Thankful

It's that time of year when everywhere you turn you are reminded of what you are thankful for.  Every year I have so much to be thankful for.. However this last year I have even more to be thankful for.

I have the best parents anyone could ask for.  They are so supportive.  They supported me going to school for my Master's degree.  Trying to be a college coach and setting an example of being in a loving relationship.  I took for granted how lucky I am to have my parents.  A few weeks ago I was out with my dad and sisters looking for an anniversary present for mom.  And people would ask him how many years.  Dad would reply 28 years.  Every person who asked seemed shocked at the answer and would reply you just dot hear that anymore.  Made me sad and then I realized how lucky and thankful I truly am to have there love and  support in all my endeavours.

I am thankful for my siblings who are my best friends.  They never cease to amaze me and I find them absolutely amazing!! To have gotten to experience so much with Brooke in San Diego.  To have spent all summer at home hanging out with Sean and KK.  To have my little brother headed to Diego in 2012. To get to be living near him and be a part of his college experience.  To be able to watch KK ball it up.  Have her allow me to be so involved even when I am living away from home.  

I am thankful for my entire family- I have one awesome family! To all my relatives that are supportive and the amazing emails that we send each other.  A big thanks to grandpa Vessey who has feed me a lot in the last 5 years.  Without him I would have possibly starved at times! 

I am extremely thankful to have found Brennan.  To find someone that supports me in everything I do.  To be supportive in my search for a job and all his help in getting me a job!  Not only is he my best friend and the love of my life- he made it official earlier this year by asking me to marry him.  I am so thankful to know that he loves me as much as I love him.  That we will have a lifetime of adventures!!

Thankful for my new family in the Cassidy's.  I could not have found more supportive in-laws (well they will be eventually).  You are very special people and I thank you for being so amazing to me and welcoming to your family.

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to graduate with my Master's degree last May! For all those that helped me in those 23 long months.

Thankful for the opportunities I had at San Diego State as a student, an athlete and then as a coach.  To have meet such great people.  And to have coached amazing young women.  To have been a part of school history and win a conference title.

I am thankful for the non profit organization Insulindependence that holds such a special place in my heart.  The group of friends it has helped us find as well as the healthy lifestyle it is helping Brennan to live.  The organization has helped me reach personal goals.  I am running another half marathon for them.  I will also be raising funds.  If you would like to donate click on my fundraising page.

Thankful for all the families and little swimmers I had this summer.   For starters they helped me survive financially.  But more importantly allowed me to be such a huge part of there children's lives.  Teach them a life saving skill of swimming and being safe around water.  As well as helping me believe in myself personally as I was starting to search for the next step in life.  A huge thank you to the Fillman family- who have swam with me for 5 years and sent me numerous other families.

I am beyond grateful and thankful to all those who are organ donors.  You are truly thinking about others when you added that sticker to your drivers license.  To the individual and his family who were our organ donors 3+ years ago.  Your gift is invaluable and will never be forgotten! For what you gave is truly priceless and I am so thankful.

I am thankful for a man who works in Brennan's building for allowing me to work for his online gift shop.  As well as Brennan for giving him my resume.  I worked for hospitalgiftshop.com.  Without him I would have struggled to survive financially.  Also for him introducing me to my current employer. To my current employer for taking a chance on a volunteer college coach (who has no business skills & has done nothing away from the pool- that's what multiple places told me) So to them I thank them from the bottom of my heart. I am so fortunate and love my new job.  My job includes many different roles. Check out the first of our many products the PEAR Square One, launching the start of the new year.

To have great friends who are so supportive of my life.  To have them be excited for me as I attempt to get into racing triathlon.  To be excited and supportive that I found Brennan and looking forward to helping me plan my big day.

There are very descriptive things I am thankful for.  But like everyone I am thankful to be in a good financial situation during this very rough time.  For the support system I have.  For my health! And to be loving life to the fullest!

Life is an adventure and I am living it!

Nike Camps

I have been fortunate that my swimming and water polo has opened many different doors for me.  Over the course of the summer I have been teaching lesson in my parents backyard pool.  I always enjoy spreading the excitement of swimming with others.  I also have gotten to participate as the lead counselor for the last few summers at the Nike Swim Camp at San Diego State University and University of Oklahoma.

Working camp is always exhausting and exciting at the same time.  Being in charge of 50 campers for 4 days can really take it's toll, especially when your sleeping in the dorm.  The San Diego State camp went really well and had a great group of swimmers.  A few with such enjoyment of the sport it almost (I said almost) made me want to get in and start training again. One camper who was only about 12 would ask these questions that were so intense.  Multiple times I had to say I would get back to him because I just did not have the answer and needed to do some research.  Also exciting to get to talk about college and just swimming at the different levels.

The campers at SDSU

Working camp at University of Oklahoma is always a bit more relaxed and then stressful at the same time. For starters I have to fly out a day before camp and of course had plane trouble.  I plan to not fly for a while.  I was supposed to arrive about midnight.  Well in Dallas we got on the plane and started heading for the runway and I noticed a ton of smoke coming from the left engine.  We just kept going and I was wondering if I was the only one noticing it.  Till the 3 year old in front of me pointed it out to her mom and asked her to close the little shade cause she was scared.  We started to pick up to speed only to have the pilot slam on the breaks. Then announce that the left engine would not start. A few things were running thought my mind. 

A) It was smoking the second we pulled away from the gate- what the heck took you so long. 

B) Again, it took you attempting to take off to see if it would just start up after not working for the last 15 minutes

C) Great how long is this gonna take.

Well needless to say we had to wait for a mechanic to come check it out.  Guess the starter had just disintegrated.  It costs us another hour and a half sitting at the gate on the plane. For a whole 30 minute ride into Oklahoma. So I arrived at a lovely 2:00 am. 

Camp would start the next day and go pretty smooth.  This camp is easier in the sense that we only serve them dinner, all the rest of the meals are eaten in the commons.  While at the SDSU camp we feed them all 3 meals a day.  So a lot of energy goes into that process of setting up, serving, and then cleaning up.  Plus its just a bit odd to work a camp at OU since we do not live in Oklahoma. This being our second year it went was much smoother in terms of logistics and finding everything. What is not great about this camp is the weather. It is so hot and humid, you walk outside and just feel like passing out.  The pool is inside which is different for us California people, especially since it has NO ventilation at all. Causing it to be an extremely stuffy and extremely hot, it was always at 90+ inside the facility.  With that lovely chlorine smell. 

So far in my last two years of camp at OU we always have some type of incident.  Last year a girl cut her foot on the bottom of a door and had to go get it stitched back up.  While I got stuck watching all the other campers.  This year we had two things happen both times with the same kid who was 8.  First we lost him.  When I say that do not panic we found him.  Turns out he thought we were leaving sooner then we did and headed downstairs.  Where he then got distracted by a college friend of his. Not sure how an 8 year old has college friends, but that is what he said.  So we decided the rest of the campers and counselors would proceed to the pool as schedule and I went into panic mode.  Searching the dorm. Got his master key to his dorm room to see if he was in there.  Then called the camp director who was at the pool who said he just walked into the pool area.  So after looking like a complete idiot, no harm no foul.  Right?  However the next day would be a bit different.  Some girls were holding a door closed and not allowing him to come in, so this 8 year old got flustered and well kicked the door.  So hard that the shatter proof glass- well it shattered.  Luckily it was the tempered kind so it did not fall out and hurt any of them.  But he shattered a glass door!! Without any shoes on!! Thankfully he did not hurt his foot either. The women working the dorm said she has only seen it happen one other time in all her years of working at OU and that was when two football players were fighting and threw one into the door. And were talking Sooner football players.  Luckily his parents were cool and are paying for the damage.

The campers at OU

Sitting in the stadium at OU

So I have survived another two weeks of swim camp.  I learned some new things and most importantly shared a lot of information with excited campers.  Plus it is always fun to see another university.  Even though I had been to OU last summer, it was great to get back and see more of the university.  As well as  feel the sense of pride these people have in there association and the support of the athletic department.  

Birthday Weekend

Well I guess every year that you get older comes with a little more stress from the outside and the thought that your birthday is really just another day.  This year I would spend my birthday some place similar to home another pool deck in another city, but like always Brennan went above and beyond to make my birthday special.

I was on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus for the Western Water Polo Association regional tournament. I have been the head coach for the San Diego State Women's Club Water Polo team during the 2010-2011 school year.  This was our first real travel trip of the year. We were seeded into the tournament in 3rd which was a great seed that would allow us to get into the semi-finals with little stress.

The trip would start with a terrible drive up the coast to San Luis Obispo (slo).  It is located about two hours past Santa Barbara and about 250 miles from San Francisco. I left San Diego a little past noon with a car load of girls. Well needless to say we made a few bathroom stops and a food stop.  We finally arrived a good 8, Yes I said EIGHT hours later.  Once arriving with my car load we headed to a team dinner.

Saturday would be filled with two games.  We first played USC and won the game easily.  All my players were able to get some time which was awesome.  Between games I would go to get Brennan at the bus stop. Brennan had take a train from LA to Santa Barbra (3 hours) got off the train and road a bus to SLO (2 hour trip).  Overall I think he had a trip of about 6 hours all so that he could be with me to spend my birthday. I guess he loves me, cause early on in our relationship we had a joke about riding the city bus.  He did not have to ride a city bus, it was a charter bus, but it was still a bus with random people. I would pick up Brennan and head back to the pool.  We would play UCI and get another win.  Once again allowing all my players to get some time in the game.

Sunday I would wake up to it being my birthday and we would be playing in the Semi-finals of the tournament.  Mind you if we won our game at 11, we would be playing in the finals of the WWPA Tournament. For the two teams that make the final it automatically qualifies them to compete in the Collegiate Club Water Polo National Championship Tournament that was to be held 2 weeks later at Notre Dame University.  The best finish the Aztec's have ever had was 4th going into this year.

Needless to say some how the team had figured out that it was my birthday and I received multiple "Happy Birthday's" while at breakfast.

At 11am, we were facing UCLA in the Semi's.  They had a good team, but very beatable.  They however play the game of water polo putting it nicely I guess with a chip on their shoulder's.  And play the game dirty.  That came out very quickly as we played some great defense and I had a girl get punched in the face.  Yes for those of you that read this blog and do not have a ton of background knowledge the game of water polo is very physical.  But hitting people with a closed fist is a whole new level and seen as a disgrace to the game.  For whatever reason we did not get the call and I had a hurt player.  It was not two defensive plays later I had another girl get clearly punched in the face.  She went under water and the goalie ended up having to grab her. (You can see her in a picture below sitting on the bench behind me)

I am not someone that really gets after the ref's. But I am a Vessey!  I have a coaching father and a strong willed mother.  If there is anything I have learned over the years, there is a time and a place when you make your views know and this was it.  So as you can imagine as the girl was being helped to the wall, I started my quick walk and very loud yelling at the ref. Of course saying only logical things (right?). I guess he did not agree or see it the same way. He finally turned to me and I received a yellow card. The first card I have received in my water polo coaching career. A yellow card is much the same as soccer, I was basically being warned.  If he carded me again with a red card I would be ejected from the game. What I have left out is that I am being warned only about 3 minutes into the game. But it was needed, it did manage to fire up my team a little. I gave the bench a laugh and said " he just wanted to give me something for my birthday." The card however did limit my ability to yell at them the rest of the game.  We ended up losing the game, BUT my team did some great things.  They played a good clean game (not ever reverting to playing dirty) and they never gave up.  They fought hard!

My team. Go Aztec's!!!

This was later in the game after I got carded, so guess I was still able to yell.  However this was not me yelling at the ref this was at my team. (It was positive encouragement of course)

On our way home Brennan allowed me to be upset about losing for a few minutes and then we went about having a great day.  We had a joyful drive and I pulled a very risky driving maneuver to stop at a view point along the ocean. I think Brennan was secretly impressed that I made such a last minute decision. It ended up being a great stop.  We ventured down to this beautiful beach and there was no one around. We found some great tide pools, and just had a great adventure.  Making it not the normal run of the mill birthday.

The beach we found :)

Under the train

View from by the car.. Beautiful

We had a great time at our random stop

Well the drive back after Santa Barbara was seemingly with everyone else that lives in California. So needless to say we had a very slow drive.  Once back in LA we made a nice dinner and I opened my presents from Brennan.  Which was an amazing canvas picture collage of us, that he had made through shutter fly. And of course we had Ice cream. 

That Sunday evening and then early into the week Brennan and I had some different options present themselves. Just when we thought we had it all figured out.  But that is what makes life an adventure, so in the coming weeks you will read about some BIG changes in not only my life, but Brennan's as well.  But I am really excited about it all!!! So stay tuned! 

Shortest Month-Most Stuff

February is the shortest months and yet I some how managed to pack in the most stuff this last month. I literally worked every day of the month. I worked my first running event for Spectrum Sports, coached the SDSU Water Polo club team at the UCLA tournament, attended the San Diego Hall of Champions Dinner, possibly my only none working two day's were at the Northern Trust Open (yet even then I was stressed) and then a week in Oklahoma at the Mountain West Conference Championships as a coach and a correspondent with collegeswimming.com

I worked my first running event the Redondo Beach Super Bowl 10k. I had heard from Brennan who has also worked for Spectrum that running events have so much that go into the race that the normal person does not realize.  I have also been told that if I was tired after working this 2-day event then I should never work a triathlon.  So I finished coaching in San Diego at 6 pm Friday night and I got in the car and drove straight to Redondo.  Surprisingly traffic was my friend.  Spectrum put me up in a hotel right across from the venue, so that was really nice.  I started work early early Saturday morning.  I was in charge of all the volunteers.  The volunteers were working the check-in area, the tee-shirt disbursement and then other different areas.  I was also in charge of building all the trash cans for the area (that did not go so well).  I spent the entire day on my feet working any way I could.  We finally ended the day around 7 and then headed to dinner.  I was able to meet some great people that work for Spectrum and had a ton of fun at dinner.  Sunday would start at 2:30 am. I was outside ready to work at 2:45 am.  My day would again consist of being in charge of all the volunteers and the number would double because of volunteers working the water stations, the end of the race snacks, tee- shirts and check in. I was able to sneak away and watch Brennan start and end his 10K, so people cant say I don't multi-task well.  The day would end with clean up and every time I thought we were near done I would come across something else that had to get done.  I did have a great time with the Spectrum Crew, two of the main employee's are alumni of the USF Sport Management Program.  I enjoyed Meaghan the most even if she is a terrible drive of the Gator and crashed into a wall.  But it was fun to hangout with another alumni and I think she enjoyed having another girl on the event crew.

 Brennan finishing the race!!! With a new PR!!

My water polo coaching has been going well, it is a little different to be in complete charge of the team.  Drawing up practices has probably been my biggest challenge.  I know what I want to teach but sometimes with such different level of players and only me, my plan does not work as well as I hope.  But so far I can see that the girls are learning and getting better.  And for some who have never played the game, I can see them falling in love with the sport.  I have missed the game of water polo so getting involved through coaching has been great for me.  

We had our first tournament of this semester at UCLA.  The tournament ended up going great, the girls played so well.  We won all 4 of our games and the closest game we won was by 5 goals.  So as a coach I think I did a good job changing our strategy on the fly, subbing was difficult but I got better at that.  And I did not get in trouble at all with the Ref's.  So it was a great weekend. And the girls got to play which is the best part.  Since UCLA the girls have played in one other tournament and went 2-2. So the team is on the right track and we are learning and getting better everyday.

During the UCLA tournament Brennan was super busy with work being only 3 days out from the star of the Northern Trust Open PGA Golf Tournament. Even being super busy Brennan managed to meet us for dinner on Saturday with a beautiful set of flowers for Valentine's day (a few day's early, but way better in person). I did not tell the girls that he was coming to meet us, so when I walked up to In-N-Out he was standing outside, and of course I made a b-line for him. Where he gave me my beautiful flower (a surprise).  Inside the girls all still seemed confused, when we finally got to the van they all lost it and was like how weird was that guy just following you with flowers.  I could not stop laughing, and was like sorry guys that was my boyfriend Brennan.  They were all like oh it makes sense. Probably the funniest thing, I guess water polo, sun and a lot of sun block really messes with there minds.  I would also receive another set of flowers Monday. So thank-you Brennan for being amazing!! 

My BEAUTIFUL Valentine's day flowers

I had the honor of attending one of my first big banquet's with an athlete. My freshman swimmer Kelly Marquiene and Stephanie Koch was invited to the San Diego Hall of Champions 65th Annual Salute to the Champions Dinner. The event was held at the San Diego Town and Country Hotel in Mission Valley.  There were so many famous athletes it was amazing.  The big honor is to be inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame.  Mr. Breitbard passed away this past year and has been a huge factor in having such great athletes and teams in San Diego.  Past inductee's are people like Marshal Faulk, Bill Walton who were both present.  The inductee's this year were La'Roi Glover, Lincoln Kennedy, Paul Lowe, and John Lynch.  The event was great and I look forward to being able to attend it in the future and I cant wait to schedule a time to go walk through the museum in Balboa Park. 

My girls in the corner (with Bill Walton behind them)

The girls up on the stage

Our two swimmers and me

So I would spent my 2nd weekend in a row in LA, this time for Brennan's golf tournament.  The Northern Trust Open played at the Rivieria Country Club in Pacific Palisades. The weather was much better this year, even though it still rained.  I rush from Saturday morning practice so not to miss his military appreciation event.  No worries I made it with ten minutes to spare.  The military event that Brennan organized was great!! Brennan's dad would also be at the event, he flew out from Wisconsin and had been a volunteer all week for the event. My parents would also come out to the golf course Saturday to support Brennan.  So if you didn't guess I would get to introduce my parents to Mr. Cassidy.  The four of us had a great day watching golf and avoiding the rain.  We would later all go out to dinner and wait for Brennan to finish work and he would join us.  I had an amazing day with my parents, as a oldest of four children, days alone with your parents are few and far between. So I loved being with them and having that special time doing something that we had never done.  Plus they were able to share in what Brennan does for a living. 

 The 1st hole

 Looking over some of the course

View from the Club House

 I would come back to the event Sunday for the final day of the tournament after running some errands for Brennan (Dry Cleaning anyone.. haha).  Brennan's dad and I would walk some of the course and actually run into my cousin Donnie who had come out to the event with his fiance and some of his friends. I would walk a few holes with them before heading up to meet with Brennan for a bit. I would then grab a seat on the 18th hole and wait for the final pairings.  As the last group was coming up the way, I could see the trophy and low and behold the person holding that trophy was Brennan.  It was so cool, well until he ended up holding the trophy for over an hour. He said later his arms were so tired by the time he finally got to set it down.  Once the winner was crowned he walked out to the 18th hole and would set up all the award stuff. 

At the 18th hole

Brennan walking out with the trophy

Brennan holding the trophy

A the end of the tournament I know that Brennan was so glad it was over and he deserved a much needed break from work. The tournament overall went great, they had a 50% increase in attendance, he helped drive military and his Tickets Fore Charity Program did great!! So good job Brennan, so proud of you!! I would leave LA and head straight back to SD to leave Monday morning for Oklahoma City for the Mountain West Conference Championships.  But that event deserves its own blog!! So stay tuned!!