We have arrived in paradise! Coach Turnbull
It felt like Christmas Eve Monday night as I tried to squeeze in a few hours sleep prior to our early morning bus ride to the airport.
Four lengthy flights and 34 hours later we arrived in Natal and we greeted by our enthusiastic host Miguel. A former professional goalkeeper and college coach, Miguel now facilitates trips such as these for American clubs and other teams. I personally hope to learn from his knowledge of the game and the goalkeeping position to help advance my abilities as a coach. I know he will be eager to help me also.
The ten minute bus ride from the airport to our hotel seemed like thirty seconds due to the length of the rest of our trip. The city of 700,000 is filled with small European cars jammed throughout the streets, with particularly impatient drivers behind the wheel. As we unloaded the bus at our hotel I discovered my personal paradise. Although the skies were overcast and the mist was gently falling, the air temperature made the mist a blessing. The hotel’s open air lobby leads to an outdoor pool area where we will eat all of our meals during the trip. The pool also happens to overlook the ocean and a beautiful stretch of beach that ends with Ponta Negra or “Bald Man’s Hill�, a steep sand dune with the finest sand I have ever set foot on. The view from my second floor room’s balcony is breathtaking, overlooking all of the above. I can’t imagine a more glorious sight to wake up to every morning. The next two weeks should be amazing.
The rest of our day consisted of a twenty minute run the on beach as directed by our guest coach Betto from Sao Paulo. I joined the run to try and make my legs not feel like they had been on stagnant for as long as they had. Let’s just say I survived it, and after some down time lounging in the ocean surf I can honestly say I feel fantastic, despite the taste of salt water still lingering in my mouth.
Tomorrow should be exciting as we face our first competition in the form of ABC’s U17 team. Now it’s off to bed to try and catch up on some of the sleep lost due to the travel. Tomorrow is another day in Paradise!!