The journey
So there it was, November 2, 2024, the day of my departure and the start of a new adventure. I had been looking forward to this moment for many weeks. Fully packed with my two suitcases, both weighing around 22 kg, I set off. From Hamburg, via London and Chicago, to Madison. Many of you are probably wondering where Madison is? Madison is in the far north of the USA in the state of Wisconsin. To be honest, I had to google it first.
My husband and I landed in Madison late in the evening around 9 p.m. Exhausted but full of curiosity, we went from the airport to my new apartment. Luckily, it took less than ten minutes and we were finally there. And what can I say, we were relieved when we walked through the rooms of my rather large apartment for the first time. I don't think I need to tell anyone how exciting that moment is when you enter your new apartment for the first time. From a large kitchen with an adjoining living area, to a laundry room with a washer and dryer, bathroom and bedroom with a dressing room, it really has everything. After the little room tour, we fell asleep, overwhelmed by jet lag.
On a Exploration Tour
Thanks to numerous online meetings before my arrival, I already knew how the first few days would go. I still had a good six days before training started. First of all, there were appointments with the city and the bank. We attended these completely independently and alone, as they had already been agreed in advance with the league and the team manager. I don't have to tell anyone here whether I was nervous, but in the end it actually went faster and better than I thought. We then drove straight to the shops. There are huge supermarkets lined up next to each other, so we visited a new supermarket almost every day. But one thing is clear, huge supermarkets have an extremely huge range and yet also very high prices. The first few days went by and we used the time to explore downtown Madison again and explore the streets. I have to admit, I had to get used to the traffic and surrender to the flow of the highway. Different country, different customs also means different units of measurement in all areas of life. Fahrenheit, miles per hour, gallons and pounds are now my daily companions.
Our training rhythm
Then the time had finally come. Full of excitement, I drove to the hall for the first time. There I met my teammates and all the club officials. The hall itself has also been completely renovated. Here we train every morning on two of a total of ten fields. At the same time, we have a huge area available for the strength and athletic program. In addition to a large changing room with washrooms, we can also have breakfast, coffee and snacks twice a week, which are conjured up for us in the kitchen. These are particularly popular before video meetings. A training session including a team meeting can last a good six hours.
Our day starts a little earlier than I'm used to. I come into the hall around 8:15 a.m. and prepare for training. That means a quick trip to the locker room, putting on shoes and knee pads, and then off to physiotherapy and a short warm-up for my preventative measures in the weight room. This is followed at 9:00 a.m. by technical training for all receivers, liberos and setters. From 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. there is the big team training, where we work on our teamwork and coordinate the rhythm. In the preparation so far, this is usually followed by a session in the weight room and individual meetings. Around 1:00 p.m. my stomach usually makes itself known in the form of a strong rumbling. For me, that means: off home for lunch. We can then usually spend the afternoon as we please and use the time for regeneration, meal prep, and FaceTime calls home.
I have now completed eight weeks of preseason preparation and a total of 34 training sessions before the first game next week. One thing is clear, I get to work with a lot of great people and I am excited to see where the first season of the LOVB takes us. Everyone will have butterflies in their stomachs and a lot of excitement when our First Serve 2025 kicks off on January 10 against the team from Austin.
You can find an overview of all dates and games as well as streaming options on my homepage or here .