Lightness: Christa Harmotto
If
it weren't that Chris does not believe in the horoscope, the fact
that we chose the town of Campogalliano for this photo shooting
would be a real sign of destiny. In fact, the small town next to
Modena is better known to be the city of the the scales and balances
and the protagonist of this week, Christa Harmotto, the middle
blocker of the Universal Volley Modena, was precisely born under the
sign of libra. But as said before, Christa does not participate in
those things and, after our chat, I realize that she shares little
with the characteristics of this sign. In fact, first of all Christa
someone who does not always “weight” things before acting. On the
contrary, on the court she sometimes plays reactive instead of
proactive: “inside of me I have such a great energy that
sometimes I cannot control. I find it difficult to sit down without
doing anything. Sure I can, but I'd rather go outside and be active.
This happens to me both on and off court but during a match this
feeling is even more intense. Sometimes this attitude brings me to be
too impulsive: often I need to take a step back in order to have an
overall picture of the situation as I often jump to the action. It is
a a part on me and I am working on harnessing my energy. Lets say
that it s a work in progress”. Watching
her playing, this description fits her perfectly: Christa, in fact,
is one of those players who on court likes talking, joking and
smiling: “I am a very talkative person: I believe that
communicating with your own teammates is essential to build a strong
group and at the same time it helps me to relax. I like joking and in
particular smiling as I think that it helps in creating a good
attitude in the team. Sure, concentration is important but you should
never forget that ultimately this is a game and you also need to have
fun and enjoy what you are doing”.
An attitude that belongs to Chris not only on court but especially on
her daily life: “there are many similarities between my
being on and off court. Volleyball is a sort of mirror-glass of
myself and that is the reason why it is the the sport that suits me
the best: when I am on court I am myself and so I can give the best
of me”.
And last season, the American middle blocker clearly demonstrated that she finds herself at ease on court: in 20 matches she scored 274 points with 83 blocks, ranking 2nd among the best middle blockers of the Italian league: “I cannot deny it, I like hitting and blocking” she says amused. The career of this Pennsylvania born girl started when she was 13 years old through an unexpected “recruitment”. With a father who was a former basketball player, Christa has started playing basketball but on 7th grade her physical education teacher shifted her ground: “everything started at school. My physical education teacher was also the college coach for women and so she initiated us to volleyball. During one of her classes, she once told me that I was good enough to start playing in a team. She kinda recruited me there at a school although I was already playing basketball. So I started with another 5 friends from my basketball team and immediately fell in love with this sport and although I kept playing basket for another two years, I eventually decided to play volleyball in college. The event that influence my choice the most was a game I played in front of the whole school at Junior High: playing in front of so may people gave me a lot of energy and made me enjoy the sport even more”. The rest is history. After that unusual school recruitment, Chris' career simply took off at the Hopewell High School in Aliquippa – when she set the record of 183 blocks in a season – and then literally exploded at Penn State University when Christa led her team to win two NCAA championships - in 2007 and 2008 – and won herself several prizes as the best player of the league.
Soon after she was selected to the national team, but the path that eventually would have lead her to fulfill her Olympics dream had to pass firstly though China: “It was a great opportunity for me that helped me to grow. According to the NCAA rules, when you are a college player you can't play professionally and earn money. So after college years, players have to move away from US and find their way in the professional world abroad. At the beginning it s difficult though, as nobody knows you excepts in the States: that is the reason why I accepted the offer from China together with Nicole Davids. Her presence was fundamental for me as it was my first year abroad and China is very different from US. During this year I learned a lot as Chinese play a very fast-paced volleyball and so, as a middle blocker, I had to move quicker and be more reactive to block. Moreover Jenny Lang Ping is a wonderful coach: I was young in my professional career and it was important to have a good coach that followed me as she did. This experience was crucial for my comeback to the national team later that season as playing against many national Chinese players allowed me to prepare at best for joying the national team later that season and than play against Asian teams”.
Since her debut in 2009 , Chris finally took part to the Olympic games in London this year: “although I had won two NCAA titles and many prices before, the Olympic Games are so far my sweetest memory. Taking part to such an important event and wearing the uniform of your country is a blessing. When I was selected for the Olympic team I realized that when you are wearing that uniform you are representing something bigger than yourself, not only your country, but also your family, your friend and all those who guided you along the path that brought you there and this cannot be described in other terms than a true blessing. I have never felt it as a burden or a weigh to wear, but as something light and shiny. Furthermore, my favorite sportive memory relates precisely to the Olympics games. Serving has always created me a lot of problems and worries. So you can imagine what I was feeling when on the first game of the fist match against Korea I went to serve. As I walked toward the line and turned to watch over the net, I felt that I was in the place I was supposed and deserved to be and I was very calm and relaxed. It was a phenomenal experience to go through and I am still trying to completely assimilate it”.
With this new consciousness and confidence Christa says she is ready and willing to start this new season in Italy, her third in Modena: “this year we have a team who can win something; obviously we have to see, but in the squad there are both young talents and very experienced players who walked on important stages and this puts us in the position to do well. Furthermore, the Italian league is extremely unpredictable: in the last four years there has not been the predominance of only one or two teams, but each team can lose to anyone and so players have to give their best every Sunday. I thinks this is fundamental as, a player, you are given a lot of motivation. I believe that this is why a lot of American players are coming to Italy or decide to stay for more than one season here. Moreover, the fact that some athletes decided to stay in Italy and play in this league for 6 or 7 seasons is a proof that the Italian championship is still a good one. If during my college years someone would ask me where I wanted to play professionally, my answer would have been “Italy”. I had heard so many good things about the Italian league by Berg, Sykora, Wilson, all players who had played in Italy for several years and stayed well; so I have always though that I wouldn't never find a better place to stay than here! Sure, you can go to other place where contracts are higher like Russia or China, but I think there is no other place better to live in rather than Italy”.
And while the championship is about to start, Christa will pass the Fall and celebrate her birthday in our country for the first time: “in the last two seasons I had never had the chance to pass the Autumn here. Without any doubt it is my favorite season. One reason, of course, it is because in October I celebrate my birthday; but also because I love the colors of the leaves: everything is so beautiful! In Pennsylvania during the Fall, the woods become red, yellow and orange and I enjoy watching the leaves changing color and the summer moving into Autumn”. So, how is our protagonist going to celebrate her first Italian birthday? “I believe that some of my teammates are organizing something. The only thing I wish I had as a present is a ice-cream cake like the one I used to eat in the US. I don't know if you have it here in Italy as well. I have great memories of my past birthdays, especially of those I had when I was still a kid. I used to go with my family to a place called Chuck E. Cheese, an indoor playground for children. But my favorite remembrance is when in 4th grade I had a birthday party close to Halloween and so my parents decorated the garage with Halloween decorations and all my friends came dressed with costumes. I had a lot of fun!”. Although there are still three days until her birthday, Christa already knows what wish she will make while blowing the candles on her cake: “for my team I will ask to reach the Champion League by winning either the Coppa Italia or the championship. As far for myself instead....eventually to find the right man!”. At heart, those who are born under the sign of libra are chronicle romantics, and at least in this element, Christa perfectly fits in this sign.
And last season, the American middle blocker clearly demonstrated that she finds herself at ease on court: in 20 matches she scored 274 points with 83 blocks, ranking 2nd among the best middle blockers of the Italian league: “I cannot deny it, I like hitting and blocking” she says amused. The career of this Pennsylvania born girl started when she was 13 years old through an unexpected “recruitment”. With a father who was a former basketball player, Christa has started playing basketball but on 7th grade her physical education teacher shifted her ground: “everything started at school. My physical education teacher was also the college coach for women and so she initiated us to volleyball. During one of her classes, she once told me that I was good enough to start playing in a team. She kinda recruited me there at a school although I was already playing basketball. So I started with another 5 friends from my basketball team and immediately fell in love with this sport and although I kept playing basket for another two years, I eventually decided to play volleyball in college. The event that influence my choice the most was a game I played in front of the whole school at Junior High: playing in front of so may people gave me a lot of energy and made me enjoy the sport even more”. The rest is history. After that unusual school recruitment, Chris' career simply took off at the Hopewell High School in Aliquippa – when she set the record of 183 blocks in a season – and then literally exploded at Penn State University when Christa led her team to win two NCAA championships - in 2007 and 2008 – and won herself several prizes as the best player of the league.
Soon after she was selected to the national team, but the path that eventually would have lead her to fulfill her Olympics dream had to pass firstly though China: “It was a great opportunity for me that helped me to grow. According to the NCAA rules, when you are a college player you can't play professionally and earn money. So after college years, players have to move away from US and find their way in the professional world abroad. At the beginning it s difficult though, as nobody knows you excepts in the States: that is the reason why I accepted the offer from China together with Nicole Davids. Her presence was fundamental for me as it was my first year abroad and China is very different from US. During this year I learned a lot as Chinese play a very fast-paced volleyball and so, as a middle blocker, I had to move quicker and be more reactive to block. Moreover Jenny Lang Ping is a wonderful coach: I was young in my professional career and it was important to have a good coach that followed me as she did. This experience was crucial for my comeback to the national team later that season as playing against many national Chinese players allowed me to prepare at best for joying the national team later that season and than play against Asian teams”.
Since her debut in 2009 , Chris finally took part to the Olympic games in London this year: “although I had won two NCAA titles and many prices before, the Olympic Games are so far my sweetest memory. Taking part to such an important event and wearing the uniform of your country is a blessing. When I was selected for the Olympic team I realized that when you are wearing that uniform you are representing something bigger than yourself, not only your country, but also your family, your friend and all those who guided you along the path that brought you there and this cannot be described in other terms than a true blessing. I have never felt it as a burden or a weigh to wear, but as something light and shiny. Furthermore, my favorite sportive memory relates precisely to the Olympics games. Serving has always created me a lot of problems and worries. So you can imagine what I was feeling when on the first game of the fist match against Korea I went to serve. As I walked toward the line and turned to watch over the net, I felt that I was in the place I was supposed and deserved to be and I was very calm and relaxed. It was a phenomenal experience to go through and I am still trying to completely assimilate it”.
With this new consciousness and confidence Christa says she is ready and willing to start this new season in Italy, her third in Modena: “this year we have a team who can win something; obviously we have to see, but in the squad there are both young talents and very experienced players who walked on important stages and this puts us in the position to do well. Furthermore, the Italian league is extremely unpredictable: in the last four years there has not been the predominance of only one or two teams, but each team can lose to anyone and so players have to give their best every Sunday. I thinks this is fundamental as, a player, you are given a lot of motivation. I believe that this is why a lot of American players are coming to Italy or decide to stay for more than one season here. Moreover, the fact that some athletes decided to stay in Italy and play in this league for 6 or 7 seasons is a proof that the Italian championship is still a good one. If during my college years someone would ask me where I wanted to play professionally, my answer would have been “Italy”. I had heard so many good things about the Italian league by Berg, Sykora, Wilson, all players who had played in Italy for several years and stayed well; so I have always though that I wouldn't never find a better place to stay than here! Sure, you can go to other place where contracts are higher like Russia or China, but I think there is no other place better to live in rather than Italy”.
And while the championship is about to start, Christa will pass the Fall and celebrate her birthday in our country for the first time: “in the last two seasons I had never had the chance to pass the Autumn here. Without any doubt it is my favorite season. One reason, of course, it is because in October I celebrate my birthday; but also because I love the colors of the leaves: everything is so beautiful! In Pennsylvania during the Fall, the woods become red, yellow and orange and I enjoy watching the leaves changing color and the summer moving into Autumn”. So, how is our protagonist going to celebrate her first Italian birthday? “I believe that some of my teammates are organizing something. The only thing I wish I had as a present is a ice-cream cake like the one I used to eat in the US. I don't know if you have it here in Italy as well. I have great memories of my past birthdays, especially of those I had when I was still a kid. I used to go with my family to a place called Chuck E. Cheese, an indoor playground for children. But my favorite remembrance is when in 4th grade I had a birthday party close to Halloween and so my parents decorated the garage with Halloween decorations and all my friends came dressed with costumes. I had a lot of fun!”. Although there are still three days until her birthday, Christa already knows what wish she will make while blowing the candles on her cake: “for my team I will ask to reach the Champion League by winning either the Coppa Italia or the championship. As far for myself instead....eventually to find the right man!”. At heart, those who are born under the sign of libra are chronicle romantics, and at least in this element, Christa perfectly fits in this sign.
The original article with more pictures is published on October 2012 issue of Pallavoliamo.it
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