Monday 12 March 2012

Back down unda for 2012!

I can't believe its already been a year since I was last in Bunbury and here I am again back in beautiful Western Australia still playing this great game! A lot has happened this past year now that I think about it, and I'm just super blessed to still be able to continue traveling and seeing the world playing the game of basketball. Its even more funny to think that this is my 3rd season in Australia all starting back in Darwin in 2010. Man time flies by...

It was funny how this whole situation came about because originally I was in japan and contracted to be there until early May, which meant most likely no Australian season for me. I was going to take the whole summer off season to finally get a break and give my body a much needed rest, but things just didn't go quite as planned with my Japanese team and I was released at the half season point. After enduring what I had gone through with that coach and situation I looked at this not as a disappointment but a blessing in disguise as now I was free from contract and able to find another situation/team to play for and move on!

I quickly contacted all my bball connections to see what my options were. It sounded like there were some options in Europe (that weren't great) and also South America, but those leagues down South weren't starting until late March or early April. I had made a few good connections with coaches from this league here in Australia I played in last season and decided to contact them ASAP. At the time most teams had really already done all their import recruiting and didn't have any spots left open. When I heard back from Kalamunda they had already offered two American guys but they needed a few more weeks to come to a final decision. Coach Ash told me he would stay in touch and if these other players didn't accept the offer then he would want to discuss options with me for signing for the 2012 season. Long story short, i heard back from him about 1 1/2 weeks later and he offered me the contract for the season which I took basically right away!

Coach Ash and I had been in contact with each other over the past few years and when I got to play against him last season we were finally able to meet each other and have a chat. He was also a big reason why it was a no brainer to sign with the Suns this season. We've had some really great conversations and i think that he's going to help me grow off the court as a person and a Christian and not just on the court as a ball player. I think the experience I'm going to get here is going to be one that I couldn't of found anywhere else.

I also knew most of the players from the previous year and knew that they were a good group of guys that just barely missed the playoffs, mostly due to injuries the last month or two. They were a very solid team with all the right pieces and a system that I felt like I could fit into perfectly. It wasn't a tough decision to make at all and here I am today already a week in and the season is starting next weekend!

Kalamunda is a country-ish town up in the hills about 30-40 minutes outside the city of Perth which is awesome because I'm a city guy. Last year I was 2 1/2 hours south which made it tough to get to Perth and hang with friends and also just experience what the city had to offer. The only down side is that the beach is 30 Min's or so away, where as last year I was 5 minutes away from my very own personal beach! Perth is an awesome city with lots of fun things to do and I'm happy to be much closer this year.

I'm very excited about this new season and my new team! I think we're gonna be tough! We start this weekend with a double header against 2 top teams from last season.

I'm going to be posting every so often with the usual updates and pictures. I know I'll have a lot of fun stories and experiences to share with everyone as the guys here seem to be a good group so far!

I hope all is well with everyone and life is treating them good. I love and miss all my friends and family and already can't wait to be home for the summer time! Thanks for reading and following me on my bball journey here in beautiful Aussie land. I'll try to make things interesting and fun as always :)

Until tomorrow...
"Make it Happen"