Where is the Time Going??

Hello again after a little bit of a long layoff in Ciara blogging world. I’m alive in well in Connecticut, still training loads and just enjoying being back in my old stomping grounds in general. I’m not quite sure where the time has gone, but somehow it is mid February. Time is rolling. I’d say the most exciting thing that’s happened these last couple of weeks is having a cop roll in to try and break up pick up at 11pm at a local university where we were playing with the guy’s team.

Of course I was the one he came right up to, and after he didn’t take very kindly to my joke about if he’d come to referee, he asked me if I was a student at the school we were playing at.  So I lied, said I was, while the other guys rallied and showed their student IDs. We finished up after playing for 3 hours, for the second night in a row. So fun. Although the next day I’m not going to lie, I felt like a semi had rolled over me in my sleep. Nothing though that a little Celebrex couldn’t help me out with.  I know it’s terrible for the system, but nothing says happiness after a hard work out like a dose of Celebrex. I’ll deal with my shot liver later!

So I guess most of you have heard, the Canadian women are in the midst of a boycott in support of their coach Carolina Morace. And while they are in the midst of this boycott, are also bringing to the forefront, their fight to get more compensation.

It’s been really interesting reading all the different points of view. There are two separate issues. The first is Morace resigning, reportedly because she wants full control of the budget. I say, fair enough. If the job is on the line and your wins and losses are based on a budget, then I think it’s not outlandish to ask for control of where the money goes. I’d like to hear why the CSA has such a problem with that. I’m thinking its hard enough to run a team, let alone, having to worry about fighting for where every penny is spent. For a seemingly fiercely independent individual like Morace, as well as having the backing of her incredible accomplishments over the last year, I can understand why the thought of that is insulting.

What I think is sad is that the media and others commenting on the situation seem to be twisting it to paint Morace to be some kind of a control freak, or with some kind of hidden agenda, or screaming for money that isn’t there. As I understand it, she is saying, please just give me the money that is budgeted for the program, and let me not have the headache of having to argue about where I spend every dollar.

Reasonable? I think so.

The other issue is the compensation. This is where I think things get a bit complicated. I think this post is getting a little long though, so I’ll get back to posting my thoughts on compensation in regards to representing one’s national team in my next blog.