I Took A Roller Coaster From Turkey to Germany

It’s been a little over 2 weeks since I’ve changed teams. For the better part of this 2019-2020 season I had been in Samsun, Turkey playing for Canik Belediysi, but about 2.5 weeks ago I decided to leave that team and signed with a club here in Germany called Herner TC.

The reasons as to why I left that club will be saved for another time. At the end of the day, there is a business side to this game that many people have no clue about, UNLESS you have actually played and have been part of different clubs in different leagues and countries. But I wish the club, my teammates, and the city of Samsun nothing but the best. 

Since arriving here to Germany I have felt so many emotions. The main one being more of a sense of relief. It was nice to get a slight, fresh start and a new beginning with some different people. But I use the term “slight” because there isn’t much room for taking it all in and taking your time with things. The mindset between the 2 teams is EXTREMELY different and although I truly love and appreciate that, it adds to the intensity of my transfer. 

This week I really plan to take time to myself and really focus on things on another level. I think any time a player transfers in the middle of the season from 1 team to another, it certainly has some challenges to it. Whether they come from that individual on a personal level, or the expectations of the club itself. Those challenges will be there regardless, those expectations will be there regardless, it’s all about how you handle everything. And as a point guard coming in with the expectation to lead people immediately, while trying to figure out who people are, the overall goals and intentions, and to just get a pulse of the team and vibe…it can be a lot! But at the end of the day, I want to win, and win it all! So there’s nothing to it, but to do it!

I think I could write a full blog on the many challenges a PG might face when transferring in the middle of the season, but I’ll save that for later as well.

Alright, so now that I am heading into my 3rdweek here in Germany, it is vital that I get back into a bit of a routine for myself mentally. My schedule is very different now and I have been figuring out how to maneuver best so I can give my best in the end. I am someone who needs that balance in order to focus on the task(s) at hand. So you know what that means??? My “To-Do List” is back of course! (Check the next blog post for the list!)

As I continue to prepare for the final stretch of the regular season, and then play offs, I will take it one week at a time. 

“The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare.” – Thane Yost