Joe Klammar/AFP/Getty ImagesJayne Appel's busy month started at Team USA training camp where she says "the energy was contagious."Phew! May has been a very focused and busy month for me! I was able to wrap up my training at Sparta and Vasper and enjoy being healthy and more prepared than I ever have been. I went to national team training camp May 9-12 and really enjoyed the entire experience. The camp was held in Las Vegas and was filled with great players. There was never an opportunity to let your guard down because everyone was so talented. The practices were short but intense, and every day seemed to get better than the previous one. The best part about the camp was that every player competed on every play. The energy was contagious -- and everyone wanted to play hard.
This was the first camp in quite some time in which I was able to participate -- and feel fully healthy -- in all the practices. Talk about feeling some relief; I was so happy just to be back on the court. Also, playing at such a high level was a great test to gauge where I stood and what I need to work on, and to see whether my training had paid off. I was nervous to see how my body would feel back on the court, but I felt good and held my own. I felt like all my hard work in the offseason had paid off, too!
After USA camp I was able to come home for a little less than 24 hours and enjoy some family time and my 23rd birthday. It was so nice to get a little downtime before having to get started again for San Antonio. Then it was off to WNBA team training camp.
Our first training session was open to the public, and our fabulous fans came out in great numbers. It made me excited to be back in a familiar spot but this time on the court and not on the sideline. It's weird to think that a year ago to the day I was in a boot with a cuboid stress fracture and a third-degree ankle sprain.
Needless to say, it's so much more enjoyable to participate than to observe. Each practice has gone better than the last, and slowly our team is building every day and putting the pieces together to become a complete team. I am really looking forward to the rest of training camp and even more toward the beginning of the season!
