Good evening, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Daria Guava-Fresca of the Norfolk Seawolves this week and we began talking about all things football, personal, and her goals for the NSFL draft at the end of the season.
You’ve mentioned previously about the importance that ballet played in your life. How exactly did you get into football?
I started ballet as an act of discipline, and my dad was so upset by how girlish his daughter had become - he was in the military, you see - that I just knew that I wanted to do something with him. We had been throwing footballs and baseballs around the house for years, and so one day I told him I wanted to join the football team. My mom was horrified. I mean, I knew I had some history with the Amazonians by then, and she was hoping that I would be less blood-thirsty than she was, but it turns out I wasn’t really. Even marrying a non-Amazonian man didn’t really curb that part of me. I think his military background helped in that case *laughs*. To help find a balance between both of my parents, I put the strength that ballet had given me to good use, and became a kicker.
How do you think being an Amazon gives you an advantage in the DSFL?
I don’t really think that it does, honestly. Sure, I might want it a bit more than other players, and take a little while longer to cool off and come down after a win (or a loss really), but otherwise, it’s not like I have so much more that these other players don’t have. Just bloodlust. Like there is such a wide variety of players in this league, that it really helps to know that it’s not all me. I think when you reach this level of competition and athletics that it is all about who stays involved and on top of it. Like, players who are missing training, or aren’t doing everything that they can to reach the top, won’t. It’s kind of as simple as that.
Do you ever worry that your bloodlust will be something that will overrun you on the field?
Maybe when I was younger, but now I don’t really feel that way. I’ve spent a lot of time working on control of not just my body but my mindset, too. Meditation and yoga have become very important to me, especially since it’s harder to manage a ballet routine with football. They keep my muscles and my brain engaged in a way that I’m really focused on the flow of energy through my body. I want to make sure that I never put my teammates or the enemy team at risk. If I felt the bloodlust starting to become overwhelming, I would definitely ask the coach to take me out.
Switching to something more personal, what are some of the hobbies that you have when you’re trying to relax and not think about the team?
Well, I spend a lot of time thinking about the team and talking with them, even outside of games and practice. However, other than that, I like to spend time doing crafts, working with my hands. I think it’s really great to just sit there and while you’re watching a movie or something else, and you finish the movie and you also end with something sweet, like a sweater. I mean, I’ve talked before about the importance of wearing hand knit socks over anything store bought. I’m telling you, you should try it, it will change your life. Hand knit socks really, really, really are so much better than anything else you could possibly imagine.
So you make all of your socks yourself?
Yes, I definitely do. I can’t imagine wearing socks that someone else has made. These are fit to my exact feet, and it’s just so much more comforting to know that they’re never going to be as sweaty and smelly and gross as what happens when I wear other socks.
Do you do anything else, outside of making socks?
Yeah, I have a lot of good hobbies, but they are varied, for sure. I really just want to spend time outside of football relaxing and hanging out with some of my friends. Recently, Adelie de Pengu and myself have gotten a lot closer, and I’ve spent time with him and Bjorn playing some games. We’ve recently started a Dungeons and Dragons game, and it’s been really fun with just the three of us. I’m so excited to see what happens during these adventures.
What are your characters?
Well, I’m currently playing as an elven fighter. Bjorn has decided to be an Orc barbarian and then Adelie is an Aarakocra druid. It’s a really interesting campaign. We’ve got this new computerized Artificial Intelligence that acts as the dungeon master. It’s been a really interesting start to this game. I’m so excited to keep going because none of us truly know what is going to happen with the story. If you’re looking for a way to play and you want it to be easy to understand and easy to play, I really recommend investing in this system. Knowing that each adventure is unique to all of us is so important and enjoyable.
Is this something you see something you see other members of your team joining in on?
I don’t know. I think we would all be open to having other members join, but sometimes trying to manage the schedules of so many players can make it really difficult. We have a good thing going and we’re able to play really consistently, so it might be hard to include some other players in that case.
Switching gears a little - you were very vocal early on about some struggles you had with the league. Has anything changed?
I think that some of those struggles I still face right now. There are definitely things I’m trying to find that I still struggle to find, even after several days. However, there are other things that I think were just being so new and the whole world seeming overwhelming. I stand by my annoyance at being scouted while trying to sleep - who doesn’t hate getting woken up, but I also have worked to take steps to make sure that I’m not disturbed when I’m resting comfortably at home. I hope that the league continues to take steps to make sure that new players are engaged and welcomed so warmly, and I also hope that the league keeps working on their organization and engagement of new players.
You haven’t been able to see much action in the DSFL as a kicker, is this something you’re worried about?
On the one hand, yeah, it does make me a little worried. Kickers are such a weird position. On the one hand you want to get drafted to a team that isn’t great because for your personal stats it’s going to help your stats the most. At the same time, everyone wants to be a winner, right? So finding that balance in your selfish interests versus the team’s interests can be a struggle at first. I’m really excited about the team that I’m on, though, and I really hope for this amazing group I’m with that I don’t see much action. That said, I really wish the coach would let me kick field goals more instead of punting. I keep kicking it through the uprights, just to show him that I can.
Are you looking to stay a kicker in the NSFL?
Yeah, I don’t know that I really want to play another position. I mean, I love football and I love the game, but I just know that sometimes my personal life can make it really hard to learn and memorize the huge variety of plays that the offensive and defensive lines need. Since our team isn’t really running fake punt or field goal plays right now, I’m pretty safe knowing that I have three jobs “Kick it on the 1, kick it through the uprights, or kick it down the field.” The ease of knowing I don’t have to stress too much about what I’m doing except kicking the ball is definitely one that I appreciate, knowing that my life can just grow insane at random. As much as I love this sport and this game and this league, I just don’t know that I have the time to really dedicate to anything other than being a kicker. That said, I am looking to be the best damn kicker this league has ever seen.
There was a lot of talk regarding where you might go in the DSFL, but it seemed pretty solid that you were heading to the Seawolves due to your relationship with Adelie de Pengu. You’ve known him for a while haven’t you?
Yeah, Adelie and I have been friends for a long time. Like six years or something like that? As for how that might have impacted where I was drafted, I don’t really know. I will say I am really glad that the Seawolves have picked me up. I would have been excited by them or the Luchadores, to be honest. They were definitely in my top picks. It wouldn’t surprise me if Adelie put in a good word for me, because he would definitely do something like that for a close friend. As for what might happen during the NSFL draft, I’m not really sure.
So you were picked up by the Norfolk Seawolves. Thoughts on the locker room and the team so far? Are you enjoying it?
Yeah, I absolutely love being in Norfolk! Norfolk Best Folk! But in all seriousness, they have been a really great group to get to know. Overwhelmingly the first time I stepped into the locker room they were incredibly kind and engaging. They wanted to include me and have been very supportive as I’ve begun to build my career. I am really looking forward to spending the next few seasons with them as I try to head up to the NSFL. I know that it won’t happen soon - it’s not like kickers are in high demand. I’m just really glad to have found a home in this team that, while a little bit crazy, is incredibly sweet and awesome at the same time. They’re not really just a team, they’re family.
You’ve known one of the GMs for the New Orleans Second Line, though, too. Do you think you’ll be drafted by them?
Honestly, I can’t tell you. It’s not like I’ve sat there and begged to be drafted by NOLA. They’re a really solid team, and I definitely could see myself being happy there, but I also know that I haven’t really been around the other teams as much. Like when I was looking at colleges, I knew that I wanted to go to Michigan for no other reason than it was my team. But it was kind of my team and all that I knew. As I spend more time in the league, I want to make sure that I’m making the best decision for my player. Although, if the rumors about expansion teams are true, then I may try and beg my way over to the Vancouver Moose. It’d definitely be the team I’d want to play for the most.
Where would you like to go most in the draft?
I mean, we’re saying that the Vancouver Moose aren’t really an option?
Yes.
Well, unfortunately, I don’t know then. That’s really where I have my heart set, but if it is still just a pipe dream, then I’m hoping that the team forms before I retire, so I can make sure that I can be a moose at least once before I am done with this game.
If you had to give any clue as to what you’re looking for out of your NSFL team, what would you tell the GMs?
Honestly? I just want an active locker room that feels like a family. It’s hard because I’m already developing some really tight and close relationships with the people from Norfolk, and I know that a lot of those players are currently drafted into NSFL teams. NOLA has a good number of the active players from our locker room, and I sometimes wonder if I want to stick around with them. They are just such a good family and always cheer you on no matter what. I just want a team that is encouraging and makes the locker room feel like home. After all, when you spend a lot of your time away from your own home, it’s important that those people are great. I just really want a second home, and sometimes it takes getting to know people before you can feel like it’s a home. I know that I might have a hard time engaging with a family, especially moving away from what has been my home. I might be looking for something short term to get a feel for the team, a one year contract would definitely be in my preference right now.
You’ve mentioned previously about the importance that ballet played in your life. How exactly did you get into football?
I started ballet as an act of discipline, and my dad was so upset by how girlish his daughter had become - he was in the military, you see - that I just knew that I wanted to do something with him. We had been throwing footballs and baseballs around the house for years, and so one day I told him I wanted to join the football team. My mom was horrified. I mean, I knew I had some history with the Amazonians by then, and she was hoping that I would be less blood-thirsty than she was, but it turns out I wasn’t really. Even marrying a non-Amazonian man didn’t really curb that part of me. I think his military background helped in that case *laughs*. To help find a balance between both of my parents, I put the strength that ballet had given me to good use, and became a kicker.
How do you think being an Amazon gives you an advantage in the DSFL?
I don’t really think that it does, honestly. Sure, I might want it a bit more than other players, and take a little while longer to cool off and come down after a win (or a loss really), but otherwise, it’s not like I have so much more that these other players don’t have. Just bloodlust. Like there is such a wide variety of players in this league, that it really helps to know that it’s not all me. I think when you reach this level of competition and athletics that it is all about who stays involved and on top of it. Like, players who are missing training, or aren’t doing everything that they can to reach the top, won’t. It’s kind of as simple as that.
Do you ever worry that your bloodlust will be something that will overrun you on the field?
Maybe when I was younger, but now I don’t really feel that way. I’ve spent a lot of time working on control of not just my body but my mindset, too. Meditation and yoga have become very important to me, especially since it’s harder to manage a ballet routine with football. They keep my muscles and my brain engaged in a way that I’m really focused on the flow of energy through my body. I want to make sure that I never put my teammates or the enemy team at risk. If I felt the bloodlust starting to become overwhelming, I would definitely ask the coach to take me out.
Switching to something more personal, what are some of the hobbies that you have when you’re trying to relax and not think about the team?
Well, I spend a lot of time thinking about the team and talking with them, even outside of games and practice. However, other than that, I like to spend time doing crafts, working with my hands. I think it’s really great to just sit there and while you’re watching a movie or something else, and you finish the movie and you also end with something sweet, like a sweater. I mean, I’ve talked before about the importance of wearing hand knit socks over anything store bought. I’m telling you, you should try it, it will change your life. Hand knit socks really, really, really are so much better than anything else you could possibly imagine.
So you make all of your socks yourself?
Yes, I definitely do. I can’t imagine wearing socks that someone else has made. These are fit to my exact feet, and it’s just so much more comforting to know that they’re never going to be as sweaty and smelly and gross as what happens when I wear other socks.
Do you do anything else, outside of making socks?
Yeah, I have a lot of good hobbies, but they are varied, for sure. I really just want to spend time outside of football relaxing and hanging out with some of my friends. Recently, Adelie de Pengu and myself have gotten a lot closer, and I’ve spent time with him and Bjorn playing some games. We’ve recently started a Dungeons and Dragons game, and it’s been really fun with just the three of us. I’m so excited to see what happens during these adventures.
What are your characters?
Well, I’m currently playing as an elven fighter. Bjorn has decided to be an Orc barbarian and then Adelie is an Aarakocra druid. It’s a really interesting campaign. We’ve got this new computerized Artificial Intelligence that acts as the dungeon master. It’s been a really interesting start to this game. I’m so excited to keep going because none of us truly know what is going to happen with the story. If you’re looking for a way to play and you want it to be easy to understand and easy to play, I really recommend investing in this system. Knowing that each adventure is unique to all of us is so important and enjoyable.
Is this something you see something you see other members of your team joining in on?
I don’t know. I think we would all be open to having other members join, but sometimes trying to manage the schedules of so many players can make it really difficult. We have a good thing going and we’re able to play really consistently, so it might be hard to include some other players in that case.
Switching gears a little - you were very vocal early on about some struggles you had with the league. Has anything changed?
I think that some of those struggles I still face right now. There are definitely things I’m trying to find that I still struggle to find, even after several days. However, there are other things that I think were just being so new and the whole world seeming overwhelming. I stand by my annoyance at being scouted while trying to sleep - who doesn’t hate getting woken up, but I also have worked to take steps to make sure that I’m not disturbed when I’m resting comfortably at home. I hope that the league continues to take steps to make sure that new players are engaged and welcomed so warmly, and I also hope that the league keeps working on their organization and engagement of new players.
You haven’t been able to see much action in the DSFL as a kicker, is this something you’re worried about?
On the one hand, yeah, it does make me a little worried. Kickers are such a weird position. On the one hand you want to get drafted to a team that isn’t great because for your personal stats it’s going to help your stats the most. At the same time, everyone wants to be a winner, right? So finding that balance in your selfish interests versus the team’s interests can be a struggle at first. I’m really excited about the team that I’m on, though, and I really hope for this amazing group I’m with that I don’t see much action. That said, I really wish the coach would let me kick field goals more instead of punting. I keep kicking it through the uprights, just to show him that I can.
Are you looking to stay a kicker in the NSFL?
Yeah, I don’t know that I really want to play another position. I mean, I love football and I love the game, but I just know that sometimes my personal life can make it really hard to learn and memorize the huge variety of plays that the offensive and defensive lines need. Since our team isn’t really running fake punt or field goal plays right now, I’m pretty safe knowing that I have three jobs “Kick it on the 1, kick it through the uprights, or kick it down the field.” The ease of knowing I don’t have to stress too much about what I’m doing except kicking the ball is definitely one that I appreciate, knowing that my life can just grow insane at random. As much as I love this sport and this game and this league, I just don’t know that I have the time to really dedicate to anything other than being a kicker. That said, I am looking to be the best damn kicker this league has ever seen.
There was a lot of talk regarding where you might go in the DSFL, but it seemed pretty solid that you were heading to the Seawolves due to your relationship with Adelie de Pengu. You’ve known him for a while haven’t you?
Yeah, Adelie and I have been friends for a long time. Like six years or something like that? As for how that might have impacted where I was drafted, I don’t really know. I will say I am really glad that the Seawolves have picked me up. I would have been excited by them or the Luchadores, to be honest. They were definitely in my top picks. It wouldn’t surprise me if Adelie put in a good word for me, because he would definitely do something like that for a close friend. As for what might happen during the NSFL draft, I’m not really sure.
So you were picked up by the Norfolk Seawolves. Thoughts on the locker room and the team so far? Are you enjoying it?
Yeah, I absolutely love being in Norfolk! Norfolk Best Folk! But in all seriousness, they have been a really great group to get to know. Overwhelmingly the first time I stepped into the locker room they were incredibly kind and engaging. They wanted to include me and have been very supportive as I’ve begun to build my career. I am really looking forward to spending the next few seasons with them as I try to head up to the NSFL. I know that it won’t happen soon - it’s not like kickers are in high demand. I’m just really glad to have found a home in this team that, while a little bit crazy, is incredibly sweet and awesome at the same time. They’re not really just a team, they’re family.
You’ve known one of the GMs for the New Orleans Second Line, though, too. Do you think you’ll be drafted by them?
Honestly, I can’t tell you. It’s not like I’ve sat there and begged to be drafted by NOLA. They’re a really solid team, and I definitely could see myself being happy there, but I also know that I haven’t really been around the other teams as much. Like when I was looking at colleges, I knew that I wanted to go to Michigan for no other reason than it was my team. But it was kind of my team and all that I knew. As I spend more time in the league, I want to make sure that I’m making the best decision for my player. Although, if the rumors about expansion teams are true, then I may try and beg my way over to the Vancouver Moose. It’d definitely be the team I’d want to play for the most.
Where would you like to go most in the draft?
I mean, we’re saying that the Vancouver Moose aren’t really an option?
Yes.
Well, unfortunately, I don’t know then. That’s really where I have my heart set, but if it is still just a pipe dream, then I’m hoping that the team forms before I retire, so I can make sure that I can be a moose at least once before I am done with this game.
If you had to give any clue as to what you’re looking for out of your NSFL team, what would you tell the GMs?
Honestly? I just want an active locker room that feels like a family. It’s hard because I’m already developing some really tight and close relationships with the people from Norfolk, and I know that a lot of those players are currently drafted into NSFL teams. NOLA has a good number of the active players from our locker room, and I sometimes wonder if I want to stick around with them. They are just such a good family and always cheer you on no matter what. I just want a team that is encouraging and makes the locker room feel like home. After all, when you spend a lot of your time away from your own home, it’s important that those people are great. I just really want a second home, and sometimes it takes getting to know people before you can feel like it’s a home. I know that I might have a hard time engaging with a family, especially moving away from what has been my home. I might be looking for something short term to get a feel for the team, a one year contract would definitely be in my preference right now.
![[Image: Untitled_drawing4.png?ex=65189885&is=651...a7e4ddfd2&]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/906612704905666593/1157434655218352178/Untitled_drawing4.png?ex=65189885&is=65174705&hm=723bcd75bd49d3fa16b31bd7ebf7e536fca998ba339a37ec7590f00a7e4ddfd2&)
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