Intro to, and Blog by Captain Jen Kish

I wanted to open up my blogs again, moving into a very exciting 2013 with an introduction to a very good friend and teammate of mine, Jen Kish. I've been playing with Kish since a Scotland tour in 2007. First time I ever met her I got the impression she was a very confident, self aware youngster who knew her futures potential. Kish never hesitates to show her ability, and you would understand that if you have ever seen her play. This girl is a gamer and someone I recommend you keep an eye out for on our National Senior Women's road to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Here are a few things Kish had to say.

Kish, where did you grow up?
"I moved all around Canada but ended up staying in Edmonton, AB for the last 16 years."

Who do you play for in Edmonton?
"Currently I play with the Edmonton Rockers."

Who has been some of your great support along this journey?
"My dad. Without him I wouldn't be where I am today."

Before rugby what sports did you do growing up?
"Tea Kwon Do, Basketball, Football, Badminton."

When did you discover rugby as your passion and something you wanted to pursue?
"I knew I wanted to pursue Rugby when I started to really excel in it, and when the excitement I felt going to practice and playing in games grew stronger."

What are your goals personally and for the team working up to the Olympics?
"Personally: Ive got so many. MVP Canada, MVP IRB, Captain the world cup & Olympic squad & eventually squat more than I can bench ;)' And for the Team: To win the world cup & Olympics & have everyone run a 6 min mile."

Is there anything you fear?
"Injuries!"

What has been your greatest challenge so far?
"Centralizing in Victoria."

How do you vision 2013 working out for the Canadian women's team?
"I think we'll have a great year since we'll all be centralized again."

Out of all your watches which one is your favorite??
"So many to pick from but my white diesel watch. I just recently got it for Xmas!"

I understand you have owned Motor Bikes in the past, what's your favorite memory you have with them?!
"I brought my bike to Victoria in October with a moving truck. I parked it in the underground parking of the apartment where I was staying and left it there until I came back in Jan. When I arrived in Victoria in Jan I went to go see if my bike was still there after sitting for 2 months. I am happy to say it was there but when I went to start it, cause I needed to get groceries, it was dead. So i remember trying to push start the bike. Here I am running up and down in the underground parking lot with this heavy bike trying to jump start it. 45 min later I finally got it to start. I was so tired in the end that I never ended up going to get groceries. I went back upstairs and took a nap."

Blog by Captain Jen Kish, Post Dubai

It’s only been a few weeks now that I’ve been back on Canadian soil since the first ever IRB Women’s Sevens World Series took place in Dubai. I am completely gutted with my own performance and the result our team got after how hard we all trained leading up. However, our Maple Leafs team ended up showing well and placed first on the invitational side. Prior to the tournament kicking off, we spent 2 weeks in Victoria trying to refine our skills and get that team cohesion again after being apart for 6 months. Unfortunately 2 weeks just wasn’t enough and it showed in all our games. Our first match was against Russia and what a mess that was. We were out skilled and lacked a lot of discipline. I was in utter shock after the game because I just couldn’t believe what just happened. We all were. I just want to say, kudos to Russia for improving, as much as they have since we’ve last seen them. China was our next match and I am relieved to say that the result was in our favor this time. It’s too bad that the weather was so miserable that day because it makes a seven’s game a sloppy one. With knowing we were 1-1 we knew we had to step up our level when we met New Zealand in our last match of the day. What a battle that was. They are good athletes and solid tacklers. During that whole match it seemed as though we lost sight of our game plan. It was like a repeat of our match against Russia. Countless mistakes and handling errors on our part cost us the game and New Zealand came out victorious. The bus ride back to the hotel that night was a quiet one. I replayed every game in my head and the only thing I remember was, “What happened today?”

Waking up the next morning our team went for a walk. During that walk our coach, John Tait picked up a small pebble and put it in the palm of his hand. He asked one of us to try to pick up the pebble out of his hand but by only using 1 finger. It was impossible. His point was, you need the rest of your fingers to help you achieve the task. One individual cannot win a game when the game includes others. It was a very inspirational moment and from then on there was a sense of positive energy coming from everyone. To me, it was if everyone was saying in their minds, “OK, today is our day. Today is the day we turn it around and do what we came here to do.” I remember telling the girls before we played Australia, that no matter what happens today, we are a very talented team with endless potential. We were fired up and ready to play the way we wanted to play from the very beginning. I think out of all the games that weekend, it was our best performance even though we lost. It was that game where we finally started to play like a team. Later that day we faced England then Russia in the Plate Final. It was our time for redemption against Russia. We ended up playing a lot better than our previous meeting but there just wasn’t enough time on the clock seal a win.

We gather again in January to start our second year of centralization where we will continue to build and hone our skills. I am looking forward to training with all the girls and the new ones that are up and coming. We have a bunch of new talent on the scene and I am excited to see these players develop.

For all you people who enjoy a bit of social media, check out Twitter and you can follow Jen Kish @jen_kish.

Also check out this Youtube link about how Own The Podium has influenced out year!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPXXeCYBQEo&feature=youtu.be

Thanks for checking out my blog!
Mandy Marchak @MandyMarchak