Final Entry.

This will be the final entry in "Justin Duff's World Championship Blog". Upon undertaking this project I was not sure what to expect. Originally it was just going to be a few posts on the Wesmen website, but I like to think that it's grown into so much more, or at least... it HAS for me. It's been an absolute joy to be able to share my experiences with the astonishing amount of viewers [Over 1400 since I started]. I mean... I ended up writing a 1500 word essay after our match against Serbia. This was fun.  Perhaps I will start up something similar once I begin my pro career... about that; The team is splitting up right now, some are going back to Ottawa, others to their respective professional teams, and others "one then the other". My plans are to attend the Full Time Training Center in Gatineau starting October 18th, and running to sometime in December, then I will find a contract overseas. 

It's great that we have a full time center for our Canadian athletes. There is such a gap to bridge between what makes our players successful at the National level to what will make us successful at the International level. Regardless of the success I have had here at the World Championships, I have been constantly reminded of the basic technical aspects that differentiate the good players from the great. This is my passion, this is my craft, and at 22 it's about time to start perfecting it.

In case you hadn't deduced, we lost tonight against Germany 3-0. This has eliminated us from moving onto the next round of World Championships. It was a great tournament to be a part of, I never had the opportunity to play in front of so many people who were so passionate about volleyball. That's what I live for, "waves and waves of electric current, flooding over me". 

I've never been good at endings... my conclusions were always the weakest part of my essays in University <-- this I offer as evidence for the first part of the statement. Goodbyes are even worse, because when you really care about something you want to hold onto it, no matter how excruciatingly painful it gets. So thank you for time, continue to support your national sports organizations [especially volleyball canada ;)], and I wish you ALL THE BEST.

-j.duff

If I Could Press Ctrl + S and Save My World, I Would.

I've thought about it before, that is...  I've thought about going back to the past, having a second shot at decisions I've made and results I've obtained. It's always appealed to me, that if I had this option I would take it. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy and have enjoyed my life up to now, but like anyone I certainly have made decision that I regret, and if given another chance... I would like to try and rectify them. But today, as the last ball fell to the floor on the Serbian side of the court, the first thought that went through my head was, "I don't want to change a thing.

Tonight we had a tall order at hand, a match scheduled against the #4 ranked team in the world, Serbia. Last night we had endured a [for lack of better term] butt-kicking from the Polish, and in all honesty... the mood was a bit gloomy. The day unfolded in a relaxed fashion. I was eager to get a few swings in at practice, since my well rested body was itching to twitch and jump and such. Although I felt both physically and mentally present, gosh... I just wasn't that good. Sloppy, undisciplined, and instinctive in the stupid way [there's a difference].

Our meeting was brief, the Serbs had just played a masterpiece of a match against the Germans the same night we lost to Poland, and the mentality was very much, "We have the chance to test our abilities against some of the best in the world. Take what you can learn, let's see if we can win a few points out there."

It was so difficult watching the last match from the stands [regardless of my cheerful demeanour in the videos], it's a feeling of helplessness, and that's why being told that I would dress today meant a lot to me. I was there for my team, I had THEIR BACK.

The bus ride was uneventful, we were calm, relaxed, and I was admiring the sights of a commercial & industrial port town. A lot of odd things happen at world championships, and like I say, "Odd is rarely a bad thing." In the 10 meters between our bus and the entrance to the arena, we were greeted by fans bearing Polish wear. Apparently Red & White fashion preference transcends cultural background. That, and the most famous man not in Poland is on our team. [I'm talking about, Adam Kaminski. Who will be playing in "Fart" this year, Polish A league. An instant fan favourite. I even heard he got offered some man's daughter after the game... rad.]

Gord and I stepped onto the court first, looking to play our traditional pre-match/practice pepper, but due to procedures the balls were nowhere to be found. We had a team meeting, reiterating a few key points about the game, and then the whole team took the floor. I'm not sure who they were, but they were dressed in blue, appeared to be school children, lined 1/2 the upper bowl of the arena, and went WILD as we stepped out. These fans were excited, for volleyball, and for the Canada.

Warm up is a fun time, it's like the non-lethal blood sport component to volleyball. Everyone flies high, hits shots they would never dare to in match, and gives the fans a taste of what it is to come. I felt good at this point.

As the match began I took my more familiar spot in the reserves box, and awaited to be called upon. To my surprise, and many others, Serbia decided to start their incomplete line up. Perhaps they figured this was a match in which they could rest their stars,  get their bench valuable experience... and win. That's the nice way of putting it.

We started playing, and we started playing well. Before you knew it, we had won the first set. It was surreal, regardless of who was on the court, in the books we had won a valuable set. We went into the 2nd set much the same, and they started exactly the same. It was a fluke, everyone knew it, Serbia would settle down and settle in, and Canada would let them. But after we continued to lead in the early going, Serbia decided that the possibility of losing another set was too much of a gamble, so they called upon their Studs. But to no avail, we took the 2nd set too! The stadium was packed, we were pumped, and the Polish fans were backing us up 100%. Things suddenly felt good, we were on the verge of a major upset. And we loved it.

The 3rd set... happens. I mean, this isn't the minors anymore, the #4 ranked team in the world is not going to get beaten up on. It just doesn't happen, often enough for us to be surprised at what happened. We went down big, and quickly. At one point it was something like 20-10. I think that's when Gord, I, and Dallas went in. The self titled "176 crew" [we live together, and that's part of our address], and in my opinion we lit it up! There was no winning the set, but the tie breaker formula factors wins, then points for, so every point matters a great deal. Gord had an incredible kill to end a monstrously long rally [in which I was ACTUALLY too tired to jump anymore], Dallas had a major block and vital shots, and I put down a couple balls myself. We managed to get out of that set with 17, not too shabby.

For the 4th set I am reminded of a quote. "Do you know what I miss most? You're going to laugh when I tell you this... Sports. Yeah that's right, I used to love getting to the game just before [it begins]. If I timed it right i could sit down right [in front], then let the emotion of the crowd flood over me. Waves and waves of it, like electric current." -- Gaius Baltar, BSG season 2.
Don't judge me, it's a good quote. It's what I felt, the crowd, the waves, the energy, it's... indescribable. It would have been VERY easy for us to lay down, and let Serbia have the 4th set, and nobody would have said BOO because they all knew that for us, it was already too good to be true.

I got the call to start, here was my chance... I'd waited for it quite a while, and like I said, "I was well rested." I've played with our setter Dustin for several years, and as much as we banter back and forth about petty issues such as;
1. The set being too low OR
2. Me being too tight to the net, and that's why it's low, or why I can't hit my shots.
I think that there is a really strong trust between us.
Canada started fine, and so did Serbia... but things were looking all right. All I can remember are flashes:
1. Dallas smashing monstrous kills from near impossible angles.
2. Fred, Toon, and Dan Lewis passing absolute DIMES [that's cool-vball-talk for good pass]
3. And the feeling that we were at a level we hadn't been this summer.
But let's fast forward to the end. 24 - 23 Canada, Toon Van Lankvelt passes a perfect ball to Dustin, and here's where it gets interesting... I had killed 6 balls in 7 attempts, I was playing well, and I spoke about Dustin's trust... A part of me knew that he was going to give me the chance to finish the match, and an even bigger part of me knew that "If the other part was correct, I better succeed." I rushed in, jumped as high as I've ever jumped [according to Dallas] and swung with complete delinquency, disregard, and instinct [the good kind].

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEEvd0WdWII <-- Spoiler Video of the final point.

As the ball hit the floor on the Serbian side of the court, I paused for a moment in mid air. "I don't want to change a thing." I didn't know what to do, I'm not much for celebration... before I could voluntarily do anything, I had sprinted 1/2 way around the court while high-stepping, and beckoning to the crowd. The team quickly caught up, and we shared a brilliant moment of embrace. We were more for that moment, more what? who knows... but MORE. And as Glen joined us in celebration, and I don't mean to embarrass, I could see the tears of joy brewing inside. This meant so much to him, and to see that much passion from another person almost [but certainly did not, no matter WHAT Gord says] forced me to follow.

It's 1am, I should be asleep. But I had to share this with you tonight. I never thought I would get this into the blog... but it's become something for me to reach out with, and I want to thank everyone who has been reading it. We play Germany tomorrow, who lost to Poland in 5 tonight. If we win we're safe, and on to the next round, if we lose 3-1 or worse we're out, and 3-2 would go down to the tie breaker. Wish us luck, we want this. Until tomorrow, all the best

-j.duff

Ps. I just wanted to note, that today was a complete team effort. I know I haven't mentioned all players, but we really showed our depth tonight... This is a great squad to be a part of. Also, this photo is property of the FIVB, or something... for the original photo and article please visit, "http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=26252&Language=en"

Sights & Sounds

Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, I bring to you the next evolution in "Justin Duff's World Championship Blog": Video.
Yes you heard correctly, I've taken a leap into the next step of transmitting my experiences to you.
**Note: due to technical difficulties w/ video upload, clips will be released 1 by 1. I thank you for your patience.**

"How did he do it!?": Team Canada has a roster of 14 players on this trip, FIVB regulations allow this, but restrict the roster to 12 during match times. Therefore two players are scratched each, today I was one of those. Of course it's disappointing, because I'd love to be out there, but at least I got to experience the game from a different angle... the spectat.... fanatic!

Minute before the team took to the court to begin warm up, Josh Howatson [National team setter] offered me the opportunity to wield his HD video recorder so that I may add some V-log to my B-log. Now... it's a bit rough around the edges. I fancy myself fairly competent at photographic work, but videography is a whole new dimension for me to master. It's sloppy, I pan the screen too quickly to get clear shots, and my commentary is hardly as witty as I like to think my writing is, but it's an interesting twist, and I hope you enjoy.

It was a ridiculous atmosphere, I had never seen so many people watching a volleyball match. The Polish faithful filled the air with chants and horns, and the seats with their bottoms. The Canadian fans were few and far between, [actually... they all kind of sat in one of two areas] but hats go off to our proud Canadian fans bearing our colours deep within enemy territory. 

 

I should have recorded the Polish national anthem because, as I'm sure you'd believe, the place was going wild.

The first two sets were darn good volleyball. Up until 20 points that is. Actually, at one moment the first set was 22-22, but a quick 3 points by the Polish ended that dream. But you've gotta play each segment of the game, point 0 --> point 1 --> ... --> MATCH, so we regrouped and began the 2nd set. We had something like an 8-3 lead, but a team as good as Poland is going to respond. Which is what they did... and past 20, they were in complete control, 25-21. This is where the wheels fell off, in my opinion we appeared deflated, and you can't GIVE teams ANYTHING at this level. They easily took the 3rd, there was no doubt at any point. We lost our opening match, which was important [because they're all important... it's world championships] but it's not a total loss. I want to leave you with 1 last video and a note:

I have to give a shout out to Fred Winters, who much like in the first Czech Republic exhibition, really came out to play. He was the best player on the court in my opinion, and fought until the bitter end.

We play Serbia tomorrow, and Germany the next day. We need a win, let's GET'ER done!
All the best ;)

-j.duff

Christmas Eve.

There's a certain feeling you get as you approach the most anticipated day of your life as an 8 year old. You rush out of your room and sprint down the staircase at a speed far too reckless for mother to approve,  burning holes in the toes of your socks during the transition from carpet to step and knocking over a family portrait or two. Normally this kind of behaviour would result in a disciplinary act, but today's different... because you're a child, and it's Christmas. You gasp with amazement at the mountain of gifts that has somehow materialized at the base of the tree overnight, each tag reading: To "Jimmy" From "Santa".  The scene is perfect, all facilitators have done their job, and now it's up to you to act.

I don't mean to offend by choosing a Christmas metaphor, it's just what I know... and I figure it can be easily modified to represent any event where someone may feel the way I do right now [I also lived in a single story home, but I do enjoy fantasizing]. World Championships start tomorrow, and as I sit here in my hotel room taking advantage of the spotty internet connection, I am reminded of that same excitement I had as a child. This is the biggest stage for me to compete at my craft, what an opportunity... I can tell you, it will be a short sleep tonight.

We arrived in Trieste a few days ago, I'm not even sure... [it was yesterday] via bus from Bled. I stayed awake through the ride this time, there was some great scenery, but I don't often like the result of pictures taken through windows.

We're playing at the "PalaTrieste", the facility is top notch with "Gerflor" taking take of the flooring, high ceilings [under rated] and nearly 7000 seats. Our first practices went well, we look forward to testing the results of our summer.

There have been 2 major issues:

1. Internet. The thing about fancy hotels, and ours truly is fancy, is that internet often comes at a price. There IS some free internet.. "30 minutes" per day per room, and only in the lobby... otherwise you're looking at either 10 euro 80 for "Economy" service or a whopping 18 euro for "Business" [which is highly recommended of course] to get you through the day. This was a massive blow... as "Amateur Athlete in Canada" = Broke. But for the most part, things have a way of working out for me [or at least that's what I like to think], and I appreciate this to the highest degree. As I returned from practice, contemplating when it would be most effective for me to make my purchase, a sign on the front desk read something along the lines of, "free internet for volleyball teams", sweet. Now the only problem is having 4 teams + staff + other hotel patrons logging in at the same time and clogging up the line. Oh well, I should probably cut down on my facebook chat time as it is...

2. Laundry. I took far too few practice t shirts, and have been struggling through the past few days. We got laundry service in Slovenia once, which was excellent, but the mistake I [and I like to think others made this too] was expecting the same kind of thing in Italy.  That was ... until I saw the hotel price list of 7 euro's per shirt... [and I thought internet was bad] Luckily for us, Julien Boucher collected essential laundry pieces from each player, found a laundromat, and got the job done. I encourage people to send him emails, giving thanks on my behalf. [But really, don't do this, he's probably a busy guy].

Anyways, we play at 5:05pm Triestesian [<--I made up that word] time, which I believe is 6 hours ahead of Ottawa, and 7 ahead of Winnipeg. There are a few options on viewing:
www.sportube.tv
www.livesportsevent.com
I can't be held responsible for quality, and I know nothing about these sites except that 1 of them requires a "yearly membership" for like... 12 bucks or something. Anyways, just thought I'd throw it out there.


I feel bad for not providing any pictures, but it's been extremely difficult with the whole "internet not working" part of this blog writing experience. But... I've got a few:

Parliamentary block in Trieste

PalaTrieste

 All the best!!
 -j.duff

Now it gets serious.

Morning practice always gives rise to challenges new and old. Whether it be the first "highball spike" of the day, or recruiting stiff quad muscles to perform a defensive squat. But today's challenge was unlike any other, in a "very much like every other" sort of way. There is one skill present in the "volleyball practice" universe that torments me to the greatest degree. I've spent many long hours in the gym attempting to perfect, or even just... satisfy the requirements of adequate execution, but to this day it baffles my system. Itching to know what it is yet? I'm sure you are: Box hitting. It sounds simple. Stand on a box --> toss volleyball --> hit volleyball at target [usually a team mate, practicing a digging or passing skill] --> smile with content that you've contributed to another players growth. I think the "hit volleyball at target" is the most difficult part for me. It appears that I excel at "hit volleyball far left of target" or "into the net before target"... perhaps if I kept note of those tendencies and made compensations to my initial calculations it would help... or I would end up in circle logic, and get nowhere. But today I got "somewhere", through it, I'm glad.

After lunch I had a tough decision to make:
1. Crush a 4 hour nap.
2. Watch funny youtube videos for x hours and nap for y hours [where x + y = 4 and x,y belong to Q]
3. Use this free time to walk down to the lake, rent a bike, and obtain some of the photos I had been so distraught over missing during my last adventure of the sort.

I chose option 3:

 Just before the midpoint of the bike trail I stumbled upon this view of the church. I figured it was touristy enough to satisfy the quench of my loyal blog followers, but also beautiful enough for me to feel that even though it may be a staple of the town, I truly am capturing an impression of something valuable.

You may have been seen Castle Bled from my last blog post, but I'll have you know that this photo took a lot of work. For ages last night [I guess... as many ages as can fit into a night] I attempted to take this picture, but due to my lack of knowledge regarding flash photography I was doomed to almost completely black slates of attempted castle shots. Obviously my problem was solved when the biggest and best flash of all [I'm talking about the sun] decided to show up.

I enjoy taking photos of signs. You never know what you're going to get when you go to different places. I mean... the general idea is the same, but the subtleties that exist blow me away. This is a rowing club, that means no fishing, swimming, certainly no roller blading [notice the diagonal change], bike riding or sun tanning but greatly encouraging... whatever is being said in that last box. I have a friend who is a rower, and she may appreciate how serious the people of "Rowing Centre Bled" are.

 It's easy to see the stunning lake, and picturesque mountains. But what you may miss are the two small brown boats on the bottom left of the photo. They rent these boats out to people [usually couples] for 10 euro / hour, and you are free to bask in the romance of the scene.... or just paddle around in the lake, depending on how you see it and what you're into.

 To break from the photo journal segment, I also have some volleyball related news. Today we played the top Romanian club team "Remat Zalau" [which may or may not be proper spelling]. We won 4 sets to 0, in a somewhat modified match [1 extra set]. It was our last preparation match, for the real show begins in just a few days when we start our World Championship.

For now I will sign off, my last full day in Bled was well spent, and I'd like to leave you with a sign that is quite commonplace when leaving a town in Europe. All the best,
-j.duff

The day in which I had no volleybaic commitments. [Day off]

I awoke with a jump, like one of those twitches you get when you fall asleep on a bus. Not aware why my body chose to start the day in this fashion, I scoured the room for a clue... the clock, it read 9:30am.  My eyes widened, my hands clenched the bedside as a flush of adrenaline surged through my system. I tossed the covers aside, clumsily put on pants and a shirt, slipped into my sandals, and rushed out the door. There was no time to wake Gord though the guilt did not overcome me, at this point... it was every man for themselves. There is a great significance associated with 9:30am, it's the time when they stop serving breakfast.

As you may deduce from the title of the blog, we had the day off. In case you were wondering, i did make it to breakfast, it was delicious. At 10:30 we left the comforts of Hotel Krim to drive up to the castle here in Bled. It was a short ride, and very much so worth the short hike up the rather steep gradient between the road and entrance. We learned of the castle's rich heritage, as well as about the development of Slovenia as a nation. I'm not a history major, nor have I taken a class in that subject since the 11th grade, but the man presenting the information to us was so passionate and sincere that I was compelled to listen and empathize with his story. This man was the town mayor, who took time out of his day to come and represent his culture to us. I have nothing but respect and appreciation for how we've been treated since we've been here.

Castle Bled from Parking lot.

Inside of castle Bled.

City & Lake from Castle.

The Church on the Lake.

8X zoom :D

I'm having a bit of trouble with formatting, I mean... perhaps I could have decided not to tell you, and leave you believing I was trendy or something with the mis-organization of my photos, but I don't think that would do much for me. Just a thought.

I have one regret associated with this day, and it is with great despair that I share it with you. After lunch, and a nap, Gord and I decided to go find some snack foods. **This is where it gets complicated... because I need you, the reader, to NOT inform my Coach about my suspect eating habits of the day. Especially if you ARE in fact my coach, reading this blog**
We found a convenience store down the road, and splurged on some Milka chocolate bars and roasted red pepper flavoured potato chips. My team mate Dan Lewis said it best, "The Europeans have been around a lot longer than us, they know what's good." And these two items are certainly in accordance with that philosophy. Anyways, I'm getting off topic.
On the road back to the hotel we decided to walk down to the waterfront to see if anything interesting was going on. We met an older American couple biking with their daughter near the docks, and they informed us of the rental company. For only 3 Euro 40, we each rented a bike and begun our trek along the perimeter of the lake. You may be wondering, "Wow Justin, that sounds amazing... how ever could you have room for regret under such seemingly perfect circumstance?" Here's where I will answer you; I forgot my camera. There were so many sights that I wish I could show you, but now I must live with the burden of knowing that those sights are mine and only mine to keep. Unless of course... you go to Bled Slovenia, and check them out for yourself. Or... see someone else's beautiful photo's... whatever.
The ride took about 35 minutes to complete, and served as one of the better tourist moments of my life. I would recommend this city / area to anyone.
I wanted to take pictures tonight, but I realized that my Canon rechargeable AA batteries are absolute garbage, and die after 10 photos... so until tomorrow, All the best :D
-j.duff

Quick

 Today will be a quick one, with a few more pictures than normal. We beat ACH Volley Bled 3-1 in front of a packed house. It was nice to have a successful result on this trip, let's hope it continues.

TCVB @ Morning Practice.

Bled's 40th Anniversary celebratory mini volley. 

Here was a real treat. After the match there was a reception due to ACH Volley celebrating 40 years as a club. After the formal part was over [did I mention it was done completely in Slovenian language] this lady went up and belted out heaps of American music. We decided she was most likely the #1 Karaoke singer in the village. My hat goes off to her.

Me, Olivier, L-P, Dallas & Gord from left to right back row to front.
We try to keep the rides back & forth from the hotel as interesting as possible.

I'll leave you with this picture, but there are more to come. All the best.

-j.duff