Rough road, but plenty of journey left

Hello everyone,
Well, as you can see from the title of this post, things are a little rough over here.  This past weekend we had a tournament and played two teams from Belgium.  We lost both games.  Then we played the SuperCup at home yesterday.  The SuperCup is a game played by last year's champion (us) and last year's Dutch Cup winner (Den Bosch).  They have been Leiden's rival for quite some time and this game was no exception.  We started the game well and played 2 1/2 quarters of solid basketball and then we just fell off.  They went on a run and they never looked back.  We ended up losing by about 20.  That is a tough way to go out, but we have to remain positive.  There is a lot of season left and we need to keep improving.  It's all about playing your best basketball at the end of the season.  One great thing about yesterday was that I got to see two of my teammates from last year and catch up with them a bit.  It was amazing to see them and it's cool how those bonds remain.  I've been having good conversations with teammates I have this year as well.  God is good with the people he places in our lives.

That is all I have for you for now.  We have another tough game at home this Saturday.  I will keep you posted.

God bless,
Mike

Welcome back!

Hello family and friends,
Welcome back to another season!  I'm playing again for the same team as last year in Leiden, Netherlands.  I'm excited to be back!  The team has some familiar faces and some I'm getting to know quickly, but it's a great group of guys.  It's comforting to come back into a familiar situation with the team and friends I have come to know over the past year.  I know where everything is and have begun a good routine.  Just tonight, for example, I had a Bible study with my friend and strength coach, Yvonne, and my teammate, Josh.  It's great to have those connections and it places my mind at peace. 

I came into the season a little late and the team already had a few practice games before I arrived.  I played in my first practice game last night in Antwerp, Belgium.  We lost pretty bad and have work to do for sure, but I have hope we will turn it around.  The season is young and we need to keep improving every day.  I played okay for my first outing, but I need a little time to get the swing of things. 

The flights were good and on time coming over here so that was good news.  I'm living in the same place as last year and have one roommate.  The transition was easy and it didn't take me too long to get over the jet lag either so that is a blessing. 

We have another practice game at home on Sunday.  I'm looking forward for what is to come.

Take care and God bless,
Mike