Guys. Anyone looking to increase the amount of meat they consume on a regular basis should consider Slovenia. We're not joking. Chicken kabobs and sausage for lunch and a spread of "all the meats" for dinner. We have been spoiled, but alas let's walk you through our fifth day in Europe.
We started in the hotel in Maribor and boarded the bus at 8am to head to Ljubljana (Slovenia's capital city) for our morning game against the Croatian National Team. It was about a 2-hour drive through very green scenery in a bus with FANTASTIC air conditioning :) Here's a little sneak peak of what life on the bus looks like:
One of the consistent things we have seen and learned this trip is that softball is still not a popular sport in most of Europe. Seeing the level of training and skill relative to what our girls have experienced in America is humbling. For those of you who have set your alarms to watch our games, you can likely agree that the level of competition thus far has not been great -- but our games have been impactful simply beyond the competition:
- Our new incoming girls are getting a chance to play and mesh with team before school even starts
- Our graduated seniors are getting a few more opportunities to keep their careers alive
- We have provided a standard of softball for the teams we have played that encourages them to continue training and practicing to get better
- We have engaged entire communities by coming here and playing their local teams
Honestly, the list could go on and on, but most importantly, our girls are getting to understand they way they grew up playing softball and all the coaching and opportunities they have had is something that doesn't exist everywhere, and they have become truly grateful.
After the game, the Ljubljana locals who hosted our game cooked for both teams and then we held a mini-practice for the Croatians and any local softballers to help them develop their skills and learn some new drills. Overall it was a very cool experience!
From the game we hopped back on the bus and checked in to our hotel. We had a couple hours of down time for the first time since arriving, so the girls were pretty excited to shower, relax and "get ready" for our night in the city.
We took the city bus into the town center and had about an hour an a half to walk around, eat gelato, and buy some souvenirs. Ljubljana is a picturesque, charming European town, and I think you will agree simply by looking at the photos. One cool thing worth noting about Ljubljana is that there are dragons all around town -- to the locals they symbolize courage and i
We finished the night with undoubtedly the best meal we have had so far. We sat for over two hours enjoying platter upon platter of meat and each other's company. We love this team and these young women, and we're pretty sure they are loving their time in Europe so far!
Here is the link to the toast senior Ally Richter and alumna Ashlee Kim made to teammates, coaches, staff, parents and donors: https://twitter.com/roadrunnersb/status/1140342707044462593?s=12
Na zdravje! (cheers)
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