The biggest thing that I have learnt so far this year is that all my energy and efforts are best placed when put towards things that I can control! The list of things outside of all our control at the moment has been extensive, but, let’s be frank, spending all of your time complaining, speculating or placing your energy into things that you cannot influence is really just a waste of time.
Case and point, the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball Season!
Upon finally receiving our draw for the first six rounds of the 2020 season on July 24, we set our sights on jetting off to Sydney for the first two fixtures, prior to heading over to Queensland, for at least the following four rounds. Knowing that we could potentially be away for a decent period of time, I was happy to spend a week or so in Sydney to break up the trip and also have a bit of a phased departure from my sister.
Given that the SSN season was due to start, which would see me much more out of WA than in, my sister had decided that she would return to Sydney. The plan was that Keisha would fly across the day after us, upon the completion of her farm work and stay with the team for the first two rounds to help look after Coach Stace’s baby (handily Keisha is a very experienced nanny). We would then continue on to QLD and I would hopefully see my sister next at my rescheduled wedding at Christmas!
Obviously this was far too organised for the universe that we are living in right now, as when we arrived at the Gold Netball Centre for our final training session (29/07) with the intention of departing the following day, it was announced that the Sydney games would be scrapped, all of the teams would be heading to QLD and our opening round would in fact be against a different team… apparently what’s a West Coast Fever opening round if we aren’t playing the Adelaide Thunderbirds!!
One huge blessing that has come out of this crazy unstable period has been the quality time that I have been able to spend with Keisha (see previous blog LBF: about sisters!). I will miss her terribly, however, I am incredibly grateful to have had her with me for the past four months and I am thankful that our separation signalled the start of SSN 2020.
Having always known that we would be on the road for a significant chunk, if not the whole of the 2020 season, our mindset shifted with the new information and with much stressing over how you pack a bag (two bags!!) for 13 weeks, we were on our way!
The whole team and our extended staff are now settled in Brisbane, with our first game and win under our belts, and we are definitely making the most out of the biggest gap that we will be afforded between games all season! I am incredibly grateful to have my own space to live in and try and replicate something that looks like a ‘normal’ life!
The games are going to come at us thick and fast from here and although we are undoubtably going to face more unknowns as we move forward through the season, I am fully confident in the work that we have done to sustain us through a dynamic season and the people that I am walking alongside with!
Frank x
Twitter & Instagram: @StcyJyneFrancis
