I flew home and chilled for a few weeks on the island and then I flew to Mexico to compete in 3 NORCECA (central and north american league) events. I played with Ahren Cadieux in one and then I returned to playing with Ray Sewell which was an absolute blast. Ahren and I came 5th and Ray and I placed 4th (due to a rock/paper/scissors forfeit to a fellow Canadian team due to heat) and a well deserved Bronze medal in Puerto Vallarta. The tour itself was a little bush league and the weather was smoking hot so we had our struggles but I personally came out of that circuit playing the strongest volleyball I have ever played. I hurt my shoulder in one of the final events but other than that I ended my season with perfect health.
Since those final events Canada has rearranged our National team program and only carded 6 athletes. I am now the second oldest carded athlete on Team Canada which is a drastic change from before as there were quite a few older and more experienced athletes. The new vision of the program consists of training younger athletes for a longer term developmental program. We have yet to see how this will work because the program hasn't quite started.
I will be moving to Toronto early January 2010 to start my training program with the National team guys and our new national team coach Lennard Krapp. I am looking forward to this time but must say I will miss my regular routine of pre-season training in Rio de Janeiro with my coach and friends there.
Prior to my flight out to Toronto I will be staying with my family in the Comox Valley helping them out around the house, hopefully snowboarding on Mt.Washington in our back yard and visiting friends I haven't seen in ages.
