A few of you who read this will already know I am my university's ballroom and latin dance Team Captain,
Aberystwyth DanceSport.
A few of you will know that although Aberystwyth is a well loved university by all that attend, it isn't exactly a largely funded or largely attended university. This makes it hard to run a sport that competes in very expensive circles against the likes of the Oxbridge, Edinburgh or Leeds (to name a few) who gain a lot more funding into their club and can afford expensive equipment and specialised coaches.
So... Being part of a small university sports team like Ballroom dancing, which, lets face it, isn't exactly as popular as football or netball, you come across a lot of difficulties.
But yesterday, our small team traveled to Birmingham to attend a friendly Varsity competition.
And we absolutely NAILED IT.
We didn't have any wins, as we all know, we are a taking part university, not a winning one. But, to have couples in Beginners Quarter Final rounds and Novice Semi Final rounds... some of them at their very first competition... It gives you hope. Hope beyond compare.
As their Captain, I am with them through every single training hour. Which means, even though my lectures don't start until the afternoon, I forgo my lay ins (although I work late nights until 2am) and I am up, and ready in the training room on campus ready to oversee and coach them through their routines.
I listen to their problems, I work out what isn't working and what could be better. I study how they move, how they walk, how they dance... for hours every day.
I then continue with my own day.. all the while going over routines in my head, and thinking of new tracks to bring tomorrow to practice with, updating the various Facebook groups, filling in application forms and looking at couples' dress choices for competitions.
My competition day starts about 2 weeks ahead. I fill in our application, and I make certain (by sending confirmations twice, in case they miss us out) that we are being included in the days events.
In the two weeks that follows I give up hours in my day to sit and observe routines, plan practice comps for experience, look over costume choices and make sure everyone is feeling confident, happy and ready for what lies ahead.
The day before the competition ... The apprehension sets in. I've got the spare hairspray, hair pins, tights, bun nets, food, sweets, red bull, extra shoes, shoe brushes, timetables, ipod for the journey and I've made a cake, the traditional Bara Brith... It's all ready.
Now all I have to do is get some sleep... because in a few hours, I will have to be awake enough to drive everyone to the competition. I get 4 hours in total sleep.
Then I'm up. And I'm excited.
I ring around, text.. make sure everyone is awake on time and feeling good.
Then we're off!
And everyone is asleep again.
I make the journey in the dark any time between 3am-8am with my beautiful bunch asleep in the bus with me, with occasional conversation.. run through of the day.. a stop for coffee.
And then we're there. And the real panic sets in.
Are they going to be able to do this?
Have I done enough?
Could I have given more time, paid more attention?
Are they happy?
10:00am Beginners round 1.... By this time, the first dance of the day, I have already been awake 24 hours.
And we have 10.5 hours left to go according to the preliminary time table - that will run over anyway.
I have a headache, I've had my eyes open too long... BUT. We're winning. We're absolutely blowing the room out of the water with our 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th call backs further and further into QF and SF rounds!
I've gone a bit croaky from screaming in support and cat calling out their numbers at the top of my lungs to drown out the Cardiff or Cambridge army. They need to hear me in support, because my god am I there.
Some disappointments... some tears. Reassurance that they did what they could... perhaps today wasn't their day. Don't get hung up on it... there will always be another one another time. This is your first go, I'm proud of you.
Then I have to dance. Albeit, it's only a small part of the day. But suddenly after 10 years of dancing follow, I'm dancing lead.. and all the muscle memory I have to call upon if things go wrong on the day, means nothing.
I have another headache.
But we're done. The kit is organised back into its bags... The tables are tidied.
I pick up my various stuff that I've left about the place when I've had to run over to the judges, over to the front desk, run to the changing rooms, run to the bus...
My hand has cramped up so much holding onto my Captain's Log notebook with the timetable, scores and numbers.
But, we're back on the bus. I've found us a 24 hour McDonald's. I've been bought McDonald's. I'm so grateful right now I can hardly handle it. This sugary food will get me through the majority of the journey.
9pm - Off home. I've now been awake 36 hours, with a small hour nap in the minibus during the day.
The journey home is a good one... lots of singing. I'm filled with so much happiness from the day that it's all coming out in Disney songs.
Then the fatigue sets in.
After two stops and two runs around the mini bus to get my eyes open.. we make it home. Everyone is dropped off.
I return the mini bus, we walk home.
3am - I crawl into bed. I turn my phone off.
We made it, we did it... And I love them.
I have now been awake 42 hours.
And it's been the best 42 hours I could ever ask for.
Being a Team Captain means you make sacrifices.
You give up time, you go the extra mile. Your priority is your team. They look to you... so you have to make sure you have the answers to their questions.
Sometimes I can hardly watch the rounds, I know what it means to them, I know what it means to me. I'm more nervous than any overlooking parent... And it's not even over when one couple are through.
I'm nervous 7 times over for each couple all through the day.
When we have days like yesterday, every single thing, every single hair pulling out stressful day, evenings in working through steps, early mornings to training, it is all worth it.
They're smiling, I'm smiling... And we are a team.
Aberystwyth Dance Sport...
I am proud to be your Captain.
Thank you for giving me this.
