Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Water Polo European Tour Update #3
6/30/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
June 30, 2007
Entry by Senior Co-Captain Jason Rechel
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Hungary is off to a fast-paced beginning and everyone on the team has done extremely well to keep up. I am very happy with the way everyone came into the trip in shape; despite having gathered from the four corners of the world. Without base conditioning we would find ourselves struggling to get into shape rather than maximizing our opportunity learning the game of water polo. The team is very enthusiastic about this excellent opportunity and has begun to capitalize immediately. There were a few awestruck faces as we arrived in a part of the world that not many have been before, but after the initial grace period of about 30 minutes, the team arrived where we all feel at home: in the pool.
Our first practice was not tough to get motivated for, but very tough to get physically ready for after most of us stepped off a nine-hour plane ride (and one of us a 20-plus hour plane ride). A few hours after our warm-up practice we began a scrimmage against one of the top club teams in Hungary who we would be playing for the ensuing three days. We began slowly, feeling out the competition, but ended very well and have been playing great and with lots of intensity since the midpoint of that first scrimmage. Valuable points have been gathered so far, including technical advice for the game of water polo, as well as irreplaceable game experience. By being able to play against the top competition in the world, we as a team are able to learn how to improve ourselves and rise up to that level. We must be able to keep open minds and learn to observe and communicate with each other in order to continue a sharp learning curve on this trip and improve as a team as much as possible. From a water polo standpoint, this trip will vastly improve our individual skills as well as our team game and help us learn how to deal with each other as teammates after losing four players off last year's squad.
The trip has been successful so far outside of the pool as well. More than half the team (including some coaches) have never stepped foot in Europe before. We are learning an entirely new culture and that has opened our eyes to the world of Eastern Europe. Being "stuck" together for two weeks will make us learn to live together and compound upon our already existing friendships. As we continue to grow outside of the pool, it only makes it easier to communicate and grow in the pool.
Tonight we have a river cruise on the Danube to enjoy our last day in Budapest before heading off to Eger. Here in Budapest we have been playing against (and being beaten by) several very talented 15/16 year olds and even a 13-year-old kid. In Eger we will be playing the Hungarian club championship 18-U team. Everyone back home had better hope for our sake that that learning curve takes a very sharp turn for the better.
