Hello all!
I have very mixed emotions as the first session approaches at 9am Friday morning. While I am still overly excited for this opportunity and the chance to show the WPS coaches my skills and talent, I've had a slight setback...
Sunday night, I was playing pick-up soccer in Luray with my awesome Page & Luray kids when I blocked a cross-attempt (playing field) and landed on my knee before rolling. Now, ordinarily, I would have been fine, but let me set the scene... 1) playing on rock-solid ground (very dry and dusty); and 2) when I blocked the ball, I was at a full sprint. So when I hit, I hit HARD!
Right away, all I could feel was the superficial impact of hitting the rock-solid ground. That's all that hurt. And it was numb for at least 5 straight mins before it began to simmer down a little. Of course, once I got up and walked off the field, I put an ice pack on it. Not until a few hours later, when I got outta my car and was home and getting situated in bed to ice it more, did I realize that the superficial purple bruising was not hurting anymore. But now I couldn't twist my knee without feeling some pain inside my knee = UH OH!!! I know from watching others go through knee injuries that THAT feeling is NOT what I wanted... especially this close to tryouts.
After having Mike and Carleen look at it the past two days in the training room at EMU (thanks you two!!!), my knee is doing well. It's solid, the swelling is slowly going down and most of the problem just seems to be a pateller contusion (bruise). However, today, when Carleen tested out my MCL, I winced in pain. I'm getting it "rehabbed" tomorrow yet, and it'll be what it is for Friday-Sunday.
I'm just hoping and praying that nothing weird happens during the course of the tryouts--examples: twisting it awkwardly, sliding out for a ball and colliding with a player, etc.
At this point, I'm realizing that I just have to put it all in God's hands. All I can humanly do, is to play to the best of my abilities and let the rest up to God and His plans for my life. He's given me this talent and has given me this incredible, unbelievable opportunity, and I'm just gonna go out there and give it my all! Florida won't know what hit it!!!
Wed: driving up to PA.
Thurs: Flying out of Philly at 9:50am; landing in Tampa, FL/hotel/meetings in evening.
Fri: team training (9-10:30am); match play--3 games (2:30-7pm); meeting
Sat: GK training (8:30-9:30am); meeting with WPS coaches; match play--3 games (2:30-7pm); meeting
Sun: match play--3 games (8am-12:30pm); depart from Tampa at 6:30pm; switch planes in Atlanta; arrive in Philly 12midnight
Mon: visit Mom's and Dad's; drive down to VA
Some songs that have been motivating me:
/Hit me with your best shot/ ~Pat Bataner
/I can feel the pressure coming down on me / people say that im not destined to suceed / but i have the faith i need to carry on / and i will find the strength in me to prove them wrong / it isnt for the thrill / it isnt for the prize / its all about a fight to stay alive / knowing that the dream can survive // when you're out there on the edge / and the odds you face are life and death / you've got to have the heart of a champion / when your time is running out / and everybody sees youre going down / you've got to have a heart of a champion / when your back's against the wall / and your rival thinks your gonna fall / you've got to have a heart of a champion// ~Carman
/I, I am small but / You, You are big enough / I, I am weak but / You, You are strong enough to // Take my dreams / Come and give them wings / Lord with You / There`s nothing I cannot do / Nothing I cannot do// ~Britt Nicole
/I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow / And each road leads you where you want to go / And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose / I hope you choose the one that means the most to you / And if one door opens to another door closed / I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window / If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile // But more than anything, more than anything / My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to / Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small / You never need to carry more than you can hold / And while you're out there getting where you're getting to / I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too / Yeah, this, is my wish// ~Rascal Flatts
/This is ten percent luck / twenty percent skill / fifteen percent concentrated power of will / five percent pleasure / fifty percent pain / and a hundred percent reason to remember the name/ ~Fort Minor
Thanks for all the prayers, support, encouragement and everything else!!! WPS coaches, HERE I COME!!!!! :D
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
One week...
One week til the tryout combine in Tampa, FL. Had a GREAT week of training! My lifting and cardio felt wonderful, as I feel I'm at the top of my game right now.
I have to give credit to both the EMU Men's and Women's Soccer teams as they've helped me prepare. I'm getting touches 5 times a week--4 with the women's team, and a day of super shooting from the men's team!
I've been talking with Katie and she's also getting some great training in up in PA. We're both unbelievably excited about this opportunity and will go at it with everything we've got! Why not??
One week and I'm feeling great!!!
I have to give credit to both the EMU Men's and Women's Soccer teams as they've helped me prepare. I'm getting touches 5 times a week--4 with the women's team, and a day of super shooting from the men's team!
I've been talking with Katie and she's also getting some great training in up in PA. We're both unbelievably excited about this opportunity and will go at it with everything we've got! Why not??
One week and I'm feeling great!!!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Soccer Journey
In the middle of August, I saw on the W-League website that the W-League Combine was being held in Tampa, FL at the end of September. For a few days then, I was obsessively checking the WPSL site for the announcement of our combine, but wasn't finding anything.
Out of curiosity, and for the slimmest of chances, I emailed the owner of the Hampton Roads Piranhas--who I was a member of for the first month of the season at the beginning of the summer. I asked her if, since I was with the team for a few weeks, I could sign up for the W-League Combine. She said to emai the person in charge.
So, I sent an email to the person in charge of the W-League Combine and told her about my ordeal and questioned whether I could sign up or if it was a far shot. She immediately replied that the tryout combine was now accepting requests from any players, and that I should register online. I registered immediately!! Went online and filled out a questionnaire, which included my GKing awards from high school, college and my WPSL team, Lancaster Inferno. With my postseason honors this past summer, I figured it might up my chances!
WITHIN 24 HOURS, I received an email saying that I had been accepted to the combine!! I was ecstatic!!!!!! I called Katie Lamm up and told her about it and that she should register as well. Long story short, she also applied and was accepted!! So we are both going down to Tampa, FL together!!!!!
There will be about 90 players there, and all the WPS coaches will be in attendance. Teams are from Los Angeles (CA), Bay Area (CA), St. Louis (MO), Chicago (IL), NY/NJ, Washington (DC), and Boston (MA). The two expansion teams joining next March are Atlanta (GA) and Philly (PA).
I am beyond excited and so thankful for this opportunity!!! I am training 6/7 days a week on top of coaching and finding a substituting job around here. Training is going well, and for one of the first times in my soccer career, I can really tell that it's paying off! I feel stronger and my feet are getting quicker everyday!
Will keep you updated as I continue to train! Will most definitely try to keep you updated while I'm in FL from Sept. 24-27 as well!!! Woooohooooo!
Out of curiosity, and for the slimmest of chances, I emailed the owner of the Hampton Roads Piranhas--who I was a member of for the first month of the season at the beginning of the summer. I asked her if, since I was with the team for a few weeks, I could sign up for the W-League Combine. She said to emai the person in charge.
So, I sent an email to the person in charge of the W-League Combine and told her about my ordeal and questioned whether I could sign up or if it was a far shot. She immediately replied that the tryout combine was now accepting requests from any players, and that I should register online. I registered immediately!! Went online and filled out a questionnaire, which included my GKing awards from high school, college and my WPSL team, Lancaster Inferno. With my postseason honors this past summer, I figured it might up my chances!
WITHIN 24 HOURS, I received an email saying that I had been accepted to the combine!! I was ecstatic!!!!!! I called Katie Lamm up and told her about it and that she should register as well. Long story short, she also applied and was accepted!! So we are both going down to Tampa, FL together!!!!!
There will be about 90 players there, and all the WPS coaches will be in attendance. Teams are from Los Angeles (CA), Bay Area (CA), St. Louis (MO), Chicago (IL), NY/NJ, Washington (DC), and Boston (MA). The two expansion teams joining next March are Atlanta (GA) and Philly (PA).
I am beyond excited and so thankful for this opportunity!!! I am training 6/7 days a week on top of coaching and finding a substituting job around here. Training is going well, and for one of the first times in my soccer career, I can really tell that it's paying off! I feel stronger and my feet are getting quicker everyday!
Will keep you updated as I continue to train! Will most definitely try to keep you updated while I'm in FL from Sept. 24-27 as well!!! Woooohooooo!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Inferno Season Wrap-Up
INFERNO
Katie's aunt lives down in Atlantic City, so over the weekend that we played there, we stayed at her aunt's house! We drove down Friday night and walked the boardwalk. Saturday, we got up for a morning run and then spent the day on the beach. We both got burnt, but Katie got it worse ; ) Sunday, we kept it on the down low and played a little mini golf on the boardwalk. I'd like to announce that I beat Katie by 5... yes, 5... strokes!!! 2 for 2 in mini golf this summer--both games against Katie : D
@ AC Diablos
Sunday night, we met up with the team at AC Diablos' stadium and played a great game! I FINALLY got to do something other than take a goal kick, a punt, or clean up a thru ball or a cross!!! They started off the game by getting a freak breakaway and putting it away--their first threat of any kind on our half of the field. Down 0-1. Honestly, if we had gone into halftime with that score, I was ready to rip up the team. We weren't playing very well, or with purpose, and obviously not finishing. However, we scored two in a row just before halftime.
Late in the second half, AC came down the field and a girl took a shot that had the far lower left (her left, my right) side-netting written all over it. I was like, NO WAY is this gonna happen. Not on my watch! I threw myself horizontal to my left and tipped the ball wide... rolling in such a way that I got to see the ball literally curve JUST around the post and out of bounds. It was so surreal and amazing, words don't give it justice in explaining it!! I was like, did that just happen?! Still leading 2-1.
We went on to win 3-1, knocking AC Diablos out of the playoffs... for the second straight year : )
PLAYOFFS
We finished the season in 3rd place with a 7-1-2 record. Loss to Boston. Ties to Maryland and Long Island. We were pretty set on having to host Philly, Bay State or Millburn...
However, the league decided to shake things up a bit, and re-structured the 8 playoff teams by ordering them by difficulty of schedule. So, instead of being in 3rd and hosting a first-round playoff game, we somehow got placed 8th and had to travel up to Boston!!
BOSTON (east quarterfinals)
We started up on Friday night, driving about halfway. Stayed in a hotel that night, and traveled the rest of the way Saturday.
Talk about being stoked to play. Coming into the game, I knew that if there was any game in the past two seasons that I'd get to do anything, it was going to be tonight. I was ready, to say the least. Our team is amazing, and because of our amazingness, I didn't have to do anything hard back there in goal for the past two years. Combined, I may have made 10 saves altogether in the past two seasons. No lie. And of those 10 saves, only 2 of them were hard. I was ready to show everyone what I'm made of!
The game started off super intense and crazy for the first 20 minutes as Boston threw everything forward while we were trying to adjust to the fast surface (super-short turf grass field). Boston players were using every single trick in the book to try and get through. We were bending, but we weren't breaking. I was trying to get my bearings as the faster surface threw off my judgment of thru balls, getting lucky that my hesitations weren't costing me or the team. I'll admit, I was jittery at first.
Their first real shot came along. I don't really remember how anything happened, but a ball was coming diagonally across the top of my box. I started to go out to get it, but it hit off one of my defenders. Quickly, I realized I had to get out of no-man's-land and back in goal, because the ball was landing straight into the path of a Boston girl, coming straight on goal. She unleashed a rocket of a shot from about 20 yds out that was definitely going to dip just under the crossbar. I got back just in time to extend up and tip that crap over the bar. Ridiculous. I remember thinking, that was sick! That's a shot you see on TV and you're like, that's in. And I said, nope. The girl who came in to mark me during the ensuing corner kick was like, that was a "hell of a save, Keep. Wow! That was dipping in and I don't even know how you saved that. That was amazing." (ahhhhhh!!!! speechless)!!!!
Later in the half, one of my defenders got schooled and suddenly, I was caught in a breakaway just inside the top of the 18. For whatever reason, the girl just laid into the shot (instead of dribbling in and schooling me, which is what I was expecting). It literally came straight to my face, just a slight bit off to the right side, and I somehow got my hand up enough and got enough of a touch on it to send it careening out of bounds for a corner. It was one of those shots where I knew I may have gotten a little too much of my hand on the ball, and didn't want to turn around, because I thought that it could have slowed it enough to put it in the net. Luckily, not.
We escaped the first half 0-0. The second part of the half was much better as we began to acclimate to the surface and started making holes in their defense. Now, it was game on!
Second half was even sweeter than the first!! We came out and scored a goal within 5 mins of kickoff. Suh-weet!!!! Erin "freakin" Hench scored... I love that girl! So we're up 1-0. About 20 mins into the half, we turn the ball over in the midfield, and before I know it, I've got a girl lacing a ball to the the far upper-90 (my left). I was like, "oh no you don't!" and literally laid out horizontal 4 feet up in the air and parried the ball to my left. It dribbled towards the sideline, Carli Brill (LOVE that girl!), got the ball and passed it up to midfield. Not more than one or two passes later, Emily "flippin" Peters (LOVE that girl!) was putting that ball in the back of their net. 2-0. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
However, on the ensuing kickoff for Boston, they came down and absolutely laced a perfectly dipping shot for the far upper-90 (my left). It literally kept rising as I leaped up to try and tip it, and came down right as I started falling back down. I mean, really?! I just couldn't pull another trick out of the hat. Up 2-1 with 25 mins remaining-ish (there was no clock, so the last 25 mins felt like an eternity)!
Those last 25 mins were excrutiating (no scoreboard with the time ticking down). Boston threw anything and everything forward. We were playing pinball inside the 18 most of that time. It was insane, crazy, nerve-racking, and annoying all at the same time! Luckily, nothing got through. Their GK, Phillips (GREAT GK, by the way... better than me), was playing extremely high, as another attacking player. At some point, we got the ball to Katie out at left midfield, where she was being defended by Phillips. She juked her with a fake, got around her, and simply hit the ball "in the general direction" of the goal. Doesn't it flippin' go in?!?!?! Up 3-1.
We went on to win that game 3-1. Boston gave us our first loss of the season in our first game. We repayed them with their first loss of their season, and an early--and very unexpected--exit from the playoffs. Ummm...PERFECTION!!!!!!
I couldn't have been prouder of my teammates!! We were spectacular! I got so many comments and probably sounded cocky as I was like, "this was my time to shine" and "that game was to make up for having nothing to do for all of the past two seasons!" But it was simply a testament to just how good we are.
Here are some articles written after this game:
WPSL write-up of game: http://www.wpsl.info/news/index.php?cat=1&id=811
Boston's write-up: http://www.soccer-new-england.com/Aztecs-Burned-by-Inferno.html
New England write-up: http://www.neaztec.com/AboutUs/NewsArchive/News_July2009_WomenPlayoffs/tabid/10471/Default.aspx
WPSL Team of the Week: http://www.wpsl.info/news/index.php?cat=1&id=812
MILLBURN (east semifinals)
Hosted Millburn at our field! For some reason, left their tallest player unmarked on their first corner kick of the game. Down 0-1. In second, and final, blunder of the night, decided to not mark someone coming through on a crossed ball. Down 0-2.
Luckily, we turned it around in the second half, and scored 2 great goals. Ended regulation and two overtimes 2-2. On to PK's. Coach says, "who is confident in taking a PK?" Surprisingly, my hand was the first one up. We gradually got all five kickers, with me kicking 3rd.
There were two ball girls sitting over where the "18" meets the end line. They were asking if I was nervous and I said a little. But that I was ready! I talked to them between each kicker.
Did my best job ever in "guessing" correctly with which way to dive on all kickers but the first. However, wouldn't you know it, all four of them hit as side-netting as you can get--just inside the posts. Gosh, it would have been a super way to advance to the finals, if the girls from Millburn hadn't hit their shots so perfectly! I mean, I gotta give 'em credit, they got the job done, and they got the job done well!!
Oh, and I stepped up and NAILED my PK...perfectly into the side-netting, 4 feet off the ground. Take that! My 3rd PK made in my 3rd losing effort... : /
All-East Conference Team: http://www.wpsl.info/news/index.php?cat=1&id=822
It was a super great season! Thanks to Coach Doug for giving us the opportunity to play and further our skills and possibly our futures.
Katie's aunt lives down in Atlantic City, so over the weekend that we played there, we stayed at her aunt's house! We drove down Friday night and walked the boardwalk. Saturday, we got up for a morning run and then spent the day on the beach. We both got burnt, but Katie got it worse ; ) Sunday, we kept it on the down low and played a little mini golf on the boardwalk. I'd like to announce that I beat Katie by 5... yes, 5... strokes!!! 2 for 2 in mini golf this summer--both games against Katie : D
@ AC Diablos
Sunday night, we met up with the team at AC Diablos' stadium and played a great game! I FINALLY got to do something other than take a goal kick, a punt, or clean up a thru ball or a cross!!! They started off the game by getting a freak breakaway and putting it away--their first threat of any kind on our half of the field. Down 0-1. Honestly, if we had gone into halftime with that score, I was ready to rip up the team. We weren't playing very well, or with purpose, and obviously not finishing. However, we scored two in a row just before halftime.
Late in the second half, AC came down the field and a girl took a shot that had the far lower left (her left, my right) side-netting written all over it. I was like, NO WAY is this gonna happen. Not on my watch! I threw myself horizontal to my left and tipped the ball wide... rolling in such a way that I got to see the ball literally curve JUST around the post and out of bounds. It was so surreal and amazing, words don't give it justice in explaining it!! I was like, did that just happen?! Still leading 2-1.
We went on to win 3-1, knocking AC Diablos out of the playoffs... for the second straight year : )
PLAYOFFS
We finished the season in 3rd place with a 7-1-2 record. Loss to Boston. Ties to Maryland and Long Island. We were pretty set on having to host Philly, Bay State or Millburn...
However, the league decided to shake things up a bit, and re-structured the 8 playoff teams by ordering them by difficulty of schedule. So, instead of being in 3rd and hosting a first-round playoff game, we somehow got placed 8th and had to travel up to Boston!!
BOSTON (east quarterfinals)
We started up on Friday night, driving about halfway. Stayed in a hotel that night, and traveled the rest of the way Saturday.
Talk about being stoked to play. Coming into the game, I knew that if there was any game in the past two seasons that I'd get to do anything, it was going to be tonight. I was ready, to say the least. Our team is amazing, and because of our amazingness, I didn't have to do anything hard back there in goal for the past two years. Combined, I may have made 10 saves altogether in the past two seasons. No lie. And of those 10 saves, only 2 of them were hard. I was ready to show everyone what I'm made of!
The game started off super intense and crazy for the first 20 minutes as Boston threw everything forward while we were trying to adjust to the fast surface (super-short turf grass field). Boston players were using every single trick in the book to try and get through. We were bending, but we weren't breaking. I was trying to get my bearings as the faster surface threw off my judgment of thru balls, getting lucky that my hesitations weren't costing me or the team. I'll admit, I was jittery at first.
Their first real shot came along. I don't really remember how anything happened, but a ball was coming diagonally across the top of my box. I started to go out to get it, but it hit off one of my defenders. Quickly, I realized I had to get out of no-man's-land and back in goal, because the ball was landing straight into the path of a Boston girl, coming straight on goal. She unleashed a rocket of a shot from about 20 yds out that was definitely going to dip just under the crossbar. I got back just in time to extend up and tip that crap over the bar. Ridiculous. I remember thinking, that was sick! That's a shot you see on TV and you're like, that's in. And I said, nope. The girl who came in to mark me during the ensuing corner kick was like, that was a "hell of a save, Keep. Wow! That was dipping in and I don't even know how you saved that. That was amazing." (ahhhhhh!!!! speechless)!!!!
Later in the half, one of my defenders got schooled and suddenly, I was caught in a breakaway just inside the top of the 18. For whatever reason, the girl just laid into the shot (instead of dribbling in and schooling me, which is what I was expecting). It literally came straight to my face, just a slight bit off to the right side, and I somehow got my hand up enough and got enough of a touch on it to send it careening out of bounds for a corner. It was one of those shots where I knew I may have gotten a little too much of my hand on the ball, and didn't want to turn around, because I thought that it could have slowed it enough to put it in the net. Luckily, not.
We escaped the first half 0-0. The second part of the half was much better as we began to acclimate to the surface and started making holes in their defense. Now, it was game on!
Second half was even sweeter than the first!! We came out and scored a goal within 5 mins of kickoff. Suh-weet!!!! Erin "freakin" Hench scored... I love that girl! So we're up 1-0. About 20 mins into the half, we turn the ball over in the midfield, and before I know it, I've got a girl lacing a ball to the the far upper-90 (my left). I was like, "oh no you don't!" and literally laid out horizontal 4 feet up in the air and parried the ball to my left. It dribbled towards the sideline, Carli Brill (LOVE that girl!), got the ball and passed it up to midfield. Not more than one or two passes later, Emily "flippin" Peters (LOVE that girl!) was putting that ball in the back of their net. 2-0. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
However, on the ensuing kickoff for Boston, they came down and absolutely laced a perfectly dipping shot for the far upper-90 (my left). It literally kept rising as I leaped up to try and tip it, and came down right as I started falling back down. I mean, really?! I just couldn't pull another trick out of the hat. Up 2-1 with 25 mins remaining-ish (there was no clock, so the last 25 mins felt like an eternity)!
Those last 25 mins were excrutiating (no scoreboard with the time ticking down). Boston threw anything and everything forward. We were playing pinball inside the 18 most of that time. It was insane, crazy, nerve-racking, and annoying all at the same time! Luckily, nothing got through. Their GK, Phillips (GREAT GK, by the way... better than me), was playing extremely high, as another attacking player. At some point, we got the ball to Katie out at left midfield, where she was being defended by Phillips. She juked her with a fake, got around her, and simply hit the ball "in the general direction" of the goal. Doesn't it flippin' go in?!?!?! Up 3-1.
We went on to win that game 3-1. Boston gave us our first loss of the season in our first game. We repayed them with their first loss of their season, and an early--and very unexpected--exit from the playoffs. Ummm...PERFECTION!!!!!!
I couldn't have been prouder of my teammates!! We were spectacular! I got so many comments and probably sounded cocky as I was like, "this was my time to shine" and "that game was to make up for having nothing to do for all of the past two seasons!" But it was simply a testament to just how good we are.
Here are some articles written after this game:
WPSL write-up of game: http://www.wpsl.info/news/index.php?cat=1&id=811
Boston's write-up: http://www.soccer-new-england.com/Aztecs-Burned-by-Inferno.html
New England write-up: http://www.neaztec.com/AboutUs/NewsArchive/News_July2009_WomenPlayoffs/tabid/10471/Default.aspx
WPSL Team of the Week: http://www.wpsl.info/news/index.php?cat=1&id=812
MILLBURN (east semifinals)
Hosted Millburn at our field! For some reason, left their tallest player unmarked on their first corner kick of the game. Down 0-1. In second, and final, blunder of the night, decided to not mark someone coming through on a crossed ball. Down 0-2.
Luckily, we turned it around in the second half, and scored 2 great goals. Ended regulation and two overtimes 2-2. On to PK's. Coach says, "who is confident in taking a PK?" Surprisingly, my hand was the first one up. We gradually got all five kickers, with me kicking 3rd.
There were two ball girls sitting over where the "18" meets the end line. They were asking if I was nervous and I said a little. But that I was ready! I talked to them between each kicker.
Did my best job ever in "guessing" correctly with which way to dive on all kickers but the first. However, wouldn't you know it, all four of them hit as side-netting as you can get--just inside the posts. Gosh, it would have been a super way to advance to the finals, if the girls from Millburn hadn't hit their shots so perfectly! I mean, I gotta give 'em credit, they got the job done, and they got the job done well!!
Oh, and I stepped up and NAILED my PK...perfectly into the side-netting, 4 feet off the ground. Take that! My 3rd PK made in my 3rd losing effort... : /
All-East Conference Team: http://www.wpsl.info/news/index.php?cat=1&id=822
It was a super great season! Thanks to Coach Doug for giving us the opportunity to play and further our skills and possibly our futures.
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