After the tournament and the photo sessions at the immense waterfalls, it’s Team USA time and USKF time. We train Saturday evening from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in a small hall in the north of Buffalo. It’s such a lovely little sports hall at a local boys & girls club where they have a basketball court without a center section. So, the two buckets are almost close to each other… That means improvisation because korfball means moving and creating space. Nevertheless, this hall is great for tactical play. Even a four-on-four on two poles is quite doable here. It’s been a long day, so we start a bit later and finish a bit earlier. We also have an extra USKF meeting in the evening.
During this meeting, we enjoy some ordered food and it’s a follow-up to yesterday’s meeting. How are we going to organize the National Championship? What is needed for that and what steps do we need to take? Furthermore, we’ve set up the USKF, but what are the next steps, the roles to be fulfilled, and the timeline? A good action list is the final piece. It actually works quite well to have two days of meetings close together, and it’s also nice that some of the new people we’ve invited to join the meeting also contribute from their own professional background.
At 9:00 PM, I start yawning extensively because I wake up every morning at half past four or five to stay in the European rhythm. After four days, this starts to wear me out in the evenings. And I still have to drop someone off at her hotel, which is conveniently on the way to my room. Fortunately, we get through it, and we still have the next morning to discuss some things.
Sunday is my last day in the USA, and I wake up early again. I resist the urge to sleep a bit longer. Some preparations for today and a good morning walk to contemplate everything once again, after all, Korfball Canada is coming today, and as the Development Manager North America, I’m very interested in helping develop this group of korfball players. On the one hand, because it’s often necessary, even if it’s just based on my (korfball) knowledge or having connections or just brainstorming. On the other hand, because we’re pulling hard for USA korfball, and Canada can nicely ride along with that. They are two hours away from Toronto, where they are based, and when we arrive at a quarter to eleven, their first car has already arrived. This group mainly consists of people from Hong Kong who emigrated to Canada and started korfball there. The advantage is that in this group, there are three korfball players who have been playing since elementary school. So, that creates a good combination with our players who have a lot of sports experience: one team mate has been playing korfball since childhood in the Netherlands, another has a significant number of years of korfball experience in India, and another plays netball in New York, used to play it in England, and also played korfball there for three years. The rest have a different sports background, and we’re working hard to catch them up in korfball. Korfball Canada also brings along 6 ‘newbies,’ people who have played sports but have hardly any korfball experience.
Still, after an hour of training on the basics and a small three-on-three tournament, I take a chance. I approach my contact person Kaelyn from Korfball Canada and ask her if she’s up for an unofficial international match Canada-USA in Korfball4 format. Unofficial, firstly because few players are currently ‘eligible’ to play for the country; secondly, we don’t do the national anthems, I’m the referee, we play two halves instead of four quarters, and we do it with the equipment and space we have. Kaelyn also sees the commercial value and sales value of such an international match, so we go for it.
At 1:00 PM, I blow the whistle for my first international match as a referee; it goes quite well, but I’m even more impressed by both Team USA and Korfball Canada. The correctness of the game, the balance and control of the players, the drive you want to see in a korfball match, and above all, enjoyable korfball with many good goals. In the end, Team USA, after trailing at halftime, takes control of the game and wins 8-7. After the final whistle, the camaraderie between both teams is exactly what you want to see; in sports in general but especially in korfball. Despite the vast distances in the USA, almost everyone is able to come and play korfball, so even if we’re invited to Toronto sometime, they will certainly receive an invitation to the National Championships in September, and next year, we’ll be back in Niagara.
After a closing lunch, I get back in my car and drive back to Toronto for my flight to the Netherlands. At the border to Canada, I notice that the customs officer is almost cheering that I’m visiting his country. I have to stop for exactly 1 minute; very different from entering the US. Without internet and navigation, because I’m back in Canada, I find my way back to Toronto Airport. Along the way, I occasionally catch a glimpse of Lake Ontario and see the outlines of Toronto in the distance. Once again, I enjoy these kinds of views and the fact that I can and may do this for korfball. Korfball is such a beautiful sport, and it’s great to share it with other cultures and integrate korfball there. I feel a lot of gratitude but also satisfaction after this trip. It was definitely worth it.
At 9:00 PM, I have my flight back, and I’m so tired that I even fall asleep on the plane and only wake up again just above Ireland. Another hour and a half to Amsterdam.
Thanks for following this adventure, and until next time!
Best, as always…
Coach Dankmar
