I am competing in the 12th annual VTV9 Binh Dien Cup hosted in Tam Ky, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam with a team put together by my agency, Bring It Promotions. We are the first team to represent the United States in volleyball in Vietnam!
Our morning started with a training session at 8:30, followed by an afternoon nap, a 2:30 training session, and then preparations for the opening ceremony. We had received our final Ao Dai the night before, and they were fitting much better than our post-training-try-on-session. With shoes and a headpiece to match, we met in the lobby. Everyone looked stunning in the flattering traditional dress. The biggest concern about opening ceremony was the level of sweat that might show through our Ao Dai. The stadium was packed with spectators for the pre and post ceremony matches (we didn’t play either). Fans were on full blast, but it only helped so much. Photographers and other admirers all wanted a picture with the tall American team. Somehow we’re the exotic team!?
The ceremony started out with some impressive dancers that in head to toe light up suits. The stadium got pitch black and they performed their red light vs blue light routine complete with a lighted “volleyball” on a string. Next was a woman who literally rode in on a boat surrounded by smoke. Opening ceremonies were no joke. She sang and performed with a group of back up dancers. Last but not least was a tall, beautiful woman rocking a yellow Ao Dai and singing a patriotic Vietnam song. After all the performances, it was our turn to be introduced.
We lined up shortest to tallest, so naturally I was in front and Sareea Freeman brought up the back. We took a full lap, smiling and waving, before lining up to stand still for speeches. The heads of the tournament made remarks to the crowd and cameras about the significance of the tournament while we tried to hide the sweat dripping down our brows. From discreetly fanning ourselves to obviously doing so, it was a pretty tough 25 minutes. After watching the video again, I was happy to see we weren’t the only team struggling with the heat. Speaking of struggling with the heat, apparently one of the flag bearers near to us completely fainted! Since I was in the front I didn’t see it happen, but was told about it after. The flag bearers were all pretty young men, poor kid. Not to worry though, he was a ball-boy the following day and seemed fine.
The opening ceremony was a surreal experience despite the heat. Being introduced in a traditional Ao Dai and representing the United States via BIP in an international tournament in Vietnam is an opportunity I never imagined I would have. Sweat dripping off of me and all, I could only think about how grateful I was to be in that moment in time with some incredible teammates and coaches.