For Minden's Christine DuPuis, 14, the work she put in for more than six months to get the 10-day Youth Friendship Games in Holland only marked the beginning.
The hard work started once she got there.
Participating in the People to People Sports Ambassador Program, DuPuis departed from Seattle on July 21 with seven other players from all over the United States and took the court for an international competition just five days later.
"We spent a lot of time together those first few days," DuPuis said. "We were practicing about six hours a day, so we got to know each other pretty fast."
It didn't take them long to figure things out, however.
The Mustangs, DuPuis' team, blistered through the 10-team tournament, taking the silver medal after losing in three sets to the Seahawks, another one of several People to People clubs competing in the tournament.
The Mustangs also had impressive victories over TV Mesum (Germany) and Tevoko (Netherlands) and Eskpalvo (Netherlands) during the three-day tournament.
"The United States teams were all People to People squads but the international clubs were all groups that had been playing together for quite some time," DuPuis said. "Sometimes it was a little intimidating. The German team was really good. It was just really challenging and I had a great time playing against them."
DuPuis who tops out at nearly 5 feet, 9 inches and plays outside hitter, earned MVP runner-up honors in the tournament and helped the American all-stars defeat Europe in the tournament-closing all-star game.
"It was a different experience," she said. "The rules were different over there. They didn't call it when you stepped over the line to serve or when you touched the net. It was a little more lenient, but it hurt us because we'd see someone touch the net and then stop playing.
"Then we'd have to scramble to get the ball back over. It took a while to get used to."
It marked a sweet culmination for DuPuis after raising money for nearly six months in order to make the trip.
"The community was very generous to me and helped me out a lot in getting there," she said. "It was weird when it was actually time to go. It didn't feel real yet.
"We landed in Amsterdam and it still didn't feel like we were halfway around the world."
She said traveling on her own was more of an adventure than a challenge.
"I was excited to go," she said. "The hardest thing was probably getting through customs on the way back because we'd all bought chocolate and food."
DuPuis specifically pointed out JC and Edy Carter of the Paradise Cafe, Jamesa and Doug Cramer of Mom and Pop's Diner in Carson City, Terrie Holladay with Jamba Juice, Carson Valley Middle School volleyball coaches Janae Bellingham and Suzi Townsell and Capital City Volleyball coaches Danny and Shawn McLaughlin, Robert Maw and Damon Kixmiller for contributing to her efforts to make the trip.
"I sold cookies at Paradise Cafe and Mom and Pop's and I sold Jamba Juice mugs and gift cards," she said. "Some people just donated money. It was such a big help."
In all, DuPuis raised nearly $2,500 of the $5,000 needed to make the trip.
She was chosen for the People to People program after being nominated by an anonymous individual earlier in the year.
"The selection process was pretty tough," she said. "They evaluated your athletic ability, you academics and your community service.
"I had to go through an interview process and get reccomendations from my teachers and coaches."
DuPuis has been playing volleyball since she was 10 and played for Janet Risko in the Douglas County Parks & Recreation Department's youth league.
"When we moved up here from Orange County, I was a soccer player but it was harder here because of the altitude," she said. "I signed up with the friends for the rec league and I really liked it.
"I could tell I wanted to keep going."
Risko's daughter, Alex, who now plays for Douglas High, was involved with the Capital City Volleyball Club in Carson and DuPuis caught on with that club shortly thereafter.
This fall, DuPuis will be trying out for the Douglas High program and will attend ninth-grade at Carson Valley Middle School.
-- Joey Crandall can be reached at jcrandall@recordcourier.com or at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.
