Cyberworld

We really take constant internet access for granted. Only when we don't have it do we realize how much we wish we did. Such was the case at our recent event in the very small town of Pnov, Czech Republic. We actually did relatively well at the tournament, finishing 3rd, but there is still a bitter taste in our mouths after a 16-14 loss in the 3rd set to top Czech team Kubala/Benes in the semi final. I have the scores of all our matches written down somewhere, but I can't find it at the moment, so hopefully I have them posted by the end of the night.

Back to the original topic, The Internet. Such a useful tool for all of us on tour. With our constantly changing schedules, it's often necessary to make a last minute hotel booking, or flight change, etc. and roaming phone charges would be ridiculously expensive, make the net a top priority. When we don't have it, we'll find a way to get it. In Pnov, for instance, Martin Reader, Chaim Schalk and I all ended up at the summer home of brothers, tournament hosts, and competitors, Petr and Joseph Benes so that we could get a quick email/facebook/world update.

As a means of communicating to friends and family, where would we all be without email. Blogging only lets me send info, not receive it. Though its not like I could much of that down in southern Czech (could be southern, i have no idea, I'm just venturing a guess. My internal compass does not exist here). Sometimes it's just nice little pick-me-up to receive a little message from someone back home, even if all it says is "Good Luck" (bsaxto@gmail.com in case anyone back home has forgotten. Hint hint). So when I go to somewhere without the net, those little emails just pile up (Maybe someday they will anyhow), and it takes all day to respond to them. I struggle with responding to emails even when I'm not away from a computer (bad habit, I'm trying to break it).

To conclude today, when beach vballers lose internet access, it's almost like losing a piece of ourselves. A luxury that didn't even exist for players 20 or so years ago, but for us technology crazed kids, it's like the third arm that we wouldn't know what to do without.

Cheers,

Ben