New Beginnings

Tomorrow marks the day that many students will begin a new school year.  With each new year comes different challenges but also new adventures.  I was always anxious at the beginning of each school year and especially nervous when it came to the years that I was changing schools and entering a different echelon.  When I went to college there were a lot of changes in my life.  I moved to a new town and was required to build new friendships and learn a new style of living.  As excited as I was to move away from my parents and to be independent I was overwhelmed by the many differences in my life.  As I enter a new phase in my life I am reminded of those times.

Throughout my academic years I had many amazing teachers that helped me to stay on the correct path and mentor me along the way.  Now that I am living with my sister, who is a teacher , I see firsthand how much effort she puts in.  She spends countless hours being sure that each student understands what she is teaching and goes above and beyond what is required of her.  Her students are very lucky to have her as a mentor as they develop in their lives. 

So best of luck to all the teachers and students who are starting a new school year!

All Blues take home Bronze at Nationals!

Almost exactly a year ago I was participating in Bobsled National Push Championships.  This was the first step towards the 2014 Olympic Team and it was imperative for me to do well in order to have an opportunity to showcase myself throughout the season.  Every athlete participating understood the importance of this event.  I was proud of my result last year although I knew I still had a long road ahead of me.  I would have never thought a year later I would find myself competing in Rugby National Championships

After my name was not announced on the 2014 Olympic roster I put one foot in front of the other and eventually made my way to Budapest, Hungary.  Two fencers I had trained with throughout the summer had a training camp in Hungary and allowed me to stay with them.  I followed them to training and explored every aspect the country had to offer.  They were patient and understanding and allowed me to bounce ideas off them.  We talked about what I would do next with my life and the different sports I would like to try as I transitioned out of athlete life.  Ironically that same day we were at the gym training and I was approached by a girl who asked me if I played rugby.  The very next day she brought me to practice and for those two weeks I became a Budapest Exile.  I was given small insight into what the sport had to offer and I immediately fell in love with the camaraderie and culture of the sport.  I knew this was something I wanted to explore and learn when I made my way home. 

After practice with the Budapest Exiles Feb. 2014

Rugby is a much more difficult and complex sport than I had ever anticipated.  I enjoy challenging myself and learning how to have fun again.  Although I have only been playing for a few months I am slowly starting to understand the game and have already met some amazing people.  I am thankful to my teammates for patiently teaching me the ins and out of the sport and I am proud to have helped the Berkeley All Blues come home with a 3^rd place result at Rugby Sevens National Championships!   

Lady Cavs in Action!

Dr. Dad

Growing up in a family of four athletic girls it was always nice when we got injured to have a doctor in the family.   I think we may have taken it for granted when we sprained an ankle to have an immediate diagnosis and a plethora of braces and ace bandages.  We have all been through numerous injuries and so have many of our teammates.   Our Dr. Dad has always been there to not only help alleviate our pain but also any of our teammates that needed assistance.   Still to this day our dad is always willing to come to the rescue with any aches and pains we may have.

My favorite part of my dad's profession was his 'team doc' status at Chico State.   I remember feeling untouchable as my dad flashed his team doc badge and we were quickly ushered into football games. I loved going to football games with my dad.   I felt so special as I sat on the sideline with him and watched him work.  My sister and I would sit on the bench and giggle as watched the athletes spit and our jaws would drop when we heard them cuss.  This was a fun experience I vividly remember.  

For show and tell my dad would come to class and and put a cast on each of us.  He would patiently explain the casting process and how this fixed broken bones.  We had all our classmates sign a message on our cast.  We had the best show and tell in the school! 

No matter what the issue our Dr. Dad is our super hero and has always been there for us in our time of need. 

Ben and Ashley Azevedo

Try try try again...

In rugby when a player scores it is called a ‘try.’  It seems a very fitting name as it usually takes multiple attempts to put points on the board.  The team has to work together, passing the ball, creating holes and gaps in the defense, so that a player can hopefully sneak through and score.  Many times players will be knocked off their feet and get a mouth full of grass as the team works towards a try.  When this happens it is important you can trust you have teammates to protect you and the ball.  If you do not have ‘friends’ with you the ball could be turned over and the other team has major scoring potential. 

Many times you have to attempt different options in life and mark different ideas off your list before you are able to reach the back of the try zone and ‘score.’  I am finding it more difficult than I had expected to narrow down the many career options life has handed me.  As a friend told me you have to turn over ever puzzle piece before starting to connect and put the puzzle together.  I can truly identify with that.  I work diligently towards turning over my pieces one by one so that I can find what fits together. 

As in Rugby it is important to have a team with you for support and protection when life knocks you down.  Treading murky waters alone can be difficult and will not have the end result desired.  It is a lot less difficult when support is swimming alongside of you and encouraging you at each stop.   I may not know what exactly I want to do next, but for now I am enjoying seeing the try zone and running as fast as I can to get there.  Sometimes I reach it, but the times I don’t I know I can trust that my team will be there to back me.

Congratulations to the National Champion Lady Cavaliers!