Another Sundermeijer revisits the OroDenmark experience

Jij het nieuws, wij een tikkie!

We arrived at Oro¸ around 8 am (saturday) and we drove straight towards the OrøHallen. We met up with Ron Daniëls over there, he showed us the building (dressing rooms, the canteen) we could choose a place to sleep. Because we didn't have breakfast yet, Ron invited us to his house to have breakfast with him. When we had breakfast, Ron told us what we could expect and after that he showed us the house where dad, mom and Daniel would stay.

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Anouk and I slept until 4 pm and went back to the hall. We unpacked and we had our first training (double training), we already learned so much that first training. Later that day the French and Belgium guys also arrived.

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Sunday; we had our first full training day, we were woken by Ron, he already made breakfast (he did this every day of the week). We did different things that day, it was a lot of fun and we (the 6 players) got to know each other better. Every day the same rhythm: wake up, 15/30 minutes till breakfast, after breakfast a few minutes to get dressed and then the training started (of course first a warming-up) we trained 2 hours minimal, we had lunch after that, +/- 2 hours rest and then again training (also 2hours minimal) then rest 30 minutes and again training, we could shower and then we had diner. The first training Ron was looking what our level was.

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Monday; the 2 Danish trainers arrived ( Martin Kær Eriksen and Andreas Johannsen). The warming up was a lot of fun, all the games and the different movements with your arms and legs. Because we were with 6 players and 3 trainers we got 1 trainer per 2 players, so you got a lot of attention. We also used the light trainer which was hard but a lot of fun, we did a small competition with it (who was the fastest).

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Tuesday morning; we still were with 6 but later 5 Italians and 2 French added to the group, also an extra trainer named Henri. He could speak Italian and Dutch so he could translate everything for the Italian. We had training with the new people and after that 8 people were 'forced' to go to Holbaek and the rest could choose between training or going with the 8 people and relax a bit. I don't know what kind of training the people got because i went with the 8 people to relax together with Stein Bondroit (we were very tired).

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Wednesday; just like every day we had breakfast around 8 am with the whole group and 9 am we had to be ready for training again. We had individual training in the morning, Anouk, Samuel, Erwan Bib and I got double training. We got double training while the others got multi-feed training. After lunch we had our daily 2 hour rest, in these 2 hours we played with the big fit balls and we played small basketball games.

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The midday training wasn't real training, we played matches against each other (we were mixed up so no Belgium against Belgium or Dutch against Dutch). It was fun because you played against someone you've never played with/ to so you learn new things from them as well. Anouk Brandwijk and I played double against the 2 Italian girls Martina and Sylvia. After that we played mix, Anouk and Martin Kær Eriksen against Jakobo and me. Earlier that day Ron coupled me with Jakobo and Anouk with Lorenzo Maxi (you had to get to know them better).

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That evening the 2nd group (5 Italians and the 2 small French) had training while the first group (2 Belgium, 2 French and the 2 Dutch) went kayaking!! Andreas Johannsen went with us. We did a small race and we had to turn over and get out of the kayak. It was a lot of fun, the water wasn't too cold and not too much wind. It was fun and relaxing and I really enjoyed it.

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Thursday; warming-up (Edwin Sundermeijer made some videos) after the warming up the girls went with Andreas to do technical training. We learned the stick-smash and we worked on the Chinese-Jump. The boys trained with Martin and Henri, they learned how to create a good rally. During the training the girls did a single against each other and we had to try to use the new things we learned in the match. It was quite difficult to think about the new things in a game but thats the best way to learn it (my own opinion& experience).

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Friday; 2 new Dutch guys arrived together with Aad (trainer). We figured out that they were nice. We did multi feeding. But midday training was different, we did core stability training with Aad and we did matches. Jens Eriksen also arrived today, he told some things about himself under lunchtime. 2x World Champion mens double, 4x European Champion mens double. It was very impressive. We had 'Christmas' that day so everyone had to buy a present in the supermarket (1/2 minutes walking from the hall) and we had to wrap it. We would play a game with it.

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Diner was absolutely amazing! We had caramelized potatoes, pork chop and different vegetables. After dinner we got a plate with some kind of rice pudding stuff, I really liked it. On one of the plates there was a amandel, the person who had the amandel would get the present. I found it on my plate and I won A RACKET! Carlton Airlite Strike, it's beautiful.

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After dinner and dessert everyone went down and got dressed because we had a double tournament. Everyone gave his/her racket to Martin Kær Eriksen and he would pick 2, that would be a team. It wasn't normal double/ mixed double, the net was covered with paper and stuff so you couldn't see your opponent and the shuttle. One cord you had to hit the balloons that were taped to a line. It was a lot of fun, but it was quite hard.

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After that we went upstairs and we played a game with the presents we bought that day. 4 dices and they would go all around the table. There were some rules and we would play a certain time. It was very funny because everyone wanted the big boxes. It was a great last evening.

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Saturday morning Raphael Languedoc and Yorik Coufinhal left very early i think it was quite sad. Everyone else had dinner together and after that Anouk Brandwijk the 2 French guys and I trained with Jens Eriksen. We did some double training, 1 had to play offensive and 1 had to play defensive it was hard work but I learned a lot in the 2 hours. After that Henri feeded the 2 French guys, and Martin Kær Eriksen feeded us. We had to play offensive at the net and later one we had to jump up to the shuttle and again attack.

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I really liked the hard training and after we were finished we took a picture with all the trainers/coaches and we had to start packing. Anouk and I took a short shower and packed the last things. We had to say goodbye to everyone, it was quite hard because I really liked the week on Orø and I think it went waaay to fast. I still want to go next year because it was so much fun and I learned a lot!

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Of course we didn't only have training, we also went for a swim the second day after we got an ice-cream from Ron. We pushed each other from the floating 'island' and after that we were so much closer. I really liked it, we just became (good) friends and I am really going to miss them.

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As I said we also went kayaking and we went to Holbaek with a few players. Later that week we also went to the sea but it was a bit too cold to swim, but it was fun. In the hours we should rest we also had fun together, we played some games and stuff.

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There hasn't been 1 breakfast/lunch/dinner were I didn't laugh. We also did a gentleman competition with the first group, I think that was the most fun part. Anouk and I both had 2 gentleman's and the guys that won would be served by Andreas Johannsen or Martin.

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Andreas and Martin also gave small 'punishments' if you lost something, for example you had to be a slave of the other one or you had to sing a song. It was so much fun and I know I said it so many times now but I really loved this vacation! — met Edwin Sundermeijer en 8 anderen.