When I was little I could never decide what sport I wanted to play. I bounced back and forth between soccer and basketball. I remember crying and being torn about which tournament to attend over the weekend. Do I go to my AAU Basketball tournament in New Jersey, or do I travel to Maryland with my soccer team? Is there a way I can do both? - Oh and trust me...I tried! In the spring, I remember going to Lacrosse practice right after school, and then rushing 45 minutes away in traffic to my travel team soccer practice, and then heading an hour and a half out to basketball (or another soccer practice for another team.) In the fall it was school soccer and then club soccer, and in the winter it was basketball and indoor soccer. Talk about running myself tired. Thank god my parents were so supportive of me in my sports endeavors.
Anyway, the point of bringing this all up is that I NEVER could decide what sport I liked best. I liked them all! I eventually played soccer in college, but I always missed all the other sports I gave up.
Just when I thought there was no answer to the "favorite sport" question, I found the answer. I have been in Taiwan for about 2 months, and spent the majority of my first month sending millions of emails out searching for a soccer team I could play with. I thought it would be a great way to meet new people, and play some soccer while I was at it. Unfortunately, everything turned up empty. There were no soccer teams on the internet.
Right when I was about to give up, I found something about a sport called Gaelic Football. Having no idea what it was, or if it even allowed women, I sent an email off asking whether they had room for one more player.
A month later, I found myself standing on a field in Korea at the 2011 Asian Gaelic Games representing Taiwan as a member of the Taiwan Celts.
Here is a picture of our club after the men won their first Asian Gaelic Games Plate!
What is Gaelic Football?
So, there is a field (pitch) with two H shaped goals. To move the ball each player can take 4 steps and then he/she must either bounce the ball OR solo it (which is basically a single juggle off the foot while running). They cannot do two bounces in a row, but can do as many solos as they like. To pass, a player must either volley with the foot to someone on their team who then catches it OR they must hand pass, which is like a volley ball serve. You cannot throw the ball. If the ball drops on the ground, a player can dribble it like a soccer ball, and even pass it like one, but remember that anyone can bend down and pick it up. Hands are allowed. If a player falls, they cannot touch the ball while they are on the ground. Instead, they need to get up and then pick the ball up. There is no tackling, but a player can play defense and steal the ball by punching it out of another players hands with one hand. I think the defense you play in Gaelic is very similar to the defense you play in basketball. There is little contact. The way you position yourself on the field is very similar to both lacrosse and soccer.
A team scores when a player from their team scores a goal when shooting at the goalie, OR when they kick a field goal. A goal is 3 points, and a field goal is 1 point. When there is a foul there is a free punt, and if you are close enough to the goal you can either shoot or go for a field goal. When the ball is out, there are no throw in's, and the ball is punted in play.
Ok, so I only went to one practice before the Asian Gaelic Games in Korea, but after the 1st game I understood it a little more. I was clumsy on the field, and very out of shape, but I had so much fun playing for Taiwan.
Our first game we beat the Seoul Gaels. The second game we played Singapore, and also beat them. Our third game we played Japan, and beat them as well. Our last game was a draw (tie) and then the next day we lost to a team in the quarter finals. Even though we lost, I think we did pretty well considering we have barely played together! This was the first time the women's team had a full team to compete with. Very exciting!
Our guys team won their division for the first time in Taiwan Celts history!! That was probably the highlight of the trip...and watching and cheering them on was so much fun!
I am so lucky to have met so many awesome people and new friends, and I cannot wait for the 2012 games!!!
This weekend reminded of the reasons I loved being an athlete in high school and college. I forgot what it was like to travel with team mates and bond on and off the field. That is how friends are made, and memories are never forgotten!! Thank you to the Taiwan Celts for taking me in last minute and letting me be a part of such a wonderful organization!!!!!
You kept your promise... and destroyed them on the pitch!
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