Abby: Day Three

Abby

I find myself having another great day in the picturesque city of Wroclaw. Poland has been an exciting whirlwind because now we are truly full force into our volunteer experience working at the World Games starting with our first sport of Football and exploring the amazing city of Wroclaw. It has been great to learn more about the culture and the history behind the city especially from the fellow volunteers I have had the pleasure to work with in my position on the information and logistics team. In my role, our group oversees answering questions from fans and teams as they enter the grounds of the Olympic Stadium. The facility was overall easy to learn how to direct individuals, but the hardest part is the language barrier we have faced. We have Polish speakers stationed with us to help in case someone comes up who does not speak English. Polish is overall a hard and unique language to learn, but I have tried to listen to phrases to better understand what individuals are asking even if I may not be able to respond/pronounce the Polish words back. Being able to interact with fans, especially with the Polish fans who came to watch their team, was awesome to see their passion and pride in their country. One of the biggest takeaways I have had is to

Not a bad place to work!

observe the difference in how sport facilities are run back home in the United States versus internationally. Two of the biggest items I have seen are that of security and disability accessibility. There are few police officers around as crowd management control, but truly it seems that everything does still run smoothly with no issues with security threats/alcohol related concerns. Furthermore, it seems that there is a lack of signage for individuals with disabilities to direct them in the correct path to best assist them. 

Even though our primary volunteer experience so far has been related to Football, there are many sports being played throughout the entire time. One of the unique sports that I saw was that of Fistball. This sport is comparable volleyball in terms of a net is used in the same capacity and players hitting the ball over the net. However, some changes in the game are that there are only 5 players for each team, players bounce the ball one time on the ground before hitting it, and can also strike the ball with both their arm and fist. One crucial rule is that you are not allowed to hit the ball with your hand open. Typically, games are played with either three or five sets with each set ending after 11 points. This year Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany are all competing. As of today when I was at the Fistball fields, preliminary
 

Fistball? Yes America. Fistball.

games were still going on with semifinals and finals being completed within the next two days! Brazil and Austria seemed to be great teams, so I am looking to cheer them on to win a medal. The sport was truly a great one to witness because of the players’ speed and agility. I was also surprised that the ball that is being used is much lighter than a typical volleyball.

Overall, one of my favorite parts of staying in the city is to able to take the short tram ride into city center and being able to just wander and explore without having a true plan of where to go. In 2016 Wroclaw was named the “European Capital of Culture” and it truly shows especially in Old Town. You truly never know what sites or gnomes that you will find in the city. Gnome hunting has become one of our favorite activities and helps you to venture off into parts of the city that you may not have explored

Time off on the Oder River

otherwise. Once in the city locals are so friendly to help to suggest places to go and lead you in the right direction. The ability to be able to walk along the waterways and watch the kayakers and the boats pass truly creates a peaceful environment along with the colorful picturesque buildings. Even though my map finding ways may not be the best at times, as many in our group can probably attest to, we have found our way around to many places including the National Museum, the University, the fruit and flower market, churches, and so much more. I am still excited to check out the largest and oldest zoo in Poland and the tallest building in Poland, Sky Tower. I think my favorite activity was being able to climb the 300 stairs to the top of the tower at St.

Grocery Shopping

Elizabeth Church. It offered one of the most spectacular views of the city. Each way you look it is another beautiful sight and it truly makes you fall in love with the city more and more each day. I truly cannot wait to explore even more in the city and get to know the people of Poland, other countries, and even our group I am traveling with even more. I could not have asked for a better group to take on the World Games with this trip!