Day 1 - July 5, 2019
We flew from San Antonio to Los Angeles today with our good friends, the Williams. Kennedi and Lizzie will play in the p1440 tournament tomorrow. The flight was seamless as we were all just super excited to be in Southern California! As soon as we landed, we headed to the hotel. Our room wasn't quite ready, but the girls had practice anyway, so we ventured to the beach. Right away, we had a huge learning curve. One - there was NO parking. Jason and Josh drove around forever trying to find parking near the beach, but none to be found. Finally, they dropped Stephanie, the kids, and I off while they continued to search for a place to park. Second - we had a lot to learn about the lay of the land. Practice was supposed to be at 8th street. We were there. No one else was. The kids got their toes wet in the Pacific while we waited. Still no one. Ha! Who know there were multiple 8th streets! We were in Manhattan Beach and practice was on 8th street in Hermosa Beach. Ugh. Here we go. Stephanie, the kids, and I walked 52 blocks to Hermosa Beach while the guys STILL couldn't find parking! But, the girls got some time to hit the ball around. The boys got to play in the ocean for a bit, and thankfully Jason was able to come pick us up for dinner! Then, to top it off, we felt the aftershock of an earthquake! Crazy! The bed and light fixture shook and we wondered what was going on, only to find out that an earthquake hit about 200 miles away and we could feel it. What a day! We have so much to learn...
p1440 RISE National Championship - July 6-8, 2019 - Santa Monica, Californiap1440 was co-founded by three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and husband, pro beach player and seven-time AVP Open Champion, Casey Jennings to create what didn’t exist – a digital platform exclusively built around the sport and culture of beach volleyball. The name p1440 is based on the Jennings’ way of life: to live all 1440 minutes of the day with passion and purpose.
Surreal. The courts are set, the beach in the background, and the cool, crisp air welcomed us to Santa Monica! Stephanie and I got lost in Venice before we found where we should be, but we made it! Nerves were high but Kennedi and Lizzie did great! Day one of the first tournament and they went 2-2. They were on a top court, had an announcer and everything. So cool!
Day 2 of the tournament, the girls went 4-0 and worked their way back into the Gold Bracket! They played awesome! The kids got some beach time and we got to play at Santa Monica Pier. So much fun! Amazing Day!
Day 3 of the tournament - Kennedi and Lizzie killed it! They ended up taking 5th place out of 25 teams! 7-3 overall! So proud of these young ladies. First tournament in California and they did awesome!
Santa Monica Pier
Day 5 was a day of rest. We took advantage, slept in and rested. We toured around Hermosa Beach and watched some of the older girls play. Tylee arrived and the girls had some fun taking sunset pictures after dinner. Tomorrow AAU Nationals begin.
AAU Nationals - July 10-11, 2019 - Hermosa Beach, California
Kennedi and Tylee competed in AAU Nationals. The tournament was HUGE with a TON of great competition. Day 1 they played AMAZING! Probably the best I have ever seen these 2 play together. They went 5-2 in pool play. Tomorrow they will compete in the Consolation Bracket. Elizabeth and Berkeley also competed. Thankfully we played on nearby courts. I love watching these girls support and cheer for one another. There are good games and bad games, but there is a consistent sisterhood through it all!
July 10 was also Dad's birthday! We are so blessed that Nana and Papa came to California with us. They love their grands! We celebrated with dinner after a great day of volleyball!
The second day of AAU Nationals was a tough day. But, hopefully the girls see the magnitude in playing out here in Southern California! Kennedi has been blessed with wonderful friends. And, such beautiful families to be on this journey with. I found myself reminding her (and me) that these girls are 11 years old. Such a bright future ahead! I am thankful to have a front row seat! After a long day of volleyball we took some time to enjoy the beautiful Pacific ocean!
Day 8 - July 12
We have 2 days before the next tournament, so we decided to spend a little family time in Long Beach. We toured the USS Iowa and also the Aquarium of the Pacific. It was a fun, relaxing day out of the sun and great family time! The boys have been such troopers and great supporters of their sister. I am thankful that all 5 of us got to experience this together!
Day 9 - July 13, 2019
Today was our second day of rest before BVCA starts up tomorrow. We enjoyed sleeping in, eating breakfast, then heading to the beach. We watched Katherine and Avery play in a one day tourney, walked Manhattan Pier, and tried Manhattan Creamery. It was a fun day off, but ready for some volleyball tomorrow!
BVCA - July 14-15, 2019 - Hermosa Beach, California
BVCA was the 3rd and final tournament for Kennedi in California. It was my favorite! Kennedi played with Tylee, but really, they played for 210 Beach. It was so awesome to see the girls represent their club from San Antonio, TX. All of the 210 girls dressed alike, practiced together, and cheered for one another. Typically sand volleyball is not as much of a team sport as others, but this tournament brought 210 together beautifully!
On the first day of the tournament, Kennedi and Tylee finished 1st in their pool! They played awesome! We let the boys rent bikes and ride up and down the strand. They had fun and did well until Cade had a minor bike accident near the end of the day. It scared us, but he was okay and we were blessed that nice people took care of him until I got there. Overall, great day! I'm thankful for our family and for amazing volleyball today!
BVCA is one of the largest sand volleyball tournaments in the nation. Kennedi and Tylee came in 9th place out of 58 teams! SO PROUD! The fought so hard and never gave up. I cannot describe the intensity of the games. We parents and family were on our toes, but Kennedi and Tylee killed it! Amazing effort and amazing volleyball for 2 eleven year olds. We will be back to Southern California. This is just the beginning!
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