The hype is growing more and more and now
it’s only two weeks until Team Canada and the rest of the world makes
its way to Niagara-on-the-Lake and White Oaks Resort and Spa for the
big event.
There are interviews and pep talks to get
us thinking about everything. Families have booked their
flights. Clubs in the Toronto area are putting together groups to
come watch.
Now it’s time for seeding, which I’m
guessing will come out sometime next week. This is the process
where the ranking of the teams is decided. It could be tricky
with a lot of close teams!
The most interesting thing about this event
is the amount of pressure placed on the home team. I started
thinking about this after an interview earlier this week.
Our association and the organizers have put
so much time and energy into making this spectacular event
happen. They are most certainly hoping for a good result from our
team. Individually, Danielle, Hollie, Nikki and I will want to
perform in front of our friends and family. We hope that the
crowd will be loud! It was very loud in France two years ago for
Team Canada, and that was just Steph Edmison, so I’m sure she will be
backed up by the rest of the Canadian crowd! She is notoriously
and wonderfully loud.
The thing that can happen in front of a
home crowd, if one is not prepared, is that one can get quite tense on
court under the eyes of everyone watching and under the great
expectations. But this pressure is truly self imposed.
Having everyone in your corner can be too much for some people to
handle, and it can be just what others need. When you’re 2-0 down
and the crowd is cheering you on regardless of the score, it can really
help you find something deep down inside and help you pull it
back. When you’re 2-2 and 10-all, and the crowd is going wild, it
can completely swing the momentum in your favour.
It all depends on how you see it!
Generally, I don’t hear the crowd unless it’s completely silent.
Silence is the loudest thing to me! BUT the crowd at a team
championship, from what I’ve seen, is a rare and boisterous
breed.
The thing we will remind ourselves of is
that everyone rooting for us is behind us, win or lose. I know we
will put it all on the line December 1-6 and I know we are all looking
forward to it!