Wow! What a journey this year has been. And to think there is still so much more to be experienced. This is my last weekend and my last few days in the US. I get to spend them at home with my family, but I also get to see my alma mater (Wake Forest) play in their season opener tomorrow. Although I graduated a couple years ago, there are still a few girls on the team I played with and always the amazing atmosphere of Wake Hockey.
I actually surprised the team today by showing up at their practice. (They are playing the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in which UNC and Wake play Iowa and Michigan the first two games of the season. This is the opening tournament every year for these 4 teams). Anyways, it is being hosted by UNC this year, which happens to be in my hometown of Chapel Hill. It was awesome to see all my girls and all the new faces on the team too. Most importantly, the traditions and high expectations of Wake Hockey are still being upheld by this new group of talented youngsters. (Ok they aren't that much younger than me!) I can't wait to see them rock out this weekend on the field! :) GO DEACS!
However, I have had a wonderful past few days spending some time with family and friends. All the love and support they give me allow me to constantly live my dreams and know that I have people I can fall back on if anything ever goes wrong.
Yet, in 3 days I will be boarding a plane to Holland. I will be starting a new chapter for 2010 and for the life journeys of Michelle Kasold. But I can't wait!! I am so excited to get back on the field, play with a new team, learn new skills, learn about a new culture, and explore the world on my own. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am no doubt thankful for, but excited to experience it to the fullest.
I will keep you updated on all that is hockey and life overseas. Until then.. GO DEACS!!!! and as always... GO USA!!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
New Chapter
Although the scrimmages last week were a big step for our program with a multitude of young players/developmental players bringing a high level of play to challenge the National Team players, many of our minds were elsewhere ready for the newest chapters in our lives.
This fall, we have a bit of break from the central program. As some of the team is still in college and go back to their respective schools, many of the other players find themselves on the other side of this equation in the coaching world. Then there are a few of us who will find our way overseas to play in the club systems of Europe.
Personally, I will be travelling to Holland in less than a week to start the newest chapter in my life. I will be living and helping out with a family along with playing. Although I have been planning this journey for months, I have a had a rush of nerves and excitement as my departure date nears. This is definitely a once in a lifetime experience: to live abroad, learn about another culture, learn a new language, and meet new people. It's been hard saying goodbye to everyone knowing that I will not see them for over 3 months. I know my friends and family are supporting me and will not be far away (thank you skype!).
Continue to follow my blog as I share my adventures and experiences from the other side of the world!
This fall, we have a bit of break from the central program. As some of the team is still in college and go back to their respective schools, many of the other players find themselves on the other side of this equation in the coaching world. Then there are a few of us who will find our way overseas to play in the club systems of Europe.
Personally, I will be travelling to Holland in less than a week to start the newest chapter in my life. I will be living and helping out with a family along with playing. Although I have been planning this journey for months, I have a had a rush of nerves and excitement as my departure date nears. This is definitely a once in a lifetime experience: to live abroad, learn about another culture, learn a new language, and meet new people. It's been hard saying goodbye to everyone knowing that I will not see them for over 3 months. I know my friends and family are supporting me and will not be far away (thank you skype!).
Continue to follow my blog as I share my adventures and experiences from the other side of the world!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
California
After a short break, we have resumed training back in California. Although we originally had some more international matches scheduled for the upcoming week (China and India were going to come play us before they headed down to the World Cup in Argentina), those fell through and we have inter-squad scrimmages instead, bringing many of the developmental players in.
Thursday morning we got our touch back on the ball and got the developmental players up to speed on how National Team practices are run. They caught on pretty quickly. Their speed of play and accuracy must be that much higher at the next level. Thursday afternoon we got to scrimmage, which was also a bit interesting because some new players got thrown in the mix. On Friday we went over some tactics so the developmental players have a better understanding of the way we play and our objectives. Then we did some shooting and corners which are always my favorite! I also can't wait for the rest of the girls to get back for training on Monday! I miss them already!
Even though it was a short training block before we had some down time this weekend, my body was still feeling a little worn out from all the travelling. Hopefully this weekend will be enough to feel refreshed for the scrimmages this upcoming week. Needless to say, it was a great weekend here in California. The weather was great (as it almost always is). I got out to the beach of Friday, had a little family night (our house) last night, and off to visit with my cousins for the day today. I definitely needed a little bit of a break this weekend because I know the inter-squad scrimmages this week are going to be intense.
Thursday morning we got our touch back on the ball and got the developmental players up to speed on how National Team practices are run. They caught on pretty quickly. Their speed of play and accuracy must be that much higher at the next level. Thursday afternoon we got to scrimmage, which was also a bit interesting because some new players got thrown in the mix. On Friday we went over some tactics so the developmental players have a better understanding of the way we play and our objectives. Then we did some shooting and corners which are always my favorite! I also can't wait for the rest of the girls to get back for training on Monday! I miss them already!
Even though it was a short training block before we had some down time this weekend, my body was still feeling a little worn out from all the travelling. Hopefully this weekend will be enough to feel refreshed for the scrimmages this upcoming week. Needless to say, it was a great weekend here in California. The weather was great (as it almost always is). I got out to the beach of Friday, had a little family night (our house) last night, and off to visit with my cousins for the day today. I definitely needed a little bit of a break this weekend because I know the inter-squad scrimmages this week are going to be intense.
California
After a short break, we have resumed training back in California. Although we originally had some more international matches scheduled for the upcoming week (China and India were going to come play us before they headed down to the World Cup in Argentina), those fell through and we have inter-squad scrimmages instead, bringing many of the developmental players in.
Thursday morning we got our touch back on the ball and got the developmental players up to speed on how National Team practices are run. They caught on pretty quickly. Their speed of play and accuracy must be that much higher at the next level. Thursday afternoon we got to scrimmage, which was also a bit interesting because some new players got thrown in the mix. On Friday we went over some tactics so the developmental players have a better understanding of the way we play and our objectives. Then we did some shooting and corners which are always my favorite! I also can't wait for the rest of the girls to get back for training on Monday! I miss them already!
Even though it was a short training block before we had some down time this weekend, my body was still feeling a little worn out from all the travelling. Hopefully this weekend will be enough to feel refreshed for the scrimmages this upcoming week. Needless to say, it was a great weekend here in California. The weather was great (as it almost always is). I got out to the beach of Friday, had a little family night (our house) last night, and off to visit with my cousins for the day today. I definitely needed a little bit of a break this weekend because I know the inter-squad scrimmages this week are going to be intense.
Thursday morning we got our touch back on the ball and got the developmental players up to speed on how National Team practices are run. They caught on pretty quickly. Their speed of play and accuracy must be that much higher at the next level. Thursday afternoon we got to scrimmage, which was also a bit interesting because some new players got thrown in the mix. On Friday we went over some tactics so the developmental players have a better understanding of the way we play and our objectives. Then we did some shooting and corners which are always my favorite! I also can't wait for the rest of the girls to get back for training on Monday! I miss them already!
Even though it was a short training block before we had some down time this weekend, my body was still feeling a little worn out from all the travelling. Hopefully this weekend will be enough to feel refreshed for the scrimmages this upcoming week. Needless to say, it was a great weekend here in California. The weather was great (as it almost always is). I got out to the beach of Friday, had a little family night (our house) last night, and off to visit with my cousins for the day today. I definitely needed a little bit of a break this weekend because I know the inter-squad scrimmages this week are going to be intense.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
AMERICA
As I finally recover from my sleep deprivation of travelling over 24 hours from England to the West Coast, I can reflect on just how amazing the rest of our European trip was in England.
The first match against England started as a back and forth battle between both teams. Midway through the first half, Keli Smith snagged the ball from a defender at the top of the circle, leaving her one on one with the goalie, and with one quick shot, we were on the board winning 1-0. We kept our composure and less than 10 minutes later Paige Selenski drove the baseline and have me a great pass right in front of the goal that I finished to give us a 2-0 lead going into half time. We were right where we wanted to be, controlling the game and leading the game. As we continued to create chances in the second half, it wasn’t until late in the half when we added a 3rd goal. Katie O’Donnell received a long ball on the baseline, drove to the circle, and passed it perfectly to the far post to a diving Rachel Dawson who tipped it in. Unfamiliar with having a 3 goal lead on a top level opponent, the last 10 minutes got to be a bit frantic for us, and although we let in 2 goals, we still held on for the win. This was a big win for our team and our program. To play as decisively as we did as well as win against a top team is always a positive.
We couldn’t rest on this game. In order to prove that we belong with the top teams in the world, we would have to have another good performance against England in our last game. But first, we had a day off to go see London and the site of the Olympic Games in 2012. As we boarded the bus bright and early, our first stop was the Olympic Park. Although it is still in the building phases, we got to see the progress as well as the proposed layout. It was really excited to see where we plan on being in 2 years time. Also, the hockey stadium is the closest venue to the village and will have one of the largest seating capacities. It definitely got us excited for what is to come, and I know personally, it gave me the chills because that is what we dream for, what we strive to achieve. After this, we took a bus tour of all the major sites in England. (Since we still had another game on Thursday, they didn’t want us walking around too much in London). We saw everything from Big Ben, the Eye, Westminster Abbey, to Buckingham Palace. We stopped at Covent Garden Market for lunch and then Windsor Castle on the way back to Bisham Abbey. All in all, we fit a lot of sightseeing into one day and we’re all pretty exhausted by the time we got back.
We still had one more task to take care of on our last day in England. We knew England was going to come out even harder after having lost to a team ranked quite a bit below them. They did just that, coming out and taking the early lead on us. We didn’t back down though and evened the score just minutes later. From there, we continued where we had left off the day before and added two more goals before the half. With a 3-1 lead, we knew we couldn’t let England come back again; we had to stay composed. We did just that, frustrating and tiring the English players, as well as adding 2 more goals before games end. This was definitely one of the best wins the US team has had in a long time. We were all excited to see the potential of our team and our program finally coming together and getting results.
We know we still have a lot of work to do before the Pan Am Games in 2011 and the Olympics in 2012, but we also know that we have a good starting point and we are nowhere near our potential. Keep watching out for US hockey and all the things to come!
Here are a few pictures from the trip:
Tower Bridge in London:
Windsor Castle:
Telephone Booths:
Olympic Venue being built:
Big Ben:
The first match against England started as a back and forth battle between both teams. Midway through the first half, Keli Smith snagged the ball from a defender at the top of the circle, leaving her one on one with the goalie, and with one quick shot, we were on the board winning 1-0. We kept our composure and less than 10 minutes later Paige Selenski drove the baseline and have me a great pass right in front of the goal that I finished to give us a 2-0 lead going into half time. We were right where we wanted to be, controlling the game and leading the game. As we continued to create chances in the second half, it wasn’t until late in the half when we added a 3rd goal. Katie O’Donnell received a long ball on the baseline, drove to the circle, and passed it perfectly to the far post to a diving Rachel Dawson who tipped it in. Unfamiliar with having a 3 goal lead on a top level opponent, the last 10 minutes got to be a bit frantic for us, and although we let in 2 goals, we still held on for the win. This was a big win for our team and our program. To play as decisively as we did as well as win against a top team is always a positive.
We couldn’t rest on this game. In order to prove that we belong with the top teams in the world, we would have to have another good performance against England in our last game. But first, we had a day off to go see London and the site of the Olympic Games in 2012. As we boarded the bus bright and early, our first stop was the Olympic Park. Although it is still in the building phases, we got to see the progress as well as the proposed layout. It was really excited to see where we plan on being in 2 years time. Also, the hockey stadium is the closest venue to the village and will have one of the largest seating capacities. It definitely got us excited for what is to come, and I know personally, it gave me the chills because that is what we dream for, what we strive to achieve. After this, we took a bus tour of all the major sites in England. (Since we still had another game on Thursday, they didn’t want us walking around too much in London). We saw everything from Big Ben, the Eye, Westminster Abbey, to Buckingham Palace. We stopped at Covent Garden Market for lunch and then Windsor Castle on the way back to Bisham Abbey. All in all, we fit a lot of sightseeing into one day and we’re all pretty exhausted by the time we got back.
We still had one more task to take care of on our last day in England. We knew England was going to come out even harder after having lost to a team ranked quite a bit below them. They did just that, coming out and taking the early lead on us. We didn’t back down though and evened the score just minutes later. From there, we continued where we had left off the day before and added two more goals before the half. With a 3-1 lead, we knew we couldn’t let England come back again; we had to stay composed. We did just that, frustrating and tiring the English players, as well as adding 2 more goals before games end. This was definitely one of the best wins the US team has had in a long time. We were all excited to see the potential of our team and our program finally coming together and getting results.
We know we still have a lot of work to do before the Pan Am Games in 2011 and the Olympics in 2012, but we also know that we have a good starting point and we are nowhere near our potential. Keep watching out for US hockey and all the things to come!
Here are a few pictures from the trip:
Tower Bridge in London:
Windsor Castle:
Telephone Booths:
Olympic Venue being built:
Big Ben:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
England!!
We traveled to England on Saturday excited to be in a new country, see a few new sights, and play another top level team in the world. With a short two hour flight and all our bags arriving, it was thankfully an uneventful day.
Sunday we woke up to the overcast and cool weather of a typical England day. We had a pretty relaxing day recovering from our little bit of travel, but also got out for a practice. As we pulled up the field at England's Olympic Training Center, we were reminded a bit of home (well, home as in our training center back in Chula Vista). Once we got used to the great facility, we were ready to start playing England!
Since there was a wedding at the Training Center (it is really pretty here), we couldn't move into the dorms until Monday morning before our scrimmage. (We had been staying in a Holiday Inn near by). It was a very busy day moving all our bags and equipment, then playing a scrimmage. Nonetheless, we played quite well and dominated most of the game. Although we did not win, we got what we wanted out of the game: to figure out what worked for us, how England played, and what we needed to do in order to win.
And today, we did just that. We beat England 3-2. We didn't come out extremely strong, but we picked it up quickly and took a 2 goal lead into halftime, capitalizing on a few of our many chances. Both teams came out stronger in the 2nd half, but we added the next goal to extend our lead to 3. Unfortunately, we are not used to being ahead 3 goals, especially against a top side such as England. We got a little frantic for the last 10 minutes trying to hold on to the lead and allowing 2 goals in the process. But we still stayed composed enough to hold strong and get the win. It was a really big win for our team and our program. But this is just a starting point for us. I know we have so much more to learn and even more to achieve!
Tomorrow we are off to tour the site of where the Olympic hockey pitch will be for 2012 and then spend a few hours touring London. We are all really excited to get a firsthand glimpse of where we plan on being in 2012. We are also excited to do a little touring which we don't normally get to do a lot of on tour!!
I will blog and post pictures later!!
One more game for us against England remains on Thursday, then we return to the States on Friday!! We want to end the trip with a bang and on top!! Keep following and supporting us!!
GO AMERICA!!
Sunday we woke up to the overcast and cool weather of a typical England day. We had a pretty relaxing day recovering from our little bit of travel, but also got out for a practice. As we pulled up the field at England's Olympic Training Center, we were reminded a bit of home (well, home as in our training center back in Chula Vista). Once we got used to the great facility, we were ready to start playing England!
Since there was a wedding at the Training Center (it is really pretty here), we couldn't move into the dorms until Monday morning before our scrimmage. (We had been staying in a Holiday Inn near by). It was a very busy day moving all our bags and equipment, then playing a scrimmage. Nonetheless, we played quite well and dominated most of the game. Although we did not win, we got what we wanted out of the game: to figure out what worked for us, how England played, and what we needed to do in order to win.
And today, we did just that. We beat England 3-2. We didn't come out extremely strong, but we picked it up quickly and took a 2 goal lead into halftime, capitalizing on a few of our many chances. Both teams came out stronger in the 2nd half, but we added the next goal to extend our lead to 3. Unfortunately, we are not used to being ahead 3 goals, especially against a top side such as England. We got a little frantic for the last 10 minutes trying to hold on to the lead and allowing 2 goals in the process. But we still stayed composed enough to hold strong and get the win. It was a really big win for our team and our program. But this is just a starting point for us. I know we have so much more to learn and even more to achieve!
Tomorrow we are off to tour the site of where the Olympic hockey pitch will be for 2012 and then spend a few hours touring London. We are all really excited to get a firsthand glimpse of where we plan on being in 2012. We are also excited to do a little touring which we don't normally get to do a lot of on tour!!
I will blog and post pictures later!!
One more game for us against England remains on Thursday, then we return to the States on Friday!! We want to end the trip with a bang and on top!! Keep following and supporting us!!
GO AMERICA!!
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