**This will be my second post in English! I promisse a translation for Portuguese in a soon future**
In mid november I received a message from a lady. I had just had a great cricket tournament in Brazil and she was inviting me to play a tournament in USA - a unique ladies team in a men's cricket tournament. After a few thinking days, I said: why not?
The lady in question is Julie Abbott, manager of the CanAm Cricket Team. The team consists in players from USA, Canada, Argentina and now a Brazilian. The CanAm mission is simple and clear: PLAY MORE. Is about having a platform for ladies all over the Americas to develop their match experience, have fun while doing it and developing skills.
A lot of things happened after I acccepted the invitation to this tournament. I spent some time in Australia working, played a tournament in Argentina and changed my bowling action a few times. Like in golf, I am a believer that efficient technique will make you more consistent on the long run - but usually while those changes are taking place we can go through a rough patch. And I am currently on that moment of my life. Changing to get the best in the soon future.
I headed to Philadelphia and met Julie, my roomate Shebani and my captain: Claire Taylor! Yes, my heart was racing and I was very excited to play with such a great athlete! Come on, it is Claire Taylor.
Anyway, fan moment aside, I was feeling confident that I would be able to control my bowling action for the week. And hopefully could get some more experience with batting just by watching Claire and the other girls play.
First match I opened the bowling with Sara - and that is when my mind set went off a bit. Maybe I forced the action because was playing against men, maybe because the wind was a little bit stronger and I wanted to increase pace or just maybe because my new bowling technique is still not stablished. But I was not happy with my performance.
Game carried on and I was able to not let that affect the rest of the day. But I lost the bowling confidence for that moment.
I spoke about it to my roomie Shebani and decided to ask advice for my skip, Claire. When in life could you have a confidence issue and talk to someone on that level??? Fan moment again! And that support was something that made my day much lighter...
At all tournaments, I always try to take with me the best moments. Those moments that everything stops for a second and you can see it all in slow motion.
For those who were in Philadelphia this week, they must believe that the best moment for me was the catch from the last match. A ball who came from the batsman after a spell from our spinner - I saw it flying and I was sure that I was going to be able to run to it. The ball just bounced in my left hand after a dive and some juggling stopped inches from the grass in my right hand. What a thrill. I never had so many people talking to me about a catch - it was a dream.
But no. For me, the moment I will take for life is the 6th over of the third match. After the first bowling day I was still trying to get my confidence back when the vice captain and roomie, Shebani, said: "Robbie, you are bowling next". I was fielding only and got nervous straight away. In that game, wides were very costly and I was struggling. All things came to my mind: the conversation i had with Claire the day before, the effort we put to travel to a tournament and how important that it could be for me. Shebani said the nicest words to me before I got the ball and I went to the pitch. In the second ball, a wide. All demons trying to get back. And in my mind, all I focused was that I could do it. In the outfield, I could listen to one of our friends saying to me: "You can do it". And I repeated that every time he said. Like a mantra. I breathed deeptly and bowled for my first wicket. And the following ball, the second wicket.
I did it. What a feeling. I could do it and had to hold the tears in my eyes.
I looked at Shebani and she said: "we have each others backs, right?!" And that moment I knew it is all worth it.
Sports have a great way of bringing you up. Also is a channel to meet the best people.
I am forever grateful for the moments I will take back from this week. I am also grateful for the people I met.
Looking forward to have another "best weeks of my life" soon.
Come on, South Africa?!
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