Kiara Bomben: Postcards From France

Sept. 26, 2015

During her time at UMass, women's basketball alum Kiara Bomben was often a guest blogger on UMassAthletics.com. As she embarks in a new chapter in her life, we reached out to her about sending in updates as she assimilates to another country, culture and set of challenges as she pursues the sport that has literally taken the Australian native all around the world. Here is the first entry in Postcards From France as Kiara starts her journey. Every month or so, she will send in new updates to give insight into what life and basketball is like abroad.

With that, here's the first installment of Postcards From France by Kiara Bomben.

PRESENT

I am so honored to continue my blog! This online journal will highlight my personal experience as a professional basketball player, as well as capture my adventures, travels, and emotions throughout the 2015-2016 season. The concept is simple: to inspire athletes (of all sports) to pursue their dreams and to reassure those that it’s never too late to start over.

For those of you who don’t know me, hello, my name is Kiara. I’m 24, played basketball for the University of Massachusetts, graduated in May of 2014 and took 18 months off.

Just to give you readers a heads-up, the first blog entry has been separated into two parts due to length. Also, please note that the beginning isn’t written in exact chronological order. As time progresses, blog entries will be weekly and current.

PART 1: The Real Deal/The Honest Truth

Late March 2014
I still remember my last game as a senior, approximately 18 months ago. As the final buzzer went off, I realized that the biggest chapter of my life had finally come to an end. My basketball career was officially over. All of those early morning practices as a kid now meant nothing. All the sacrifices, long and drawn-out bus rides, plane trips and late night shoot-arounds didn’t matter anymore. It was a bittersweet feeling, a bag of mixed emotions, but I knew that this day would eventually come and sure enough, it had.

The honest truth: I was burnt out...mentally, physically and emotionally. It had been a great three years at UMass. I had been blessed with the most supportive and wonderful coaches, teammates who I considered my “sisters”, and facilities that were above and beyond.

I came to work everyday, put in my best effort and had no regrets. Of course there were things I wished I could have changed. Like any senior would want, I had hoped to walk away with a winning season, however, this was something that was now out of my control.

I never had any intentions of pursing basketball after college. In fact, I didn’t want to even touch or hold a basketball again, or at least for a while. My parents would constantly ask me if I was ready to “let go” of the sport that had ruled my life for so long, and without an ounce of hesitation, I would reply, “YES!”

A few days after I played my last game at UMass, a German basketball agent reached out to me via email. She asked if I would be interested in attending a camp in Germany to see if any professional teams would pick me up. I never responded to that email.

There it was, I had made up my mind to focus on my career. I had a plan and it went something along the lines of this... I was going to relocate to Los Angeles, work in the Entertainment Industry and make a name for myself. Like anything in life, I knew I had to go for it. Whether it was good or bad, I knew LA would be an experience!

PART 2: Los Angeles

Fast Forward Nine Months, April 2015
Los Angeles. Talk about the good, the bad and the ugly. What a whirlwind. For nine months I lived in this over crowded and over materialistic city. The Hollywood novelty was wearing thin and reality had well and truly set in. Up until this point I had worked for several different entertainment/production companies. I started off working as a production assistant and after discovering that it wasn’t for me, I managed to switch over to casting, where I jumped to associate within two months. I was slowly making a name for myself. To the outside world my life seemed to be a dream. I was living in the sunshine state, working in reality television, going to parties and events and working in incredible offices with penthouse views. The money was slowly increasing, the people were becoming slightly more tolerable but inside, I was empty, unhappy and stressed.

Throughout this time I had become a completely different person, someone who I didn’t like. I remember despising one particular job. A former boss of mine would constantly verbally abuse and embarrass me in front of my coworkers. I felt belittled, disrespected and undervalued. To deal with the abuse, I grew angry inside and would lash-out. I fell into a depression. I felt worthless and disposable and as a result, ate my feelings away, partied, drank, put on a ton of weight, lost interest in going to the gym, wanted to stay inside, and continuously felt sorry for myself. Talk about DRA-MA! I was now that person I swore I would never become. I lived for the weekend, hated my job, and would jump at any opportunity to escape Los Angles for the weekend. I found myself living day-to-day, paycheck to paycheck and of course, constantly stuck in LA traffic that would frustrate me to no end. For anyone who has lived in LA, you’ll understand what I mean.

As time dragged on, I remember feeling like a robot. I was becoming more and more a creature of habit. I simply existed. I would wake up, drive to the gym, go to work, go back to the gym and go home. To switch things up, I enrolled in anything that had a team aspect to it. I joined CrossFit and attended some spin classes, even thought about having a go at competitive bikini fitness!

Nothing felt like college and nothing could compare to that “team” feeling. Although I was so excited to get away from the sport, I had grown to miss basketball and everything that came along with it. College never prepared me for reality. The transition from college athletics to a post college life was something I found tremendously challenging.

That being said, I knew that I had to make a change. I was sick of feeling unhappy and waking up anxious and sad. I was tired of working for ungrateful and selfish individuals and more often that not, I would frequently catch myself asking, “What the hell are you doing?” or “Why are you putting up with this?” I began pondering about what it was that really made me happy. I desperately needed to fill that void.

A few weeks later I decided to leave the entertainment industry all together and submitted my resume to Gold’s Gym, Venice- The Mecca of Bodybuilding. After a month of being unemployed, and going through a three-interview hiring process, I got the job as a Front Desk Associate. I was ecstatic, never happier, and despite working for minimum wage and balancing another job, it was completely worth it. I had never felt so loved and supported by those at Gold’s. The minute I walked through the doors, I felt like I belonged to a family. It’s an incredible place full of inspirational members, top-notch trainers, staff and memorabilia.

PART 3: The Realization

Late June, 2015
A friend of mine, Malte Ziegenhagan, came and visited me in LA a few days in late June. Over his stay, we spoke a lot about basketball. He had just graduated from playing in Florida and planned on returning to Germany, his home country, to play professionally. He brought a basketball with him and I remember holding it. I did nothing else. I just held it. I began to bounce it and tossed it around in my hands. This was the first time I had touched a basketball since my last game as a senior. It had been over a year. All these emotions came back to me. I asked Malte questions about playing overseas and he encouraged me to reach out to some agents. The more we talked, the quicker I realized that this “idea” didn’t seem so unrealistic after all. This was the moment I realized that I was ready to start playing again.

After deciding that I wanted to play again, I contacted the German agent who reached out to me a year before. I told her my situation, and if it were too late to get signed. I had no idea if this was even a possibility. Long story short, I was signed with a team two weeks later. I would be playing for Brive-la-Gaillarde in France.

PART 4: Goodbye Los Angeles, Hello France!

Early August, 2015
The next eight weeks flew past so quickly and the next thing I knew was that it was time to go. My bags were packed and reality was slowly setting in. Although I had so many unanswered questions, I had to remind myself that I’d been down this path before.

Prior to coming to Brive-la-Gaillarde (the locals refer to it as Brive) my mum and I spent a week traveling by car and train to various locations around France. I’ll attach photos of the towns and sights we stumbled across.

It’s now my third week in France and wow, what a culture change! Coming from the bustling and very diverse city of Los Angeles to a first century village has been QUITE the change, however, I am happy and am embracing every single moment. Click the link below to watch the short video of Brive and what it has to offer! https://youtu.be/HRGEWYAvfqw

Brive-la-Gaillarde is stunning and oh, so very charming little town! Lined with cobbled laneways and walls that could tell a thousand stories, it gives off such a warm and inviting feel. Although the town’s population is only 50,000 and that’s pushing it, the energy hangs thick in the air. Life is simple. People enjoy it- you can tell by their smiles. There’s no rush, and definitely no stress. People take time to enjoy their company, engage in conversations without the interruptions of technology, sip wine, munch of cheese, indulge in pastries, etc. Life is good!

As for the Brive basketball community, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to be surrounded by. The amount of passion, love and thought that goes into the preparation and organization of our schedule blows my mind. Numerous volunteers offer their time. The hospitality shown to me when I first arrived was indescribable. I instantly felt comfortable and comforted. For example, Coach Marc (head coach), Huggette (team manager) and Gregory (coach’s son) all welcomed me to my new apartment. Huggette held a brown paper bag under her arm, full of local food and brioche, sweet local bread. After lugging four, fifty-pound bags up to the 7th floor, coach Marc suggested dinner. Happily, we accepted. What a great night full of food and conversation.

I adore my coaches (coach Marc and Romain, assistant coach) and although our communication is broken and quite often, lost in translation, I wouldn’t change them for the world. Lucky for me, coach Romain speaks English. Between him and Marie (American teammate), they serve as the mediator/translators for games, practices, etc. The effort that they have put into me has been unbelievable and the same can be said for my teammates. There are 10 of us on the team, but eight on the roster. That means a lot of running. Since I don’t know a word of French, my teammates are picking up on it more and more and conversations are becoming longer. It’s usually a game of mimes and who can do the best impressions but somehow, we figure it out. To improve on my French, I take French classes two-three times a week, which has kindly been organized by Raphael, the President of the club. I also coach kids between the ages of 5-7 years old. So far, all I know is “tres bien”, which means “good job”. Again, embracing the experience!

PART 5: Differences

OK, here’s a list of some general differences I’ve noticed...

College vs Pro:
By far the biggest change of all. I don’t think anything will prepare an athlete for the tests and trials of a colligate sport. Once you reach pro, they expect you to do things a certain way. I’ll explain more in the following blog.

Greetings:
I’ve kissed more people in the last three weeks than I have in my entire life. Kissing people on either side of the cheeks is equivalent to a handshake. At first, not gonna lie, it was a little strange and sometimes, a little awkward because I didn’t know what side of the face to kiss first. It’s like you just have to make a move and go with it!

Food:
Don’t get my started on the French cuisine. I have fallen profoundly and irrevocably in love with all French delicacies. All produce and ingredients are local, fresh from the garden. Every Saturday morning my town holds a fantastic indoor/outdoor market. The aroma of food instantly makes you build up quite the appetite.
• Duck is equivalent to beef... and it’s delicious!
• There’s absolutely no PB here! In fact, eating bananas and pb is a combination that the French have never experienced, nor heard of.
• Post basketball meals consist of six courses (bread, appetizer, meat and pasta, cheese, dessert and coffee) and take about two hours...more like a social event.
• Dieting: There’s really no such thing.
• The typical French basket is continental: hot baguette sliced in half, mini croissants, a small pastry, jams, cheese, yogurt, orange juice, tea or coffee.

Coffee:
• Call it what you want, the “best of the best”, the “crème de la crème” of coffee, etc. To put it simply, the French know how to make one phenomenal, yet very strong, cup of coffee! I have also discovered the “Vienna” coffee and it’s become my daily obsession. Basically, it’s coffee with a generous amount of fresh cream on top. If I’m not careful, half of my income will go towards coffee. Oops! Will attach a photo!
• No Sbucks, Coffee Bean, Dunkin Donuts here! Every coffee bean is roasted and comes right out of the stainless-steel cappuccino machine.
• A standard coffee means a double shot of espresso, not a drip coffee...found that out the hard way.

Lingo:
Patisserie and Boulangerie mean Pastry Shop and Bakery. They’re dotted everywhere around town and always satisfy!

Cigarettes:
Everyone smokes! During halftime the fans leave the stands, chat over a cigarette outside, then return for match. This is something that I’ve struggled with because sometimes I can smell the stench on the court. Makes it hard.

Elevators:
Made for one person...I feel like an oversized superman entering them.

Basketball Gym:
One gym in the town and we share it with the local high school. It is also a volleyball and handball court. Fields surround it and there’s an equestrian next door.

Post recovery drink:
Beer and wine. Supposedly it helps with muscle recovery? Not even kidding, after our game, there are pitches of wine on the table and beer is offered.

Carbs:
• Baguettes and croissants are everywhere! At the rugby game, I noticed that hot dogs are stuffed into massive baguettes.
• Very easy to end up the size of a house...thank God I play sport.

Weight-lifting:
None. Everything is bodyweight exercises.

Nightlife:
Bars open until 2:00 AM, then from 2:00AM-6:00AM you go to the nightclub. Make sure you have a RedBull!

Cars:
Fiat and Smart cars are the only cars I’ve seen. Renaults are the “Ferrari”.

Rugby:
Taken very seriously and everyone attends the games.

Outside Eating:
Forget it, everyone smokes.

PART 6: Preseason

This is what all athletes look forward to...not. I knew that it was only a matter of time until my lungs would be burning and my legs dragging behind me, so with that in mind, I ate whatever I wanted to prior to arriving in Brive and yes, that involved cream puffs, pastries, fresh baguettes, croissants, cheeses, etc . To some, this mentality wouldn’t make much sense, but to me, it was almost like the day before starting a new diet, or waiting until the following “Monday”.

I knew that I had to get serious and decided that once I entered the town limits; I would crack down on my diet. That being said, I did not arrive in Brive in the best physical shape. I weighed the heaviest I ever had been in my life, and was stuck with a less than satisfying body fat percentage.

Taking such a significant amount of time off has showed, at least to me is has. Within these last few weeks, I have learnt to be patient with myself. I know that in time, my shot and game will come back. It’s now my fourth week of preseason and finally, I am feeling like an athlete again. I am very proud of my overall transformation. I’ve stuck to my word, dropped fourteen pounds and feel great!

My daily schedule is fairly typical to this:

10:15-11:30AM: Shooting/individual practice
12:00 PM: Lunch
6:00 PM: Mini bodyweight workout
7:10-8:40 PM: Evening practice

Throughout preseason we typically have one day off a week, with the exceptions of a few weekends sprinkled in. We also have scrimmages lined up, usually once a week. This is great for us because we get to prepare for our season, which will officially commence on September 26.

During the in-between hours of training sessions, I prefer to be out-and-about stumbling upon new cafes, towns and sceneries. If I’m lucky, I’ll try and duck into a little bakery, check out what they have, but have to be careful otherwise I’ll come out with five different treats! I’ve been tremendously lucky to have visit some beautiful and historic towns since living here. Since I don’t have a car, I walk most places. It’s better that way, you see so much more.

Thank you for reading my first entry. I apologize for it being so long, I’ll try and keep the others a lot shorter. I’ll also try and upload a video post. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at: kiaratbomben@gmail.com

Thank you!

*If you have a goal, go for it. If it seems crazy and insane, even better. We weren’t created to stay in the same spot and to go through the motions. Embrace every and any opportunity life throws at you, even if it doesn’t make sense at the time.”

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics