Cancun Caribbean Classic - Player Blog
12/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2008
Different. One word that describes my first steps off the second plane we had to take to get to Cancun. The air was crisp and fresh and the night sky full of stars that surrounded our new experience. The twelve hour trip from Nacogdoches, Texas to Cancun, Qroo was totally worth it. Even the five minute bus ride to the Moon Palace Resort was breathtaking. Tall trees and lights outlined the rather large resort. Huge brick buildings circled us as we made our way to our rooms, which were unbelievable with the hot tub in the middle of the room. Oh, and the twenty-four hour room service was just the tip of the iceberg. The view of the beach was soothing and calm with the soft waves lashing at the sandy shore. The dark waters that seemed to go on forever seemed almost mysterious in a way. Various foods were produced by various restaurants. The hardest decision that had to be made on this trip was where to eat, what to eat, and where to begin! The fruit was beyond fresh, meat beyond tender, tons of dessert, and we all tried to try everything all at once. Even the food we ate almost everyday had a unique taste. The best thing about it all, was that we could eat till our stomachs were content. The day ended with showers and phone calls to love ones to tell them goodnight since all calls were free of charge on room phones. As soon as heads hit the super fluffy pillows, we couldn't wait to wake up early and explore the rest of the this wonderful place.
We started out the day with a wonderful breakfast full of ambiance and good food. After breakfast some of my teammates went to the beach to soak up some sun and have some fun. Others of us decided to go back to our unbelievable rooms with a jacuzzi to have a little rest and relaxation. Next we went to practice to work on our game and remember why we came here. One can temporarily forget the purpose when you become consumed with the beautiful resort and surrounding sites. After practice we scurried back to our rooms to shower and freshen up. We took advantage of our room service privilege for lunch and dined in our rooms. Once again the food was excellent. After eating lunch we went to the UCONN-Washington game. We watched UCONN, who performed like a well oiled machine defeat Washington. The game was quite impressive. We then went and visited the souvenir shop. There were many items to choose from and we had a great time as we shopped.
Meanwhile, we returned to our rooms to freshen up and get ready for the banquet. The banquet was great and was highlighted by local Aztec dancers. We had a great time. After the banquet we all decided to go to the beach. We laughed, talked, and played along the beach shore. We have a lot of silly pictures of our team unity. After we left the beach once again we took in some more delicious food and soon after prepared for curfew and bedtime. At the end of the day we all expressed our gratitude to SFASU and our coaching staff for blessing us with such a wonderful trip. This resort is absolutely breath taking and has definitely brought us closer as a team. We are forever thankful.
Although we were still waking up to the beautiful sunlit palm trees and ocean breeze, our mindset was totally different. We knew we had a game later so it was time to forget about all the hype from being in Mexico and focus on what we really came down here to do…win. Some of us woke up early and went to eat breakfast while the rest of the team just met us at our shoot-around, which was first thing in the morning. The gym was different than anything I’ve ever played in. The court was literally made of wooden planks placed down and pieced together on the carpet in one of the resort’s huge ball rooms. Chandeliers hung high over our heads and paintings hung on the walls, and instead of bleachers, dinner tables and chairs were arranged on either sides of the court.
After getting over our initial amazement over the gym, we practiced hard for 30 minutes. Once shoot-around was over, we all went our separate ways and relaxed before our pre-game meal. It wasn’t the same as our usual pre-game meal; a choice of chicken or fish along with pasta, corn, green beans and fruit. Instead there was shrimp, sirloin steak, baked potatoes, and rice as other options. We all got nice and full, then headed back to our rooms and relaxed or got treatment again before the game.
Tonight we played Missouri State and I’m sad to say that none of us were pleased with how it turned out, but this disappointment we’re feeling tonight is definitely going to be our motivation to handle our business tomorrow against the University of San Francisco.
Day 4 - Cambria Smith The day started off with an early shoot-around and pre-game meal at 8am. After Pre-game, we went to our rooms to mentally prepare ourselves for the second of two games. After a disappointing performance yesterday, we wanted to come out much stronger against the University of San Francisco. As the hour approached, we headed to the gym as a team. Although a better showing than the previous game, it was unfortunate that we would (again) fall short in defeat to the University of San Francisco (70-59). Disappointed with the loss, we decided that it would be nice to head to the beach as a team. Swimming suits on and cameras in hand, we ventured out and about. We walked on the beach for about 15 minutes and took a lot of pictures. Afterwards, we went to the swimming pool area but after a couple of dips in, we realized the water was too cold to our liking. We then decided to get into the Jacuzzis, which were located in each of our rooms. A few of us piled into Decreasha’s and Jordan’s jacuzzi. Others went to their own rooms to relax and enjoy the little time we had left at this amazing resort. Finally it was time to eat and buy gifts for our families and friends. The trip was one to remember for a lifetime. Our team bonded and grew closer then ever before. Our only regret was losing our games…but we have grown from both experiences. P.S. Happy Holidays from the Ladyjack family.
