The moment has finally come!
I wasn't particularly apprehensive about doing the goalie job nor did I prepare myself much for it. Buuuuuut... I did get some great tips from the previous goalie candidate. Good thing I haven't thrown away/trade-in my old shoes (had it since year 2002!) and the ever excellent coach who reminded me to wear contact lens.
So... there I was, at the Tanjung Aru Community Hall, suiting up, or at least trying to. Everything, the pants, the vest, even the knee guards are like 3-4 sizes bigger. By the time I'm dressed, I feel like a hip-hop rapper. "Yo man!"
Time of reckoning is here....
Lenoard gave a lot of very good pointers as to what to expect. Perspective, feet and legs position, the hands, the diving, the head-butting, or should I say the helmet-butting...
... and so it begins.
Shawn hit a few balls at me, blocked some with my feet, swatted a lot with my hands. Sigh... one of them left me with a bruised finger and had a wee bit of problem driving. Not serious, won't die.
Then everyone takes up their position, taking turn to hit the balls at the goalie. Ops... I mean at the goal cage. I started off really brave and confident, down on both my knees, hands spread wide opened, waiting for the onslaught of flying and rolling balls. As the barrage of balls came flying, my pain-avoidance instinct kicks in and my wide spread hands grew narrower with each flying ball until both my hands was crossed across my chest with me lying on my side. Oh yes, my attackers had a good laugh.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm glad I wore my old shoes as some part of it are starting to fall off and apparently, it wasn't just my shoes are falling apart, but the knee guards are also slipping down my legs, especially the one on my right leg, until it was resting pretty on my shin and not on my knee! That's when I start to feel the pain on my knees. Sigh... I'll bring extra strings to tie the huge kneeguards around my legs next time... IF there's next time.
By the time we're done with the training, I was drenched in perspiration and left panting for oxygen. Never in my life have I perspire until my whole shirt is wet and I think I lost 2-3 kg of fluid in the course of it.
What I enjoyed/learned most were:
1. Swatting away the balls with my bare hands, even though one of my fingers was bruised;
2. Diving, although Shawn keep screaming at me that it's not football;
3. Screaming at teammates who pass the ball between me and the goal post; and
4. Gaolies have a tougher and more draining job than the rest of the players.
So here I am, the next morning, with sore thighs, bruised knees and finger, and a whole new respect for all the goalies of the floorball world.
To all the goalies, I salute you.
Valerie Sham
