Here’s some thoughts from Jodie Palmer #08 about the first camp…
Ever since I found out Ellipsis was making a women’s team, I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to be part of a team that worked harder than anyone else, I wanted to be part of an elite team who competed at the highest level, and I wanted to play with my friends. After 2 years of watching Ellipsis women assert themselves as the best women’s club in the country, I finally get to be an Ellipsis woman myself. Even though being part of this campaign involves a huge amount of time, effort, and money, I know, without a doubt, that every part of this campaign will be worth it. Camp 1 proved to me that being part of this team is everything I’ve ever dreamed of, and more.
Day 1
I had an absolute blast playing VUL. Even though I had never played with Ellipsis before, I immediately felt like I fit right in. I felt welcomed, I felt like I belonged, and I knew that playing on this team was going to be the best thing I’d ever done. I really appreciated how deeply everyone invested in the “just go for it” idea, and how much support I received when I followed the team plan of going for it, even if it meant my throw resulted in a turnover. In Ellipsis, I feel like a completely different player with a completely different mindset. If I am responsible for a turnover, instead of feeling guilty about it and like I’ve let the team down, I feel supported, because I know that everyone knows I’m doing the best I can. Similarly, if I see someone else on the team make a mistake, I don’t feel let down. I feel overwhelming love for them, because I know that they’re challenging themselves and doing the best they can. The work ethic this club fosters, and the mutual understanding that everyone is doing the best they can, is incredibly unique, and easily one of my favourite things about playing for Ellipsis.
Day 2
Oh boy day 2 was tough. It became pretty evident to me that even though I had been working really hard on improving my fitness over the pre-season, I was still not close to being multiple-day fit, and even further from being multiple-day Ellipsis fit. The work rate I witnessed from my teammates, and therefore was pushed to replicate myself, on the field was eye-opening. Never before have I seen such a high level of effort invested into a training session. These sessions, working harder than I’ve ever worked before, trying to keep up with the best women in Australia, this is what I came for. Seeing my team get essentially rolled in the first part of a session, to then completely turn the situation around with nothing but some time to self-reflect, was one of the most rewarding things I’ve experienced. To push through the physical penalties, and display incredible fortitude, is something I will look back on for the rest of the campaign, and probably the rest of my playing career.
This club, this team, this campaign. Far out we’ve got something really special going on. I can’t wait to spend the next 8 months working my ass off for this team. I have no doubt we have the potential to beat the rest of the world and take home a gold medal.
