| DCFH waiting on the side of the road for a new bus. |
The seniors on our team haven’t had an opening weekend at home since our freshmen year. While our first game was a rough one, there were plenty of positives that coincided with opening weekend. Our stands were packed with loyal fans, a collection of fellow students, professors, families, and community members came out in large numbers to support our team. Our first game was, what I consider, a trial by fire. With the majority of our starting positions going to players who have either seen limited previous playing time or have never experienced the collegiate game. I think that no matter who we played on our opening day, it was going to be an interesting learning opportunity for the team. As with every learning moment, the important thing is that we grow from the experience, which as our transition into our second gave proved, we grew in a big way. We looked like a mature, composed, and experienced team against Georgetown. We played team defense, attacked in numbers, and played using our speed. Coming out of opening weekend 1-1 was critical for a successful rest of the season. My favorite parts of opening weekend were the post-game tailgates (a big thank you to the junior parents, especially the McFaydens). After every game, regardless of location or weather, the DCFH parents provide us with elaborate tailgates. We have build your own tacos, southern cooked mac and cheese and pork, and many other delicious treats. DCFH eats in style.
After a weekend at home, we hit the road for an adventure to
Louisville and what an adventure that was. We started off on a high - Bill, one
of our favorite drivers was there to greet us early Friday morning. Bill always
welcomes us with a smiling face and warm bus. About two hours into our drive
and in the middle of nowhere, VA our bus broke down. We got off at an exit and
enjoyed ourselves in the sun for about two hours waiting for another bus to
come rescue us. Other teams might have complained or been miserable, but not
DCFH. We spent our time reading, creating exciting dance routines, and
frequenting the local gas station. My favorite part of us breaking down however
was the opportunity to go to Waffle House (this might be the first time my
coaches learn we did this…. Sorry!). I am a huge fan of WaHo, you can often
find me studying at their establishment on exit 28. Once our second bus
arrived, we hit the road again and watched some superb movies. Our team is
pretty strict about what movies get shown on the bus, as a senior captain, I
sent out this message before we left:
Hello All.
In preparation for our trip to Louisville, I
wanted to make it known that people are welcome to bring movies on the bus.
However, there are a couple of stipulations.
1. No Jennifer Lopez movies. Yes, the Wedding
Planner and Maid in Manhattan are decently good movies, but we can do better.
Does anyone else remember the horrors of The Back Up Plan or Gigli?
2. If Kristen Stewart is in it.... do yourself
a favor and set that movie on fire. Team RPat.
3. Ask yourself, is this a good bus movie?
Remember, the volume won't be great, you're watching it on a small screen, and
Finley will probably be braiding your hair. As much as I love musicals, they're
not great bus movies.
4. If your grandmother would like the movie,
it's probably not worth bringing.
5. No JLo movies (it's worth repeating).
6. Remember, while we are an open team and
accept all lifestyles, we will judge you for a poor movie selection.
7. If Will Ferrell or Zach Galifianakis are in
the movie, bring it.
8. If anyone owns Summer Heights High or Angry
Boys, you are my new best friend.... and bring them.
9. Review lines 1 and 5.
I think you all get the essence of this
message.
Thanks for reading.
Remember, every time a bad movie is watched, a
penguin dies.
-Fish
As you can tell, we take our movies seriously. Once we got
to Louisville, it was straight to the field for a solid pregame practice, then
back to the hotel for dinner and bed. Our Louisville game was a heartbreaker.
Losing by one goal never feels great, losing by one after we were making a
comeback only to have the game delayed by severe weather, was heartbreaking.
Nevertheless, we looked ahead to our next game (and our tailgate.) This time,
the Robinsons, parents of Gray Robinson, a DCFH alum, hosted the team at their
house for an amazing dinner. We had more food than one could dream of and Mrs.
English made us our favorite desert, derby pie (well, pies, I think I saw 10.)
One of the best things about our dinner was the number of DCFH alums that made
it. It’s always fun to see our family happy and healthy. The next day, we
claimed a 4-1 win over Ball State. Winning is always a plus, but winning before
a long trip home is a must.
- Fish
- Fish
| DCFH Alums, some of whom made it to the tailgate on our Louisville trip. |
