How do you get a trip to Chile?
Well, you could just book one through your favorite travel agent or you could be like Red Deer athlete Bryn MacDougall and excel at team handball.
The 17 year old Notre Dame student is on the roster of the national U-18 team handball squad headed to South America next month. Not bad for a relative rookie to the game.
It was a new sport at the school which gave her something to keep her in shape once her long track speed skating season was over. The game grabbed her interest almost right away as it offered up a good mix of physical and mental strength.
“Every situation is always different. You can’t do the same thing. You always have to adapt and adjust,” she said. “It’s not just a physical game. It’s a mental game. It isn’t as physical as rugby but it was still physical enough.”
Her skating gave her the strength to play team handball but the individuality of skating supplied her with a drive to push herself on the court.
“In speed skating the only person I ever let down was myself whereas in team handball I had other team mates relying on me and it kind of helped me push myself through when I wasn’t as comfortable as I would have liked it on the court.”
She plays right wing on the team which is made up of players from Alberta and Quebec, two hot spots for the game. It’s a spot which is traditionally for left-handed players in the world of team handball.
“Basically we set up right in line with the net. We’re just kind of on the baseline in the corner and we’re supposed to typically wait for the ball. We get the really awful angles to shoot at,” she said. “It’s frustrating but also exciting when you get to do the spin shots and stuff.”
The position also requires lots of running in order to get plays going and provide some speed to open up holes in the defence for a good shot on net.
“Once the shot is taken we’re also the ones who have to be back in the middle on defence right away.”
The national team got together last October for the first time and MacDougall says it was a bit stressful for the Alberta girls meeting their Quebec counterparts.
“ A lot of us we’re super new to the sport and we didn’t really know what to expect but after we started playing with the girls you realized that you all have a shared passion for the sport so it’s not as stressful as you think. You’re all just out there and you know what to do when it comes to the game.”
The next get together as a team happens in Chile but she says the feeling is one of trust with these girls and there is a common goal on this trip south.
She’s still very new to the sport, especially at this level so this competition will be a chance for her to grow as a player.
This is not on the same level as high school play and the understanding of the game runs a lot deeper. Then there is the fact she gets to experience the thrill of hearing our national anthem while wearing the maple leaf.
“I’m just hoping to use this not only as a learning experience but really recognize when I’m out there on the court I’m not just playing for myself, I’m now playing for an entire country.”
The game is just seeing some growth in Canada but it’s very popular in South America so the crowds are expected to be large and loud. Then the young Canadians will have to deal with some very strong teams during the tournament.
“It makes me nervous but at the same time I’m kind of excited to see this type of challenge and get a taste for it and see where I sit based on that,” she said.
The tournament begins in early April.
