Monday, July 10, 2006
Masters, Day 2: Completing the collection
7/10/06
First things first: I won a silver medal in the Masters competition. I am very happy and very proud of that accomplishment. Not only was it a long week of bowling – and a long week of travel – but as I’ve written in previous days, I wasn’t too pleased with my bowling during the first four days of competition. So to really push through and make it to the stepladder finals, with a shot at the gold medal, is something that was really important to me.
Bowling this morning was seven more games of scheduled play followed by a position round (1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, etc.). I started in fifth and went through each of my opponents, completing the day at 8-0, for a 16-game total of 3420 with bonus pins (10 points for each win, 12 wins). That put me in third and facing Adam Goldberg in the first match, with the winner to bowl Moshe for the title.
So I beat Adam in the first match and went up against Moshe. I then beat him 190-180, but we were bowling with international rules where they have this stupid thing called repechage. Basically that is where it takes only one game for the top qualifier to win the stepladder, but if their opponent is to win, they need to beat the top qualifier twice. So we went to a second game, winner take all for the title.
We moved from 15-16 to 13-14 and got one frame practice on each lane. On my final shot of practice before the final game, the small callous forming on my thumb ripped and I had virtually no consistent grip on the ball for the entire game. I was happy to have made it that far and to be standing at the end of the championships; at that point, it was only Moshe and I. And to Moshe’s credit, he bowled a solid game in the final match to take the title, even as I was struggling to finish with a 143 (my low game of the tournament).
We’re all pretty tired but relieved that the bowling is over. Sadly, it also means that everyone will be departing for home soon. Sydney has been a wonderful venue for these games and a wonderful way for many of us to reunite as competitors and as friends. I was so excited to hear that Yifat, Moshe, and Emil would be here – in addition to my Australian friends – that it just sweetened the experience. Add to that the new friends we’ve made, and Sydney will always have a fond place in my heart.
I intend on visiting Australia again. Maybe for the 2010 Maccabi Australia International Games (which are rumoured to be in Melbourne) but if not then, another time for sure. As a holiday destination, this ranks right up there; save your dollars or shekels or pesos now and start planning a trip today.
Tonight are the closing festivities at Luna Park and then in the morning it’s off to Los Angeles to play with the USY on Wheels buses. Before I know it, I’ll be back in New Jersey and reality will set in. Until then, we’re all enjoying the high of being in a wonderful community that we will surely never forget.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Masters, Day 1
The good news for me is that I'm +75 for the day. The bad news is that my spare shooting troubles are continuing and I had four games that were pretty horrendous. Imagine what I could do if I could actually cover a 4-pin?
After eight games, I'm in fifth place, about 60 pins out of third and 75 from second. So tomorrow there is a lot of bowling to be done and a lot of ground I can make up. If only I can cover a few 4-pins and not get six-counts on good shots ... who knows what would be.
Thankfully, I've left myself in a workable spot going into the second day of eight games. I've got a few big matches tomorrow, including against Emil, Moshe and Josh, which should be not only interesting but also very telling of the entire tournament. Moshe and Josh are both ahead of me in the standings right now, and if I can take some pins from them, that will be very helpful to my bottom line. I'm sure it will be a mad rush to the finish and the cream will truly rise to the top.
We're now off to watch Adam and Emil go diving with the sharks. On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, as we came back from the casino around 3:30 a.m., they decided it was time to make a reservation to dive with the sharks, as they had been talking about for a few days. We've all been joking that they should change their online questionnaire to ask "Are you intoxicated?" when you are putting in the information to weed out people who may not be in their right frame of mind, which none of us were that night. If nothing else, it will be one of the entertainment highlights of our weeks in Sydney; hopefully, they will both return with all their limbs fully intact.
How do you get a good night sleep in Sydney?
For some reason, I have not been sleeping well at the hotel. Most nights, I've been waking up at least one time for no apparent reason. Last night, we returned to the hotel about 4 a.m. and I was still wide awake about 8 a.m. There was nothing I could do to get back to sleep so I took a walk around Sydney and went down to Darling Harbour. The views are breathtaking and it's a great vantage point to get to so much in the city, including some markets, the aquarium, and the casino (where we've sent a few nights already). Once I get onto my computer (I'm on Dan's right now) I'll post pictures I took in the Harbour.
Saturday afternoon was spent on Circular Quay, relaxing a little and kicking back at pub. Some people went to the zoo, which I, as such an animal lover, passed on. It will give me something to look forward to on my return trip to Australia (because I will return).
Debbie and Phil once again opened their house to some of the bowlers for a barbecue dinner, a nice way to enjoy the evening heading into the Masters. I can't say it enough ... the Australians are some of the most hospitible people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and calling my friends. When you are here, you truly feel like you are among friends and family. Simply put, that's how they do it "down under."
A great surprise
Today was the five-man team event, but since we didn't bring a full team -- nor were there enough to field a Rest of the World team -- we merely bowled for our individual scores to be used in the all-events standings. Sadly, Josh, David, Emil, and I, along with our pacer, would have actually done very well in the tournament, finishing second behind the Israelis.
I continued my average bowling, finishing with an 1186, for a 24-game total of 4778, a 199 average. On the positive side, each of my set were very consistent; unfortunately, they were not the quality scores I was shooting for. I did finish 5th in the all-events standings, which is an accomplishment unto itself, so I guess there is a bright side.
As I predicted earlier, some of the notable names would be at the top of the leaderboard. Moshe ran away with the all-events, averaging almost 220 for the 24 games. Adam placed second, followed by Josh.
I mentioned earlier that Israel took the team event and really held the lead all day. Australia took a silver and the Australian Development team (think of it as JV) took bronze. For the Develoment team, these games area great experience for them, not only bowling in an interational tournament but haing the opportunity to bowl a long-format tournament.
On the women's side, the Rest of the World team bested the Australian team.
We finally got back to the hotel around 5:45 p.m. and barely had time to get ready for Shabbat services, which were held at the hotel. The service was pretty uninspiring; very little was explained or sung, which may have helped engage some of the service attendees. It's tough to bring together Jews from different backgrounds and levels of understanding and throw them into a service with little explanation or engagement. You can only imagine the talking that was going on behind the mechitza.
About 20 of the bowlers decided to go off-site for dinner together and had a great evening out. When we returned to the hotel for a brief drink at the bar, we were happily greeted by our Shabbat Surprise -- Tony Aarons and Dan Zalcman. They both bowled for Australia last year in Israel but were unable to come to these games due to work commitments. We were all excited to see them and can only wait to see what the rest of the weekend will hold with them around :)
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Bronze for all
7/6/06
Well, it wasn’t pretty, but Josh, David, and I took bronze in today’s trio’s competition. To top it all off, Adrienne also took a bronze as part of the Rest of the World team. So it’s bronze medals for everyone!
I had the highest set on our trio team at 1202 (232-193-172-171-223-211) and am now only –8 for the 18 games, which is good enough for fifth in the all events standings. If I can get together six solid games I have a shot at a medal in the all events, as I sit only about 80 pins out of third.
We started well with a 613 team game, but there were only a few moments of brilliance for the rest of the day. Going into game six, we had a 70+ pin lead over fourth place and only shot 531, which was good enough to take the bronze but wasn’t the rousing finish we wanted.
The highlight of the day, though, was the medal presentation for the doubles. Josh and I proudly accepted our gold medals while Adrienne and Jessica from Mexico received a silver. Pictures will come, I promise (I told you I’m bad with those things).
Tonight, it’s off to the SOP for some basketball and soccer action with some of the Australian bowlers. Then tomorrow it’s the five-man team event. Since there are not enough bowlers to put together a Rest of the World team, we will just be bowling for our own individual scores; Adrienne and the four other ladies without a fill six-person team will form a Rest of the World team to compete against the Australians.
Community Day in Sydney
The community day at the SOP consisted of an afternoon barbecue (which was tastefully called a “Sausage Sizzle”) followed by a long ceremony to honor the 11 Israeli athletes, coaches, and judges who were killed in Munich during the 20th Olympiad in 1972. The ceremony was appropriately held at the pillar commemorating those games; each summer Olympiad until 2000 is memorialized with a special pillar that is also used as a solar panel for energy at the SOP.
The best part of the community day – besides having a majority of the athletes together for an afternoon where little competition was held – was the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron. This is one of the few times it has been lit since the Olympics in 2000 and the first time by a non-Olympic organization. Pictures will come; I just need to download them from my camera.
We ended the day with a pub night at Cargo Bar, which is on the wharf at Darling Harbour.
Tomorrow is the trio competition. If we can get ourselves into the right frame of mind, Josh, David, and I have a good shot at medaling.
Celebrating independence, Australian style
Today was the second day of the Ten Pin Bowling competition, and Josh and I knew that together we had a good chance to take the doubles title. Even though I didn’t bowl well (182-183-202-180-209-215 1171), Josh went +114 and we took the doubles title. Going into the last game, we were back about 25 pins and together we put up the top score of the day, with a 483. Congrats to Josh for really bowling well and holding our pairing together.
My main problem on the day was again timing. I would rush and then try to stay slow and wouldn’t stay consistent with my execution. That on top of the fact that I wasn’t playing the best line to the pocket, which then made carry more difficult, hence adding to my problems. By the middle of the fifth game, I had move a little more outside and was playing a straighter line to the pocket, which greatly helped (as evidence by my increasing scores). I told Josh and Adrienne to tell me to move outside if they see me struggling with a more inside shot again.
To complete our day of bowling, Adrienne received her bronze medal from the singles competition. We’ll receive our gold (with a silver for Adrienne, who competed with Jessica from Mexico on a World Team) on Thursday after the Trios.
Before our little soiree at the Sachs’, the Team USA team went over to the Sydney Olympic Park (SOP) to check out USA Open vs. USA Masters Soccer. The SOP is an incredible facility and the Athletic Center – where the soccer match was contested – is a great place to catch a game. Though it was a very physical game all the way through – with a red card given to one of the Masters players – the final was 4-3 in favor of the Open team. That was after opening up a 3-0 lead at halftime.
It was so nice for Debbie and Phil to open up their beautiful home to all the bowlers for dinner and socializing. I didn’t take pictures (I think everyone else did, though) but their house is exquisite and everyone greatly enjoyed the evening. There was not one person who left without a smile on their face.
To end the night, Adam took Moshe, Yifat, Emil, and I to the casino in Darling Harbour. The tables were pretty expensive, but Emil tried his luck on a few tables and actually walked away about $200AUS up. Moshe also won and Yifat dropped a few dollars; Adam and I were content drinking a little more and just hanging out, watching some of the tennis on the big screen.
Tomorrow is Community Day for all the athletes at the SOP. It’s perfect timing too because we can all use a day off before the next set of competition on Thursday and Friday.
Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!
Monday, July 03, 2006
I called 100 over
We began our competition this morning with the Singles Event. I finished in 6th at +19; Josh finished 5th at +23; and David finished 16th at –110. I had said all along that it would take about +100 (meaning 1,300 over six games) to have a shot at winning a medal and the winning score was 1,315, which was shot by Ronnie Lang of Australia. Moshe Shienman came in second and Adam Goldberg took the bronze.
For myself, I was consistent with my scores (more or less) but just did stupid things throughout the day. Mostly it was too many open frames (I must have missed four 10 pins alone) and in the fourth and fifth games, I let the pace of bowling dictate my timing, rather than it be the other way around. Also, in the fourth game, we hit a challenging pair (17-18, which is one of the end pairs) where the right lane was hooking about four boards more than the left. My scores on the day were 192-210-204-182-208-223 for a 1219.
Adrienne claimed the bronze medal in the ladies competition, 10 pins behind the gold medal, which was won by the infamous Lisa Abush of Canada; silver went to Debbie Sachs (Phil’s wife).
Speaking of Phil and Debbie, they invited all the bowlers to their house on Tuesday night for a barbecue. This is just typical of the hospitality and warmth all the Australians have shown the overseas athletes during our stay. It has been so nice to be in the company of not only our bowling friends, but all the volunteers and staff who have helped make our stay as wonderful as it has been thus far.
Not sure what the night will hold, but then it’s off to the doubles competition tomorrow. Josh and I will go up against the field, and David will be bowling with Emil Kizer on the world team.
Let the Games Begin
7/2/06
I have to say, it was nice to get a bowling ball back in my hand after this chaotic week. In speaking with some of the Australian bowlers before the session began, they said the shot would be something closer to a “house” shot, rather than the difficult conditions we faced in Israel last year.
Again, for my non-bowling friends, here is where I will start to get more technical … just smile and read, and if you get bored or confused, skip down to the bottom.
For the most part, I was playing a shot between the first and second arrow. Depending on the pair, my body would move a board or two left or right; one some pairs (7 and 8 in particular) I was able to play right up the first arrow with relative success). Most of the morning, I used the Ti Messenger and the Ice for 10 pins; actually, it just happened to work that way. I started with my usual combination of the Heat and Mojo but when those went to get weighed (thanks Pat, our team manager, for standing in line with all our equipment) I just never switched back. Thankfully all the balls fit good on my hand and had a solid shot to the pocket (or 10 pin, as the case may be).
There will be some competition near the top and it will take good scores to place well, not just breaking even (which is 200 per game). Emil, Moshe, Josh (one of my teammates), Adam and Phil (both from Australia), and I should be the ones to hang around the top of the leader board most of the week. Obviously I wouldn’t be surprised if some other athletes are among these names and I hope that everyone does well in the competition.
A quick shower and it was off to the Governor’s House. I and three other Team USA athletes (and our Team Manager) with athletes from other countries were invited to Government House, adjacent to the Sydney Opera House, at the request of Her Excellency Prof. Marie Bashir. The house (both outside and inside) is exquisite and Her Excellency and her husband were so gracious and supportive of our efforts and the Games in Sydney.
The Opening Ceremonies were held inside the Sydney Opera House, which looks much smaller inside than you would think from the exterior. As with most of these ceremonies, they went on much to long and all I could think about was getting to sleep when I returned to the hotel. Here are a few photos from the Opera House and the ceremonies.
Shabbat in Sydney
As I said in a previous entry, I had plans to go to Temple Emanu-El, a Masorti congregation in Woolahra. When I asked at the front desk how long it would be to walk, they scoffed at the idea. In reality, it was only about 25 minutes in each direction and a pretty straight path at that. If nothing else, it was a good workout.
Temple Emanu-El is both a Masorti and Progressive (Reform) synagogue with multiple services each Shabbat. The Conservative service began at 9 a.m. with barely a minyan (the ten people that constitute a “quorum” at a Jewish service) and ended with about 35. Some of the tunes were quite different, and some of them were the same only with different emphasis on the words and syllables. Some of the customs are different from anything I’d seen in the United States (or Israel for that matter) but seemed to go with the flow of the service.
From what I could gather, they are anticipating the arrival of a new rabbi, though the woman who led services (not sure if she is a rabbi, cantor, or lay member of the congregation) was very sweet and energetic. She admittedly tripped over some words and tunes, but there was obviously enough spirit in the room to help her through.
After the walk back to the hotel, we enjoyed a nice lunch and then I enjoyed a nice nap. Thankfully my roommate came back around 5:30 p.m., which woke me up in time to get ready for our evening technical meeting – which I thought started around 6:30 p.m. but actually commenced at 8. The technical meeting was relatively quick and painless, though I still am not really happy with how the women are picking some of their partners for events.
Because of the small numbers (22 men, 11 women) and the fact that there are a number of athletes without full teams to compete with (some countries only have one bowler) we will have a few world teams. For the women, there will be one doubles team and one trios team that is a world team, determined by a blind draw. That means that one woman will not be able to compete in the doubles, but will bowl with a pacer, and two women will bowl with a pacer for the trios. Though there is no other way to select the groupings, something just didn’t sit well with me. Adrienne seemed okay with that decision, so I’m going with it.
For the men, there will be a double team made of a USA bowler and a Venezuelan bowler (my friend Emil … he wants to bowl with me but I’m going to wait until the results are in from the singles to make that final decision).
The night ended with a walk up to Kings Cross, which is only a few hundred meters from our hotel. It’s not the nicest area but there is always activity there. Emil, Moshe and Yifat (from Israel), and I ended up at a bar right next to the hotel for a few beers. We were (un)fortunate to witness some girl’s 18th birthday … she looked like she was in bad shape.
Tomorrow the real fun begins. We have our practice session in the morning followed by the Opening Ceremonies. Before the ceremony, I have been invited with a few other Team USA athletes (and possibly other athletes) to a reception at the Governor’s mansion. Pictures to follow …
Raindrops keep falling on my head
The best thing about today was the I got to sleep late … after going to bed at around 8:45 p.m., I got nearly a full 12 hours of sleep. Now I know that probably sounds gluttonous, but when the affects of sleep depravation (and a touch of jet lag) are setting in, any length of quality sleep is much appreciated.
Our touring for the day took us to Bondi Beach, which is about 20 minutes from our hotel. The self-guided tour in the rain was actually pretty nice. The water is crystal blue and the rock formations are incredible; the cliffs are all sandstone and you can walk up to different areas cleaved from the water over the years. And though our tour guide didn’t share much about what we were going to see, we did learn that Sydney is in a Stage 3 drought (I don’t know exactly what that means, but it sounds pretty bad). She even said the rain wouldn’t last very long, but it stuck around for at least the hour we strolled around the beach.Back at the hotel, everyone prepared for Shabbat and dinner with families in Sydney. I, along with five other U.S. athletes and three from the Israeli delegation who are shomer kashrut (observant of the dietary laws) were invited to services at Chabad Double Day followed by dinner at the home of the Chabad’s rabbi while all the other athletes (as well as those from other countries) went to services at the Central Synagogue, which is one of the largest synagogues in Sydney. I’m not a huge fan of Chabad and the service was familiar but not too inspiring (for me, at least). Nevertheless, I appreciated the hospitality and looked forward to a pleasant Shabbat dinner.
There must have been 20 guests at dinner, in addition to the Rabbi, his wife, and their five children. We had a wonderful time at dinner though by the end we were visibly tired. It was a 25-minute walk from the hotel to the synagogue, and would be another 20 minutes back to the hotel. I barely got into my room before my eyes shut and I was asleep.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
G'day from Sydney
6/29/06
Though our schedule in Sydney was pretty easy on our first day, by the time 8 p.m. rolled around, most of us could barely keep our eyes open. Even with some (minimal) sleep on the airplane, I must have been up for about 55 of 60 hours, so every time I walked into my room, the bed looked more and more tempting.
We landed in Sydney around 8 a.m. (from now until I get back to LA, all times will be Sydney time). Before we touched down, a member of the flight crew reviewed the declaration process, of which most sounded familiar. But the one thing that was pretty unique was that anything that can slightly modify the Australian environment – such as food, wood products, or anything that has foreign soil (actual dirt) – must be declared. The soccer, golf, and tennis teams loved that, because each of their shoes and equipment needed to be individually hand-checked at the customs border.
Even with that, we were at the hotel by 10 a.m. for some freshening up and relaxation time before lunch and our team meeting. I’m staying with one of the Masters Basketball players, a nice guy from Seattle. By 2:30 p.m., we were on the buses and heading over to the HaKoah club (similar to a JCC) that is in one of the Jewish sections of the Sydney suburbs.
Food and transportation in and around the Games should be very interesting. We found out at the team meeting and subsequent captain’s meeting that lunch will be served only at the Vibe Hotel and the Sydney Olympic Park (SOP) – so that does a lot for my teammates and I who will probably still be at the bowl during lunch. I can taste the box lunches already! But also, we were instructed to only go to venues for competition and then return to the hotel, since they want to make sure everyone who goes to the SOP or another venue comes back safely. By Tuesday, we hope those rules will relax a little bit.
It was only then that our brief touring began – a short bus tour around some of the Sydney suburbs followed by a boat dinner in the Sydney Harbour. We had some great views during the walk, especially of the famed Sydney Opera House.
The night ended early and by 8:45 p.m., we were asleep. Tomorrow we are off to a walk down by Bondi Beach followed by Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday evening services) and home hospitality dinner. If I can post before Shabbat, I will; otherwise, Shabbat Shalom l’kol.
*** One final word about the purple shirts: I'm told from some other overseas friends (like Tony from Great Britain and Tony from Australia) that they love their shirts and wear them with pride. Tony grom Great Britain even bowled 58 over for 8 games at the Maccabi European Games qualifier. Great bowling Tony! Go get 'em!
Somewhere up in the clouds
Between the actual flight time in the air and the time change, I literally spent all of today in the air. As I said, the flight itself is about 15 hours, plus the 14-hour time difference (which is 17 from the West Coast) and before you know it, and entire day has passed by. If I figured out my sleeping pattern correctly, I needed to stay awake for about the first 6 hours of the flight (until about 10 p.m. Sydney time), and then try to sleep as much as I can until we touch the ground in Sydney. For someone who doesn’t sleep well on airplanes, it was a good plan but not very successful; I probably slept for about three or four hours and then after I woke up that first time just couldn’t get my body to go back to sleep.
It’s actually 5 a.m. Sydney time as I close out this entry. Three hours to go … Sydney, here we come!
The Adventure begins
I started writing this from the American Airlines terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport. Thankfully I had little trouble checking my luggage; the skycap did question me when I said I was permitted to have luggage that weighed up to 70 lbs. because I would be flying on an international flight later today. Within five minutes (probably less) we went into the terminal with the baggage, he asked a ticket agent about the weight restriction … and I was good to go.
But it wouldn’t be a smooth walk down to the gate. Apparently, almost everyone in the tri-state area is fleeing (I think it’s the crumby weather, but that’s only a theory). The lines to go through security were incredibly long and people don’t follow simple directions, which makes it even worse.
Making the adventure even more tortuous (and torturous) was the fact that we sat on the tarmac for more than three hours in Newark. Apparently, all the traffic in the ENTIRE airport had to be rerouted to one runway and just caused havoc on the flow of incoming and departing traffic. While I was pissed off about the great delay – I was supposed to meet my aunt and cousins for lunch during my layover, which didn’t happen due to time constraints – I at least made up for some lost sleep from last night.
What might be even more of a shanda (loosely translated from Yiddish, it means a disgrace or travesty) is that they didn’t serve any food on the plane. Yes, I know you can buy some packaged muffin for $3 or a nasty tuna fish wrap for $4, but one might think the airline would be a little proactive and do something nice for their customers who are basically held captive on the plane while some stressed-out air traffic controller deems which flights go out in which order. Some CSR is going to get a little piece of my mind when I finally get to LA – I pity that person J (Actually, it wasn’t a terrible conversation, because they just “yessed” me to death, which I despise, but that’s what they get paid to do. When I told them that they could have at least offered a snack or something at no cost, the scoffed at the idea. Talk about customer service)/
After grabbing a bite to eat (I was about ready to gnaw off my own arm from starvation) it was then about 3:30 p.m. and time to mull around the airport for a while. Athletes and managers started arriving and we actually had an opportunity to introduce ourselves. Different than last year, where more than 700 athletes, managers, and coaches filled an entire El Al terminal at JFK, our group of about 150 flying to Australia seemed much more manageable and in the time we had to kill before departure people did the “meet and greet” thing. There are a lot of athletes from the northeast and from the California area, and a lot of the athletes are young (high school- and college-age). While I’m not one to feel old around “youngins” I was feeling like an elder statesman of the group. A few people asked where I went to school, I think more out of habit than anything else.
A few beers and a lot of laughs later and we’re finally getting ready to board the plane. I’ve been corrected in my calculations and have found out that the flight is 14-15 hours, rather than the 18 that I was expecting. Still, it’s a long flight no matter how you cut it. We should be arriving in Sydney around 7:30 a.m. local time. More to come from the other side.
Final Practice
I’ll be honest … I haven’t practiced as much going into these Games as I would have liked. Scheduling conflicts for work and USY just seemed to get in the way, not to mention that every so often I like to simply relax or hang out with friends.
Since I had to pick up one last bowling ball from the pro shop tonight, I figured I’d throw a few games, if for no other reason than to reacquaint myself with all my equipment. I have four bowling balls, each with a different material composition, designed to react differently to various lane conditions.
One would think that having four balls in my arsenal I’d be pretty familiar with each one and what it will do, and that is a good assumption. On paper, I’m very comfortable with each ball and what I expect it to do in various conditions. The reality is that during the year, I bowl in one league and 99% of the time I only use one ball, with the exception of a second ball for 6 and 10 pins.
My practice focused more on getting a good grip in the ball, every shot I threw. Just like baseball batters have a certain grip on a certain bat, a similar theory applies to bowling balls. When a pro shop operator takes measurements and drills up multiple bowling balls for one bowler to use, they are very close but each one is slightly different. Not only that, but the grips used in the thumb and fingers can vary by slight degrees, but when you put your hand in the ball, you can feel it. Finally, finger grips wear out after extended use, so a ball that is not used as much will not see such wear and tear and the grip will feel different than a ball that is more broken in.
So my charge in this final practice session was not only to try and score well, but also to also get a comfortable feel in each ball and be able to execute quality shots at the same time. That’s a lot to ask in three games, but I’m happy with what I was able to do and feel much more comfortable again with my equipment.
Now we’ll see how they work when we get down to Australia. Our official practice day is Sunday, July 2; there may be time to practice on Friday, but that has yet to be determined (and I’m not holding my breath)
How it works?
A lot of people have asked how the actual bowling competition works. Well, for those who remember from Israel last year, the bowling competition is actually divided into six distinct disciplines. The following is our tentative schedule with a description:
Monday, July 3: Singles (each bowler rolls six games; medals are awarded to the top three men and top three women, determined by highest total pinfall)
Tuesday, July 4: Doubles (each bowler rolls six games; medals are awarded to the top three men’s and top three women’s two-person teams, determined by the highest combined pinfall)
Thursday, July 6: Trios (each bowler rolls six games; medals are awarded to the top three men’s and top three women’s three-person teams, determined by the highest combined pinfall)
Friday, July 7: Five-person teams: (each bowler rolls six games; medals are awarded to the top three men’s and top three women’s five-person teams, determined by the highest combined pinfall)
Sunday, July 9: Masters competition (a round-robin tournament of the top 16 men and top 12 women with the highest 24-game totals; each bowler begins the day at zero and earns whatever score they bowl plus 10 additional pins for a win and 5 additional pins for a tie; a step-ladder finals with the top three men and top three women will determine the medal winners)/
The sixth discipline is the all-events (that’s what I won in Israel). It’s simply taking the 24 games from the first four days and adding them up; the three men and the three women with the highest 24-game totals earn the medals.
The schedule is subject to change, and we'll determine that on Saturday night at the technical meeting.
By the end of the competition, with a potential for 40 tournament games and tons of practice shot and practice games, all you are ready for is a good nap!
As we bowl, I’ll be posting results for all the competitors here so you can see how we are all doing.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Shabbat Down Under
DISCLAIMER: Some of my blog entries may be confusing to some readers. At times during the trip, I'll go a little overboard with the technical aspects of the actual bowling competition. Other times, I may just get a little "too" Jewish. For some, this entry might fall into the latter category; you've been warned.
One of the things I am looking forward to is going to synagogue in Australia. I love the fact that Jews always have a "home" when we travel, namely a synagogue. Big or small, progressive or traditional, a synagogue is someplace that we should feel welcome, especially in a foreign place surrounded by (mostly) foreign people.
My plan is to spend at least one of our two Shabbat mornings at the Congregation of Temple Emanuel, one of two synagogues in Australia affiliated with the Council of Masorti Synagogues. Sydney has a rich Jewish culture, with a number of synagogues, quite a few kosher restaurants, and even a Jewish museum making up the city's landscape. When we went to Israel last summer, it was a given that Jewish culture would permeate throughout the country; I've come to realize that being in Sydney will not only be a social experience but a uniquely Jewish one as well.To add to the already packed schedule, we received an e-mail earlier this week asking us to bring a small gift for our hosts ... since we'd be spending our first Friday night with families in Sydney for Shabbat dinner. This is where some of the real magic will take place. While Jewish traditions and rituals are fairly universal, how they are practiced and how they are demonstrated in the home are pretty varied. Every family has their own way of doing things, a certain element that makes it personal. Who knows what fun Jewish stuff we can learn from our friends down under?
It may be an adventure just getting to Australia, but the REAL adventure will begin as we light Shabbat candles (around 4:35 p.m. next Friday, since it is winter down under). But before that happens, there is one more Shabbat to spend in the U.S., so whether you are Jewish or not, enjoy the Day of Rest.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
No Purple Shirts
Our competition shirts finally arrived yesterday to go along with the amazing apparel package we got from Maccabi USA. Just a quick tangent about the apparel package — I had been told that this would be a better package than we received for Israel and boy is that the truth! We received a large duffle bag; a backpack; a Nautica windbreaker; a navy Nike track suit for the Opening Ceremony; a hoodie sweatshirt for the Closing Ceremony; four t-shirts, two of which are really nice; three baseball hats; two polo shirts; and a few pins. Needless to say, we're outfitted pretty nicely.
So why did I say "no purple shirts" above? Well, when I opened the box with last year's competition shirts, it was a case of "one of these things is not like the other" — one of our shirts was a purple polyester button-down, with a black collar and pink piping. Damn did we look sexy in those (and we have the pictures to prove it), but I was hoping this year's selection would be more classic looking.
Way to go David Spiegel! A red, a white, and a blue polo shirt, each with a Maccabi Australia emblem on the left breast and "USA" across the back, were neatly folded in the box. Add a few pairs of khaki slacks, and I'm about ready to bowl!
For those of you who don't remember the famed purple shirts (most of which are now happily residing in Mexico or Venezuela), take a look at this:
Even airlines agree: code-shares STINK
Most of this happened on Friday, but it's too good to not share. And for anyone who has traveled and had to deal with a code-share, you'll sympathize with my angst. Even the airline representatives at BOTH airlines I had to deal with felt my pain.
So here's how the story goes. As a team, we are traveling direct from Los Angeles to Sydney. Athletes are responsible for getting to Los Angeles. Knowing some of the challenges my teammates dealt with last year — the least of them being the fact that our equipment usually tips the 50lb. domestic baggage weight limit — I was going into this prepared. I searched all over the Internet and found a flight with Alaska Airlines. Before booking, I went over my situation, how this was a domestic flight but I was then continuing on to an international flight though I won't get my ticket for the international leg until I land in Los Angeles (follow that). They said no problem and instructed me on what I needed to do to make sure that my luggage went through properly and was not charged a fee, since it is intended for an international flight.
That was four weeks ago. I had called back Alaska Air on Friday to check something on my e-ticket, probably about the luggage sizes and everything. When I went through the story again, the customer service rep said that I needed to follow the American Airlines policy for domestic/international luggage restrictions and should contact them directly. As my blood starts to simmer, I call American Airlines and am told that indeed, I must follow their policy which is 50lb. for all domestic flights, and the international piece means nothing to them. Way to go code-share!
So of course I am not pleased with this. I ask to speak with a manager and before the CSR turns over the call, she notices that this entire time, she was reading the code-share arrangement wrong. Based on the way the code-share works, I have to follow the Alaska Air guidelines. Somebody please shoot me now — two hours of aggravation to find out that the initial information I got was correct?!? At this point, the American Airlines CSR apologized profusely and said that she hates code-share agreements for this very reason.
Just to make sure that everything was kosher, I got a CSR from American Airlines and a CSR on Alaska Air on the phone together to confirm this revelation. Long story made longer, what I was told in my very first conversation was correct (thanks to Julie from the Boise office) and that we all just wasted our time. Gotta love that!
So the next time you are flying somewhere and it's a code-share, think twice. Also, if you fly internationally, just check your bags all the way through (unfortunately, we don't have that option for this trip). It will probably make your life much easier.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
T-10 (well, actually nine)
I wanted to post this yesterday, seeing as it was technically ten days before I'd leave to compete in the Maccabi Australia International Games — and since I'm a bowler, the number 10 has a special ring (and a special sting, as my right-handed friends know too well). But since it was Shabbat and I was out of town for the weekend, you'll have to indulge me as this post is technically on the ninth day.
Anyway, thanks for reading my blog. Just like last summer, when I was in Israel for the 17th World Maccabi Games, I'll be keeping this blog as my personal journal and as a way to share the experience with my family and friends. I will try to be more diligent in the photo department (I was really bad about that in Israel) so we can all take in the sights of the Games and Australia.
As the days count down leading up to my departure, I'll once again share with all the thoughts running through my head. This is going to be one amazing experience and I'm glad to share it with you.
Oh yeah, Happy Father's Day!
