2009.03.23 16:50:59

Corey Muirhead

Hey Guys!!....Well like I said in my last blog, I am working on being consistent by posting a weekly blog.  This is the second of many….at least that’s the idea.  I hope everyone is doing well and the week is off to a great start for everyone.

So back to my time in Switzerland, in the last blog I was speaking about how well we were doing as a team and our chances for winning a championship at the end of the season.  We were getting ready to play our rival Monthey in an exhibition game because we had a bi-week.  Coach thought it would be a good way for us to get a meaningful game in that week so we wouldn’t lose our rhythm for the last game before the Christmas break.  A few of us got to the gym a little early that evening.  We were waiting for the rest of the guys to show up before we left for the game.  Monthey is about half hour away from our home gym, so it wasn’t a far ride at all. 

I remember that I and two of my teammates were sitting in the car waiting to leave for the game.  All of a sudden we saw that something was happening.  Coach was on the phone with someone and he was not very pleased to say the least.  He was furious and we all started to wonder what all the commotion was about.  Then one of my teammates came over to the car and said the team was folding.  As the minutes went by we were all trying to figure out exactly what was happening.  Apparently the team lawyer called one of the players and told him that he should contact his agent in order to figure out a buy-out for his contract.  So he then asks coach if he was being fired because the team lawyer just called him and the team wanted to buy-out his contract.  That’s when things really got crazy; coach immediately called the team lawyer.  And that’s when they told him that the team has officially folded.  Now you would think that the head coach of a professional basketball team would be one of the first person, if not the first person to know that the team he’s responsible for was no more.  He had to find out through word of mouth in the worse way.  What’s worse is that it seemed like the media knew more than we did. The next day it was all over the media and they were very detail as to why the team was folding. 

I mean here we are, in third place in the top division in Switzerland and primed to make a move to the top of the standings.  And all of a sudden we get hit with this news that they are pulling the plug on the season.  The reason behind the president’s decision was the lack of support from the fans, problems with the board and with the authorities in the city that we were playing in.  I think the main problem for us is that the team was not in the home city and the fans felt like we were overshadowing the second division team that was already there and we were sharing the facility with.  I mean we beat the defending champions Fribourg at home and the fans were mad that we won the game…..THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO BE HAPPY….WE ARE THE HOME TEAM!!....but that gives you an idea of what we were up against in regards to the fans.  Don’t get me wrong we had some loyal supporters, but the support from them weren’t enough to satisfy the president and ultimately he makes the final decisions because he cuts the cheques. 

My problem with him folding the team and ending our season is that it ended up costing him more than if he were to continue with the season.  He still had to pay us our Money at the end of the day and he incurred a lot of fines for folding the team.  But on the other hand I could empathize with him because am sure it probably seemed pointless to continue if you don’t even have the backing of the fans much less the board or the city that you are creating a source of revenue for.  For sure it was sad for everyone that our season was over and we would have to find new teams to finish the rest of the season. 

For me I wasn’t worried about what was going to happen because as bad as things seemed at the time.  I knew it was a blessing in disguise because it was a chance for me to make a lot more money financially than I would have if I finished the season with Rhone Basket.  Now I had an opportunity to sign a new contract and I was having a great year so I Knew it was only a matter of time before something pops up.  I was just hoping that it would be a little later in January so I would be at home for a good amount of time with Lauren. 

The majority of you reading this know that Lauren wasn’t with me this year in Switzerland.  After a week of being by myself in Switzerland, I knew it was going to be a tough year not having her with me.  And for those of you who are married or in a committed relationship knows how hard it is to be apart from the one you love.  Especially if you are married and if you’ve been so blessed to be able to spend pretty much every waking minute with you partner, then you can understand how hard the transition was for me to go from being with her to not seeing her at all for months.  I mean when you are married you truly become one.  I literally was hurting inside because we were not together and the companionship that we had establish was in essence interrupted.  And I had to figure out how to cope with this, because it was different for me.  Even though basketball was going great for me and better than I could have hoped for, something was missing.  The internet, the phone, the webcam, and text messages are no substitute for the real thing.

To help pass the time I just try and keep myself busy by reading books and a whole lot of bible reading.  I also play a lot of video games and browse the internet.  I try and read about current events so I am up to date on what’s happening in the world.   For those of you that haven’t read the Shack, that’s a great book.  I highly recommend it, you will definitely come away having a better understanding about the power of God and know that with him all things are truly possible.  It was given to me by my friend Lois shortly before I left for Switzerland.  She is a mighty woman of God, she speaks the word and she doesn’t apologize for it and I respect her for that.  But the book is a great read and I will definitely have to pass it on to someone as well.   I Read the audacity of hope and dreams of my father by Barack Obama.  Both great books and gives you an insight as to what makes him the kind of man he is today.  It really helps you to understand what shapes his ideas, world views and what drives him.  Now I am not an Obama fanatic, I don’t know the man, but he gives hope.  At least for me he does, because of what I’ve seen and where I’ve been. I can identify with him.  And I feel proud to know that he’s done something that a lot of people thought was once impossible and there is something to be said about that.

But one thing that I am definitely advocating is Christianity and my Love for God.  When I am in Europe I am so in tune with God it’s just simply amazing…...I make it a point to read and to pray daily.  And it’s not just waking up and reading.  I might read one bible verse and it really speaks to me, it just gets my attention and I will read that same verse maybe two or three more times so it really sinks in.  So I don’t just read the bible to read it. Or to say that I read the bible, but when I read it I really try to gain some understanding.  My hope is that when I close that book (the bible) for the day, I’ve gained something.  Maybe a better appreciation for life or appreciating my marriage more or just even realizing how blessed I am to be doing what I am doing or just being more humble.  Some people will read this blog and have a hard time understanding what it is that I am really saying.  And some will read it and say Amen.  But for me, this is a platform to express myself and so I will.  I know whatever I say on here is not private, so obviously whatever I say on here I intend for any and everyone to see/read if they so desire.  And by doing so I am also holding myself accountable for my actions and the life I live.  My coach always said “what is life without pressure”…….. So I say “what is being a Christian without accountability.”  I personally don’t have a problem with someone that believes differently than I do when it comes to religion.  Just as I don’t have a problem with someone that has a different political point of view; some of my friends are Muslims and that hasn’t stopped us from being great friends.

Well I hope this blog wasn’t too over the top or better yet I hope it was interesting and entertaining enough for you guys to read next week’s blog.  I will update you guys on my transition from Switzerland to the Czech Republic and how things are going over here. 

Until then….take care and God Bless!!!

 

By the way…this time I did use spell check after a few complaints…lol.but am sure there will still be a few typos!

 

2009.03.15 17:38:31

Corey Muirhead

Hey Guys!!....well first and foremost.  This is the first time I am attempting to write a blog.  I usually try and stay in the background.  I would say I am a bit of a shy person until I get to know you or until I am familiar with my surroundings.  So in short I would say I am a bit reserve at first.  I really don’t know who will be reading this blog or who will be interested in what I have to say.  But I figured I will give it a go, after all…I have a platform to express myself and share my thoughts.; So why not do it?...and by the way...if there are any typo's please forgive me...this is a one time shot...no proof reading...but am sure you'll understand the gist of what I am trying to say...enjoy!!

It’s now 2009, but I think for this blog it’s only fitting that I start in the past….as in 2008.  I started the year playing in Switzerland in League A, which is the first Division.  I lived in the small town of Martigny surrounded by beautiful mountains.  It is about two hours and fifteen minutes from Geneva.  I arrived in August and the first day I got there, we had practice!  I was a bit surprise to say the least.  Coach had us practice for an hour and a half.  But thankfully I was playing basketball and I was working out with John on and off during the summer before I left (For those of you who are wondering who John is….he’s just a freak of nature when it comes to being an athlete and he knows his stuff when it comes to fitness).   Without a doubt that helped me tremendously in preparation for that practice and the preseason as well.  I could definitely tell after that practice that I was in good shape compared to the rest of the guys.

Switzerland is a beautiful place; I was so amazed at the landscape of the country.  I have never seen Mountains like that before in my life.  Every day I was in awe of mountain side.  There was just always something to be admired about the mountains.  I would recommend to everyone to go to Switzerland if given the opportunity to do so.  I must also say that I have never been to a country before that has so many official languages in different parts of the country.  And to truly appreciate what I am saying, you first have to understand how small Switzerland is.  This is no exaggeration, if you drive two hours in one direction, the official language there is French, two hours in another direction and the official language is German and two hours in another direction and the official language is Italian.  I found that to be quite interesting.  I was staying in the French part of Switzerland, which was good for me because I was already familiar with the French Language. 

 Shortly after I arrived in Martini, we headed to Italy for Training camp.  Training camp was held in Barrio, in the Mountains of Italy.  The mountains there were a lot like the Swiss Alps, but it had a different feel.  It didn’t have the same happy feeling, maybe because it was raining virtually every day we were there.  We played four games while we were there and we won 3 out of the 4 games.  So overall we did great for a team that only was practicing for a little over two and half weeks together.  I always enjoyed those types of trips with a team, because it truly brings the players and coaching staff closer together as a unit.  Of course there will be mis-understanding among players, but that’s what being a part of a team/family is all about.  Working through those tough times and smoothing out those rough edges so the circle can be stronger.

                The season for us started off great.  We couldn’t have wished for a better start.  We had a great preseason and we followed up that by starting the season 3-0.  I knew in the preseason that we had the makings of a good team, but it’s hard to predict just how well everyone would play together once the real season started.  Needless to say, we carried over all those things that we did so well in the preseason to the regular season.  After the first eleven games of the season and just one game before the Christmas break, I was leading the league in Scoring at 20.8 ppg and I was averaging 6.1rbs, 1.8 ast and 2.3stls ppg.  We were third in the League behind Vacallo and Fribourg and we were starting to play a lot better as a team.  I was confident that if we kept on the same path that we were heading, we would be fighting for a championship at the end of the season.  But little did we know, all that was about to take a turn for the worse, but what’s even more crazy, is that it had nothing to do with basketball or the performance of the players/coaching staff.

                TO FIND OUT JUST WHAT HAPPENED…YOU WILL HAVE TO TUNE IN TO THE NEXT BLOG ENTRY …SORRY…I GUESS THAT’S MY IDEA OF A CLIFF HANGER.

 

2007.10.31 16:40:04

Lauren Muirhead

First of all we just wanted to let everyone know that our friends Justin and Meredith did make it back to Cholet yesterday, so now that they are rested up, we are looking forward to picking up right where we left off!!!

 

Secondly we just want to send out a Happy Birthday wish to our dear friend Tina Johnson! Tina is our friend in Austria that was also in our wedding this summer, for those of you who don't know her!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINA!!! 

2007.10.29 16:25:14

Lauren Muirhead

Sorry that we haven’t posted a blog in a couple weeks, but that just means that you get double the fun this week.  Since we have been in touch we have both good and bad news.

First the Good News:  Well October 20th marked the 23rd anniversary of the day I was born…that’s right it was my Birthday! Like I told you all before Corey was supposed to play that day, however because of the Rugby World Championship it was moved to Sunday the 21st,  I know it’s hard to believe but basketball just doesn’t appeal to people over here like it does to us good ole Americans.  But this was definitely a good thing because I got to spend a lot of time with my favorite person, a.k.a. my husband! He did everything he could to make me feel very special on my day, not that he doesn’t every other day…but especially this day.  When he came home from practice that night he had a delicious strawberry birthday cake in the middle of the table and next to it, two glasses of wine.  It was very sweet, aren’t I lucky!!! After that we were able to watch the Rugby championship on TV, which was really exciting, and South Africa defeated England for the trophy!  To finish the week with a bang, Corey’s team also won big against Dijon, taking their record to 3-2.  
This past week there was more good news, when we found out that Justin and Meredith would be coming back sooner than we thought.  They will be flying back to Paris later tonight and hopefully we will see them in Cholet not too long after that.  We are so excited to have them back so that we can continue our Bible study and I can have my PIC back for when the guys are away on road trips.

Finally the Bad News:  Like the old cliché says…”all good things must come to an end”.  Well I don’t necessarily believe that is true, but in the case of Cholet Basket’s winning steak I stand corrected.  They tallied their second loss on Saturday away at Le Havre.  The team didn’t play their best, but they are ready to counter the loss with another win on Saturday here at home.  They will play Hyeres-Toulon on Saturday the 2nd of November, so everyone wish Corey’s team luck! Hopefully I will have my pal Mere here to accompany me to the game this week, but we will see!

Again sorry that their was both good and bad news, but at least the good outnumbered the bad! We want to wish everyone a blessed week! Until next time, take care!

Corey and Lauren

 

2007.10.16 14:07:21

Lauren Muirhead

Another week has gone by here in Cholet, and what do you know my wonderful husband was able to find none other than CHEDDAR cheese for me.  For those of you who don’t know, I LOVE CHEDDAR CHEESE!  However, it is not the easiest thing to find here in France, there is every other kind of cheese but Cheddar here.  And against all odds, Corey found it for me and we have been enjoying it ever since.  In addition to that he was also able to get the Little Mermaid for us to watch.  With nothing but time on our hands, we watch a lot of movies and box sets of television series and I do mean a lot.  I am assuming that Corey got the Little Mermaid so as to have a break from all the action and suspense of  “24”. “Lost”, and “Prison Break”.
To top it all off, the fellas came home from Strasbourg with another victory, and improved their record to 2-1.  Again, Corey played well on the defensive end to contribute to the win.  Sunday he arrived back home, after many delays that had me a little worried, around 3 in the afternoon.  It was great to have him back, but none the less the team is back at it in order to prepare for the next game and get another W.  The game this weekend was originally supposed to be played on Saturday the 20th, but due to the World Championship of Rugby taking place on that day, the game has been moved to Sunday the 21st.  

As always we hope that everyone is doing well and we continue to look forward to hearing from all of you.  We really enjoy the comments and emails.

Take care!
Corey and Lauren

 

2007.10.07 16:29:17

Lauren Muirhead

The Cholet Baskets advanced their record to 1-1, after a convincing victory over the Elan of Chalon sur Saone.  Corey played a pivotal role on the defensive end, by contributing to the shutting down of “one of the best guards, and a veteran in the league.”  With the win on Friday, the guys had all of Saturday off, along with Sunday morning. That allowed us to venture out around Cholet, on Friday night.  Saturday was very relaxing, and that night Corey, myself and our neighbor Tony fried fish.  Yes I know what you’re thinking…I don’t eat fish!!!  We had chicken as well, just for me!  However, I did try a piece of the fish, yes it was very small…but it was enough for me to say that I tried it.  Kudos to my husband and Tony for accomplishing such an impossible task.  As you can see, I did live to see another day…and I will admit that it wasn’t that bad.

So this coming week will be another one filled with hard work for the guys at practice to prepare for the longest trip of the regular season.  They will travel to Strasbourg in hopes of improving their record once more.  Continue to keep us in mind when you are browsing the internet, we love hearing from everyone, and the feedback about the site is wonderful.  We want to wish everyone a great week, whether you are going to school or work!

As always be blessed!
Corey and Lauren

 

2007.10.01 12:03:59

Lauren Muirhead

After a long trip to Paris, the guys unfortunately came up short against the Paris Levallois team in the first regular season game…losing by only one point.  On a positive note, I was able to see a French classmate of mine from WCU, and also a long time friend from Greensboro.  Corey was also able to meet them so it was cool to see some familiar faces in a not so familiar place.  Damien, my classmate in Sport Management at Western, is now interning for the basketball team in Paris.  Casey, my friend from home, and her boyfriend made there away across town to see Corey play.  Casey has been working for an investment bank in Paris for a while, and Antoine is from France…so yes Corey and I are not the only North Carolinians that have made their way to France.   So this week Corey and his team are preparing for the first home game of the season, and hoping for a victory.

Hope everyone is doing well…feel free to respond and let us know what’s up on the other side of the pond!  

Take care and God Bless!!!

Corey and Lauren Muirhead

2007.09.25 15:05:17

Lauren Muirhead

Saturday July 7 of this year marked a very important time for both Corey and myself and exactly a month later we find ourselves in Cholet, a small town on the west side of France…our new home!  We feel that God has a plan for everyone’s life and that everything happens for a reason, whatever those reasons may be are unknown but we are here, and not by accident, so we are looking forward to making the best of the time that we have.  Since we have been here we have met some really great people, and already in merely two months built great relationships with them.  We are also looking forward to the start of a new season for Corey and his team, Cholet Baskets, and hope for another successful year!!!

Justin, one of Corey’s teammates from Xavier, actually arrived on the same day as we did.  When we met him and spoke with him on our way to Cholet we learned that he is also married and his wife would be joining him as well.  It may seem like nothing, but this was wonderful news for me…this meant that on those long road trips I wouldn’t be alone in our apartment! Little did I know that Meredith and I would have so much in common, and that her and Justin would be such a blessing for us.  Within the first week, we were able to venture to a neighboring city-Angers, that is about 45 minutes away.  As you can see in some of our recently added pictures there is much shopping and food to appease us, and there was also a huge castle sitting right in the center of the city.  It was really nice to be able to see a bigger city and really take in the culture of France.  Nearly two weeks later Meredith’s sister and brother-in-law came, so Meredith and I once again were able to visit Angers while the guys were at practice, no complaints here though.  Meredith and I have been able to wander around the city and find things that you could never find in the car, we exercise on the daily and found a soccer field to kick around on…for this reason I had to purchase new soccer cleats.  The Doellman’s taught us a really competitive card game called Rook, and the series between the Ladies and Gents is officially tied up at this time.  Unfortunately the competition has been put on hold due to an injury that Justin acquired during one of the first exhibition games.  They are now back in the states until he is fully rehabilitated…and we are all looking forward to their return.

Along with Justin and Mere, we also have our wonderful neighbor Tony, a point guard for the squad.  He is such a great man of God and is such a joy to be around.  Another guard on the team, Or, lives below the Doellman’s, and also hangs with the crew.  We all enjoy having “Family” dinners together and getting to know each other better, outside of the Arena.  Corey and I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful people and we are looking forward to making many more great memories with them.  

So pre-season is officially over, as of Sunday when the Trophee de la Meilleraie concluded with yet another win from Cholet Baskets.  Cholet finished the tournament 3-0, and Corey played really well, being one of the top scores of the tournament.  The team has really come together, with a winning record in the exhibition games, and they are looking amply strong going into the regular season.  Their first game will be played in Paris this Saturday.  Wish them luck as they start of the 2007-2008 season!!!

I hope everyone enjoys hearing from us here in Cholet, please keep in touch with us, and look forward to more articles and pictures coming soon!!!

God Bless!
Corey and Lauren Muirhead

 

2007.09.25 13:45:57

Lauren Muirhead

This is Lauren and Corey coming to you from Cholet, France!!