Since the domestic season finished in April there have been some highs and lows. I’m happy to say though, my season finished on a high with Great Britain securing our first competitive win against Bulgaria at Crystal Palace on 12 June 2010.

You can read more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/olliewilliams/2010/06/for_the_win_how_gb_handballers.shtml

I returned back to the UK at the beginning of April with a medial collateral ligament sprain in my right knee which kept me out of my last club game and a week-long training camp with GB at Crystal Palace.

I was worried it would keep me out of our preparations for our 2012 European Championship Qualification matches which took place in mid June but luckily I was passed fit to travel to Spain where our preparations began.

We played Galicia (a Spanish regional team made up of first and second division Spanish players) three times, experimenting with different defensive systems and offensive tactics. Unfortunately we were without some key members of the team due to injury but that is the nature of sport and is something we will have to overcome time and time again as we progress toward 2012.

Despite losing all three matches with tight score lines, I managed to rack up 125 minutes court time out of a possible 180 minutes and put in three solid performances which I needed after being injured for our previous training camp.

Next up we travelled to Belgium, who we had lost narrowly to in October 2009. It was going to be a tough match as we lost more players to other various commitments. We were due to play two matches.

In the first match we were finding it difficult in the early stages and made a lot of errors in attack, exposing us to counter attacks which have been a continual problem for us. We found ourselves trailing by four goals at half time and it would appear that we were down and out.

After the break we showed tremendous character and belief and managed to claw our way back into the match establishing a five goal lead thanks to some good saves by myself and much better performance from the boys in attack. We held on to our lead and managed to secure our first win over European competition. It was an amazing feeling and a day that I won’t forget in a hurry.

The next day we played Belgium again, we had lost influential line player Chris McDermott to injury and with him also being a key defender we found it difficult to contain a Belgian side keen on undoing the damage done the previous day.

We had no answers in defence or attack and slumped to a 14 goal defeat. All the energy put into the win the day before had cost us the match but fair play to the Belgians for coming back at us with everything they had.

The GB squad returned to Loughborough for a week of light training before we set off for our last set of friendly matches in Luxembourg before our European Qualifiers began. I missed the first game in Luxembourg due to personal reasons but made it out for the second game.

We had gone down by 13 goals in the game I missed which was a terrible result given that we drew with Luxembourg the previous October. We put in a better performance in the second game but still lost by nine goals. The squad appeared to be disjointed and with people coming in and out of the team at different stages we were finding it hard to find our rhythm.

We had hit a low point, but little did we know it was going to get worse before it got better. We returned to the UK to finish our preparations for our upcoming matches against Cyprus, Estonia and Bulgaria. Our official target was to secure one win out of the three matches.

Estonia were favourites of the group but we knew we would have a chance against Cyprus and the Bulgarians. In the first match it was looking good, we were in front against Cyprus at half time and appeared to be in control of the game.

I was a little disappointed not to retain my place in goal but the coach had gone for experience over form with Jesper Parker and he was doing well and keeping us ahead in the game. After the break we lost our heads and slumped to an 8 goal defeat. This was supposed to be our chance and we let it slip out of our hands.

We had a meeting that evening and tried to put our fingers on why we weren’t clicking as a team. We knew something had to change otherwise we would be thumped by Estonia who boast one of the best young talents in world handball and then struggle to pick ourselves up for the match against Bulgaria.

We dug deep in the first half trailing by five at half time. Jesper kept his place in goal and was doing ok but we were being exploited on the counter due to mistakes in attack. We continued to fight but went on to lose by nine goals. Although we lost the game against the group favourites, we had proved to ourselves that we could play fast, effective handball and with a performance like this tomorrow, surely we could match the Bulgarians.

Saturday came, the Hall was packed with over 500 fans and there was an air of excitement about. We got off to a bad start, Parker failed to get into the game and I replaced him after about 10 minutes. We were already down by five.

I managed to get into the game quickly and made a few saves and got us back within a couple of goals so we were down by two at half time. We had to come at them with everything in the second half to be in with a shout. I was in good form and keeping us close to them but we managed to miss a few clear chances to draw level.

Five minutes from the end we were down by four goals but we refused to give in. We battled our way level with a minute left and Steven Larsson scored his 13th goal of the game in the last second to give us a 33-32 victory.

We had done it, the crowd had got behind us and despite being eight goals behind at one point we didn’t give up. It was a fantastic moment in my career to date. It may sound crazy to celebrate winning one game and not even qualifying for the Euro’s but given what the team had been through the last few years we were going to treasure every second in front of the cheering fans.

It was a mixture of joy and relief. The fans, many of them experiencing their first taste of Handball had just witnessed a GB team making history. First win over European opposition on home soil; let’s hope there is more to come!

There has been no real let up in the intensity of training following our tough January period. My training programme has the appearance of a ‘pre-season.’ Seven separate conditioning workouts, plus up to seven flexibility sessions per week, throw in seven or eight handball sessions and I am well and truly exhausted by the end of the week – and then it starts all over again.

I can’t complain really. I have seen good results in terms of weight loss and strength increase and I feel fitter than ever before. Training has been going well off the court, however on the court it has been disappointing with my club; we lost two of our three matches in February.

In January I was informed I had been nominated by the British Handball Association for a Sports Aid Grant. SportsAid is a charity that helps the next generation of young British sportsmen and women to succeed (www.sportsaid.org.uk). With the handball funding situation slowly recovering from UK Sport funding cuts I was delighted to be invited to a charity lunch where I would be presented with a £500 cheque to support my training. Again, I would like to thank the SportsAid committee for processing the applications and nominating me as a funding recipient, the support is greatly appreciated.

At the SportsAid presentation with Gemma Allman (Water Ski), Harry Arksey (Badminton)

Given that I had a match free weekend it was also an opportunity to go home and visit some friends and family so I managed to take a well-earned rest from my normal schedule.

Wednesday 24th February will be a day that I will never forget. After my mornings work, I received a call from my Second Division coach. He told me that one of the first team goalkeepers was ill and that they needed cover for their match that evening. So only two years since I picked up a handball, I would be sitting on the bench in a Danish Liga match, for the best team in Denmark and cover for Denmark’s number one goalkeeper Nicklas Landin.

This photo was taken by one of my GB teammates watching the match on TV (Team sheet BSV v HF Mors)

Although I didn’t get on the court, it was still an amazing night. There were around 1500 spectators in a compact hall, a great atmosphere and I even signed a few autographs for supporters. It was exciting and nerve-racking at the same time but I hope it is a sign of the times to come.

It was back down to earth with a bump with the second team on the following Sunday. I was having a good game until I had lost some focus and was replaced after 35 minutes. It would appear to have been a good decision; we were drawing at the time and went on to win by two goals. These are all lessons to take forward to the next match.

So with February coming to an end we are entering the last month of the competitive season. Hopefully I can get a few more training sessions in with the first team. There is once again uncertainty from myself and the other British Players at the sports academy in Aarhus. Next season we may have to find a new solution as we try to balance our finances whilst at the same time living on foreign soil in an attempt to fight our way into the most competitive Handball leagues in Europe.

I will be back in the UK on 18th March at the Buckingham 2012 Conference meeting local businesses and sponsorship executives to promote myself and GB handball. If you’d like to get involved please contact ibarham@bucks2012.org

Apologies for taking so long to get this blog out. January has been a very busy month for me and the GB Handball Team. Our World Championship qualification took place in Finland from 15th to 18th January. Our preparation for the qualification started in Holland on 26th December and would continue until we arrived in Helsinki.

This intense period saw new and old players alike put through their paces with both top European club and national team tournaments. We struggled for consistency in many of the matches, mainly due to a lack of experience of playing together and also missing key players through injuries and club commitments. Squad Captain and first choice playmaker Ciaran Williams was one of those to miss out as he struggled to overcome a fractured foot. This gave me the opportunity to lead the team once more as vice-captain. As well as being a great honour, in our current situation it also brings a great amount of pressure.

Going from match-to-match playing opposition with far more experience than ourselves, we know we are often fighting a losing battle and it is difficult to maintain our focus but we remind ourselves of the goals set for each camp and match. Primarily our aim is to gain experience against better opposition and try to close the gap which currently exists between us.

This is an ongoing process and despite not winning a game in three tournaments and none in our qualification the improvements made by everyone is clear. In our first tournament in Holland we lost to club teams that play together week-in, week-out, a luxury that we do not have as a national team, but teams we should have beaten none the less. Compare that to a mere nine goal defeat to Romania, the eventual winners of our qualification group and that tells us we are most definitely on the right track. Romania are undoubtedly the toughest opposition we have faced to date and our performance raised a few eyebrows, as did first half performances against Switzerland, Tunisia, Bosnia and Holland – teams with a strong handball tradition.

Competing with these teams for 30 minutes certainly highlights the fact that we have quality within our squad, however key themes were identified throughout the four week period and one of those themes was our conditioning and more importantly our match fitness. This was identified as the main reason for our inability to compete for 60 minutes. The reason for this lack of condition is mainly due to the majority of our squad failing to get 60 minutes court time with our respective clubs.

So after an intense period for GB we have identified our weaknesses, which is essential if we are to move forward. We have since reassessed our individual goals with our Head Coach and strength and conditioning trainer and returned to our club teams with a fresh hunger to make the necessary improvements for our next training camp in April.

Personally, I am very happy with the progress I have made. Highlights for me were a 55% save ratio against Qatar and saving 2/3 penalties against Romania. Having now returned to Denmark, I completed my first 60 minutes for my Club team BSV last week, keeping a 42% save ratio and winning with 11 goals in the process. I can tell you it felt very nice to win after the results we had with GB but I know now that when the win finally comes again for GB, it will taste even sweeter.

After the relative success of the camp in Luxembourg, I was excited to be heading back to Denmark for another fresh challenge. I attended my first training session for Bjerringbo-Silkeborg-Voel (BSV) the day after my arrival. I was tired from the tough week before but eager to impress the coach and show that I was capable of playing at 2nd Division level. BSV is a great club with team’s in the Danish Liga 2nd and 3rd division and there is plenty of opportunity to train with experienced players and get consistent court time at a high level. The first session went well and I went on to complete my trial week having achieved what I had set out to do. The Coach Peder Mayer was pleased with what I had shown; he had seen me 18 months before and had noticed a vast improvement.

Having experienced issues with my transfer to Bregenz, it would be interesting to see how quick the turnaround would be this time. So with match time out to one side until further notice, there is plenty to concentrate on in the mean time with training sessions at the Aarhus Sports Academy. I am joined there by eight other members of the GB set up and also a few other handballers of varying levels. At this moment in time I am trying to strike the right balance between volume of training and quality. The club sessions with BSV are providing more quality than the academy but time in the goal is time in the goal. It has been difficult to step back into this environment after being involved with Bregenz. The volume and timing of the academy training often leaves my body aching and tired and training late with BSV is not ideal so it is important to maximise my recovery in between sessions so my performance is affected as little as possible.

To fund our stay at the Sports Academy, myself and the other GB boys have to complete 4 hours of labour per week and attend A Sports Coach Education Programme. This helps pass the time and is an extremely great offer from the Academy, without it many of us would be struggling to continue our development at the current rate.

The mood in the camp varies day to day but at the moment it is mostly positive with the thought of a busy festive period looming. A training camp in Holland from the 26th December, followed by competing in the prestigious yellow cup in Switzerland. We then have a nine day preparation camp in London before our World Championship Qualifications in Finland. This intense period should enable the coaching staff to continue our tactical development and also improve our team cohesion. The results in Luxembourg showed that a three day preparation camp had helped improve our performance. With this in mind, hopefully the range in competition and the amount of training should pay dividends when we finally meet our toughest competition yet in Finland.

On 25th October the GB Squad came together in Wolverhampton for a three day preparation camp. The aim was to get ourselves familiar with tactical information before our trip to Luxembourg. The camp got off to a bad start when we found out Head Coach Dragan Djukic would not be joining us until we reached Luxembourg. It was then up to assistant Coach Bill Ballie to ensure we made the most of our time together before the tournament began.

Despite the setback, everybody was very focused on the task at hand and unlike the previous camp in France back in August everybody seemed a little more relaxed and the team spirit appeared to be back to how it should have been. This was probably due to most of the squad being back in a competitive training environment and the immediate future was not as bleak as it appeared to be in France!

The mood in the camp was good and this was important as we went in to our first match of the tournament against hosts Luxembourg. Two years previous, an inexperienced England side lost by 17 goals to this team so we knew it wasn’t going to be easy with some of our players being present then. I was disappointed to be left on the bench for the game considering the hard work I and progress I had made since the France Camp. I eventually got a chance to show this improvement as I replaced Parker after around 25 minutes with us trailing by three goals.

I was determined to put in a good performance and also try to inspire the other players as we found ourselves up against it. After clawing our way back into the game we found ourselves again down by three goals in the closing stages but fought our way back and had a lead of 32-30 with just three minutes left on the clock. Unfortunately our lack of experience in big matches allowed Luxembourg to fight back themselves and with almost the last shot of the game they levelled to 32-32 and so the spoils were shared.

Having been so close to tasting victory, the team took this draw almost as a loss. The heads were down immediately and you could see the disappointment on everyone’s faces. Our head coach however had a different view on the match and he was very pleased with our character and the chances we created. On another day we could have won this game by a fair margin and we were now able to compete with teams at this level. We would have the chance to improve on this performance against a tough Belgian side the next day.

The mood soon picked up again and we were ready to prove to ourselves and the rest of the handball community that our performance against Luxembourg was not a ‘one-off’. The Luxembourg press had called the result an embarrassment and this showed that these teams or at least the opinion of the press did not expect us to be on the same level. I kept my place in goal, perhaps the first time I had started a match for GB on merit after my strong performance the day before. I was however given a two minute suspension early on. We were down 1-0 when I went off and I back on after around 15 minutes and we were trailing again by three. I got back into the game immediately and made a few crucial saves and at half-time we were up by one although it should have been two, our inexperience once again allowing Belgium to score a cheap goal in the final seconds of the half. After Belgium came at us in the second half, our 3-2-1 defence appeared to be cracking and we came back to a 6-0 formation to try to ‘plug the gaps’. It was tough for me as I prefer a 3-2-1 in front of me but the boys were doing a good job with some good blocking and interceptions. We were still on the back foot and were down by two with 15 minutes left. The coach decided to replace me with newcomer Ciaran Pasqual Larkin and then a few minutes later Parker took his place back in the goal. These changes had made no impact on the game and we went on to lose by two. A superb defensive effort, but a below par display from the goalkeepers and some missed chances at the other end allowed Belgium to take the win 25-23.

So we had proved to ourselves if no-one else that we had what it takes to at least compete with the likes of these teams. We went into the third and final match tired and with some players carrying a few injuries but we knew that another decent performance was needed not to undo all the hard work of the previous two matches. Mulhouse had put in some good performances narrowly losing out to Belgium and beating Luxembourg so we knew we would be there or thereabouts.

Jesper started the match in goal and did a superb job despite our defence not replicating the solid performance of the day before. We went on to lose by five goals, 26-21; a close contest and one which again we should have done better in.

Overall, the three matches were a great success. The hard work and improvement of the team and also our ability to now perform on an international stage had been highlighted. The season is currently in its early stages and I believe our inexperienced squad will improve even more over the next month or so with more match time under our belts. This will lead nicely into the December/January preparation camps and ultimately our World Championship qualifiers in Finland at the end of January where we will face Finland, Bosnia and Romania. A huge task for a team currently at our stage of development however we will have the possibility for the majority of the squad to be together for three weeks prior to the qualification. This coupled with the early season creases being ironed out before Christmas will hopefully result in more improvement as a team and more good performances on the court.

Before I had made the decision to come to A1 Bregenz, Roland Frushtuk (the Manager) had said that there was a sponsor keen to get involved and support the project and they would be covering my living costs during my stay in Bregenz. When I arrived he had informed me that the sponsor had not yet given the club any money and at the end of September he informed me the sponsor had withdrawn their offer. This was a huge blow and the future of my handball career was once again hanging in the balance.

On court, everything had been going well. I had been training well with the first team and we were well into the season now and I had played three games for the second team. As I have said before, the level is not the best but I was getting 60 minutes every game so to get this court time under my belt had been good and it felt like I was progressing every game.

Given the situation with the finances, I decided to make a few enquiries back in Denmark to make sure I had a back-up plan should a solution not be found here in Bregenz. I was informed there could be a possibility with a Second Division club there where several of my GB team mates are playing. Discussions have taken place between myself, Bregenz and the BHA, as well as information coming in from Denmark and I will be moving back to Denmark at the beginning of November. The financial situation in Denmark is a little more stable than here, the handball opportunity there is also comparable to the situation here, on paper. I will be returning to the IHAa Sports Academy and will receive training there as well with the proposed club. More information regarding the move will be in my next blog as I don’t want to go into too much detail should the move fall through.

In the mean time some small injuries have interrupted my physical training and I hope to these have cleared up by the time I meet up with the Great Britain squad on 25th October. I am looking forward to meeting up with the lads again but more importantly I am looking forward to the friendly tournament in Luxembourg where we will play the hosts, Bulgaria and Belgium. It will be stiff competition but it is our opportunity to show we have improved and are heading in the right direction.

Finally I would like to say congratulations to the GB Women’s team that successfully made it through the European Pre-Qualification games against a tough Finland side and I wish them the best for the qualification round.

My player’s license eventually came through having missed the first two league matches of the season. Having been here for two months now, it was huge relief to say that I was officially a Bregenz player. This season I am likely to be playing for the development team which consists of mainly players who are under 21. However they can have three players over 21 in the squad. In the Austrian Handball Liga (HLA) each team has an U21 team which play the same fixtures as the first team which I think is a great way to keep the young players involved and allow the head coach to see which players are developing and he can also include them in the first team squad on the same day.

The first team had responded well to their failed Champion’s League qualification attempt with the defeat of Innsbruck in a midweek fixture with the U21’s also continuing their winning start to the season. On the morning of Friday 11th before Saturday’s away fixture to Leoben, it was still unclear whether or not my license would be ready but after some calls to the relevant people it was finally cleared; I could play!!

It was great to be involved this weekend, my first match for the U21’s also included the possibility of being included in the first team squad as the second choice goalkeeper Chrissi Winkler had injured his finger in the midweek match. I was a bit nervous which is unlike me. I started on the bench behind Chrissi’s younger brother Lukas who has had a good start to the season in goal with the U21’s. After a good first, we were in front by 11 and it looked like it would be plain sailing from there on.

I came on with 25 minutes to go, feeling a little bit of pressure. I had a decent start saving the first two shots that came my way. It was a strange experience playing against these players, the shots weren’t as hard as I was used to and I struggled to find my timing and had a poor 10 minutes to allow Leoben to close the gap to six goals. After a time out, I managed to compose myself and had a fairly good closing 10 minutes conceding just one goal on the final whistle. I was disappointed with myself, I knew this sloppy 10 minute period would cost me any chance I had of being named in the first team squad as back up for Goran Aleksic and I was right. Lukas deservedly took his place on the bench and came on with around 12 minutes to go. He played well and helped the first team see out their victory with a nine goal advantage.

I knew that I had to respond from the disappointment of my performance in the right way, and that was to focus on the next training session and the next match that I would play in. The following weekend I was called up by the second team. The chance had come to redeem myself and restore some confidence. We travelled to Biberach in Germany for the match against a team that had been relegated the season before so we were expecting a tough game. Once again the level compared to the training I have had was not the same but I quickly found my form and we eventually went on to win the game by one goal and I saved the last shot of the game. The team were happy with me, I had been a key player in the victory and it felt good to have put in a good performance after my poor start the weekend before. So, the season is finally under way for me. It has been a long time coming!

While I was in France I received a call from A1 Bregenz Youth Academy Manager asking if I would like to accompany him in Hungary as he was one coach short for the trip. Three of the Bregenz youth teams were travelling to Veszprem for the Cell Cup Handball Festival. Having not been selected for the 1st team trip to a tournament in Germany, I thought it was a chance to get some valuable experience as a coach rather than as a player and further develop my understanding of the game. I would be coaching the U18 team, as it would be easier for me to communicate with the team in English.

It was a tough Journey, leaving from France at 14:00 on the Saturday and arriving in Veszprem at 21:00 on the Sunday with a 4 hour stop in Bregenz to re-pack my bag and get some sleep!

The U18 team of Bregenz will make up the bulk of the U21/development team that I will be a part of this season so it was a great chance for me to get to know the players and vice versa. The first game was a close contest between us and Konstanz from Germany. Markus took control of this game but I would be on my own for the remainder of the tournament. We won the game by one goal and I was very impressed with the determination and spirit displayed by the players. The next day we were due to play two matches. I was a bit nervous which is unlike me, but I don’t think the lads picked up on it and we won both games comfortably, perhaps with the help of some lucky tactical decisions by me but more due to the quality shown by the team.

We eventually made the Semi-Final having not lost a game and we were due to play Veszprem, regarded as the favourites for the tournament. Markus was there to help me manage the team again, the boys played extremely well and deserved the win however just an hour and a half later we had to play the final against Konstanz who had given us a close run in the first game and who had been slowly improving throughout the tournament. We eventually lost the game and afterwards I spoke to the players and they said for them their final was against Veszprem, but of course their heads were down. It wasn’t nice to see the guys like this and I felt powerless during the game. My knowledge of the game isn’t so vast and I didn’t have any ideas of how to break down the Konstanz defence. Despite this and my lack of experience the lads said they were happy with the way I had been throughout the week and said I had done a good job, which was nice to hear.

When I returned to Bregenz, it was going to be a fairly easy going week as the first team had not performed so well in the tournament in Germany and the start of the season was looming so our coach decided that we needed some rest time and reduced the number of sessions for the week.

The first game of the season took place on Saturday 29th August but I did not take part as my transfer from Denmark has not been completed yet. I decided to travel with the squad, an 8 hour trip to Tolln. The U21 team played 1st and put in a convincing performance to win by 8 goals. The same however could not be said for the first team, having been down by three at half time they managed to scrape a draw. It wasn’t the start they wanted especially when next week they travel to Norway for the Champions League Qualification against Fyllingen and Partisan Belgrade.

August was a very tough period for me both with Bregenz and with Great Britain, travelling for camps and tournaments in Germany, France and Hungary.

Making an appearance for A1 Bregenz in a pre-season tournament in Germany was a real taste of top flight Handball, although there were bigger matches to come the week after, in France with GB. I had a fairly good 20 minute spell but noticed the increased ability in the 2nd Division of the German Bundesliga side, the players were faster and the shots were harder than I had become accustom to in my time in Denmark. I was disappointed not to get more game time in the 4 matches but sometimes I just have to remind myself where I have come from and not let sitting on the bench or not being selected for the squad get me down!

Sunday 8th of August saw the GB team join up in the south of France. After a 13 hour train journey from Bregenz, I joined up with the rest of the boys at the hall where training had already started. The lads looked hot, tired and as if most of them would rather be somewhere else! For a lot of the lads, this was the first time they had touched a handball since our trips to Serbia and Greece back in June. For many, uncertainty also surrounds their club situation for the 2009/10 season and being this late into August it is not a good situation to be in.

The mood in the camp was not the best and it was picked up immediately by Dragan and Assistant Coach Bill Baillie who told me I would have to do my best as stand in Captain to reignite the motivation and desire of the squad.

It was going to be a tough week!

On the Tuesday, we were due to travel to Frantignan a small town near Montpellier to play Japan and Montpellier in a friendly tournament. Dragan was sure we could match the Japanese but Montpellier would be a different matter all together with none other than Nikola Karabatic being added to their ranks in the summer.

Having lost against Montpellier, we played Japan 20 minutes later and a poor first half, filled with numerous technical mistakes, meant we would have a mountain to climb to salvage any positives from the game. We came out for the second half and put in a better performance but the damage had already been done with the Japanese counter attacks in the first half.

Later in the week, we also played against Algeria and Istres, losing both games but we had shown we had the ability to compete with the likes of these teams having matched them for periods during the game but our higher number of technical mistakes was the difference and we were punished with counter attacks once again.

On the July 13th I arrived in Bregenz, Austria, to begin a new chapter of my life as a Handball Player.

The decision to come to A1 Bregenz wasn’t an easy one, with the option of going back to the academy in Aarhus being available, which would also hold the benefit of having the majority of the GB squad based there once again.

I am now finding myself in a foreign country with no familiar faces in sight; it is going to be a tough journey but one which should have a positive impact my Handball career. A1 Bregenz lifted the Austrian Championship last season and are going into a qualification round for the EHF Champions League, so to be associated with a club of this calibre is inspiring and spine-tingling in itself and I haven’t even stepped onto a court yet!

The season ahead will bring many challenges in all aspects of my life. Firstly having to leave loved ones back in the UK once again is not an enjoyable experience and I hope this move will not impact too severely on that. Secondly, having played Handball since January 2008 I now find myself within an established professional outfit and there will be no hiding place should mistakes be made and excuses of still being a development player will no doubt fall on deaf ears.

The first training session took place in the morning of Wednesday 15th. It was a fairly light start to training and it opened with a football match. The heavens opened after the match as we did some conditioning work comprising of interval runs coupled with various exercises. The feeling of running in heavy rain on the grass brought back memories of pre-season training back in my footballing days!

On Friday 17th July we set off for Faschina a small town in the Austrian Alps to continue our pre-season conditioning. I was told it would be a gruelling five day training camp with four training sessions per day. On the first day our last training sessions was a 40 minute jog up one of the mountains. I was listening to a playlist on my iPod, which I often did when running through the traffic of Central Milton Keynes, we ran through a herd of cows on a narrow path on the mountain with ‘crosstown traffic’ by Jimmy Hendrix playing, it brought a smile to my face despite the mud rain and pain of the run!

The weather was a mixture of rain, snow and brief sunshine until we left on the Tuesday when it was about 30 degrees, typical!

So the first week is under my belt, I feel in good shape but I’m sure we have plenty of conditioning left to do. I am itching to get on to the court and hope I can take any opportunities that come my way during the pre-season friendly period!