My mom calls before eight in the morning. I groan, not sure I like being in the same time zone as her. “Ma, it’s early,” I say, listening to her laugh.

“I just wanted to hear how things are going. Did you do a good job in practice?” I try not to think about this week’s sessions so far. It was my first time really meeting the team and I didn’t exactly make a great showing.

“I’m still finding my way,” I admit, letting my voice drift ...