Postcards From Asia: Starting in South Korea
September 03, 2018 | Men's Volleyball
Blog Post #2 - South Korea
David Kniffin, Head Coach
In the past few days, we have transitioned from Yongin-si (home of the Korean Air Jumbos) to Cheonan-si (home of the Hyundai Capital Skywalkers). On our transfer day, the boys had the opportunity to experience the Traditional Korean Folk Village. The village included traditional performances, structures and experiences. Many of the boys went through the museum, a few visited the Buddhist temple and all experienced the authentic cuisine (seated at low tables, see the attached photos). We have begun and ended every day with a moment to pause and be grateful for the people and circumstances that have aligned to make this experience come together. Thank you.
David Parker, Redshirt Senior, Libero
For me, our foreign tour and the 2018-2019 season started to feel authentic when we finally departed UC Irvine for LAX. Excited for a truly once in a life time experience, it was easy to keep morale high and energy flowing right from the start. Reaching South Korea was tiring, but smooth. We were welcomed warmly by the Korean Air Jumbo Jets. An intense and competitive first practice was followed by an intense lift. Through the next couple days we had matches, additional practices, plenty of team talks, a constant flooding of new culture and a tightly run schedule. As will expected, both morale and energy began to slow down. As a veteran, I know this sense of discomfort and exhaustion. I have personally experienced this manifest in various ways. The lack of communication with home, long training days and the constant downloading and processing of new information and experiences can be draining on the body and mind. But, we have our teammates. We are learning to support each other and lean into some these discomforts. One twig can be broken easily, but I challenge you to try 21 twigs. Good luck.
