanned my teammates’ faces and saw groggy and tired expressions on their faces. We sat alone and ate, and left the hotel at 6:15 to be able to make it by the field at 6:30.
On the way to the
field, everyone stayed quiet on the bus. Everyone was too tired to talk to each other, and we took advantage of the fifteen minutes to sleep. We then reached the field, and trotted off the bus, dragging our belongings.
Our coach realized how tired we were, and commented on it.
“Girls I know you all are tired, but we need to train in the mornings. It is the best time to train for your body, and we need to be able to train several times a day, so it must be in the mornings, so there is enough rest time in between each practice,” she said.
We were then given an intense work out that consisted of a lot of running. At the beginning of the practice, we did the usual jog and stretching. We then had to run three laps, the first, we jogged for seventy-five percent of the lap and the last quarter we had to sprint; the second, we jogged for half and then sprinted for half; and the last lap, we ran for seventy-five percent of the lap and jogged for a quarter. This was a very tiring exercise and drained a lot of my energy.
We then had another running exercise that consisted of cones being placed at the corner of the field, and whenever we reached the second cone, we would have to run across the field to the cone across the field. For this we were divided into two teams, and we were meant to be running together at the same pace so that we would cross sides at the same time. When we crossed, we had to sprint; and having to sprint and jog so many times made my lungs burn.
Lastly, the coach made us jog ten laps for cool down, and then we stretched again, and left. The second I got back into the hotel room I took a nap on my bed because I was physically tired from our practice. It was also because I had been awaken at such an early hour. I needed more sleep to rest.
After my nap, we were then given another practice, this one concentrated on passing. We practiced long passes, one touch passes, two touch passes, overhead passes, and instep foot passes. We did specific exercises like one called “wave,” where it would be three people at a time, and you would have to pass to the person across from you, and then run behind them taking their places. We had to only touch the ball once, and we had to run with the ball at the same time. Another type was we each had partners and practiced the other types of passes, and did more exercises.
Once this practice was complete, we entered the bus again and were on our way back to the hotel. We all sat together and laughed and made jokes with each other. I started to enjoy talking to my team, because I had felt accepted. I think they realized that I was their teammate, and I was going to be for as long as I wanted to, and they had to accept me for it. Being on the same team meant that we had to be there for each other, learn to trust each other, and the stronger our friendship became, the better we would play on the field.
As soon as I got back to the hotel, we ate lunch. This time we sat kind of close together, talking to each other individually. Fereyal and I then invited all the girls to our room and socialized. Everyone came except for Sama, and she seemed to still be holding a grudge against me, even though I was willing to become friends despite all of the grief she put me through. We all sat together and talked for hours, learning more about each other and creating inside jokes. I really started to enjoy being a part of this team, and I learned to become friends with these girls even though we were very different culturally.
They all went back to their rooms claiming they all had homework to do. I myself had some homework to do, and opened up my books and started studying. In the midst of struggling to complete my Arabic homework, I heard a knock at the door. Curious to see who it was, I opened the door, and to my surprise it was Sama. Instead of her usual harsh appearance, she had an apologetic expression.
“I am sorry if I hurt you in the past. I didn’t mean it, I just didn’t like the idea of having a spoiled American kid trying to join the National Team that is filled with less fortunate Jordanians who had to walk or take the bus to get to practice. But now, I have seen the real side of you, and understand that you are not like what I had made you out to be. You seem like a really nice, down to earth person, who is very accepting of others, and I hope to be the same. So can we be friends?” she said apologetically in Arabic. Surprisingly, I understood and agreed to be friends with her and hugged her. I guess my understanding of Arabic had improved.
“Oh and one last thing,” she said. “Can you help me with my English homework?” she asked.
I tittered and replied, “Of course, as long as you help me with my Arabic homework.”
She smiled and came into my room, and we helped each other with our homework. After our little homework session, it was time again for another practice, but thankfully it was the last practice of the day. We got ready and headed to the field. The sun had started setting, so it had cooled down and not as hot as it was earlier in the day. This practice was about shooting, and we spent the entire practice working on shooting drills and different types of shots to take from different distances. Sama and I had been playing together for fun and we were playing a game to see how many times we could pass the ball to each other while keeping it in the air. We used the one Nike ball we had, out of all the balls we trained with, as it was the best one. We laughed and giggled while doing so, and I realized that this was the first time we played together as friends, as close teammates.
Once we got back to the hotel, I raced into the shower. I open up the shower curtains to see a dirty, dingy and crammed shower. I reluctantly hopped in, knowing that this is a much needed shower after a long hard day of practice. As the hot water pours down on my achy and sore body, it loosens all my strained muscles relaxing me. I never felt so much pain before, but at the same time I couldn’t be happier. I was here with my team playing the sport I love the most.
I grew to love my team, and we learned to accept each other’s differences through something we had in common—football. Despite our backgrounds and where we came from, on the field we were all considered equal. We realized that we are a team, and we are here to play together, not hate each other.
After my shower, Fereyal and I went down to the lobby again to eat dinner. Fereyal and I have also become closer, and I can honestly say she was one of my closest friends. She was the sweetest, most considerate person I have ever met, and she made a huge impact on my life when I was going through a rough time.
During dinner, we all sat together as a team. We all talked to each other, laughing and having a good time. We really had evolved in the past couple of days and became closer as a team. After dinner, we all met up in another girl’s room and watched a popular Arab soap opera. I wasn’t so keen on watching it, but did so because of all of my teammates. It was a good show surprisingly, and I actually enjoyed it. We then went to bed, sleeping peacefully after our long day of practices, and social changes.
The next morning we were awaken again at 5:30. This was the last day of the camp, and we would be returning home after our late practice. It was sad to think that this would all come to an end at such a rapid pace. We got dressed, ate breakfast, and set off to the field. We walked onto the field cherishing the last time we would walk onto the field this early in the morning. We repeated the same running drills as the day before; however we increased the number of rounds we did with each exercise. This exhausted me even more than my very first National Team practice.
Once we got back to the hotel, I packed most of my stuff, and left an outfit out for when I got back from the last training. All the girls once again met up in Lana’s room, and we sat there and enjoyed ourselves until the next practice. When I had first joined the National Team, I had never thought I would be friends with these girls, as they were extremely different from me. But in the end, I did become friends with them, and I was close enough to them to be able to consider their friendship a true friendship, not just a friendship because of football. We sat and watched TV, laughed, socialized, and really enjoyed our time together. We even taught each other different phrases in English and Arabic, and supported each other when trying to teach how to pronounce them. For example, I would teach them how to say “H
ow are you?” and basic sayings, whereas they taught me different words I had wanted to learn.
We attended our last practice of this camp, and had lots of fun. The coach kept the practice serious, but made it fun as well. We played games together, and even joked with the coach a little. Our connection as a team grew so much in these past two days, that I had considered my team like family. I loved the idea of attending three practices a day and living my life just playing football.
On the bus ride home after practice, we all sat next to each other singing, laughing and really enjoying ourselves for the last time together as a team, until the next camp or trip. I couldn’t have been happier being here with my team, and playing the sport I loved the most.
I had looked down at my wrist to see the Nike Confidence bracelet that I had worn since I first started soccer, and it reminded me of how far I had come as a player and how far I will continue to go. Glancing at it took me back to the days of when I just started and how I never thought I would join a National Team. This bracelet had been through it all, and helped me to endure everything. Every time I looked at that bracelet I was reminded of how I had to keep up my confidence, as if my confidence was shattered I wouldn’t be able to play. I wouldn’t be able to take that ball and pass each upcoming player in my path. I wouldn’t be able to take that ball, because I would be frightened and too scared to do anything with it. This cheap rubber band meant a lot to me, and oddly enough, contributed to how I was shaped as a player.
I turned my head towards my teammates besides me, being silly and laughing at each other. I chuckled at the sight of their happiness, and knew that a couple of months ago I would have found them extremely weird and annoying. A lot has changed since then, and I not only considered them my teammates but I considered them my sisters, too. We had an unbreakable bond powered by our one true passion—football. I hadn’t wanted this camp to end, I wanted to continue to live in a hotel room and wake up playing football, and going to sleep playing football with these girls.
Big Girls Don't Cry--They Score Page 7
