Club Volleyball Tourney: Slovak Style!

Friday was a quick day at school, and I even talked Tim into taking a class outside in the beautiful sunshine!   :-)  One period, we each have half of the I.A5 class (freshmen), and we were both doing the same lesson plan, so we merged the classes and sat in the grass to soak up some rays and fresh air.  We also had a nice visit with a British couple who were registering their daughter for the Prima class (8-year program, she's 11) next year.  Then after school, we stayed an hour or so later than everyone else and got a lot of work done.  We all scan cards on a time clock at school, but there's a "working at home" option that is used by most everyone on Friday afternoons, so we generally have a quiet and productive work time prior to the end of the normal workday at the end of the week.  

Tulips in front of the next-door block of flats.  

Yes, there are even dandelions here!    :-)

Volleyball was fun Friday evening, though I just kept score since there were 12 players without me, and I had a little issue with a jammed finger and sore wrist from last week.  I had 'buddy-taped' the finger, but it was probably better to give it a rest to heal.  I biked to get groceries on the way home, and stuffed our big backpack as full as possible.  :-)  Tim and his basketball buddies celebrated another Names Day with lots of food at the pub after they played.  

This morning Tim headed to school for a basketball tournament, playing with the teachers' team from our school.  I did a lot of laundry - sheets and towels as well as clothes - and hung them outside on the line to dry since it's such a warm day again.  Then I took a bus to Liptovský Hrádok, about 20 minutes away, to watch one of my I.A5 students in a club volleyball tournament.  

Miška had emailed me with today's game time and walking directions from the bus station to the gym.  I went early to be sure I'd find it, and her instructions were perfect, so I got there just as the teams were taking the floor for warm-ups.  

It was a nice hall - wood floor, well-lit, and a spectator area at each end.  It was so much fun being back at a volleyball tournament, after all those years coaching and following Beth's teams!!  I felt right at home!!  Miška's team is on this side, in pink warm-up shirts.  

Miška is #7 in green, at the net.  I tried to get a picture of her hitting, because she really gets up high, but I was too slow with my camera delay.  She's a middle blocker/hitter.

The introductions were very formal.  Quite impressive.  

The fans for Liptovský Hrádok were awesome!  It sounded like a European soccer match with all the noisemakers and rhythmic chanting.  There were lots of those loud plastic horns, a big tom-drum, and many wooden ratchets - very noisy!!   :-)  

The starters for Liptovský Hrádok - Miška is third from the left - in the braided pony tail.  She reminds me of Peggy Ross - another favorite student from the beginning of my teaching career at Wapsie Valley.  Things they have in common - very smart students, quick with a smile, big brown eyes, and sweet as can be!  

Miška serving.  The Liptovský Hrádok team is really good, and she does a really great job as a front line starter.  

Our front line at the net.  Unfortunately, Liptovský Hrádok lost the match in 3 straight games, but it was exciting play, and in the third game it was neck-and-neck up to the end!  The day before, they had won one match 3-0, and lost a close one 2-3, so they should be playing for 5th place tomorrow.  (Two 4-team pools.)

Playing defense.  The team they played today really had some big hitters and were much taller.  It turns out, they are from a special volleyball school from Nitra, so they practice together all the time, instead of like a normal club team.  The caliber of volleyball was definitely like Iowa H.S. teams.  Fun to watch such a good match!!  

 I didn't realize that there's another girl on the team from our school, Nikola, from Tim's section of the III.B class.  Afterwards, the gals came and chatted for a while, and I got to meet Miška's family - Mom, Dad, older sister and younger brother.  

Yep - she would fit right in with Kelly and Carly, Peggy's daughters!   

We might be going to a basketball game tonight, and then there's a possibility of THREE events tomorrow.   So there will probably be another blog post tomorrow already.     :-)   Never a dull moment, that's for sure.