Behind the Uniform

Eat, sleep, play hockey (not in that order)

2012-02-18T16:50:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a couple weeks since I last blogged. I've been trying to recover from everything we've been doing. The amount of hours (and intensity) we were training the week our guests coaches were here was double what we did the following week. So even though we tapered the volume and demand of our training, it still took us a while to fully recover.

With a trip to Spain approaching quickly, we wanted our bodies to be recovered and ready to perform in tip-top shape. This was not an easy task. Although our coaches plan our work outs to maximize this fact, we also must maintain the levels of fitness and strength we have gained during the hard working periods. On top of that, we had to assess the levels that we have reached. So to start our "taper" week, we ran the beep test and an agility test. Doesn't that sound like fun??

Though, the most important part of all our training often times is not the training itself. I know that may sound funny, but despite the fact that doing the work on the field and in the weight room is extremely tough, doing the work off the field is where we really reap the benefits of it all. What I mean by this is sleeping, eating right, and taking care of our bodies.

I am constantly asked if we have a particular diet we adhere to and I always laugh at the question because "diets" seem silly to me. In order to perform our best, we of course must put the right things into our bodies at the right time. We must intake the right number of calories, with proper proportions of carbs, proteins, and yes, even fats. But it is not an exact science and yes, we are still allowed to eat what we want. No, this doesn't mean a cheeseburger and fries every night because we definitely burned enough calories. But it does mean that if you want to have a cookie or a piece of chocolate every now and again, that is okay. (Although we just did a skin folds test this past week and maybe they will come back and tell us we are eating a few too many M&M's! haha).

Lately, I have been in the training room a lot as well. (Along with many of my other teammates!) Fortunately, there aren't any new major injuries on the team, but we all know at this level of competition the importance of not only taking care of our bodies post-practice, but before as well. Often you will see a handful of players using heat to warm up muscles before practice. You will see people getting taped, whether its ankles that roll easily or a nagging muscle that's just a bit tight. After trainings it gets even crazier. From rehab, to ice, to stim (which is short for Electrical Muscle Stimulation), to massages, ice baths, to (what we like to call) Magic Pants (they use air to compress the muscles in your leg). If your body isn't feeling good, it's hard to perform well on the field. I have to give a big shout out here to our trainer Katie who oversees all of our recovery needs and keeps us healthy and on the field!

Finally, I think the most important part of recovery is sleeping. Your body does a lot of it's rebuilding when you are asleep. If you are not getting the adequate amount of sleep, it can be very detrimental to training. If you have a hard couple of sessions and your body doesn't get the sleep/recovery time it needs, the next hard session can be damaging to your body instead of building on top of all the hard work you've already put in. Now with that being said, I am an expert sleeper! I love sleep! I get anywhere from 8-10 a night, preferably closer to 9 or 10 hours when I can. Lately, we've all been going to bed extra early (as long as we make it past 8pm then we say it is acceptable to go to sleep!) and napping during the day as well. We just can't help it either, we're tired. I think this is a sign saying our body needs all the time ir can get to repair and rebuild itself, in turn making us stronger!

So although we train hard, we rest even harder! Sorry to say that I don't have too many exciting stories of our adventures outside of hockey in the past couple weeks... but sometimes that just the way training goes.

And I haven't forgotten to mention Valentine's Day either! My roommates and I, along with Caroline, spent a fabulous dinner at the high-end burger joint called In-N-Out (yes, it's on our "diet"!). We even dressed up, all decked out in sweatpants and sweatshirts. I would have to say we all enjoyed our evening.

Guest Coaches and Superbowl

2012-02-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

This past week has thrown us all out of wack! Our normal, weekly routine has been altered this week so that we have practice on the weekend. Not only are we sad about losing our weekend, we now have practice on Super Bowl Sunday!!

Let me take a step back and explain. Our coaches, Lee and Nick, headed down to the Champions Trophy this week. They went down to scout the top 8 ranked teams in the world, all of which (except one) are already qualified for the London Olympics this summer. So obviously, these teams are at their best for a top, world ranking tournament and will show much of what we will expect to see from them this summer. But of course practice must go on here in Chula Vista!

So Chris Clements, the Men's Head Coach, as well as Pam Bustin, a former National Team Assistant Coach, gladly stepped into the roll of coaches. Since Pam now coaches at Duke and is normally coaching all week (and I think so Lee and Nick missed the least amount of days with us), we moved practice to the weekend. We practiced normally Monday and Tuesday with our usual run on Wednesday, but then took Thursday off. We got back into it Friday, with practice today, and another tomorrow, in addition to a run Monday before we have off on Tuesday. A little confusing, I know, we had to double and triple check the schedule this week.

But we are happy to have Chris and Pam out helping with the team. They are both great coaches with a lot of knowledge for the game. It is nice to have some fresh faces with new insights to how our training is going, even if it is only for a few days. Big shout out to them and a big thanks for helping us in such an important training period!

Finally though, it is the SUPERBOWL!! One of the most anticipated and watched sporting events in America every year. Who doesn't love a good Superbowl party? Great food, exciting game, with even better company! Oh and who could forget, those ridiculous commercials that finally air! Whether you watch for the game or for the commercials, it is bound to be a good time! I have to say I am pulling for the Giants (my dad's favorite team), but the Patriots are looking pretty good lately! Who are you rooting for??

As long as you are rooting for the red, white, and blue, then I think you picked the right team!! ;)

6 months and counting....

2012-01-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

Today marks 6 months out from the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games. To some it may still seem a long ways away, but for us, time is winding down! Six months of training is not a whole lot left for all that we still want to accomplish. We are a determined bunch and there is no doubt in my mind that we will be ready 6 months from today.

Training has returned to our normal schedule and routine this week as we wound down from the intensity of matches against Australia. Most of us laid low over the weekend as it was much needed recovery time. My roommate, Maren, and I, along with her husband Ryan, enjoyed our all-day sports watching extravaganza on Sunday with back to back NFL playoff games, as well as US Women's Soccer Olympic Qualifying. We barely left the couch all day. It was perfect.

We got back to work this week though. With some tough runs, heavy lifts, and intense practices. Everyone has been staying pretty healthy. We've had a few niggles, bumps, and bruises, but all in all just the product of a hard week of work.

I think the most exciting news lately is some of the pre-Olympic press we've been getting. (read: Trust me by no means is it A LOT, BUT it is more than we've gotten in the past and it will be exciting when it airs/appears closer to the games.) For those of you watching the Superbowl next weekend (I know this is pretty much everyone!) keep an eye out for a spotlight feature on one of our very own!!

That's all for now. Just a little update. GO STATES!

Perfection

2012-01-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon this quote yesterday and I wanted to share it because I think it really says a lot about what I believe and how this Olympic year should be approached.

We are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good.

-Vince Lombardi

To me, this quote just speaks for itself. If you constantly try to be perfect, despite the errors along the way, excellence is bound to prevail. It is not the idea that you are never good enough, but that there is always something to improve and work towards. For me, it is an insatiable appetite for knowledge and improvement. To be the best I can possibly be means that I must keep working every single day.

Welcome to the Olympic Year!

2012-01-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

The year 2012 has finally arrived! It is the Olympic year, which means everyone is intensifying their training. I know first hand how elevated training gets, as I went though the build-up to the Beijing Olympics. Despite that experience, I still don't think you are ever quite ready for what hits you at the start of the year. Needless to say, this first week back has really challenged our team, whether you've been here before or not!

We arrived back in sunny San Diego on January 3rd, after a wonderful holiday season at home with family and friends. But January 4th, we hit the ground running! Day one was a blistering 85 degrees and although we cruised through practice in the morning, the afternoon 1000m intervals hit us like a brick wall! With the effects of travel (dehydration), heat, and a tough run, the combined outcome was a few trips to the bathroom mid-run as well as some beat faces.

We survived and picked back up with a double session the next day. Even got in a shortened full-field scrimmage in the afternoon. The true test was yet to come, though. Friday (Jan. 5th), we had our dreaded timed two-mile test. Everyone pushed through this grueling challenge, only to be meet with corner practice, followed by sprints.

By the time the weekend rolled around, we were beat. Week one (well, 3 full days) were complete! I'm not sure what everyone chose to do with their off time, but Maren and I spent some good time relaxing on the couch and watching movies! I don't doubt that many of the others did the same.

With week one behind us, I was excited to get week two started. Although we had a tough lifting session Monday and a double practice on Tuesday, the rest of the week we tapered down a bit in preparation for our games against Australia!!

That's right! The best part about going through all that pain and work is to be prepared and ready for the games! Australia is a good team who is ranked a few above us at number 7. We are likely to see them in our grouping in the Olympics, so it will be a good test for us. Plus, Lee (our coach) is Australian, so of course we have to beat his home country!! :)

The games are Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1pm!!! Follow us on twitter and on usafieldhockey.com. OR if you are in the San Diego area, COME OUT and CHEER us on!!!

GO USA!!

2011: In Review

2012-01-02T20:58:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2012 is the year I have been working towards for a long time now. It is finally upon us and there is so much to look forward to!!! But first, I want to look back at all that 2011 had to offer because it was an amazing year in which I learned so much and experienced things I will never forget.

At the beginning of 2011, I returned to California for the first time since the previous summer and after spending my entire fall in Holland. I was very happy to be back playing with the National Team, with a successful 4 game series against Canada in January and two 4-nation tournaments in Argentina. The second 4-nation in Rosario, Arg. was a turning point for our team. We not only found a way to win games, we completely changed our attitude towards playing Argentina. Although it did not result in a win at the time, it gave us the confidence that we could beat them and the experience to know how we had to approach the game.

I flew directly from Argentina to Holland (well I did get to stop at home for one whole day!). For the next 2 months, I competed with HGC and took in as many sights as I could in the last weeks I had in such a wonderful country. My dad and brother even got a chance to come over and visit me for a few days! It was definitely an experience I will never forget, on and off the field. I want to thank all my teammates, coaches, and friends for all the fun, laughs, and learning experiences.

I had to miss the last few games of the season with HGC in order to return to the US Team for games against Japan towards the end of April. Once again I was happy to be back playing with my US teammates again. As much as I enjoyed Holland, there really is nothing like playing for your country.

Without much of a break, I headed back to Chapel Hill in May for High Performance Training with the South team. A week later, we were off to American University in our nations capitol to compete in National Championships. We went undefeated in competition, putting ourselves in the finals, and losing in a heartbreaker to New Jersey. We're going to be back on the rise in 2012 though, so watch out for us!!

Fortunately, I was re-named to the National Team and was also selected for the Champions Challenge in Dublin, Ireland. With only a week or so to train, we were in Ireland in no time. What a whirlwind of a tournament that was. Finishing 4th in pool play, then making the finals, and losing our lead to Japan in the waning minutes. Crushing really. But all part of our development and something we wouldn't soon forget.

After a little sight-seeing in Dublin, I made it home in time for some 4th of July celebrations (GO AMERICA!) and coached camp at my alma mater, Wake Forest. It's always nice being home to celebrate holidays with my family, as well as visiting my old stomping grounds and seeing my coaches and teammates again! GO DEACS! :)

With only 3 months left until the Pan Am Games, we returned to Chula Vista and hit the ground running. As you can see by my above schedule, I did not have a lot of down time the whole year. With my best interest in mind, this led my coaches to rest me during the August trip to Germany and Belgium. Although I was disappointed not to join my teammates (I never like missing trips), I agreed that going home to take a little more time off would be in my best interest in order to peak for the Pan Am Games. It was one of the most refreshing breaks I've ever had!

September arrived in no time, and so did the Kiwis! I was super excited for New Zealand to come play us in Chula Vista because a few of my teammates at HGC play for them, along with a few other Kiwis that played in Holland while I was there. NZ was a very skilled team and extremely speedy! I have a lot of respect for how hard they work. It was a good tune up for our last matches before Pan Ams.

After a few more weeks of training, we headed to Colorado Springs to do a little altitude training. This had its own challenges and obstacles, but we made the best of what we had and had a lot of fun! Spending a weekend in Breckenridge was definitely a highlight!

Days later, we were in Houston, TX for team processing and then on to Guadalajara, Mexico for the Pan Am Games. This was what we had been training for all year long. This was our time. We went through the tournament taking care of business and doing what we knew we had to in order to put ourselves into the finals. We did just that. The feeling of the final game was just amazing. We were so confident going in. We knew what needed to be done and I am so proud of my team for doing just that. As I said before, it was a team effort, by everyone on the field, as well as everyone at home. We qualified for the Olympics as Team USA.

The rest of the year seemed to fly by after this point. It was such a high for the year. I did make it home for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Our team also went to the NCAA Final Four to see the best of the best in our college system.

Traditionally, our team has December off from training, but with world ranked #4 Great Britain wanting to come play us in Chula Vista, we jumped back in to training in December. It was just the beginning to our Olympic training and it didn't take long to realize everything is going to be harder from here on out. We have to be able to play how we did in the final against Argentina for 8 games. There is still a lot of work and development to still be done. But we have the tools: coaches, players, capability. Which is exciting.

Two of my best friends from Chapel Hill came to visit me in California during our games against GB. It was so nice to be able to show them where I live, what I do everyday, and have some support on the sidelines!

I finally returned home for Christmas and New Years at home with my family and friends to end what has been a very long and exciting, but exhausting year. When I reflect on everything, the most important thing I realize is how very lucky I am. I am so very thankful for my family and friends who have supported me and allowed me to pursue my dreams. I'm healthy and doing what I love every day. 2012 is going to be the toughest yet, but it will all be worth it. I can't wait for all this year has in store. Please continue to follow and support me and my teammates as we strive to stand on top of the podium this summer in London!! GO USA!!

Very Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T07:35:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had the most wonderful Christmas yesterday, or are enjoying whatever holiday it is you celebrate! The holidays are my favorite time of the year! I mean who doesn't love cookies, candy, and presents?! haha, kidding. I do like those things, but this is the one time of the year I am guaranteed to be home from training and have time to spend with all my family. That is the best part!!

My day yesterday consisted of morning present opening, movie and nba viewing, a lovely Christmas dinner, and of course the annual drive through the neighborhood to look at lights! Highlights of day:

1. Getting a Nook!! (big shout out to my brother for this one!) It is going to be so nice to travel with and not have to carry around lots of books on trips!

2. My light up earrings :) (shout out goes to my teammate Amy Tran on this one!) I have a light up necklace and Amy found me these fantastic light up earrings to go with them! LOVE!

3. Breakfast Quesadillas on my Dad's brand new Quesadilla maker! (shout out to my mom for getting it and my dad for cooking 'em!) They were delicious!

4. Driving around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. A Christmas tradition at my house and I love to see how everyone gets into the Christmas spirit. For those are you that are big Tar Heel fans.... we drove past Roy Williams house and he had a few, nice simple lights up this year!

And the last.... and best highlight...
5. Spending the whole day with my family!! :)

What was your favorite part about Christmas this year? What was the best gift you received? Any holidays traditions you just absolutely love??

A few of the chocolatey treats I made:

My Mom's Half Pound Reece's Bar:

You know you're from CHAPEL HILL when "Santa" gives you these for Xmas:

Bringing a little Holland to America: Combining Sinterklaas and Christmas: Zwarte Piet in Santa's Sleigh!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

And although it was nice to have a few days off from training.... I'm right back at it today! No rest for the weary when the Olympics are barreling towards us, FULL STEAM AHEAD! :)

Friends and Family

2011-12-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

For those of you who were following our recent games against Great Britain, you already know that we had a rough showing. Although I never want to make excuses for losing (because I hate losing!), when everything is put into perspective, we were in a completely different training phase than GB was in. Not only had we only be back in training for a few weeks, we are just starting our Olympic build-up. By no means were we at our peak physically or mentally. With that being said, I still think the outcomes from the games could have been a bit better from our side. But what's done is done. Still, I do think we gained a lot from the series and can use what we learned going forward.

Despite the unsatisfying results, I did have a reason to be happy during the past week. Two of my best friends from back home in Chapel Hill, flew out to visit me in California!! Sterling and Elizabeth flew out last Wednesday and stayed until Monday evening. It was so nice having them there!! We got to do so many fun things from watching the sunset in Point Loma, to going for a hike at Torrey Pines, to visiting Balboa Park and the Museums, to eating way too much Mexican food! And of course we made a stop at the San Diego Zoo as well!!

Sterling and Elizabeth, along with all my other friends and family, have been constant supporters of my Olympic dream. It was really nice to give back a little to them and show them a taste of what my life is like day in and day out. Neither of them had ever seen me play live for the US team (they've only been able to watch me online), so they were super stoked to see us play. Even though we didn't win, they did get to see me score a goal, which was pretty awesome! :)

Although I wish we could have had a few more days (without games) to hang out and tour San Diego, my time is always limited and we all wanted to be back home in Chapel Hill for the holidays. Luckily, we still live close (well our parents) and will see each other a bunch over the next couple weeks!

I am so so happy to be home for the holidays! After a long year of traveling and playing, this girl needs a break and some family time!! 2011 was a great year though. A lot was accomplished. I am thankful for all the experiences, all the new people, and all the people who have always been there. Enjoy your holidays and cherish every minute!!

My baby Christmas tree :)

Bras for a Cause

2011-12-14T09:50:00.001-08:00

Recently, members of the WPS (Women's Professional Soccer) signed their sports bras to sell on eBay to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. The endeavor was a huge success! We thought the idea was very clever, so a group of women at the Training Center here in Chula Vista decided to mimic the idea. Monday night, we all got together and decorated sports bras that will soon be put on auction on eBay as well.

A few of my teammates and I participated in this event and we really enjoyed it. Not only did it allow to show our creative side, its always fun to support a good cause. Because I mean really, who doesn't want to 'Save the Boobies'?

Here are a few pictures of the Sports Bras we created! Enjoy! And keep a lookout for them coming soon on eBay! I will let you know when they are available for purchase!

All of the decorated bras:

The front of mine:

The back of mine:

Katie O'Donnell's:

Rachel Dawson's:

Katie Evans:

Team Behind the Team

2011-12-11T16:29:00.000-08:00

I think I put up a link before about the Team Behind the Team: aka all the supporters of the Olympic cause, but this is a new one. Without everyone's support, family, friends, and more, we wouldn't be able to do what we do.

To put your life on hold for 4 years (or more) to train for the Olympics is not an easy task. We barely get to see our friends and family with our rigorous schedule of training, matches, and tournaments. But I am thankful that I have so many people supporting me constantly throughout my journey. It makes it so much easier to focus on hockey knowing I have so much support.

So once again, I want to thank everyone who has supported me over the years, and who continue to support me. As the London Olympics approach, things will get hectic, but I always want to give appreciation to those who helped me get there!

So here's a little video, like the last one I posted, but geared a bit towards field hockey. ENJOY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDFYFs75nxw&feature=bf_prev&list=FL6XJYHcB5W8Pxnz9HsW162g&lf=plpp_video

Spirit. Refuse to Accept Anything but the Very Best. Roaring from the Stands. Cheering from Home. Makes our Olympians. Finesse. Power. Help of Every American. Spurred by Will of All.

We live the Olympic Spirit EVERY DAY.
GO USA!!!

Festivus

2011-12-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

Friday was our last practice before we start our 5 game test series against Great Britain, so we decided to have a little holiday themed practice. We aren't normally training during December, so this was the first time we have attempted such an event.

I should have expected that our team would go above and beyond for this though! Not only are we competitive and creative, we love the holidays!! Everything from Grandma, who got run over by a Reindeer, to Ralphie from a A Christmas Story, and even Christmas present boxes! It was pretty funny to watch everyone running around in their costumes during our weekly Friday soccer warm-up game.

The funniest costume was the 7 college kids all showing up in Morphsuits. They are those skintight suits that cover your entire body including your head. Half of them in green, the other half in red. The suits themselves are funny, but if you know those kids at all, they made them that much funnier. Breaking out into spontaneous choreographed (and unchoreographed) dance moves, it was definitely a different spin on holiday outfits!

Maren, OD, and I were Angels! O:)

Here is a picture of everyone in costume and a video we made:

Shop With A Jock

2011-12-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday, I participated in a program called Shop With a Jock, run by the Junior Seau Foundation. Junior Seau is a Hall of Famer for the San Diego Chargers and his foundation is constantly giving back. I jumped at the chance to help out with his latest event.

Shop With a Jock is an event where children from underprivileged families in the community are paired up with an athlete who help them shop for holiday gifts for their families. Along with Target who generously opens their doors, these children are given 100 dollars to spend on their loved ones. I just love the idea of this and couldn't wait to help!

As we arrived with a van full of athletes from the Olympic Training Center, we were greeted with loud music and a warm buffet. The pre-shopping events were being held in a huge tent in the Target parking lot. Immediately I could see all the kids dancing and running around with excitement. After getting a bite to eat, a few of us went over and showed off our moves as well! I must give a shout out here to Track and Field athlete Jerome Avery. He definitely turned some heads and got the crowds attention!

Soon after, we lined up with all the other athletes (many from the local colleges: San Diego State, UCSD, and USD)and got paired up with a child. I really wanted a little girl to take around and I was lucky enough to get my wish! MY little girls name was Amber and she was adorable!! She was very excited and was quite the little chatterbox. She really impressed me though. Not only was she a good spender, getting presents for all the people on her list (which was long!! 2 brothers, 2 sisters, mom and dad, and cousins!!) she saved enough money to buy dog food and cat food for the animal shelter. This amazed me and warmed my heart. This little 9 year old girl, who doesn't have a lot for herself or her family, wanted to use some of the money given to her (which she could have easily spent on herself) to give to the animal shelter and help animals in need. She definitely put a smile on my face for many reasons!

In the end, although I'm sure she was so happy to be able to hang out with an athlete for the evening, I felt very fortunate that I got to spend the evening with her. Even though I doubt she will ever read this, I want to wish her and her family a very Merry Christmas, and to let her know that she has inspired me.

I know at times my budget can be a little bit tight too, but there are always ways you can give back. Even if it is just your time and help, it never goes unappreciated.

Welcome to Olympic Training

2011-12-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

In our first training week back since winning the Pan Am Games, we got a little taste of what is in store for next few months leading up to the Olympics. Our coaches took no time to ease us back into things, as we hit the ground running, literally.

First and foremost, I must mention and welcome our newest addition to the team: Nick Conway! He was most recently the head coach of the Men's National Team and has now taken on the role of our Assistant Coach. We are excited to have him on board with our program! He brings a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm for the game of hockey, so it should be a great addition for us.

Monday morning we stepped onto the field and got a few of the cobwebs off our sticks. The first day back always has to be focused on the basics just to get everything running smoothly again. Monday afternoon we hit the weight room, or rather, it hit us!

Tuesday morning we laced up our tennis shoes and meet at the track. After running around in circles for 8 laps, we had completed our first timed 2-mile test. I can't say it is one of my favorites, but after finished just over 13 minutes, I was pretty pleased with my time. We wasted no time recovering and headed down to the field for a little corner practice. We can always do more corners!

Although it was a tough morning, there is no rest for the weary! We started the afternoon session with agility testing. In short, dripping through cone mazes as fast as you can. Don't worry, we were still feeling the effects of the morning run...

Wednesday we had another run, but with the day off from practice, it almost felt like a day off. I personally had a very busy day though. I had to take care of a lot of errands, send a few e-mails, fill out a few forms... but at the days end, I felt very productive and was ready for bed by 8 o'clock!

Thursday morning came early, with more fitness testing awaiting our participation. This time: the Beep Test! For those of you unfamiliar with this test, basically you run 20m back and forth between cones, you have to make it to each cone before the beep, the beeps get faster, and when you miss 2 beeps in a row, you are out. It is more a sprint repeatability test then straight endurance, but it definitely tests your ability to push yourself when you think you can't run anymore. It's a fight of one more, just getting one more. And repeat. I do have to give a big shout out to Katie Reinprecht for beating the beep test. She finished the test and ran out of beeps. Not only did she complete it, but she made it look easy, just jogging through the last level. I swear she can run forever!

We headed back into the weight room Thursday afternoon for another good lift. At this point in the week, our muscles were really feeling sore, tight, and heavy. Maren, her husband Ryan (who is in town visiting), and I made our way down to the soccer field for a bit and supported the Men's Paralympic Soccer team against Canada. They often train at the OTC, but have never played matches there, so this was the first time we got to see them in action! Although they lost 4-2, they put in a valiant effort and it was a very exciting game to watch!

Finally, we made it to Friday! This happens to be my favorite day of the week because we get to play soccer for warm-up! Such a great sport! :) Anyways, we knocked out some corners before ending the day with some sprints. Yes, more running. But it was a breeze compared to the rest of the week, and I thought it was refreshing to actually extend and stride it out.

Now that we weekend has a arrived, there are so many options to keep me busy! From relaxation and movie time to Christmas parades and going away parties, I'm sure there will be lots to get into.

Happy December! I love this time of year!

Giving Thanks!

2011-11-29T20:25:00.001-08:00

The final four weekend ended just like it started, in dramatic fashion. The final game saw the University of Maryland Terrapins come back from a 2-0 deficit with minutes left and finish it off with the 3rd unanswered goal. For those of you that followed the semi-finals, the University of North Carolina had done just the opposite to the UConn Huskies, coming back from a 3-0 deficit, sending it to OT with seconds left of the clock, and putting in the game ending goal minutes later. Very ironic finish to the weekend.

Although these games were exciting to watch, my favorite part of the weekend was our 3PC event on Saturday night. It was so nice to meet up with former National Team members and hear their many stories. Everything from crazy travel experiences, to funny stories about other teammates, to their amazing accomplishments before our time. It was nice to share our Pan Am win with those who pathed the way for our success. Without them, we could not have achieved what we have. A big shout and thanks goes out to Simone Attles, Rachel Dawson, and Maren Langford for setting up the whole event! It was fabulous! :)

THANKSGIVING: My absolutely favorite time of the year! Why? Well, besides the copious amounts of food you get to eat (without too much guilt) and all the football games on television, obviously the most important thing is time spent with my family. As much as I travel and spend time training in California, I always cherish my time at home with my family. I want to give thanks to all of them for supporting me endlessly in my journey to follow my dreams. I definitely couldn't do it without them.

That's not all Thanksgiving has to offer in Chapel Hill though! (Besides Black Friday of course!) Every Friday after Thanksgiving we have an alumni soccer game at my high school. The current men's team will play a period against the alumni, before the alumni play against each other. This always brings out many of my former high school teammates, as well as many others who just want to watch. There were up to 30 or 40 alums from both the men's and women's team. It was really cool to see that many of us back at East (ECHHS). I of course participated in the game and it made my day! I miss playing competitive soccer, and yes, I can keep up with the guys! ;)

Friday evening sees all of these people, plus the rest of our high school meet up at a local bar called Top of the Hill. As an unwritten rule, we always show up there the Friday after Thanksgiving for an unorganized high school reunion. Since I missed it last year while I was playing in Holland, it was awesome to see and catch up with those I had not seen for 2 years (or more). I love coming back to Chapel Hill. Some things never change.

As my time at home came to a close, I was sad to leave. But the journey to London 2012 must begin. There is still a lot of work to be done to reach the podium next summer. This week is basically testing week. Stay tuned for more to come once the week concludes...

(this blog is from a few days ago, but I was having trouble uploading it!)

NCAA Final Four

2011-11-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

As I pack my bag for this weekend's trip to the NCAA Final Four, I am reminded of my college days and the pure excitement this final weekend brings. It is the best of the best in college field hockey. I was fortunate enough to be a part of this experience all four years of my career at Wake Forest, and it was just as thrilling every year, even though we never got to bring home the National Title. Returning to the Final Four, now as a college alum and National Team member, I reflect on those amazing memories and I am grateful for all those experiences because they have brought me to where I am today. I look forward to seeing the new talents this years Finals has to offer, as these players are part of the future of USA Field Hockey.

This weekend will also be the inaugural meeting of the US Field Hockey Team Players Club, or as we like to call it, just 3PC. This group encompasses all US National Team players past, present, and future. Our goal is to keep a unified network between this select group of players. We may not have all played together, but we all play for the same team and we all strive for the same goals: to make USA Field Hockey the best it can be and the best in the world. We can learn from those who came before us and continue to teach the ones that will most certainly follow. So I am excited to gather with not only my current teammates, but past teammates, both of which I know and have yet to meet. I can only imagine some of the stories they have from teams past...

All in all, it should be a very fun and eventful weekend for hockey fans across the States. If you get a chance to go to any of the games, look for us in the stands and signing autographs between games! Also, we are playing exhibition games against the Senior All-Star Teams on Saturday, so come check us out! Look forward to seeing you there!

New Hobby?

2011-11-15T12:44:00.000-08:00

Some people wonder, what do you do with all your down time? Although it is nice being back in my hometown, my parents work, and my friends work or go to grad school, so there aren't a whole lot of people to hang out with during the week. This takes me back to the original question, what do I do with all my down time?

The obvious answer to this question is work out. But even that only takes up a few hours of my day. Oftentimes you will find me watching a movie or a sporting event, but the weather has been amazing this past week and I've wanted to spend all my time outside.

This has brought me to my new hobby... or rather an old one I am rediscovering: GOLF. A little history on this: As a young girl, my dad brought my brother and I out to the golf course a lot. I actually picked up a golf club years before I ever even knew what field hockey was. I was told I was a natural by age 8. I even went to golf camp (yes, it's true). I also won a golf tournament when I was only 12 years old. Some may wonder why I quit (my dad wonders that all the time!), but team sports had a much bigger draw for me.

Anyways, ever since I got into field hockey in middle school, I haven't really had much time to hit the links. In the past 10 years, I have probably golfed once or twice a year. So when a friend invited me to go golfing a few days ago, I said why not?! (Actually he told me he wasn't very good and knowing I am quite out of practice, I felt a little better about the adventure). As I left for the 9-hole outing, I told myself that no matter what happened, I wasn't allowed to get mad and it was just for fun. This can be a difficult task since I am so competitive and I never like to struggle with anything athletic, especially when I used to be pretty good!

I went out and actually did fairly well! In fact, I beat both the guys I was playing with, but to be honest, none of us were really that good. Once my dad got wind that I was out golfing, he jumped on the chance to take me again. He couldn't wait to see for himself how good I was, so he said. Personally, I think he just wanted an excuse to play a round himself! After a rough start, I pulled out a couple pars, almost birdied even. It turned out to be a fun day with the family, highlighted by my dad almost hitting a car and my brother hitting a house! haha.

Although you might think a golf swing is similar to that of field hockey, the swing is in fact very different! I learned that the hard way! As for a new hobby, you might see me out on the course a little more often in the next couple weeks. Well, as long as the weather stays nice! I'm a bit of a wimp when it gets cold! Stay tuned.... maybe one of these days I will actually hit that birdie! (Not the flying kind!)

What a Feeling

2011-11-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

It's been exactly one week since the PanAmerican Games Final against Argentina and I still find myself on a high of emotions and disbelief. It's not that I ever questioned the skill and desire of our team because I never doubted that we would win Gold down in Guadalajara, Mexico, but it's a feeling like I've never felt before. Not only are we qualified for the 2012 Olympics in London next summer, but we put out a fantastic performance against the world number one and have a lot to look forward to in the year to come.

With that being said, I have enjoyed the victory and celebrated with my teammates, family, and now friends at home, yet the time to refocus is drawing near. The year leading up to the Olympics is always the most demanding, as it is the peak of any athletes career to represent their country at the Olympic Games. Despite the hard work I know awaits, I am excited for the journey to get there with my amazing teammates. Keep following as it's sure to be a roller coaster ride!

I also want to give a BIG shout out to everyone who has been following and supporting me, as well as US field hockey, before and throughout the PanAm Games. Having the support of family and friends back home has made the journey all that more exciting and enjoyable.

In case you missed it, here is a link to the highlights from the final game:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2274157380082

Here are some pictures from the PanAm Games:

Finding Our Way In Mexico

2011-10-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the PanAmerican Village in Guadalajara, Mexico! We have now called this place our home for almost a week and although we’ve had to make a few adaptations, everything is running quite smoothly. Despite having almost the same meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we have found a way to mix the foods up a bit and have created a snack room back in the dorms for back-up. We have also had to make some adjustments with regards to the internet. We must go outside or down in the athlete center to pick up any kind of signal, which may still be questionable at times, but we’ll do just about anything to keep in touch with all our friends and family back home!!

Although our biggest task so far has been finding different ways to deal with all the down time! (I know what a terrible problem to have!) We are so used to having packed schedules, constantly practicing, having meetings, etc. that we aren’t used to quite this much down time in between games and practices. This is one of the most spread out tournaments we’ve played in. Don’t worry though, we are very creative and have found lots of fun games to play. We have completed two 1,000 piece puzzles, played a fair bit of cards, and definitely have had our books out and movies on throughout our week here. But the game that has become everyone’s favorite (ok it’s my favorite at least) is Pictionary!! We have played every night since we’ve gotten here, and the men’s team joins in the fun as well. It gets pretty crazy, but it’s really entertaining to see what people come up with.

Although we are having a great time off the pitch, we know when it is time to focus and that this is a very important tournament. As most of you probably already know, we played Mexico yesterday and won 5-0. It was a good start for us, with a very loud and rowdy Mexican crowd supporting the home team. We did a lot of things well and it was a good first game to build towards our ultimate goal: winning the PanAms. We have to continue to take it one game at a time and keep progressing forward. There is still a lot of tournament left to play!

Keep following our journey and supporting us along the way! We appreciate all the cheers we got from back home, keep ‘em coming!!

As always, GO USA!!!

One Week Until PAN AMS

2011-10-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I last blogged. The last month we have been training hard in our final preparation phase before the Pan Am Games, which happens to be our Olympic Qualifier. It has been a stressful and exciting time, with a series against New Zealand, the naming of the team and everything coming together from all the hard work we have put in this past year.

Just a week after we all returned back to San Diego, the New Zealand hockey team, also known as the Black Sticks, came to town. I was very excited about this because two of my fellow teammates in the Netherlands at HGC were amongst the Kiwi squad (Emily Naylor and Krystal Forgesson). I also knew a few of the other Kiwis from my time in the Netherlands since quite a few of them were playing on different teams. Anyways, the series did not turn out exactly how we had envisioned. New Zealand is a very good side and came to challenge us in top form. Most impressive was their speed. The Kiwis are by far the fastest team we have ever played, and by that I mean their entire team had some "wheels"! haha... We learned a lot from this series, which definitely helped point out the areas we needed to tweak before heading into the Pan Am Games.

After another week of training under our belts, we headed to the training center in Colorado Springs for some altitude training. Guadalajara is at approximately 5200ft and the OTC in Colorado Springs is around 6200ft, so it was a good opportunity for us to get acclimated to the Pam Am Games conditions. We were all excited to experience the life at a different training center, but I must say the food was definitely a highlight of the trip. Shout out to the cooks! The field was sport turf instead of water based, so that on the other hand took some getting used to. We definitely had to be alert and ready for any kind of bounce! We also got to spend a weekend in Breckenridge. Another big highlight of the trip!! Lots of team bonding time with no cell phones or computer! We even had a little "Top Chef" cook off... little did we know, we have some amazing cooks on our team!! My favorite part of this trip was the smores by the bonfire! Nothing better than a little fire and a delicious snack. Overall, the trip was a success! We got to get away from San Diego for a bit, do some hard training, get acclimated to altitude, and really bond as a team.

We missed our training center though. We missed the routine of our normal schedule, our homes, and the warm weather of San Diego. As much as we enjoyed Colorado and all that it had to offer, everyone was ecstatic to be coming home!

With less than a week until we depart of Mexico, the team will have a few more hard training sessions to put the final touches on our preparations. I know I am so ready to get down there and show everyone just what the RED WHITE AND BLUE can do!! We are in a really good position and have a great opportunity to take home the GOLD!! I hope you follow us in our journey to the 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES in LONDON.

GO USA!!!!

Family

2011-08-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

As the team returned to the US early this week from Europe, I also returned home from the beach. Although I had a great time with my family, it definitely was not the easiest task to follow my team while they were away. No, not because we didn't have internet or because I was too busy (although I was pretty busy!), but because I'm not used to being at home while the team if off playing.

With that being said, I am not bitter or upset about not going on tour. It was in my best interest to be at home, staying fit and resting in preparation for the our upcoming schedule, including the Pan Am Games. I just wasn't used to it, so it was a weird feeling for me supporting my team from afar. BUT, I cannot wait to get back out to California next week and hear all about their travels as well as how the games were in more depth. I know some it was a good opportunity for some other players to get some experience internationally and it will only strengthen our team and training's to come.

With as much as we train and travel throughout the year, we often don't get to see our friends and family back at home very often. I definitely took full advantage of that opportunity this past week! My aunt drove up from Florida, my cousin, his wife, and their daughter (Makaela, shes 7), as well as my parents and my brother all made the trip to Arapahoe, North Carolina to spend the week at the "beach". (The house is actually on a creek off of the Neuse River, so it's not really the beach- but it's on the coast of NC so I still call it the beach!)

Anyways, it was a fun-filled week of jet-skiing, boat riding, tubing, water skiing, wakeboarding, rowing, kayaking, hot tubbing, pick up soccer, darts, swimming, and crabbing. Not to mention all the amazing food my dad cooked up! We had shish kabobs, pork ribs, rotisserie chicken, chicken wings, and of course crab! Thanks dad for all the delicious food! Good thing I worked it all off on my early morning runs and all-day water sports!

Although I don't get to go to the creek house very often, I love it there. Most days consist of a little sleep in (which I didn't get this trip because I had to wake up early to do my workouts, but that's ok), a morning on the water (kayaking, jetskiing, or boating), a break for lunch, an afternoon nap, some more water time (always boating!), then dinner and a movie. If that doesn't sound like a great day to you, then I think you're crazy! :)

I would say the absolute best part of the trip, besides spending so much time with my family, occurred on the last morning. Everyone was a little slow getting ready to go Sunday morning because all the activities of the week had finally caught up. But it was my last day there for the summer and probably the rest of the year, so I wanted to make the most of it. I jumped on the jetski (my favorite toy there by far!) and took it out for a ride. The water was so calm and there were no boats in sight (well, besides my mom out on the row boat!). I soon found out that my mom had been following a dolphin around, so I went to check it out. I came in close and I almost ran over it! Don't worry, he was fine and just kept on swimming. At this point, I had to go get my little cousin Makaela because she loves dolphins and had been wanting to see them all week. She hoped on the jetski and we set off to find them! At first, I didn't think we would see them since they could have gone any direction, but she spotted them out of no where and there was a pod of around 10 dolphins all swimming together. We followed them along the river for about a mile, just watching them come up out of the water and swim along. It was a pretty amazing sight. One dolphin even took a liking to us. He kept swimming towards us, swimming under us, and circling us. Now I know dolphins are friendly and I think he just wanted to play, but after Shark Week just airing, there being a whole pod, and I almost ran over one minutes earlier, I wasn't too sure what his intentions were! So we just kept moving a little away, but so where we could still watch them swim. Every time though, the one dolphin seemed to keep finding us! It was the funniest thing. I really think he just wanted to play! Silly little dolphin! Although I have seen the dolphins before at the creek and I have swam with them in captivity, this was a completely different experience. They are amazing creatures and I have a new interest in them! Let's have a DOLPHIN WEEK instead (or maybe as well as) Shark Week! Come on Discovery Channel!

Well, this is my last week at home for a while and I am definitely going to enjoy it! Especially since training is going to really pick up when we get back- Pan Ams are right around the corner! :) Check back in a few days for another update on what I am up to!

Team Behind the Team

2011-08-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

This video is so true. I just wanted to give a quick thanks to all those that have supported me and team USA on our journey. Without the support you have given us and will continue to give us, we would not be where we are today. So thank you for all you sacrifice, and understanding how much we sacrifice in return!

GO USA!

Self-Discipline

2011-08-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked the definition of self-discipline. My explanation went something like this: Self-discipline is being accountable for yourself before anything else. You must take care of your own responsibilities and tasks before you can be concerned with others. In regards to sport, it means you do your workouts on your own, work on skills that you are weak at, and ask questions when you don't understand (just to name a few).

According to the dictionary, self-discipline is: the act of disciplining or power to discipline one's own feelings, desires, etc., esp with the intention of improving oneself.

It is no secret that all successful elite athletes have very high self-discipline. They would not have gotten as far without this ability.

Self-discipline comes into play in all factors of your life, but can be more prevalent in certain areas than others. Although you have to be self-disciplined in training, for those that play team sports, this may be an easier task when you have a coach and teammates helping to direct what you do and push you day in and day out. It becomes much more difficult for individual athletes and when workouts must be completed on the athletes own.

Our coach made a very interesting statement the other day. He said, "How successful would you be if you were an athlete in an individual sport?" His point was that when every part of training, success and defeat all depended on ourselves, and when our own performances day in and day out are highlighted, would we make it at the top level?

My answer to that question was an unwavering yes. But I saw his point and right now, I especially see how important his point was. Since I have been back and forth between the US Team and my club in Holland, I have not had much of a break the whole year. Therefore, I am taking some time away from hockey to relax, while still staying fit. This basically entails working out/running every day, but getting away from my hockey stick and the field. A sort of a refresher.

So for the next couple weeks I will be at home in North Carolina with family and friends. My self-discipline will be tested with the temptation of going to the pool and the beach and missing my workouts. BUT with the Olympics around the corner, I know this is the MOST important time for my self-discipline to be rock solid. Maintaining and improving my fitness level now is the most important thing I can be doing. So bearing the scorching temperatures of the East Coast heat wave, I will be out running around nonetheless!

Keep following my blog for all the adventures I get into while I am back home! Including a little family reunion that is sure to bring out some funny stories!

and of course... GO USA!!!! even though I can't be in Germany and Belgium with the team... I'm cheering them on and following them every step of the way!

The one and only Michelle Vitesse

2011-06-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

One of the funniest things I have ever seen on the hockey pitch... she is going to make history... Watch and enjoy!

or watch it (and share it) on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nvhDN3_VJE

GO STATES!!!

DUBLIN

2011-06-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Dublin, Ireland!!! We made it here safe and sound yesterday morning after a fairly uneventful day of traveling. Everyone and all of theirs bags arrived on time bright and early at 8:30am Irish time. Running on few to no hours of sleep, we checked into our dorm rooms on the campus of University College Dublin.

Of course one of the first things we want to do is sleep and eat! Sleeping mid-day when you are trying to adjust to a new time zone is always a bad idea, so we went to eat! We are eating in the dorm cafeteria, but the food is pretty similar to what we would find at home in the States which is always good! After lunch, we had a little down time to settle in before practice. Power naps of less than an hour were all that were allowed. I got a good 45 minute one in! Practice was our usual travel day practice: get a good run around and stretch, get used to the turf, and always have a little fun. Day 1 concluded after dinner, as we all pretty much showered and were in bed around 8!

Day 2 began with an early morning practice. We did some short and sharp drills to get our touch going on the new surface and ended with a few corners. Nothing too straining as we had another practice planned for the afternoon, which was a bit more intense with quite a bit of game situation play and scrimmaging. The highlight of the day was without a doubt getting bicycles! That's right, bikes! The field is about a mile away from our dorm, so our coaches decided that is way too much walking that will take away unnecessary energy from us which we need as this important tournament moves forward. Their solution was to rent the whole team bicycles for the week! Personally, I love riding bikes (maybe it's all that time spent in Holland...), but a few girls are not as comfortable on them and were a little unsure of the new adventures and obstacles riding a bike might bring. Oh yeah, and they drive on the left side of the rode, so we have to remember to ride on the left as well! So far so good, no mishaps or casualties... yet! haha...

Off to Ireland

2011-06-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

As I finish up my packing for our departure tomorrow to Ireland, I am happy that the Champions Challenge has final arrived! This past week of training was only a week and a half long, but it seemed to be one of the longest weeks ever!

With one of our shortest preparations ever before a big tournament, we had to fit a lot into a short period of time. Most of our team were returning players, but with a few new additions, we had to quickly catch them up to speed tactically. This included quite a few scrimmages and full practice games. We also focused a lot on corners because it is a very important part of scoring in today's game.

What this week really made me realize though, was just how important rest is my success. I always have known this fact and often when we are not in training, you can find me watching movies or even taking a nap. But every detail with regards to rest, hydration, and nutrition is highlighted in such a short, sharp preparation. Even one night's sleep (or lack thereof) can affect multiple day's of performance. Although it may seem like we are lazy or wasting our down time, for us, resting is a huge part of our recovery and is a necessary to success. It comes as part of the job.

So although it would be nice to get a job on the side or further my studies, the energy those things would take out of me physically and mentally would detract from my successes on the field. It may sound strange, I know, but to be the best at something, you have to put all your time and energy into that (on and off the field). So if anyone wants any movie reviews or has a good book suggestion to keep me occupied, just let me know!

Anyways... time to leave California and the great USA once again. With a full day of travel ahead of us, I'm sure there will be some funny stories of our adventures- there always are.

See you in Dublin!!
GO STATES!!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone was ready and geared up to go for the final game of National Championships 2011. The South had returned to the final to see the defending champs from the previous year. We came out strong, taking the momentum from the first whistle. With multiple chances early, including two 1v1’s with the goalie (which we failed to finish) we knew our goals would come. Then against the run of play, New Jersey found the back of the goal. We were down 1-0 after dominating the 15 minutes. We kept fighting and got the equalizer shortly after. With the continuing momentum into halftime, we knew the game was without a doubt within our grasp. We added another goal off a corner to take the lead midway through the second half. We could see the championship within sight. New Jersey wouldn’t give up though and again found a way to put the ball in the back of the goal despite our strong play. With a few more chances before the final whistle, we found ourselves headed into overtime. We remained confident that our momentum and dominance would surely give us the golden goal in the following minutes of extra play. Just minutes into the first overtime, New Jersey found a shot, and as it hit the backboard, we all stood in disbelief. None of us could believe that we just lost the game. We all had an empty reaction. Confused more than we were hurt by the loss. Disappointment set in because we had the chances to win and we played the game exactly how we had wanted to. Those losses are the most frustrating: the games where you were the better team, but somehow managed to let it slip away.

Despite this feeling of let down, many of us were quickly picked up with the announcements of the National Squad and Developmental Squad for 2011. We had 5 players make the National Squad (Jakie Kintzer, Katelyn Falgowski, Mel Brill, Jesse Gey, and myself) as well as 5 players make the Developmental Squad (Meg Dawson, Caitlin Van Sickle, Steph Fee, Marta Malmberg, and Kelsey Kolejejick). This was pretty much our entire starting line up!! Obviously, we proved ourselves throughout the tournament. I want to give a big CONGRATULATION to all of those on team South, as well as all others that made selections this past week. The level at the tournament was much higher this year, and I am very excited for the rest of this year and the future of US Field Hockey!

It was a long week and a long tournament and we all left exhausted. I was fortunate enough to head down to the little town of Arapahoe (right outside New Bern, on the North Carolina coast) to visit my parents at their beach house. My brother, my best friend from home- Sterling, and our good family friends (the Henry’s)- Nat, his mom Mareth, and her boyfriend Drew, all made the trip for Memorial Day weekend as well. It was absolutely an amazing weekend with even more amazing people.

On Saturday morning we got a little hot tub time before Sterling and I took the kayaks out amongst the dolphins that had swam into our creek. It is pretty unreal to be within 5 feet of dolphins in the wild. There were approximately 30 that came into the creek that morning, and they weren’t fazed by our presence in the kayaks. Only when the motor boats came for a visit did they decide to head back out to the river. Some of the others were out on the jetski at this time and we decided to let Mareth and Drew take a turn on the kayaks. Shortly thereafter, it was time to take the motor boat out for some wakeboarding and tubing! Nat and I took our turns on the wakeboard, but a storm began to roll in before we could throw some people off the tube! It was perfect timing though because we headed in for lunch just in time for the FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United UEFA Champions League Final. Sterling and I enjoyed the buttkicking Barca and our favorite player, Messi, gave to ManU! After this we squeezed in a little tubing time before dinner. Our neighbors Drew and Kathy joined us for kabobs and a lovely Saturday evening catching up with old friends. But the night wasn’t over yet! In nearby Oriental, the band was playing and the people were dancing. We headed over to join the fun. Under the star covered night, with a Corona in hand, the band played some oldies and for one night, I forgot all about the crazy whirlwind of travel and training that is my life.

As Sunday morning rolled around, I anticipated the many options that the day could bring! With fresh blueberry muffins in my stomach, I headed out on the water. Although the dolphins did not make another appearance this morning, we decided to make a little trip in the dinghy across the creek to the little beach in which we rightfully named “Shell Beach” since they cover the entire beach. We laid out for a bit and did some shell hunting as well. Yet again, a few stormy clouds rolled in and we headed inside for lunch and movie time. We watched Hall Pass which was hilarious! When the storm finally cleared, we went out for another trip on the boat! Everyone took a turn on the tube and my dad proceeded to throw each and every challenger off! Exhausted from the sun and water sports, we retired in for dinner. My dad made his AMAZING ribs in honor of Memorial Day with brownies and ice cream for dessert, and a belated birthday celebration for me. (My birthday was on Thursday, the 26th at National Championship). We sat on the couch again for another movie, this time Limitless. A very good movie, I recommend it if you haven’t seen it!

Finally Monday arrived, our departure day and Memorial Day. Sitting down by the water in the morning, while checking the crab pots (which sadly only had two baby crabs), I saw a Bald Eagle fly over head. I have never seen one in real life and it only seemed fitting for it to happen on Memorial Day. After spending a a long morning riding up and down the Neuse River on the boat along with a little jetskiing, it was time to head home.

This past weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. It was just perfect. A nice blend of fun and relaxation, with amazing food!, and even more amazing company. To be with my family and good friends whom I haven’t seen in ages made it an ideal couple of days. Especially with the hard week before and the definite tough weeks to come. It is a weekend like this that really makes me appreciate all that I have. How lucky I am to have these people in my life that support me no matter how little they get to see me, but enjoy every second we do get to spend together.

So a big thank you to them for everything they do and such a wonderful weekend.
But now, back to CALI and preparing for DUBLIN!!!

As always, GO STATES!!

We're goin' to the 'ship!

2011-05-26T16:50:00.002-07:00

It's has been a long week of hockey, dorm rooms, and campus cafeteria food, but we have finally arrived to the final day of National Championships 2011. It wasn't easy, but we managed to have fun in the process- and earn a spot in the final, the championship game. Today, we will suit up and face the New Jersey team one more time.

After a great start to the tournament, the last 3 games have been much more of a fight for us. It is hard to maintain an extremely high level of play and high tempo for a whole tournament. We saw this all too well this week. Although we didn't play our best, we managed to get the points we needed, and remain undefeated to put ourselves into the final. We tied Mid-Atlantic 1-1 in our 3rd test, as they tied the game in the final minutes. We only scored 1 goal in our 4th match-up against New England, but we did a better job late in the game keeping a clean slate. Against Pennsylvania in the final pool play game, we needed to tie, win, or not lose by more than 5 to make it into the final. We again saw our 1-0 lead go to 1-1 in the final minutes of the game. It is always disappointing to give up a win in the last bit of the game, but we got the job done that we came to do. We got to the final. At the end of the day, it didn't really matter how we got there, but it is nice to go into the last day with no losses and the best goal differential.

That being said, none of that matters today. None of the other games count today. It is one game and it is a must-win. It is the finals. We know it is going to be a fight. Both teams are extremely skilled, and we've both endured a long week of games. Although we are excited for it to almost be over and to head home tonight, we have a job to do first. And we want to finally be bringing that trophy back down to the SOUTH after a few years hiatus.

Here we go South!

I should probably try to stay on my feet a bit more today too! haha....

National Championship Update

2011-05-23T06:29:00.001-07:00

We arrived at American University in Washington, D.C. Thursday afternoon and soon after took the field for our last practice before the start of the tournament. We were confident going into it because we had practiced more than any team and many of us have played together before... a lot before. So our final day of preparation consisted of just getting used to the field, going over some set plays, and just getting our legs under us on a new field in a new city.

To say we were a bit more prepared for the first game than our opponent may be an understatement. Given the fact that California had to travel further than we did and only had 2 practices with their full team (on Thursday, the day before). We felt confident that our organization and cohesiveness would give us an advantage going into the game. Indeed it did. We scored 2 goals in each half, keeping a clean sheet at the other end, to leave us with a 4-0 win on the scoreboard. Although California is a very skilled team, we were fortunate to play them first. They have already improved tremendously from our game to the second and could make some waves as the tournament continues.

But every team improves as the tournament continues on. We are no different. We had one of our biggest tests in the second game though. New Jersey is the reigning Champ (for a few years running now) and we know from past experience they are always a contender with a lot of very skilled players. We feel this is our year though so we were up for the challenge.

The game started evenly matched. New Jersey found the back of the goal first on a corner. Minutes later, we did the same. But New Jersey wouldn't back down and responded with yet another goal and high pressure the rest of the half. We went into halftime trailing 2-1, but we knew we were not out of the fight yet- not even close. The second half started as the first, back and forth for each team. Finally with 11 minutes left in the game, we found the equalizer. As the momentum began to shift our way, New Jersey pushed pack, throwing more and more people forward into the attacking zone. We stayed steady, absorbed the pressure, and took advantage of our counter opportunities. We put 3 more goals in the back of the cage in the last 10 minutes to finish with a defiant 5-2 win.

It definitely felt good to knock off one of the top teams, but we know there is still a long tournament ahead of us, and every game is important if we still want to reach the final and have a shot at winning it all. Not to mention the pace of the game was so high that it is impossible to maintain that tempo for a whole tournament without burning out. Fortunately though, we had a day off yesterday to recover.

A few of my South teammates and I decided to go explore Georgetown for a bit in the afternoon. Georgetown is a very cute little town with lots of little shops and restaurants. It reminded me so much of Holland, just the way it looked and felt!

I was dying to stop by DC Cupcakes, but when we got there, the line was down the street! GO FIGURE!

So instead, we went to a place called Sprinkles and I got a delicious peanut butter chocolate chip cupcake! Mmmmm Lekker!!

Finally, to end the day on another Dutch note.... we went to the DC United vs. AJAX game!!! It was a great game- very exciting with lots of goal shots! Even though the final score was only 2-1, it was really fun for me to watch the Dutch side I had seen so often play while in Holland over in the states. Plus I love a good soccer match and DC United has always been one of my favorite MLS teams, I just don't live close enough to ever go to a game.

The Dream

2011-05-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

I saw this quote today and it really struck a chord with me.

“To be an Olympian, you must dream no other dream. You must come to love the taste of pain. The wounding defeats that force you forward. You must learn from others but work alone. Striving for goals that only you can set. You must do it all knowing the glory may elude you. The dream itself has to be enough.”

The words written above cannot be any truer than how I feel. It is a dream that I have been dreaming about since I was a little girl and caught my first glimpse on television of the amazing spectacle that is the Olympic Games.

I never embarked on my journey towards the National Team and the Olympics Games because of the fame or the money. It is always something I have wanted to be a part of, at the top of my sport, amongst those from all around the world that have reached the highest degrees of athletics as well.

The road to the top has never been easy. No matter what anyone may think, every single athlete has gone through wins and loses, ups and downs, triumphs and defeats. From Michael Jordan, to Mia Hamm, to Michael Phelps. They haven't won every race or every game. They haven't made every shot. But what they all have in common, is a dream. An unwavering dream and a desire to reach it that surpassed all others of their generation. They worked harder and longer. They learned from their mistakes. They also learned from coaches and teammates alike. They did all of these things because of their dream, their vision of standing on top. There were no guarantees. There never are in sports. But without the dream and the willingness to sacrifice for that dream, there is no chance for greatness.

So although I know there is no certainty that all the years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears I have put in will amount to my dream of one day not only being at the Olympic Games, but standing on that podium- I continue to DREAM.

No matter what, I will never stop dreaming.

Chapel Hill

2011-05-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

I did not have your typical experience growing up, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I grew up in Chapel Hill, NC, the home of the University of North Carolina. When the students are in the town, there are always things going on and people everywhere. When the students are off on break, it is almost a ghost town; it turns into a small Southern town where those who are full-time residents run into each other no matter where you go.

I love both sides to this town. Luckily, my High Performance team in based here and I get to return home for a week every year while still in training. In preparations for National Championships this year, I have returned to my hometown for what seems like the first time in ages! (Well, months really!) Not only do I love being able to see my family and friends that still live in town, I get to see some of my old college teammates as well!

Our High Performance team, the South, is made up of players from mostly Wake, UNC, and Duke. I have always enjoyed being able to combine the players from our schools in a fun, competitive tournament, when we are so used to being bitter rivals on the field during the college seasons. So now, as I return home and back to the High Performance team that I've always played with, it is great to see the many faces of the younger players behind me, but also the new faces as players graduate and new ones step up.

And after training with the National Team day-in and day-out, it is nice to be a part of a team with different players that proposes different challenges to overcome. Not only does it give me a chance to be a leader in new ways, I get a chance to see new things the younger generations might be doing, and it's always fun to see how much those youngin's have improved over the last year!

So although I have only been home a few days and attended a couple practices, I am excited for this years National Championships, with this team. I think we have a strong possibility to vie for the title! Watch out for us!! GO SOUTH!

San Diego and SEALs

2011-05-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

As our time here in California comes to a close (well, for this block anyways) we all get ready to head back to our regional sites for National Championships. It has been a busy couple of weeks, with the conclusion of our series against Japan. Although it did not end exactly how we would have hoped, we learned some things about ourselves as a team and individuals, as well as what works (and what doesn't) against Japan. This should serves us well down the road, particularly in the Champions Challenge in June.

After two weeks of non-stop training and games, we finally had 2 days off after the seres conclusion. This felt like ages, as we never have this much time off! Especially after weeks without a break. Friday night we had a BBQ at the beach which was just what the doctor ordered. Time to sit and relax, with the waves in the background, great food, and even better company! :) Saturday was a day to catch up on rest. I did quite a bit of sleeping and catching up on some TV shows I'd missed! Sunday morning, bright and early, a bunch of us met at the Lung Cancer Walk down by the bay. It was such a great cause to take part in! We took the stage to warm everyone up, then took park in the 5k walk with survivors and families who had lost loved ones. The walk raised over $100,000 for the cause. From there, we spent the rest of the day relaxing at the beach (actually Mission Bay which is quieter), getting away from the hockey world. I love the beach- playing card, reading, napping, watching the boats, taking the kayaks out, and just people watching. It never gets old! And that's why I love that we live in San Diego!!!

Finally, I thought that this week of practice would go back to normal. I should have known better. That rarely happens!! So Tuesday rolls around, when we were told practice would be pushed up an hour and a half to 7am (instead of 8:30), and we knew something was up. Our coach ran our warm-up (which never happens- we always run it ourselves) and our sports psychologist was coming in just for the day. We knew something was up, and we had already figured it out: the Navy SEALs were coming to OUR HOUSE. Without warning, the SEALs popped out from their hiding spots and took over.... needless to say, it was a long day!! From pushups to crawling to running, we did it all. We did countless log carries up on the Archery field (yes, they brought their logs with them), then we carried to boats (they brought those too!) down to the lake for hours of rowing and competitions. Personally, my favorite part of the day was when we got to Dump Boat (aka flip it over) when we were on the water. :) We finally pulled the boats out of the water around 11am, 4 hours later. We were then told to hop in the vans... I knew there was no way we could be just heading back to the training center. No way this day was over. As we drove through the local neighborhoods, we realized we were going to running/hiking one of the mountains that is the beautiful backdrop to the lake we look at everyday. After close to 3 miles of up-hill battling, and almost an hour later, we all made it to the top of Mt. Miguel. On one of the hottest days of the year in San Diego, after 4 hours of training, the SEALs told us we made it in the same time if not faster than some of their guys, who do it in shorts and a t-shirt (we were in camo pants long sleeves) and without training beforehand. I would say it was a pretty successful day. The view from up there was amazing too! You could see downtown San Diego, Coronado, Mexico... if only we had our cameras!

So as this final week comes to a close and we head to our regional sites for training, we know that when we return to San Diego, the team could very well take a different look. A new team will be named for the coming year and anything can happen. I wish all my teammates the best! I can't wait to see you on the field in DC! And GO SOUTH!!! :)

USA vs. Japan

2011-04-27T09:26:00.001-07:00

It has been an exciting week back here in Chula Vista. I arrived back in sunny Southern California just over a week ago and haven't stopped since I touched down. I jumped right back into the team as we were finishing our final build up for our series against Japan. After spending the last couple months playing back in Holland, with HGC, I was excited to rejoin my US teammates and catch up on everything I had missed. Similarly, they were eager to learn of all my adventures and experiences abroad.

Saturday, game day, arrived in no time. To say that everyone was energetic and ready to get back to playing is an understatement. The team hadn't played a game together since mid-February down in Argentina and I could tell everyone was ready to see the results of practice and take on some new competition. After doing so well in Argentina against some of the world's best, we were confident in our chances against Japan, ranked #9 in the world, even though they are still ranked ahead of us. We came out strong gaining a 2 goal lead in the first half. Unfortunately, we gave up a goal at the end of the half and right after halftime to see the game tied once again. But, that didn't shake us. We picked up the intensity and continued to fight, as we always do. When the final whistle sounded, we saw ourselves on top 4-2. Definitely a good start to the series.

Easter Sunday was our second test against the Japanese. We knew they were going to come at us in the second match. Not only had we upset them in the first, they had more time to adjust to the jetlag and would be better physically prepared for the second duel. We absorbed their pressure, matched it, then pushed back harder. We found the back of the cage 3 times and kept a clean sheet in the back. A shutout in any international is always big positive.

Even though the game took up most of our day on Easter, many still found time to go to church and we still had a nice get-together for dinner. We did it potluck style, and all the dishes were delicious! We had everything from ham, green beans, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, to brownies and cake! We also got in a quick easter egg hunt and pin the tail on the bunny! haha... all and all it was a good evening!

Yesterday, we played our third match. This one was a bit different for us because we not only changed our structure (to practice another formation to see how Japan would react to it), but also because we had different personnel from the first two tests. We definitely had to work through some insecurities in the movement and structure of our new formation, but we persisted and ended the game even in a 1-1 tie. Shout out to Katelyn Smither on her first cap! And to the Navy SEAL Leap Frog team that parachuted onto our field before the game!

I am excited for today's game though. I know many of us were not happy with a tie yesterday after our first two performances, so I expect we will put out a strong performance today! Stay tuned!

Also, shout out to HGC Heren 1 for making it to the EHL final four!!

'If' by Rudyard Kipling

2011-03-08T04:50:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite poems:

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Winning

2011-02-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday's game versus Germany was the breaking point for us. We have been knocking at the door of some of the best teams in the world, dominating them at times, yet falling short on the scoreboard. We knew our time would come, and it did on Sunday, after extra time and strokes.

Sunday's game was not only hard fought by both sides for 70 full minutes, but for the 15 minute extra time to push it into strokes. We saw ourselves down a goal at half, but fought back to tie it up in the 2nd. Falling behind yet again, we continued to persist and got the equalizer before the end of the game. With chances in overtime, and a corner with no time left, we didn't connect on the final goal.

We continued forward, trusting in our teammates. Strokes are a very difficult part of the game. Not only is it nerve wrecking, you put all your trust in 6 players- the 5 strokers and your goalkeeper. You trust them to do their jobs and win the game you all have fought so hard to win in the last 85 minutes of play. But I knew those 6 players could do it.

The first two strokes by each team were made. Ok still even. The next stroke, they missed. Ok here is our chance for the lead. Their goalie saves it. Ok, fair enough, we are still even. They make it. We make it. 2-2. They miss. We make it. 3-2. All we need is Jackie to stop this one, and we win. If not, we still have our last stroker to win the game. Without a doubt in my mind, I knew we had it. As the German player pushed with all her might, I watched as the ball sailed wide of the goal. Immediately, I was running along with my teammates to congratulate Jackie and celebrate a hard-fought, well-deserved win, that put us in 3rd and on the medal stand.

For all those tough games and all that we had put on the line, the feeling of finally breaking through and getting the result on the scoreboard against a great team, and one of the top in the world, was amazing.

That being said, we enjoyed the night- took in that victory. We will remember that feeling. But, we know the tournament starts all over in Rosario. We have a clean slate, just as everyone else does. What we did last week doesn't matter. We have a chance to do even better this week, but we know our opposition will be just as tough. We are ready though. We got over one wall and we are not gonna fall back down. I am excited for a new venue, new fans, and a new chance to do some great things this week!

Drug Testing

2011-02-13T09:02:00.000-08:00

As a professional athlete and a member of an Olympic sport, we get drug tested. We can be drug tested at almost any time, anywhere. We even fill out forms detailing where we all at all times. Yes, that's right, when you leave the country or decide to take a day trip to the beach, you have to inform USADA, the US Anti-Doping Agency. This regulates US athletes. Above that, you have your sports international governing body who can also drug test you. For us it is the FIH. They can test you anywhere as well, in or out of competition. Sounds fun huh?

So over the years I have had my fair share of drug tests. They came to my house in college, my practice in college, on tour, and of course in California at the training center. But of all the random and inconvenient occurrences I have had, last night's takes the cake for most ridiculous!!

They randomly selected one person from each team to be drug tested last night, and of course I got picked. (Which I thought was funny because in 2008 when we came to this same 4 Nation tournament, I happened to be selected then as well). Anyways, the German girl got into the doping station before I did, so I had to wait about 10 minutes for her to finish. Which was okay with me because I had sweat so much during the game that when the chaperone (she has to stay with you post-game until you are finished your testing) told me I was selected I drank 2 water bottles in hopes that it would help.

As it was my turn to give my sample... I filled the cup as directed, but seconds later I noticed I seemed to have less in the cup... and it was collecting on the floor (gross I know..)... I quickly realized there was a hole in the cup!!!! I know tons of athletes who get tested all the time, but I have never heard of this happening to anyone before!! I had a good laugh until I realized I could no longer give another sample... I had already gone! So I sat down, drank 4 Gatorates, and waited. Then, I waited some more! About an hour later, after just sitting around in this little (smelly) doping control bathroom, I was ready to give another sample. (Don't worry I checked the cup 5 times for holes beforehand!) Finally, once my test was over, my team was already back at the hotel enjoying dinner and debriefing our game. At this point, there was only 15 minutes left in the Argentina/Australia game that had started after our game... and I didn't make it back to the hotel until 11:30pm (our game had been at 7.. so we were done by 9).

We did get dinner at the hotel though AND my teammates were nice enough to save us some birthday cake from Lee's birthday!! It hit the spot.

Definitely one for the books. Funny now that I look back on it... somehow, that would happen to me! haha.

Ups and Downs

2011-02-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

Nothing in life is perfect. No matter where you are or what you are doing, there are going to be ups and downs. We like to believe that there will be more ups than downs, and that those ups are worth all of the downs. In order to be successful, it is inevitable you will encounter obstacles and roadblocks. These interruptions are opportunities to learn and grow if we allow them to be.

This 4 Nation tournament is the building blocks of what we hope to achieve by the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico in October of 2011. Early in our preparation, we have some new players, new systems, and still a lot to learn. That doesn't mean we can't be successful against some of the top teams in the world though- and we know this.

In our first match, we faced the reigning World Cup Champions in the home country of Argentina. In what proved to be a lively crowd for the home side, we were playing in an environment unfamiliar to many of us. We used their cheering as motivation, as if they are cheering for us, and enjoying the experience of a large enthusiastic following for our sport. Unfortunately, we broke down tactically a bit in our defense during the first half. We started strong and even had the first few chances of the game, but within a 20 minute period, the Argies found the back of the net 5 times. Trailing 5-0 coming out of the lockerroom, we were not pleased with our start and knew our attacking play matched that of the opposing side. We cleaned up some things and kept them off the scoreboard for the rest of the game, but were unable to capitalize ourselves on some positive chances of our own. A 5-0 score is disappointing no matter who you are playing, even if they are #1 in the world.

No doubt we learned some big lessons that game. And as we always do, we never have repeat poor performances. Knowing little and much about the Australians at the same time (our coach, Lee is Australian and knows them well, but most of us had never played them before...) we were ready for a new challenge (as apposed to Argentina who we know all too well). We came out firing against Australia, but again failed to find the back of the cage. Persistence is one quality our team possess though and we kept attacking. As momentum built in our favor, an Aussies forward found a ball that squeaked through our defense and capitalized on her 1v1 with our goalie, Jackie. We continued to push. We had chance after chance but couldn't finish the final skill. Time wound down and we saw the game end with the lone goal by Australia. To put this low into perspective, Lee reminded us that everything we did was right, we played well, and we dominated the stats. We need to get return for our efforts, but it will come. As an elite level athlete, you hate to lose though, and no matter how well you played, it is still a bit frustrating not to be atop the scoreboard.

Friday was a much needed day off (from games) and we had a fun practice to keep everyone positive. Since it was Friday, we still have our tradition of soccer warm up! My favorite day of the week because I love soccer and it is just fun to be competitive in a different arena. Plus, it's really funny to watch some people play! We played for almost half of practice, and the coaches and staff all joined in as well!

Saturday was another chance for us to take a step in the right direction. We had already made some big strides in the first two games, we were ready for the game against Germany to be our turning point. We knew the game plan and we came out strong. Germany was a tough opponent though and they wouldn't back down. They got on the board first with a reverse shot that threw Jackie off. Shortly after we responded though with our first goal of the tournament- a tip in on the far post from Pam (her first international goal!). The game went back and forth a bit, but Germany used 2 corner goals to add to their lead. We still struggled to finish and lost 3-1. With the frustration building, Lee again reminded us that our time is coming and we need to continue to take the good things out of the game.

With Argentina and Australia tying in the second game, we are pitted against Germany once again today in the final game of this part of the 4 Nation tournament. A rematch that we are excited about. We know we are capable of getting the results because we know we have the skills and knowledge to do so. It is all just a matter of putting it all together and keeping our composure the whole 70 minutes. I think we are ready.

GO STATES!!!!

Soccer and a good cause

2011-02-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

So one of my good friends who played soccer at Wake Forest, Michael Lahoud, now plays in the MLS for Chivas USA. He told me about a really awesome thing they are doing for their season home opener this year:

He and Chivas USA are joining efforts with Schools For Salone to help rebuild schools in his home country, Sierra Leone. Schools For Salone is a non-profit organization committed to helping Sierra Leoneans rebuild many of the rural schools that were destroyed during the horrific ten year civil war, ending in 2002. He is proud to be a native of Sierra Leone and has always felt a calling to help the many people in need. With your help we can get a step closer to not only rebuilding schools but also creating new hope for the less fortunate people of Sierra Leone. Please join him on Saturday, March 19, as Chivas USA hosts Sporting KC for the Home Opener.

For more information on how to help or donate please visit http://www.cdchivasusa.com/michaellahoud. Ticket proceeds from this website will be going to Schools For Salone.

This is a really good cause and it will be a great game of soccer to watch! If you are in the area I encourage you to take this opportunity to go to an MLS game!!

Argentina!

2011-02-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

5am (PST) Sunday Feb. 6th: WAKE UP
6am: Hop on the bus from Chula Vista to LAX
12:30pm: Flight from LAX to Santiago, Chile (with a short stop in Lima, Peru)
6:30am Feb. 7th (1:30am PST): Arrive in Santiago, Chile
9:30am: Fly from Santiago to Mendoza, Argentina
12:00pm: Arrive at hotel in Mendoza

If you do the math... we traveled for over 24 hours. For once, things went smoothly with everyone arriving on time with all of their baggage! (I think that is a first!) Yet, as we walked of the last plane and through customs, we looked like zombies due to the lack of sleep, and a few of us were still trying to cope with the fact we missed the entire superbowl!

Anyways... the first rule of traveling is to try to adjust to the time zone as quickly as possible. In order to do this, you must stay awake until it is the proper time to sleep. Let's just say... none of us quite made this and all caught a quick cat nap once we got to the hotel. Personally, I felt like a new person when I awoke from my slumber! Ready to head to the field and remenise of all the memories we have made here in Mendoza in the past.

But like all tours... something is bound to go wrong eventually... and as we arrived to the field we were informed that the watering system was broke. Questioning the liklihood of practice, our coach quickly told us that we would be running instead! Woohoo! haha... Adapt and adjust! So we got moving to get rid of the lactic acid we built up on the plane and then did get to do a little stick and ball, and shooting at the end. I sure hope the water is fixed for tomorrow though!!

Well that's all for tonight! Time to head to bed! Goodnight all! More to come soon....
GO STATES!!!

it's not all fun and games... unless you make it that way!

2011-02-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Hello World! It has been a busy start to the 2011 campaign for USA Field Hockey, but it has no doubt been a good start to what will be a great year for us! Let me give you a quick recap....

We arrived back in California for training on January 17th. The first two days went pretty smoothly as everyone was happy to be back and catch up after our months away from each other. But we did't take the practices lightly, as we hit the ground running with our first test series against Canada starting on the 19th. We came out strong and ready with a bold 4-0 win in the first game. We wanted to make a statement early on and we did just that. With double trainings on Thursday, we hit the field again Friday. Our bodies were feeling the first week soreness though and we struggled a bit to control the game. Falling behind at halftime, we found a way to push through the bumps and bruises and find ourselves atop the scoreboard 3-2 when the final whistle blew. Knowing we couldn't have another showing like that, we turned around Saturday, scored 2 goals, and kept a clean sheet in our backfield. Normally Sunday is a day off for us, but not this first week back. Not only did we have to take our team photo, many of us did a 5 hour photo shoot with our sponsor Asics, on top of a fitness run. With one final game to go Monday morning though, there was no way we were going to let Canada get anything out of us.... and we finished off the series with a decisive 6-0 win. Although Canada is not one of the highest ranking opponents we play, there is a rivalry there and there was still a lot we gained by playing them early on in our development phase for this year. Overall, a great start to 2011.

We weren't done there though. No rest for the weary. As our coaches promised us, this would be a challenging year where we not only push the limits, but we demand of each other a high level of commitment and skill. If we keep doing what we've always done, then we will get what we've always got... and for us, that's not good enough anymore. In combination with Sports Psych meetings, we paid a little visit to the decorated Navy Seals down the road in Coronado. In one of the most physically and mentally exhausting experiences of our lives, we spent 5 hours doing as the Navy Seals do. Push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, wet and sandy's, running miles carrying a boat, running miles back carrying a 30lb rucksack. We did it all. In ways you can only imagine unless you have been through it, we pushed ourselves to go longer and further when our bodies felt like they could no longer function, our minds took over in the moment of the action. This is a lesson we all hope to take back to our field of play, just being in the moment each step of the game. That is how a true champion succeeds no matter what the environment and obstacles around them.

Still without a day off (down to one-a-days instead of doubles) we finished the week with a few lighter practices (as our bodies were pretty crushed after the Seals training- just ask our massage therapist who was super busy those next couple days!) As the weekend hit, the opening game of the newly founded Asics League was played on Saturday between the Pacific Beach Panthers and the Coronado Islanders. (My team the Point Loma Suns wasn't playing in the inaugral game.) But finally on Sunday we had our first REAL DAY OFF!!! It was glorious! haha...

Compared to the first two weeks, the third week of training was not quite as eventful... although we did have to do a concussion test, blood work, get physicals, and do fitness testing. So our schedule still wasn't back to normal and we still had minimal amounts of free time.... but sometimes that is just life!

Despite all of the craziness of the first few weeks back with the National Team, for me it was very refreshing and inspiring. My teammates are like my family and I hadn't seen them in 5 months. It was and is nice being back in their company and training with some of the world's best athletes. Seeing all of the other athletes at the training center that I have become close with over the years always reminds of how special it is to get to do what I do every day. It is hard to explain, but the feelings of excitement and anticipation for the amazing year ahead just flowed through me everyday.

HAPPY 2011!

2011-01-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all of my family, friends, and followers!

I apologize for taking so much time away from my blog, but it has been a nice break for me to be at home with my family and friends, and I have not been at my computer much.

After an exhausting 3 day trip to get home from Holland, I not only had barely missed the massive snow storm that hit all of Europe and closed down all of their airports, I had spent a day in Iceland, made some new friends, and thankfully made it home. As frustrating as all of that travel was because I couldn't wait to get home, I actually had a lot of fun and never imagined I would be able to visit Iceland! Definitely another adventure to add to my ever growing travel experiences.

Since being home, I have been super busy. Obviously I have spent a lot of time with my family, but I spent a lot of time with friends as well because most of them were home for holidays too. So although we return to Chapel Hill from all over the country and all over the world, somehow it seems like we continue right where we left off. That is what I love about Chapel Hill. Most of you have probably heard of it because it is the home of the University of North Carolina. But over the holidays, when the students are gone, it is a completely different town. It returns to the small Southern town that I have always known and loved. Where you see someone you know every time you go out, and as much as things change, they always seem to stay the same. It is very comforting and just what I needed after all of my travels and adventures abroad.

Being home isn't always easy though. I still have to follow my workout regimen and it can be a bit tougher without all the amenities of the Olympic Training Center, including other people to do the workouts with! On top of that, we actually got some snow this year, which closes everything down in North Carolina! This left me stuck at home. Fortunately my mom got a new treadmill a few months ago!!! Also, even though I made friends with the people at the local gym -- doing our workouts in there sometimes can be a bit difficult. Not all of the equipment is the same and I'm often the only female hanging out in the weights area of the gym! But that's also kind of the fun part. It was also pretty funny when I got a few of my friends to come do my workouts with me though. Needless to say they weren't too happy with me the next day! haha... they are troopers!

Anyways, next week we start back up in California with our full-time training, and Canada comes down for some matches as well. I am very excited to get back out there and see everyone. It has been 5 months since I have seen the team!! We have a big year ahead of us, and I have a feeling 2011 will be a good year for US Field Hockey. Keep following us and supporting us as we prepare for the 2011 Pan American Games this October!

Last week in Holland

2010-12-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

As I finish up stuffing the last few things into my suitcase in preparations for my flight home tomorrow, there is so much going on in my head! First, I'm running through my packing list to make sure I have everything! It's crazy how many things you can accumulate in just a few short months! Next, I made sure everything is set back home- I have a ride from the airport and even a plan for the weekend already! (It is my Mom's birthday after all!) Finally, I sit down and it all sinks in that I am actually going home!

I have done a lot of reflecting in the past week on my experiences here in Holland. Although I can't wait to go home, see my family and friends, eat familiar foods, and get back to old routines, there are so many things I have learned from and enjoyed while being here. I have gotten to travel around Holland quite a bit and see some pretty cool places. I have gotten to experience the life and culture first hand by not just living here, but by living with a family. I have eaten dutch foods. I learned how to use public transportation. I have learned how to navigate in another language. I learned to make my bicycle my best friend. But the absolute best thing about being here has been all the amazing people I have met. They are what have made my time here and my experiences so enjoyable. I know I will miss them when I am back at home, but I also know I will see them again in a few short months.

One of the biggest things I have learned though is to appreciate everything I have. It's not that I didn't appreciate it before, but being here gave me a whole new perspective on my family, friends, and opportunities I have been given. I appreciate them that much more. Even little things that are often taken for granted, such as being able to just hop in the car and go somewhere, or call a friend on the phone just to chat. If I want to go somewhere, or get into contact with someone at home, it takes a lot more effort: more planning and more time. In the end, it is worth the effort, but it will be nice to be home with all of these privileges again.

So whatever you are doing, wherever you are this holiday season, I hope you enjoy it and appreciate every moment you have with loved ones, family and friends!

That's all for now. I hope all my luggage makes it! Ready or not.. USA here I come!!

Sinterklaas

2010-12-08T02:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend was finally Sinterklaas! As I explained before, it is similar to Christmas. Not only did I get to learn more about the holiday and celebrate with my teammates, but I also got to celebrate with the family!

It is tradition that the children get presents from Sinterklaas (but it is not like Christmas because everyone else in the family does not exchange gifts). As you get older, instead, you exchange poems(and maybe a small gift). So for our team Sinterklaas party, we did it Secret Santa style. (For those of you that don't know, everyone randomly gets someone else so no one knows who has who!) Anyways, we had to write a poem and get a little gift. I had heard many stories about these poems in past few weeks and how they are often geared toward roasting (making fun) of the person the poem is about. Now, I have never done this before, obviously, so I did not want to start my experience with hard feelings, so I just made mine a nice poem!! I also wrote about 20 lines, which I thought was pretty good, until I found out most had written a whole page, or even more.... whoops!! Everyone was understanding though that the foreigner didn't know any better!

As we went around reading the poems, some were funny, some were nice, but all of them rhymed just right! There was a rule that they had to be all in English, so most of them were, which was nice so the few foreigners could all understand and enjoy them too! It was funny when people got called out for things throughout the season; even our coach wasn't excluded! A few did not take the criticism too well, but I got roasted a bit too and laughed the whole way through! All in all, it was great fun and we had a wonderful meal that everyone contributed to! I definitely would love to bring the poem part of the holiday back to the states. It makes everyone be a bit more creative and reminds you of some good times from throughout the year.

I wrote a little poem since I was in the mood to rhyme:

It's that time of year
When Sint comes to bring holiday cheer
He comes along with his Piets
Who bring lots of great treats
Decorated with ribbons and curls
For all the good little boys and girls.

Finally on Sunday, I had a Sinterklaas celebration with the family. A few of their friends and their children came over as well. Sinterklaas and his Piet actually came to the house!! Sinterklaas talked to each child and asked them what they most wanted. He also knew all about them! ;) It was really cute to see how excited the children were. At the end, Sint gave them their presents, and told them to be good all year. It reminded me a bit of Christmas, with the children telling Santa what they want, etc. It was a nice little celebration and fun to experience first hand!

This weekend definitely got me in the holiday spirit, and I can't wait to go home and celebrate with my family!!! I head home in just 8 days!! It's almost like I get two Christmases this year! :)

All the presents and poems at the team Sinterklaas party

Sinterklaas cake!

Sinterklaas at the house

All the kids love Zwarte Piet

8 to 12

2010-12-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

Today was a very busy day!! I had to be up at 8 to help get the kids ready for school. Today was no ordinary day though! It was Lilysky's birthday!!! She turned 6! The table was already set with Hannah Montana decor, balloons were blown up, and streamers were hanging from the walls. In the Netherlands, it is a tradition on your birthday that you bring in the cake for everyone else. So Lilysky had to bring in cake a little gifts for all the kids in her class! A bit different than how we do it in the States!

As Lilysky and Declan left for school, I had to keep a close watch on Quinn to make sure all the decorations stayed in place. Both Sharon and Kees (the parents) were running around town making sure all the last minute details were in place, including picking up the Hannah Montana cake! Wednesdays the children get out of school early, so by noon, all of the kids were at the house. Along with the 15 guests came 15 presents! Lilysky had a blast opening all of them! (I don't think I've seen more presents for a 6 year old in one place!!) When it was time to sing Happy Birthday, I was nicely surprised when everyone sang in both Dutch and English!

After some cake, all the kids were off to BubbleGym (a large playground) and Glow-in-the-Dark Miniature Golf... except for Quinn and Dex. (Dex is 3 years old, but his mother was helping with the party so I offered to watch him as well for the afternoon). Thankfully, he was really easy (even though he didn't speak any English like the kids in the family I help with). I know enough Dutch now though that I could understand what he was saying most of the time. Also, we watched Dora the Explorer and Shrek, and for both he asked me to put them in English! It was definitely nice for me to be able watch them! It ended up being a relaxing afternoon.... until the party arrived back at the house...!!

Imagine all of the children (15) plus all of their parents (another 15), plus some siblings, a few family friends and the grandparents. The house was full of people!! It was a bit hectic and chaotic to say the least. But by the time everyone left... I was just leaving for practice!!

No, the field was not playable. We actually went and played indoor! Indoor sticks, courts, and all. I was laughing as I showed up tonight because the last time I played indoor was about 6 years ago in high school. I haven't even touched an indoor stick since then! Now, I did play all of high school, so for 4 years, so I know the rules and tactics. But the touch on the ball is quite a bit different than outdoor (not to mention I had to borrow a stick because I didn't bring an indoor stick with me!). We just played 6v6 games, and my team ended up winning all but one! And I actually played surprisingly well! Indoor is so much faster, so you have to react a lot quicker and anticipate where the ball is going. It was so much fun though!! I forgot just how much fun it is!! I sure hope we get to play again before I come home... :)

Anyways, so after I finally got home, showered, checked my email and wrote all this... I have been up from 8am and will be going to bed at 12am. What a long day!! Good thing I have some time off tomorrow!!

Happy 6th Birthday Lilysky!!

Hockey game and practice cancelled...

2010-12-01T14:55:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning I woke up ready to play. We were scheduled to play Hurley, a team from Amsterdam, which includes Lauren Powley and my roommate/teammate from college Minou Gimbrere. With only 2 games left in season, I was definitely ready to get a few more points before we leave for break. As I biked to the club, I couldn't help but notice the snow that was still blanketing the field. The playing conditions were by no means optimal, but I was still optimistic that by gametime within a few hours, the shining sun would melt the snow away. The officials showed up and announced that we would continue with the game, but not on the main field. The practice sand field was in a more playable condition. Dressed and ready, we attentively listened to our coach, Peter Taylor, give us the game plan for the day. But mid-meeting, we were interrupted. A decision had been made to cancel the game. What a shame! So for the first time since I arrived in the Netherlands, I had no game on Sunday! We all didn't know what to do with ourselves! I can't imagine that we will be able to play next week, or the weekend after (when our Hurley game is rescheduled for) because it is only getting colder, and snowing more!! In fact, practice was cancelled yesterday, and we are playing indoors tonight. I guess we just have to wait and see! But with below freezing temperatures, you won't find me outside unless I have to be!! (Or maybe if I'm making a snowman or snow angels with the kids!!)

Amsterdam and Thanksgiving x2

2010-12-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

Friday's weather was not much better than Wednesday's. It was so cold that the field was beginning to freeze. The men's team was generous enough to end their practice a bit early so that we could still get some time on the field. We only got in about an hour and a bit of scrimmaging. It was nice to be done a bit early though because I headed off to Amsterdam with a few of my teammates post-practice. I stayed with Lauren Powley Friday night and it was nice to do a little catching up and story-swapping of our Dutch encounters! Saturday morning, Powley showed me around the markets which I love because you can always find cheap things! We stopped to get freshly squeezed juice, delicious ham sandwiches, and even better warm poffertjes! We were going to bike around the canal streets, but it was just so darn cold, so we just stopped in a café and got hot chocolates instead!

Later in the afternoon I got a chance to meet up with Kim and 2 of our former teammates at Wake Forest! Liza, who is currently a senior, was visiting Kim for her Thanksgiving break and Hilary was Kim’s year, and is currently au pairing and playing hockey as well in Belgium. I hadn’t seen either of them since earlier in the year (in March I believe it was) so it was great to catch up and explore a bit of Amsterdam together. I ended up leaving a bit early though because I had to catch a train back to Den Haag for a belated Thanksgiving dinner celebration!!

......

Although I did not get to celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving on Thursday, I did get to have a celebration on Saturday. One of my teammates graciously invited me to her neighbor’s house for dinner. The mother of the family is from America and they have a huge Thanksgiving dinner every year. They always do it on a Saturday because it is too difficult to get everything prepared on a Thursday here in Holland when everyone still has to work since they don't celebrate the holiday here. As all 20+ people gathered around the 20 pound turkey, we had lots of nationalities represented; not only Americans, but Dutch, Canadians, and Kiwis all joined the party. As the turkey was being cut, the cranberries, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, corn bread, and pies were all being placed around the table. The meal was set, and of course I had to try a little bit of everything! The spread was delicious and included all the dishes I enjoy at home! It was a great way to give thanks with some great people. It was also fun to introduce Thanksgiving and its traditions to a few of the new people attending. The best part though had to be the pie!! There were multiple apple pies, pecan pie, and of course pumpkin pie!!! You can't find pumpkin pie here in the Netherlands, so a lot of people got their first taste! It was delicious!

Fortunately, I live 2 blocks from their house because I could barely move after dinner! (As it should be on Thanksgiving!!!) I cannot be grateful enough for this family opening up their home to me and the many others to celebrate the holiday with them. They put a lot of work into hosting such a wonderful meal and made Thanksgiving fabulous for a lot of people. The whole night, the people and the food (and a little college football on ESPNAmerica!), was just what I needed. I was starting to miss home as the holiday season approaches, but I know I have met some amazing people here and will miss them as well once I do get back to the States.

So, for the last 2 weeks that I am here, I am going to enjoy it! I know it will go by so quickly and I'm going to make the most of it!

The Thanksgiving spread!

My plate :)

A bunch of us at Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T04:35:00.001-08:00

First I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!! I hope everyone had a fabulous day with friends and family wherever they found themselves yesterday! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it is not only about being thankful for everything you have, but you get to spend the day with loved ones, relaxing and eating!!! I didn't really get a chance to have a normal Thanksgiving here which made me a bit sad yesterday and I really missed all my friends and family back home that mean so much to me.

But I took a step back and thought about how fortunate I am. Although I couldn't spend the holiday with the ones I love in the States, I am still thankful for so many things. The fact that I have people to miss so much, and people that miss me was thanks enough. I also realized how amazing an opportunity and experience I have been given through playing field hockey. I am in another country, meeting new people, learning about another culture, experiencing a new style of play on the hockey pitch, and growing as a person. There is no doubt I am thankful for all of this.

With only a few more weeks before I head home, I can't wait to see my family and get into the holiday spirit! But I am also starting to realize that I will miss a lot of things and people here in Holland too. So as much as I miss home and can't wait to get back to the States, I definitely am going to make the most of the time I have left over here!!

And... I do actually get a Thanksgiving dinner... it will just be on Saturday night! One of my teammates neighbors is American and invited a lot of us over for a Thanksgiving celebration. So I will get to enjoy a feast after all!! Bring on the Turkey!!

The Weather Outside is Frightful!

2010-11-26T04:22:00.001-08:00

Wednesday Weather

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. And since we've no place to go, let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!"

It has finally turned to freezing temperatures here in Holland, which means a lot more staying in the house! Personally, I very much dislike cold weather and am beginning to miss California... A LOT!! But I only have a few more weeks before I head back to the not so harsh winters of North Carolina, then back out to mild California weather. Every day here they keep predicting snow. I figure, if it's going to be cold, it might as well snow! Then at least there is something to play with! But so far, the only thing we've gotten is hail! Yet another thing I know nothing about living in North Carolina and California my whole life.

Wednesdays training began with some running.... in the hail. We managed to get through it and I would say we were even warm by the end of it! The hail stopped as training began, but it didn't take long before a bit of rain was coming down. It must have only been one cloud though, because it didn't last long. At this point, I thought the weather was done spitting down on us for the night. Boy was I wrong!! Halfway through training, the hail picked up again. This time, much harder! It didn't matter- we had to keep going!! I could barely see and I thought I might end up with welts on my face, but once again, it stopped. It was so hard to decide whether I was hot or cold all practice!! Fortunately, it was clear for the last half hour of practice. As we finished up some corners and were walking off the field, I had to laugh, when the rain started to fall, once again. I thought I had seen some crazy weather and storms in North Carolina, but that was nothing compared to what I experienced Tuesday night!

Living in the Netherlands, I have come to expect that it may rain at any point, for any period, on any day. No matter the forecast and no matter what it looks like outside, you must always be prepared for rain! Now I know, as it gets colder, you must also be prepared for hail and snow as well!

We joked... "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get..." to "The weather in Holland is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get!"

Utrecht and Sinterklaas!!!

2010-11-18T01:31:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, Kim and I took the train over to Utrecht to do some exploring. As we got off the train we were welcomed by the biggest indoor mall in the Netherlands. We decided we should go see the famous church, canals, and have lunch before we went crazy shopping! As we walked towards the Domkerk, cameras in hand (just being a tourist!), we were stopped by a lady who informed us that there was a parade going on for Sinterklaas!

(For those of you that don't know... most of you probably... Sinterklaas is in other words the Dutch Santa Claus. Although the holiday is actually not celebrated until the evening of December 5th, Sinterklaas arrives a couple weeks earlier by boat from Spain. Sinterklaas is considered a patron saint of children and sailors. Originally, he was a bishop in modern-day Turkey. In medieval times, the feast was both an occasion to help the poor, by giving them food and putting money in their shoes. Today, the children put out a shoe at night and get little goodies in them from Sinterklaas the next morning. It is said that Sinterklaas was accompanied by a little black boy, whom they call Zwarte Piet. Today, there are many Zwarte Piet's, and everyone seems to love dressing like them! Typical treats that kids receive in their shoes are: Chocolate Letters, Papernotes [small, round gingerbread-like cookies], and small toys.)

So.... Saturday was the day that Sinterklaas arrived with all of the Zwarte Piet's! I knew about the holiday already, but the kids had been telling me all week that Sinterklaas was in Holland, and I was confused as to why until the parade! It was pretty cool to watch because the parade was actually by boat on the canals! As the Zwarte Piet's came by, they sang the traditional Sinterklaas song, and all the children sang along! It was fun to see all the children dressed in their Zwarte Piet outfits as well! Reminded me a bit of Christmas at home. Have to love the holiday spirit!!

After this, we finally wandered over to the church and it's famous tower, only to find the parade had also gathered there! The tower and church were once connected, but a storm took out a large part of the church, leaving a sizable courtyard in the middle. This is where the parade seemed to accumulate, including a band of Zwarte Piet musicians! We stayed for a bit and enjoyed the sights, but eventually decided that shopping was calling our name!

After a few hours and some damage done to the bank account (not that much damage..!!), we had to head back to Den Haag to meet up with some teammates for dinner and movie! We joined Steph, Lizzie, and Becky (who plays at Bloomendaal) to see Due Date. (Review: If you liked the Hangover, you will like this movie. Very funny!) Following many laughs, we went to a local cafe in the middle of town for a nice dinner. It was a very relaxing night in the wake of a busy day. At least I know that if I need to do any more shopping while I'm here... Utrecht here I come!

Canals

Boats with Zwarte Piet's

Me at the Parade, with the Canals and Church in the background

Me and a Zwarte Piet!

Canals again

Games games and more games

2010-11-18T01:26:00.000-08:00

This past week we played games on Sunday, Wednesday and again on Sunday. After getting our first win against Kampong that first Sunday, I was excited for the rest of the week. Not only had we got that monkey off our shoulder, our games on Wednesday and Sunday were against Klein Zwitserland and Pinoke, both winnable games. KZ is right down the road in Den Haag and was sitting at the bottom of the Hoofdklasse with just 2 ties. We had known their pain until a few days prior. We weren’t ready to let up though. In fact, we were just getting started! As we took the pitch Wednesday night under the lights, we came out strong, dominating the game and taking a 1-0 lead . Despite our commanding play, we once again were unable to generate a lot of return in our attacking zone. Then, with 10 minutes left in the game, we got a yellow card- just like against Kampong. This time though, we did not hold our composure as well. We got another yellow card just minutes later. With only 9 players on the field, KZ took advantage of our 2-man deficit and earned a corner which gave them the game-tying goal. With just minutes left to play, we were not ready to give up that easy. We fought, despite a player down, to create opportunities, but the time and the 3 points we were chasing seemed to just slip away. It felt like another loss. Although we still got a point in the standings, we knew we let an important win get away from us.

Frustrated and disappointed, we still had to take away the many good things we did in the game. We have to keep playing like that- but for a whole 70 minutes, and we will get results. At times we need to be a bit smarter in attack, including earning more corners and quality shots. Also, we need to be a bit smarter about game situations and the time of game. In other words recognize when we are winning, when we are player down (or 2), and when we need to stay composed to manage the clock.

The last Sunday we played Pinoke, who traveled to our home turf from Amsterdam. Although I thought we were ready to keeping taking a step forward from the last two games, we came out flat in the first half. We gave up a goal off a corner to leave ourselves with a 1-0 deficit going into halftime. Even with a second half surge, we couldn’t find the back of the net. Once again, we left the field empty handed. It can be mentally difficult to see yourself at the bottom of the league, when you know you have the skill to be in the mix of things, competing with everyone. But, it is a team sport, where everyone plays a role, and the discipline and effort must be given for a full 70 minutes. Every team is good in the Hoofdklasse, and no one can be overlooked. That is the beauty of it. You must show up to play every Sunday.

This coming weekend we play at Den Bosch. They are currently vying for the top spot and they have won the majority of the championships in the past 10 years. But we have nothing to lose. We have no expectations. We are the underdogs, and we are going to continue to fight!

Sports Weekend

2010-11-10T02:01:00.000-08:00

Those that know me, know that I love sports. I love playing them (not just field hockey) and I love watching them. This weekend, that is about all I did!

The past 2 Saturdays I have gone to a local pub with the Kiwis on our team to watch the All Blacks (the New Zealand Rugby team) play. After a heartbreaking loss to Australia 2 weekends ago, they had a strong performance to pull out a win against England this past weekend. Now, I must admit that I never really watched rugby before and I didn't even know all the rules. (Surprising I know!) It is actually a very exciting sport with some amazing athletes. I have a feeling I will be watching a lot more in the near future! (And becoming a supporter of the All Blacks!)

Saturday night, I found myself again watching sports; this time, College Football. Although I can't flip through channels to find the game I want because only one game is televised here on ESPNAmerica, it is still really nice to be able to watch American football at all!

After a good nights rest, it was my turn to display my athletic abilities. My team, HGC, has been struggling a little bit the past couple weeks. We have found ourselves near the bottom of the Hoofdklasse when we feel we are skilled enough to be much higher. On Sunday we traveled to Utrecht to play Kampong, who is ranked in the middle, but we felt we had a good chance to beat them. We went out with a lot of energy and stuck to our game plan. We took a 1-0 lead off a corner mid-way through the first half and rode that lead into halftime. Kampong came out strong in the 2nd half, fighting back. But we got on the scoreboard again before they could finally put in a goal of their own. With 10 minutes left to play, one of our defenders was yellow carded on a diving tackle just outside the circle. It was a fight to the end of the game, but we held our composure and got the win. A very exciting 3 points for HGC!

After our game, a lot of us went to watch our men's team play down the road at SCHC. When I arrived, the second half was just starting and the men of HGC had a 2-0 lead. Similarly to our game though, SCHC found the back of the goal to make it 2-1, and HGC managed to get a yellow card with the minutes winding down. But the Gazelles held on to the lead and added another three points on the day. Always nice to have both teams in good spirits as well!

I was pretty tired once I got home for dinner, so once again I tuned in to ESPNAmerica and some NFL games!! I watched a bit of the Dolphins/Ravens game and then the Eagles/Colts game which was very exciting. Since I am 6 hours ahead of East Coast time, the afternoon NFL games start here at 7pm. It makes it a little difficult to stay up for all the games, and is a little late to watch Monday night football, but at least I get to watch some of it.... even if I never get to watch my team! (Go Panthers!! ...even though we are having a rough season).

The rest of the week should be busy but exciting. We have a game Wednesday against KZ (Klein Zwitserland, the team Rachel Dawson played for the past couple years) and another game on Sunday vs. Pinoke. will keep you posted on how we do!

HUP HGC!!

Playing vs. Kampong:

HGC Dames 1 after the win at Kampong:

Peace Palace

2010-11-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

So I have been here about 2 months now and I have seen quite a bit. I've been to a few cities, but find myself in neighboring Den Haag at least a few times a week. As the third biggest city in Holland though, there was still much to be discovered. And as much as I had already ventured through the city, I had yet to be a true tourist and go to the palaces, museums, etc. I decided to do so on Saturday.

It was a lovely day, the sun was shining (which can be rare!) and I had no where I needed to be. I started the day by sleeping in and watching a little EHL on TV. It was the second weekend for first round games and they were being played in Spain. After this I met up with some of my teammates and some other hockey girls from New Zealand for a pancake lunch. I have never seen so many choices for pancakes! There were at least 100! Pancakes here though are not the same as we have in the US. Their pancakes are much thinner, more similar to crepes. They are delicious though! I got mine with fruit, whipped cream, and syrup! After our bellies were full, Kim and I headed out to explore Den Haag. As we rode away from the center of town, we just picked randomly where to turn.

We found our way to the harbor, checking out where all the boats were from and how they compared to ones we'd seen in the US. We then stopped by the Peace Palace, which was closed, but still a beautiful sight to see. Right outside the palace is the eternal peace flame. It was created in 1999, along with 6 others on 5 continents to be a symbol of peace, unity, freedom, and celebration. What I found really neat about the actual monument was that there is a circle path around the flame which contains a stone from every country. Besides the unique design and wide collection of stones, it showed all the countries commitment to the peace flames purpose.

To find out more on the World Peace Flame organization: visit http://www.worldpeaceflame.org/

Although I still have more to see in Den Haag, including the MC Escher museum and Maduordam (mini Holland), this was definitely the coolest thing I have seen so far!

Peace Palace:

About the World Peace Flame:

Me and the World Peace Flame:

Halloween

2010-11-02T04:38:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween! It is one of my favorite holiday's and I was a bit sad that I missed it since they don't celebrate it over here. I thought about celebrating it anyways and dressing up, but I think I would have gotten quite a few stares... okay a whole lot of stares... if I did that!

Coincidentally though, there is an American school right down the road from where I live. So there were a couple streets nearby that had houses that were decorated with pumpkins, cobwebs, ghouls and ghosts! This came as a surprise to me as I rode my bike past these houses. It put a big smile on my face though! This also meant there would be at least a few people celebrating the holiday!

Halloween was on Sunday this year, but the families here decided to celebrate/take the kids trick-or-treating on Saturday night instead. As I returned to Wassenaar from a day of adventuring around Den Haag, I saw all the kids already out in their costumes! I decided to stop by Kim's house since she lives on that street and the family she lives with was also celebrating and giving out candy. It almost seemed like home with all of the little trick-or-treaters in their cute little costumes! By far the best part of the night though was when the Prince and Princess came by with their two daughters to celebrate the festivities! That was unexpected, but very cool that the children can do everyday things and enjoy themselves without being bothered. And it was really awesome for me to see them right there at our doorstep!

Although I miss Halloween in the states, especially picking out costumes, it's not necessarily so bad that I missed it... because now I won't get sick off of candy!! I hope everyone had a great Halloween though... I've seen some great pictures and awesome costumes from back home! Looks like all my friends had fun this year!

Teammates

2010-10-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

When I came over to the Netherlands, I had no idea what to expect. I didn't know any of players that soon would become my teammates. I didn't know anything about the area I was going to live in. I knew little about the family I was going to live with. In a sense, I just trusted and hoped that everything would work out somehow.

Fortunately it has. In fact, I have been told many times how lucky I am to have joined the team at HGC. Although HGC finished as one of the lower seeds in the league last season, the team this year has quite a few new players and whole new outlook for this season. There is still a lot of potential that has yet to be obtained and although we haven't had the best start to the season, there are many games left to be played and we are headed in the right direction.

What has been most surprising to me though is just how close everyone is on the team. With players living all over Holland and commuting to and from the club, as well as a variety of age ranges and new players, I only assumed that the team would naturally be a bit divided outside of hockey. This is not the case. Personally, I have spent time with almost all of my teammates outside of hockey. Whether it be to grab a bite to eat, go to a movie, go see some other hockey games, or just hang out, I can always find something to do with someone. It has definitely made my transition to a new lifestyle and a new team much easier. Plus, it has been a lot of fun! :)

Another reason I was fortunate to join HGC as opposed to many other clubs was their openness and welcoming of foreign players. It will be the 3rd year that players from New Zealand have been on the team, so all the girls are used to speaking a lot of English. This made it much easier when I came in, plus there are other girls (the Kiwis and a girl from Northern Ireland) on the team who always speak English! There are other clubs that aren't as inviting to foreigners and others that just aren't used to having them, so they forget to speak English. (Good thing for me everyone here knows English pretty well so I don't have to worry too much about communicating with anyone!) So in that respect, communicating with the team is pretty easy. Although, sometimes I like when they speak Dutch so I can try to figure out what they are saying! Occasionally they ask me simple things in Dutch just to make me figure them out! But it's all in good fun so I can learn! :)

All in all, I feel very fortunate to have to opportunity to play in Holland, live with a great family, and be a part of an awesome team. Don't worry, I can't wait to come back and play for the red, white, and blue every chance I get! And I still miss all my teammates from back home!

Just have to give a little shout out to all my US teammates... ik mis jullie! ... or I miss you!!!

A Day with the Kids

2010-10-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

After all the excitement of the weekend and meeting up with all of the Americans, I needed a few days to relax and recover. Fortunately, that is just what I got! The family that I live with was actually at EuroDisney in Paris for a few days because the kids had a week off from school for a fall break. Without any responsibilities at the house, I was free to sleep in and come and go as I pleased. Ultimately, I decided to just take the time to relax since most days I am constantly on the go. I also took the time to catch up on some TV shows online that I have missed the past couple months! Mostly Dexter!!

The family returned Wednesday night and although I normally have Thursday off (since the kids are at school and the youngest that I normally watch, Quinn is at daycare), the kids still had off from school so they were home. It was actually a really nice change of pace though because I'm used to chasing around Quinn, who is only a year old, and instead I could actually play and interact with the older two (ages 5 and 8) which I don't get to do as often. The morning was spent drawing. At first we were just doodling, but once the kids found out I'm pretty decent at sketching cartoon pictures, I was then asked to draw everything from Scooby Doo to Minnie Mouse, a monkey, a cat, a dog... and just about everything in between! Finally I convinced them to try for themselves, and I was quite impressed at how well they turned out! My favorite was Declan's Daffy Duck! (say that 5 times fast!) After some grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, we needed to something a bit more active, but of course it was cold and rainy outside! Lilysky then asked if we could go to the pool. I was pretty confused why anyone would want to swim in that weather, but quickly learned that there is an indoor pool right down the street from the house! So we hoped on our bikes and headed to the pool! I was impressed with the brand new facility, complete with a slide, lazy river, hot tub, diving boards, kiddie pool, and separate lap pool. The pool was heated as well! As the kids proceeded to go up and down the slide what seemed like a hundred times, I got a nice little recovery workout in, kicking and shaking my legs out. Just what I needed! I never really thought to go to the pool on a cold, rainy day (especially living in Southern California!), but as it starts to get colder here, the pool just might be where I head on those days!

Although I always seem to find myself around kids, being around them day in and day out gives you a new perspective on a lot of things. They see things very simply, but have a lot of energy and are eager to learn. Ironically, this is the same way I have approached hockey here. Often when things go wrong on the pitch, or in my case I'm playing in a completely new team, if you just keep things simple- doing the simple play or simple pass- the game begins to open itself up and everything becomes more clear. Along with that, I always have to bring a lot of energy and an eagerness to learn. Part of the reason I came here was to become a better hockey player. To do that, I have to put in the work and the effort every time I am on the field. I also have to keep an open mind and learn from the new style of play, different tactics, and players around me. If I can mimic the mind of child, by not over thinking things, there is no limit to what I can continue to do on the field.

So as much as I can teach these kids, every day they teach me and remind me that sometimes it is best just to keep things simple!

AMERICA!

2010-10-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

There are quite a few American's playing over in Europe this year, and I have gotten a chance to see most of those that are in Holland. A few of the men's players are in Belgium (Jon Ginolfi, Kevin Barber, and Will Holt) and as you already know (by following the other blogs!!) Katie Evans is in England. This weekend we decided to all meet up in Amsterdam!

...but first I had a game on Sunday against Rotterdam! Our team had been building a lot for this game and with the Kiwis back, we had new motivation and firepower and wanted to leave it all on our home pitch. I was particularly excited to play Rotterdam because Chilean National Team player Paula Infante plays there and I couldn't wait to take her on again! (She played at the University of Maryland while I was at Wake Forest so I've played against her a lot in the past). It was nice also to see another familiar face!

We came out firing and played one of our best halves of hockey in the first half of the game. We took the lead late in the first half off a counter attack goal, but unfortunately gave up a goal with no time left on the clock on a corner. Although we were tied at the half, we knew we had the game within our grasp. We came out even harder in the second half, but Rotterdam quickly capitalized on a chance early forcing us to fight from behind. Shortly thereafter we found the back of the boards on a corner of our own. With the momentum in our favor, we continued to create chances and put pressure on their defense. With minutes left in the game, we scored, but the officials called it back saying it hit a foot (which of course we didn't agree with!!). A bit of an unlucky break! Although we fought hard and put some good passages of hockey together, we ran out of time before we could add another to the scoreline. Even though a draw is not what we had hoped for, we did get our first point moving us up a few spots in the standings, and it was a big step in the right direction. The season is long and we just need to keep moving forward!

Most of our team decided we should celebrate our first point because it was hard to come by! We went over to a neighboring club (KZ) for a bit because they had a DJ and were hosting a party for the evening. I didn't stay too long though because I had to meet up with the Americans!!! When I got to Amsterdam, Katie, Jon, Kevin, Will, Pat (Harris), Colin (Scally), Lauren (Powley) and Maureen (Daniel) were already there! It was so amazing to see all of us in one place! Pretty cool to all meet up together overseas and catch up on all of our experiences so far! I definitely enjoyed having all English speaking people around for one night as well!! I had to head back early Monday morning, but the others got to spend Monday in Amsterdam! What fun!! :)
... Katie will have a great video coming soon of the weekend!

AMERICA!!!!

EHL

2010-10-17T01:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the opening weekend for the EHL (European Hockey League) and the first round is being hosted at Oranje-Zwart in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. For those of you unfamiliar with the EHL, it consists of the top teams from different European countries. This year's league has 3 teams from Holland, including the men's side from my club, HGC! HGC is also fortunate enough to have their first round games at OZ, so they have somewhat of a home field/home crowd advantage.

Although all the games can be viewed online as well as on television here, I jumped at the opportunity to go see the games live, and of course support HGC! Yesterday I took the 2 hour trip down to Eindhoven with a teammate and our coach and watched HGC blow out a team from the Ukraine, Olimpia Kolos Sekvoia, 9-2. Although not the best game since it was so lopsided, it was still fun to watch our guys score lots of goals! I would love to watch them play again today, but we have our own game at home against Rotterdam!

Hup HGC!

Corner for HGC:

The Kiwis are Back!!

2010-10-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation, I walked into the lockerroom tonight to see the two legendary Kiwis, Krystal Forgesson and Emily Naylor, fresh off their Silver Medal performance at the Commonwealth Games. First, I must say congrats to both of them!! Well done girls! I was excited to finally meet the girls I have heard much about over the past few weeks. Only their first day back and I could already see their impact as my teammates began to trickle into the lockerroom. Everyone was excited to see them and I could tell they play a big role in the team. This made me excited as well, knowing that we finally have our full team together for the season!

Although I'm sure they were jetlagged and exhausted from a hard fought tournament down in Delhi, India, of course they still wanted to practice! Emily is a defender/midfielder and Krystal is a striker. Both are very skilled, smart players. I could already see the positive impact they brought even to just one practice.

I hope this is the extra spark that will ignite our team to finally get in the win column this weekend. Another home game with the crowd behind us and our team at full strength, Rotterdam better be ready for all HGC has to throw at them on Sunday!

Recovery

2010-10-13T02:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we just need a little down time to relax. "You call it being lazy, I call it recovery." Funny, but it is so very true for athletes! Last week was a bit uneventful for me and a more relaxed week. After a busy weekend, I decided to take the remainder of the week to rest and fully recover for our next game against Oranje-Zwart. I got a lot of reading done, including finishing one James Patterson book, and starting another! I also made a trip to the beach which was refreshing and very relaxing as well.

Sunday was game day though. I was ready to go. It was time for HGC to get it's first win in our home opener for the season! With the club crowded around the field, we entered through the tunnel of excited young HGC hockey girls. Surrounded by a sea of black and blue, we wanted to leave OZ remembering those colors (on and off the pitch).

Despite the support, we found ourselves struggling to connect throughout the first half. Tina Bachmann, a German National team player, scored off a nice drag flick to leave us chasing a 1-0 deficit at half time. We came out firing in the second half, but still couldn't seem to connect in our attacking third. OZ held on to the lead, leaving us without a win on the season. Although only our second game and a lot of season left to play, it is frustrating not to get the wins we are capable of. You could see the disappointment on our faces post-game and I know personally I don't want to feel that way again. I think it was a little bit of an eye-opener and added motivation for our team.

Tonight we have a game against HDM, who is considered our rival since their club is about a mile from ours. I think we are ready to turn our season in the right direction. I think a night game against our rival is just the game to do it!!

More updates to come!
HUP HGC!!!

Season Opener and More....

2010-10-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday: Leidens Ontzet

On Saturday, I went with Kim into Leiden to check out the festival called Leidens Ontzet that I had heard so much about! To give a little background, it is a celebration of the liberation of the city from the Spanish in 1574. The festival lasts for a few days, but always ends on October 3rd. Since we had our first game on Sunday, we obviously couldn’t go then, so on Saturday we ventured on the train from Den Haag some ten minutes to Leiden Centraal. Never having been to Leiden, we were a bit unsure of where to go exactly, but as we walked out of the train station, carnival rides and fair attractions were right there to greet us! It actually looked like a fair or carnival that you would find in the US. They had all sorts of rides, a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, rides that go upside down, mini roller coasters, bumper cars, and more. There were carnival games such as basketball and the water gun shooting, but they had a few new unique ones too. Kim and I liked the one where you had to throw a ball to break the moving plates! Also, they had one with a real bow and arrow you had to shoot to pop balloons. Very interesting! Of course there were lots of food vendors which had a variety of Dutch treats and we had to try a few of those as well! Very delicious… super lekker! There were some clothing, jewelry, etc. vendors as well. You could find almost anything you wanted at the festival! It was really fun until it started to rain, which was bound to happen here in Holland! So Kim and I ducked into a café, met up with Lizzie (a teammate from HGC who goes to University in Leiden) and Maureen Daniel (who played for the US Developmental Team) and had a few drinks before we headed home. All in all, it was a fun-filled, adventurous day in Leiden!

Sunday: GAME DAY!

Game days are my favorite days…. especially when it is the start of a new season! After graduating from college, you don’t really have a season while playing for the US team. We go on tour or go to tournaments, but we also play games in groups. I’ve missed having a game every week! Our season opener was against Laren, one of the top teams in the league. They have 4 Dutch Internationals along with a few from other countries, including the German captain. Naomi van As, who played with Rachel Dawson at KZ (Klein Zwitzerland) last year now plays for Laren as well. The game started out at a very high intensity which never really dropped the whole game. The first half we came out strong, but Laren was a bit more focused. They took the 1-0 lead into half time off a stroke which was called when a corner strike hit our post player’s foot. Still in the game, we came out fired up for the second half, ready to give Laren a run for their money. We picked up our intensity, energy, and pressure in the second half and looked really good for periods. After Laren finished on a beautifully executed corner midway through the half, we found ourselves down 2-0 with a bit of work to do. We created a few chances including a 2v1 on the goalkeeper and a corner, but we couldn’t convert. Laren then took advantage of a mistake in our backfield and put the game out of reach at 3-0. It was a frustrating loss and start to our season, but to a very good team. Indeed, we did some things well that we hadn’t yet done in our practice matches, and although the score line is not what we had wished, I still think it is a good starting point and motivator for the season.

After the game, I got to see Pat Harris (US Men’s National Team player) play for a bit because he plays for the men’s side at Laren. Although I only stayed for the first half, I did get to see him score a goal!! Very exciting and I let everyone know he is an American! 

Sunday night was just what I needed after a hard day’s work on the field. Pizza and Sunday night football!! And when I say football, I mean American Football! There is a sportsbar (which are rare here) in Den Haag only a couple miles from where I live. I went with Kim, Moei, and one of my Dutch teammates Sophie. Even though my team (the Panthers) wasn’t playing, it was so nice to sit and watch ESPN and some football- American style! I will definitely find myself there many more Sunday nights to come!

Monday: Delft

I had some free time Monday morning and decided to do some more adventuring! Delft is a little town just south of Den Haag. It only takes 10 minutes by train. Kim and I decided to go see what this quaint canal town had to offer. Colin Scally (another US Men’s player) and his sister Jackie who is visiting also came along. The cute little town of Delft has a bit of history in the Churches, along with delftware which is the famous blue and white pottery. There are delftware shops on every corner too! The most notable buildings, the new and old church, can be seen from a distance. Town hall also stands across the square from the new church. The best and worst part of the trip was the new Church because it has a tower that you can climb with gorgeous views. The only downside to this was the actual climb. A small spiral staircase of what seemed like over 500 steps takes you to this magnificent panoramic view. It was clear today so we could see both Den Haag and Rotterdam from the top. It was pretty amazing! And in the end…. worth the burn of the climb!

It’s been another busy week/weekend and I am exhausted. I’m off to bed early tonight and going to take it easy the rest of the week in my down time. Have to be ready for next week’s game because it is a must win for us! More to come from over here in the Netherlands… hup HGC!

Canal in Leiden:

Fresh food at the festival in Leiden:

Carnival rides in Leiden:

Canal and Old Church in Delft:

Delft:

View from the top of the Tower:

Me at the top of the Tower:

Delftware store:

Final pre-season preparation

2010-09-30T01:28:00.000-07:00

This week has been pretty busy once again. I am trying to make the most of the time I have here in the Netherlands because I know it will go by a lot faster than I think!!

Saturday morning I spent the day in Den Haag with a teammate doing a little shopping. I have been really wanting to go shopping and get into the Dutch and European fashion! I got a few things, including a rain coat for all the rainy days! What I really wanted to find was a nice leather jacket. Everyone here seems to have one and wears it all the time! I found a few I liked, but wasn't sold on anything, so I'll have to keep my eye out for that one.

Saturday afternoon I found myself at the club for the presentations of the first teams of HGC (men's and women's). Every year once the team has been announced, they publicly present the team at the club for all the members to see. The coach gets up on stage, calls us up, and sometimes tells a little story about the team. It's nice to have so much support from the club and it's members. Also, they present the blauwboek (Blue Book) which is like a yearbook for the previous year. It has the pictures and rosters of the teams at HGC as well as a few articles and things about HGC, it's sponsors, and players. It was a pretty fun event.

Saturday evening, I had a great dinner at my teammate Inge's house. Her mother is taking a cooking class, so she invited a few of us over to try out the dishes. It was delicious!! Always nice to get a home cooked meal and for my teammate to open up her home to us!

After all the excitement of Saturday, Sunday was game day. We had our final practice match before the season starts against Pinoke, which is located in Amsterdam. Following a long weeks worth of practice working on tactics: mostly our movement when outletting and our press, we were ready to put it into a game situation. The first half looked really good and I was impressed to see how well we had learned and adjusted that week. Unfortunately, the scoreboard didn't reflect our level of play. It was still just 1-1 at half. I'm not quite sure what happened in the second half, as we became a bit frantic and had a lot of unforced turnovers. We ended up losing the game 3-1.

Although this is not the way we wanted to leave off leading up to our first game of the season, this week's practices have been very positive. We have shown that we are capable of playing well, individually and collectively. As long as we can maintain our focus for a full 70 minutes, we should not only be able to compete with every team in the league, but should do quite well. We know that the games count now, and you can tell that everyone has stepped it up a notch at practice. I have a good feeling about this weekend, even though we play one of the top sides in Laren.

Check back next week for an update!

Hockey training with the kids

2010-09-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

The oldest child in the family I help out with is 8 years old. His name is Declan and he also plays hockey at HGC. It is a much different culture here in regards to hockey when Declan, like many of the other children, have already been playing hockey for 2 or 3 years. I didn’t even know what the sport was until I was 11! I was asked to help out with the team though because they don’t really have a coach and have had parents trying to run practice. I’ve coached a lot over the years from Futures to summer camps and more. So far, this experience though has been quite different from the coach I'm used though.

First of all, the kids are quite a bit younger than I am accustomed to working with, but at the same time more skilled than I expected. It can be hard to get the attention of a group of 8 year olds! It is even harder when you speak a different language that most of them don’t understand. So a lot of practice I have to demonstrate and show the kids what I am trying to explain. (Often Declan helps me because he knows English and can translate, or there is a parent there helping to translate which helps a lot). Although the children seem to like me, it can be quite hard at times to get them to do what I am asking or trying to explain. Even simple things can be extremely hard to explain, so patience and persistence are very important. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, non-verbal communication can be very useful, and that goes for teaching hockey as well. But working with the kids is also helping me learn more hockey terms! I realize just how many words I really don’t know yet!

I have a funny story to go along with that which happened this week. So while I was helping train some of the kids, I had pulled one of the boys aside and was working with him individually. He was having trouble doing a reverse stick pull because he wasn’t moving his hands correctly. Since he understood nearly no English, I was showing him and moving his hands for him. This strategy was not working so well, but I didn’t know what else to do because I didn’t know how to explain it in Dutch. Just then, my coach from Dames 1, Peter, walked up to the field to say hi. He laughed for a second as he watched me struggle to explain. He helped describe what I was showing in Dutch to the boy and immediately he understood what to do. A little bit embarrassed and frustrated, I thanked my coach and told him I had to get back to coaching. He agreed but replied that he would give me a long list of Dutch hockey words to learn because I needed it! Haha, indeed I do!!

Even though I’ve coached a million times, this is a completely new experience where I really have to get down to the basics and break down the skills. The kids are a lot of fun though and I am quickly picking up a lot of new hockey words which will help me on field at my practices as well! Once again, I just laugh at the language barrier and find new ways to communicate until I can learn more Dutch!

Make the most of it!

2010-09-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

Things have been so busy here, sometimes I wonder when do I stop and think! It has been a really nice change to the lack of activities I find for myself to do when I am out in California training full time with the National Team. It's also nice to have the option of relaxing every now and again, but for right now I am enjoying all the new experiences I have been having all over the great country of the Netherlands!!

This past weekend, we had what we call a "team weekend" meaning simply that we spend the weekend together bonding with each other and building on our goals. Friday we had practice, then went downtown Den Haag for a bit before having somewhat of a "sleep over" at the house in Den Haag where a few of the girls live. On Saturday, we spent the morning working out our strengths and weaknesses, goals, and did a few team bonding exercises. All in all it was a very productive morning. The fun stuff came in the afternoon though!! Two of the girls created a scavenger hunt. Split into 4 teams, we had to do a list of tasks and video ourselves doing them to show the rest of the team. With items such as: drive around a round-a-bout 25 times, drive backwards for 1km, teach 5 people how to do the moonwalk, sell 3 cucumbers for a profit, everyone switch clothes, and eat a container of cat food as a group... just to name a few! It was pretty funny to watch the videos afterwards at dinner!

Sunday we traveled all the way to Den Bosch which is in more of the Southern part of Holland about an hour and half away. Den Bosch has won the Hoofdklasse Championship around 12 of the last 15 years. In other words, they are consistently one of the best teams. Unfortunately I think we gave them a bit too much respect in the first half and found ourselves down 3-0. Although a good side, we knew if we challenged them a bit more and put them under more pressure, we could be successful. The second half resulted in a 1-1 tie, but left us with a 4-1 loss. It was frustrating to take such a big blow for our first loss, even though these matches don't count yet. I do think we took a lot out of that game and know now that we can play with anyone in this league if we take risks and play to our strengths.

Just one more practice match this coming weekend before the season starts October 3rd. I'm pretty excited for the season, even though we still have a few things to work out on the field.

"Enjoy it. Nothing good lasts forever. Make the most of it." - good advice from my mom!

A Day in Town

2010-09-20T04:35:00.001-07:00

Imagine you are riding you bike down a cobblestone road through the line of trees on your way into town. You are in your normal attire (as opposed to athletic wear often worn when biking) and you pull into town to see the line of 30 bikes already parked and locked about the racks. As you venture into the rows of streets lined with shops, foreign signs of unfamiliarity seem to encompass the area. You slowly take in all the sights and sounds: signs in Dutch, new types of fashion, food stands selling what look like hard waffles (better known as stroopwafels), people in every direction speaking even more Dutch. Without hesitation you begin to journey through the unfamiliar into what surprisingly reminds you of home. Around the corner is a McDonalds and around the other is a coffee shop. Brightly colored signs indicate the shoe store is having a sale. Groups of girls with shopping bags laugh together as they make their way into another shop. You even see someone wearing a USA t-shirt. You decide to try one of these waffle creations and find out just how delicious they are! You walk into a couple shops and fall in love with a stylish new jacket. You even begin to recognize what some Dutch words you hear. After an afternoon of adventure, you decide to head home. As you pedal, you think about the day and…

You quickly realize that things aren’t so different here. And even when they are, differences aren’t always bad things. In fact, it is these new experiences that allow you to not only appreciate what you have, but allow you to learn and accept why others do things differently. In time, you learn to embrace the new way of living and might even learn a few things about yourself that you never knew!

Two Weeks

2010-09-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Two weeks have passed since I arrived here in the Netherlands. I can hardly believe it has only been two weeks because I have been so busy and done so many things!!

This past weekend we had a practice match against Hurley. Former National Team Player, Lauren Powley, is currently playing for Hurley so it was really fun to see and play against her!! Unfortunately my team did not play very well and the game ended in a 0-0 tie. It was quite frustrating after doing so well in our previous matches, but without a doubt we learned a lot from that game. After our match, we watched the men's team at HGC play in their first official match. The men's team from our club is one of the top teams in the league, so very exciting to watch!! They tied Den Bosch 3-3. After the men's game, I got to spend some time catching up with Lauren as well as visiting with one of my college teammates and roommates, Minou. She is from the Netherlands and it was so nice to finally see her again after living with her for four years!

We had yet another practice match today. This time against HDM, from right down the road in Den Haag. We went over a lot of tactics the past few days in practice and it definitely paid off tonight. We played much better and came out with a 4-2 win, which easily could have been more. It was good to see our team recover from a not so good performance on Sunday and implement some new tactics we have been working on. We have a lot of potential for this season, so I am excited to see what we can do!

I am most excited for this weekend though!! We have a team weekend, which means we go away as a team and spend the whole weekend together. Our coach has planned some fun activities for us during the day on Saturday, we have a team dinner Saturday night, and then a practice match at Den Bosch on Sunday. The goal of the team weekend is to help us really get to know our teammates better and have a little fun away from hockey. I feel as though this will add even more to the team chemistry we have begun to build and should be really good for our team. Plus it will be fun!!

Two weeks have passed. It is amazing what can happen in just two weeks. Two more weeks until our first match of the season. I can't wait to see what will happen in the next two weeks...!

Settling down in Holland

2010-09-10T05:33:00.001-07:00

It's been a few days since I last blogged. Still trying to get into a routine over here in Holland. Definitely a lot different living with and helping out with a family. I love kids but man they can be a handful at times! haha. It's only my second week here, so I'm starting to settle into my new BUSY schedule a bit more.

Hockey has been really good. We had another scrimmage on Wednesday against Schaerweijde who are from Utrecht, but play in the second division. We did not play great in the first half, but found ourselves up 2-0 at half nonetheless. The first was a stroke we earned off a corner when the straight strike hit the post player in the leg. The second was a field goal with just seconds left in the half. At halftime we worked out a few things with our press and turned the second half around, dominating the whole half. We came out with 2 more goals, both straight strikes on corners. Overall, it was a pretty good game for us and I was happy to see us trying some things we had practiced the day before. That game showed us as well that we still have a long way to go and lots to work on!

Personally, I am still getting used to the style of play a bit, but more so I am just trying to work out the movements and concepts with the other forwards. At times it seems we all have our own agendas on the field. Hopefully in the next couple weeks we can start to get on the same page with that so we can be even more dangerous in the attack!

Other than that, I have had a lot of fun playing with the girls at HGC. Although we may have a language barrier, hockey is something that brings us together. It's a game that has it's own language. It's been really awesome to see how I can still play and understand the game and those around me, even when we sometimes struggle to communicate with each other. Sports really can bring people from all over the world together. It's a pretty cool perspective if you think about it!!

Well, I must be going, but hopefully I will have more fun adventures to tell of in my next post! Keep following! To see more, visit http://www.mkasold18.blogspot.com/ !!

The downtown street in Wassenaar

Lots of bikes everywhere...

The windmill in downtown Wassenaar

First Week in Holland

2010-09-05T11:04:00.001-07:00

The first week here in Holland has been super busy! From watching after the kids to practicing, I haven’t had a lot of down time! I finally got into town (of Wassenaar) on Friday and explored the shops and the grocery store. There isn’t a whole lot in town, but there is a Bagel shop that I plan on going to a lot! The grocery store is obviously a bit different than back in the states, but there are some advantages. The Dutch are well known for their cheeses, so there are a multitude to choose from at really inexpensive prices. I plan on trying different kinds of cheese every week!

Practices have been going well. I am still trying to get adjusted to the style here and how all the girls play individually. I’m still learning everyone’s names as well. There is someone new at every practice! And the Kiwis aren’t even here yet (because they are still playing at the World Cup). But we had our first scrimmage today against Kampong anyways. I was really interested to see how everything would come together and we did quite well. After we settled into the game, we had most of the possession. We had a lot of chances but only finished the game 2-1. Still a good start for us considering Kampong finished 4th in the league last year and we finished closer to the bottom. There is still a lot of work to be done though! Two more scrimmages this coming week, so lots to look forward to and learn from.

Yesterday I did have the day off though from looking after the kids and from hockey. I meet up with a couple of my teammates at the Bagel shop for lunch then biked over to the next city, Den Haag, to explore. Den Haag is an important city because it houses most of the governmental buildings in Holland. There is a big center with tons of shops (clothing) and restaurants. It is a really nice area that I will have to spend some more time! Hopefully next weekend I can do a bit more exploring; maybe see the beaches or other towns nearby…

Until next time… Doei!

Nederland!

2010-09-02T02:45:00.001-07:00

I officially arrived in Holland Tuesday morning. After a few hours sleep on the plane I was picked up by the family I am au pairing for. Their youngest son Quinn (he is almost 2) was home, but the older children Skylily (5 years old) and Declan (8 years old) were both at school. Although I was exhausted, I knew it would be best to stay awake all day in order to adjust quickly to the 6 hour time change. I went into the little downtown of Wassenaar with Sharon and Quinn which is only 2 small streets. We got lunch at the Bagel Alley and got Quinn a new pair of shoes. After chasing Quinn around for another hour, we picked up the other children from school and then I was off to my first practice at HGC.

Practice was a little intimidating at first. Although our coach is Australian, he runs practice in all Dutch. (Which makes sense, we are in Holland after all!) That took a little getting used to since I don't really know any Dutch. I followed along and asked the girls a few times to explain. All of the girls were very nice and were always making sure I understood. We had two practices that first day, but it was nice to move around and get to know the girls right away. Best of all, one of my teammates from college, Kim, is also playing for HGC and is an au pair just a few blocks from me. It is amazing to see her, catch up, and play with her again!!

After a good nights rest, Wednesday was just as busy! I watched Quinn for most of the morning before going into Amsterdam for Sharon's nieces 1st birthday party. All the kids were so cute and the cake was delicious! Once we got back, I was off to practice again. This time we had running before training. It was not too difficult for me besides the fact that I was still a little jetlagged, but I think it was pretty tough for the rest of the team. It is not surprising that we do a lot more fitness/running in the US! Training went well as I started to get used to the girls, their style of play, and working off of them. I'm still learning all of their names, but again they all have been extremely understanding and helpful.

So far, I have had a really good experience with the family and the team. I have also been lucky it hasn't rained yet! Although, it is a bit colder than I'm used to. I look forward to our first scrimmage this weekend against Kampong and some time off to explore what is around Wassenaar and Den Haag.

More to come soon! Pictures coming also!
Doei!

Last few days

2010-08-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

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!!

New Chapter

2010-08-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

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!

California

2010-08-15T09:12:00.003-07:00

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.

California

2010-08-15T09:12:00.001-07:00

AMERICA

2010-08-08T19:56:00.001-07:00

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:

England!!

2010-08-03T09:35:00.002-07:00

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!!

Off to England

2010-07-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

The last couple days in Valencia have been amazing. Not only did we get the job done on the field, we got to go to the beach and have dinner out by the boardwalk.

In our game on Thursday we came out ready. Having gone over some film and working some things out in practice on Wednesday, we had refined a few important keys to our game plan. Most of all we knew we wanted that win and to prove ourselves as a top team. It was a hard fought game that we dominated in the statistics, but only found the back of the cage late in the second half. We held onto that one goal lead for the remainder of the game.

We couldn't rest here though. With the series tied at one, Fridays game was even more important to prove that our 1-0 win was not a fluke. We knew we had Spain on their heels, but we also knew they would be a little pissed they lost and would come back with even more of a fight today. We were ready for the challenge and we seized the opportunity. We came out of today's match even more dominant in the stats sheets including a 2-0 win that could have easily been more.

With a good result, we were all in good spirits and ready for a nice evening at the beach (la playa- I'm working on my Spanish!). Just a few blocks away, the Mediterranean Sea was a beautiful site. We got a few hours to walk around, check out the street vendors, and take a dip in the water before we had dinner at a restaurant right on the boardwalk. It was so nice not only to not eat at the dorms, but to sit right by the water as the sun went down and get some real Spanish food. It was a great way to end our stay in Valencia. (And to think how nice it would be if we had a few more days to vacation here)!

Anyways, we are off to England tomorrow for what will surely be even more of a test for our team. We have to stay tough and continue to improve if we want to get a few more wins before we return to the states! I can't wait to be around people who speak English though!

....GO AMERICA!

Valencia

2010-07-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

The first couple days in Valencia have been an adjustment for our team. Since most of us arrived Sunday, Monday's test match against Spain was changed to a scrimmage (3 X 25 minute periods). Not having the optimal preparation due to our obvious change in travel plans led us to yet another change in schedule, but it's nothing we aren't used to.

Monday was still a great opportunity for our team to get our legs under us, our touch back, and try some new things against a top team in the world. The first period we came out a little sluggish and a little off, but as the game went on we started to get everything clicking. We all felt pretty good about our performance considering we had just walked off a plane the day before. We even came out with a 2-1 win.

But that was only a scrimmage. The real test would be how we fared when the game counted on Tuesday. We came out confident, knowing what to expect from the Spaniards, but our touch was just a bit off. We were a bit more sluggish than the day before and you could see that our bodies had not fully adapted. Although we fought hard and created quite a few good goal scoring chances, we didn't take advantage of them, leaving us behind on the scoreboard 2-0.

This was a bit disappointing, but the bigger lesson of the game and the trip were not lost. We know we still have 2 more chances against Spain, bodies recovered and ready to get the job done. We want that W and we know we have the ability to get it. I know this group of players is up for the challenge.

On a more positive note, this game marked an important achievement for a few of our players. For three, it was their first cap, their first time representing and wearing the red, white and blue. Michelle Vitesse, Paige Selenski, and Melissa Gonzalez quickly learned just how much faster and stronger the international game is. But they did not falter with Lauren Crandall leading the way. As captain, she earned her 100th cap last night. It is an amazing accomplishment to be able to step onto the field and play for your country and it was much deserved for each of these players. Congrats girls!

We've had a lot of hockey since we got here. Tours are often sleep, eat, play, eat, repeat. We haven't gotten to see much so far because we are staying in dorms and the field is only a couple blocks away, but today we did have a little free time since we didn't have a game, just practice. A few of the girls took the chance to catch up on some sleep while others took the opportunity to do a little shopping in town. Needless to say, most of our team is lacking a large Spanish vocabulary and got a little lost reading the metro signs on the way back. Turns out their metro signs are a bit different than we are used to in the states. But everyone made it back safely and we all got a good laugh. Since our games are in the morning tomorrow and Friday, we are hoping to have a bit more time to see the city and possibly get over to the Mediterranean as well (it's only 5-10 minutes away)!

Oh and don't worry... all our luggage finally arrived!
We are all in good spirits and excited for the chance to play Spain again!
Watch our game online! (The link is on US Field Hockey)
As always... keep following... and GO STATES!!!

Here are a couple of pictures courtesy of Rachel Dawson:

Spain!!!

2010-07-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

All week I’ve been dreading the day and half trip that it would take us to get to Valencia, Spain all the way from San Diego, California. What amounts to a 9 hour time difference which is never friendly on the body. Today I write to you, some 3 days later, finally in Valencia.

The trip started off like any other Friday morning as we departed the Training Center in Chula Vista, California at 9 am. With the team split up on two different flights, our group had to check all the extra baggage. Still, we left for Dallas without a hitch. But as is normal in the summer months in Dallas, thunderstorms rolled in, delaying our flight out for Madrid, Spain. After a 2 hour wait, we were at last under way for our 9 and a half hour flight. At this point, we knew we weren’t going to make our connecting flight in Madrid, so we had our manager rebook us on a later flight to Valencia.

With little to no sleep (I only got an hour), we stumbled off the plane in Madrid ready to get some new stamps in our passports! In what seemed like a giant maze where we were the rats looking for cheese, we wandered the airport, going in circles, up and down the same elevator multiple times before we finally found our way! (None of us seemed to know any Spanish which didn't help us too much!) It didn’t take long for us to realize that our reservations from American Airlines somehow did not transfer to Iberian Air and we did not actually have a flight to Valencia. After a few more hours of waiting around (mostly sleeping on the floor), our manager Pam Stuper had gotten everything reorganized for us, booking a flight for the next morning and getting us set up with a hotel nearby.

The best part about this whole set up had to be the fact that our bags were being held at the airport overnight for us (so we didn't have to lug them around all night and recheck them in the morning), so we were left with the clothes we wore on the plane. Yes, we wore the same outfits for close to three days. Don’t worry, we got a shower in and rinsed out our clothes as well.

As the rest of our teammates arrived Saturday night in Valencia, we finally arrived Sunday afternoon, ready for our Sunday evening practice in preparation for our game against Spain on Monday!! Of course all of the bags made it except for mine!! So I had to borrow clothes and hope my bag comes tonight so I can get my uniform and play in the game tomorrow!! Needless to say, I will never complain about a 24 hour trip, because it could always be worse… I learned that one the hard way!

We are all here though and ready for our first match as a team!
GO STATES!!!

Navy Seals!!

2010-07-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

A normal Wednesday for us usually consists of a 45 minute run and the day to rest. This Wednesday was just a bit different. We were headed to Coronado for a morning of Navy Seals training. As we passed over the bridge in our entourage of Olympic Training Center vans, we admired the beauty of the city of San Diego but we were all a little unsure of what exactly we were getting ourselves into.

We got a wakeup call as soon as we pulled up to the Naval Base. The minute everyone was out of the vans we were off running. You could see in everyone’s facial expressions that this was going to be a long day that we weren’t quite ready for. After a short introduction and tutorial about the Navy Seals, we were back outside looking up at the daunting obstacle course of ropes and logs and barbed wire.

We were split into four groups of 6 and led to different obstacles. This was actually my favorite part of the day. I love obstacle courses because they test you mentally and physically. We did everything from crawling under barbed wire, to jumping over logs, to climbing ropes (….lots of ropes), to climbing over walls. It was really cool to watch everyone figure out all the obstacles, as well as come together to help our team get through it all.

The next part of the day really tested us all as a team. In our groups, we all had a log (it was basically a piece of a telephone pole). Each group had to pick this pole up, put it down, pick it up again, do squats, lunges, and sit ups with it. In between we repeatedly heard “Wet and Sandy!” This was the most grueling part of the day. (For those of you that don’t know, it means jump in the water, completely submerged, then roll in the sand until completely covered… including your face). Add some crawling through the sand and a little run down the beach, and we ended the morning physically and mentally exhausted.

But we made it as a team. We made it together. The lessons we learned were great. We would have not been able to complete the tasks and challenges put before us if it wasn’t for our teammates right by our side. We learned just how far we can push our bodies, and that when you think there is nothing left, there is. In fact, there is about 40% more. Most importantly, we learned that simple things can take you to the top. Keeping things simple and doing the little things well, one at a time, that is what makes you successful. Doing each task in the moment. For us it’s about winning and losing. To a Navy Seal, losing is death. We all represent the United States of America and we have to give everything we have each time we get the opportunity to compete.

Ups and Downs

2010-07-20T16:33:00.001-07:00

Life is full of ups and downs. Wins and loses. From everyday struggles to life changing decisions, we are constantly being asked to react to different obstacles placed before us. I think Lou Holtz, a legendary football coach, put it best: "Life is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90 percent how you respond to it."

After coming off a successful first week with our new squad scrimmaging (and winning) against our Under-19 boys teams, the team was feeling good. With a few days off to recover, everyone had a good couple days off exploring the greater San Diego area. (I actually took a quick trip up to Seattle which is also an amazing city and was an awesome trip)!

Returning to training this week posed a bit more of a challenge for us as a team. We really had to buckle down, physically and tactically because everyone has to be on the same page before we leave for Europe at the end of the week. We added more training sessions as well as more running. We are even doing a session with the Navy Seals tomorrow! (I am actually quite excited about this because I think it will be a really neat experience, even though I know it will be tough! I'll post later this week and let you know how it goes!)

As we try to fit everything in this week before we head off to competition, other factors off the field have had an impact on not only myself, but my teammates. Personally, I have been planning to go to Holland this coming year (fall and spring) to play in their club system, but things haven't worked out exactly as planned. As the fall approaches, it puts a little more pressure on me to get things worked out. But as with everything else in my life, I believe there is a reason this is happening and something better must be on the way. I must react in a positive manner in order to get a positive outcome.

I think it is important that if you want to be successful in your sport, that you must not let outside factors affect you on the field. It is a difficult skill to learn, but when you step onto the field, all that matters is what you are doing at that moment on the field. Although there is a lot going on in my life outside of field hockey, I am ready and excited to go to Europe and focus on hockey for the next 2 weeks.

As always, GO USA!

Adventures and Family

2010-07-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

So we are all finally back in California after a week off to recover from National Championships. Most of us got to spend some time at home with our families for the 4th of July weekend. I spent the weekend with my dad, uncle, and aunt at the beach in North Carolina.

It was a fun little weekend filled with World Cup soccer games, a 4th of July parade and streetfest, a painting project, a lost dog, fireworks, lots and lots of fireworks, boating, wakeboarding, jetskiing, crab catching, and best of all: family.

Although a few things didn't go quite as planned this weekend such as the boat engine not working and then overheating, losing the dog (only for an hour), losing the crabs we caught, and having car trouble on the way home (when I had to get to the airport for my flight!), the most valuable thing I was reminded of this weekend is how the most important things in life are the people you care about. It didn't matter that we couldn't go out on the boat because we could still spend time together.

After weekends like this, I am reminded of the support that I have from home in continuing my hockey career. I realize how very lucky I am to be able to do what I am doing: playing and traveling the world, representing my country. So, I have come back out to California excited for the next journey that we have in store for us. I'm ready to see what this new team can accomplish!

I'll leave you with this:

"Success is not to be measured so much by the position one has reached in life but by the obstacles which they have overcome" ~ Booker T. Washington

National Championships and National Team 2010

2010-06-28T12:07:00.001-07:00

The past couple weeks have been crazy!! I got to spend a week at home training with the South team in preparations for National Championships which took place this past week in Virginia Beach. It was really nice to be at home and see my family because I hadn't seen them since April. Always nice to have a little time at home with loved ones! :)

Virginia Beach was a lot of fun though. We arrived Saturday (19th) for practice. It was quite hot, but team South was used to the heat and humidity since we had been practicing in it for months. The first game saw us head to head with Boston on Sunday. We were ready to start the tournament well and make a statement that the South was there to win. Although it wasn't the smoothest game, we got a solid 3-1 win and the 3 points we were looking for. There was no time for celebrating though because we had to turn around and play California at 9am the next morning. The South was ready for the challenge, with another 3-1 win.

Game 3 and the last game of pool play again Mid-Atlantic wasn't until Wednesday at 8pm. We had close to 3 days off. Needless to say, our team spent some nice time relaxing at the beach. Some of the parents were renting a beach house and they so graciously took care of us, including a CRAB FEAST on Tuesday evening! Wednesday morning was the USA soccer game vs. Algeria which was a must win to advance in the pool (we could relate). Roz Ellis, Caroline Blaum, and I watched intently as the minutes continued to pass without a goal in the game. As stoppage time approached, we all became very nervous and fidgety. As we all know, Landon Donovan came through with the late goal in stoppage time, and we all proceeded to celebrate like little kids in a candy store! Jumping up and down, running around the room, screaming, we felt as though we ourselves had scored!

Still pumped from the US game, we were ready to score our own Donovan-esque heroic style goal! We knew we were leading the pool, and needed a strong effort against Mid-Atlantic to keep our number one spot (they were right behind us at number 2 in the pool). In what seemed to be routine for the South, we went out and won the game 3-1 once again. In my opinion, that was our best performance of the tournament, even though we had a 2 hour lightning delay!! Our team was on the same page that night and it was not only fun to play, but fun to watch. It's amazing what you can do when everyone plays together.

After winning the pool, we were set up in the semi-finals against Pennsylvania on Friday who finished 2nd in the other pool. Unfortunately we didn't play quite as well as we had the previous game, and although it was a hard fought, close game, we ended up on the losing end. This was frustrating for our team because our goal was to win the whole tournament and we really wanted a shot at playing New Jersey who had won the other pool. But like true competitors, we showed up Saturday morning determined to go out with a win. We were facing Mid-Atlantic again and we knew they wanted a little revenge. Both teams fought through the exhaustion of a tough week, but we reigned victorious with a 5-2 win!

The best part of the day was that we finished early (of course with a win), but that we would be able to enjoy the whole US soccer game vs. Ghana! We meet at BW3 for some wings and soccer and a great atmosphere for the game. Although we yelled at the television and jumped up and down, unfortunately the US could not pull out another miracle goal to win the game. We still love their effort!

Finally, after all the games had concluded (including the final where New Jersey won a battle with PA 1-0) we had a banquet to honor all the teams, a retirement, and to announce the new National Squad for the upcoming year. First, I must mention that the one and only Melissa Leonetti retired from the team. She had an amazing career representing her country and will be greatly missed. I consider her a good friend and I will definitely miss playing with her! Best of luck to you in everything you do in the future Mel!! At last, the National Team was named. Although I have been on the team a few years, I still got the chills as soon as I heard my name called. It is such an amazing honor to play for the National Team and I am thankful for every opportunity that I get. On that note, there were a few new players named to the team, and I want to say a special welcome and congrats to those girls: Mel Brill, Jackie Kintzer, Melissa Gonzalez, Julia Reinprecht, Michelle Vitesse, and Paige Selenski.

Next up for the team: Training back in San Diego for a Tour to Spain and England at the end of July!! Keep following and supporting us!

CAL CUP and more

2010-06-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been a while since I last blogged. Our team has been all over the place the last few weeks!

At the end of the Argentina series, the team went it's separate ways, some returning back to California, and some staying on the East Coast for a little quality family time. For those of us that returned to California, we came back to the West Coast for a Memorial Day Weekend tournament called California Cup (better known as just Cal Cup) in Moorpark, CA. This tournament, as many of you know, has high school, social, mixed and a super division. Teams come from all of the United States, as well as from the world to play. Countries represented included: Canada, Mexico, Argentina, England, Scotland, Holland, Trinidad & Tobago, as well as the United States.

The team I played for, Rush'd, is based out of San Diego, CA and consisted of quite a few National Team players. In our super division, was a team comprised of the Mexican National Team, a team with Canadian National Team players, a club team from Canada, a club team from Argentina, and a few other American teams.

Before I explain more, I would like to thank the Langfords for allowing so many of us to stay with them for the weekend. It was very generous and I would not have wanted to stay anywhere besides Hotel Langford! On top of that, we were never lacking entertainment with Ryan, Rutger, Jazzy, and Michael as our house mates for the weekend!

The weekend ended on a high note for team Rush'd, taking down the club team from Argentina in the final game with a 2-0 win. Although we were still playing hockey and competing, Cal Cup was a nice change of pace for a lot of us because we were just playing for fun with no pressure on the outcome.

As we returned to San Diego for practice, the team began to split again, as many left to attend Keli Smith's in Virginia this past weekend. Another fun-filled weekend ensued! Congrats Kel!!

So, this week has left just 9 of us at practice before we all finally head off to our respective High Performance sites at the end of the week in preparation for National Championships. Although practices are a lot more intense (because we get a lot more reps in a short period of time), they are still fun, especially when we pull out the ball machine. (It is like a pitching machine where the coaches shoot balls at us). As you can imagine, it hurts if we mistrap the ball and get hit. So with that in mind, I'll leave you with the words of Nick Conway: "You don't need shinguards if you just trap the ball."

Expect the Unexpected

2010-05-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

Although we are still in the United States, we are still on tour... and whenever we're on tour... we can expect the unexpected. Random things always seem to happen, someway, somehow.

Seeing that we are staying in the dorms here at American University, we all realized that our meals would be in one of the dining halls on campus. As we walked into "The Tavern" on Tuesday night for dinner we were informed that we were only allowed to have one thing off the menu (which included burgers, quesadillas, chicken fingers, and pizza). Most of us were starving at this point and were wondering first, how we were going to get enough to eat and second, if we were going to get any healthy food. Fortunately we worked out a way to get some pasta, deli sandwiches, some salads and fruit. Challenge number one: check.

We did get a break from the cafeteria food on Saturday though. Since most of our parents (and a lot of other friends and family too!) made it to the games on Saturday and Sunday, they organized a tailgate for us after the game on Saturday which was not only delicious, but reminded us that not everything that is unexpected is not bad. Plus we got dessert! :) Thanks parents!

Now, jump to Sunday night. Although we didn't get the results we had hoped from the weekend, and many of our friends and family had to leave to go back to work on Monday, we went to sleep excited to have a day off to let our bodies recover, to review the game film, and sight see a little bit in our nation's capital.

Monday: 4am. FIRE ALARM!!!
That's right. We got a bit of a rude awakening when the fire alarm decided to go off at 4am. As Maren and I sleepily stumbled from our room, we saw our coach, Lee, looking extremely confused standing in his boxers struggling with the door to his room. Come to find out he had a dream about his computer setting off the alarm, and in his rush to turn try to turn it off, he accidentally locked himself out of the room. Although we were all exhausted, we got a little chuckle out of the situation.

Even with random wake up calls, questionable meals, and a whole lot of free time on our hands, our team has always found a way to make the best of every situation, and even make them fun. We have learned to adapt and adjust, to control to things we can, and laugh about the things we can't.

But finally, I can't forget to mention the challenges that come along with playing Argentina, the number 2 team in the world. The real reason we are here. Every game brings new, exciting opportunities and obstacles. As we adapt to what Argentina throws at us, they too adjust to our game plan. We love this challenge. We thrive on it. We live for it.

"The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges." -Martin Luther King Jr.

"You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind" -Darwin P. Kingsley

Nation's Capital!

2010-05-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

We have officially arrived in the Nation's Capital! After quite a long day's travel with a few delays here and there, we all safely arrived, including little Xavi (Keli Smith's little baby boy!).

As I sit here in the dorm room at American University, resting up and thinking about the first match tomorrow against Argentina, I can't help but think back to my college days. Remembering dorm life and game days of old. I can't help but think about my old roommate and my former teammates. I remember the amazing times we had and how everything that I went through at Wake Forest has helped to shape who I am today, not only as a field hockey player, but as a person. Most of all, I am thankful for all of these experiences and memories.

I am interrupted by little Xavi's cries from down the hall and I am quickly brought back to reality. This is not college. This is not my dorm room from years past. I am here representing so much more. In a familiar atmosphere, I am no longer wearing black and gold, but the red, white, and blue. The name of the front of the jersey is the United States. We are here to face one of the top teams in the world, Argentina. I am ready. We are ready.

Although we have played Argentina what seems like a million times in the past, this series will be a little bit different. With a few new players on board, and a new outlook on where our team is going, it will be a big test for us to see how we rebound after our World Cup Qualifier. Knowing the girls, we are up for the challenge. And who better to test us than Argentina.

More updates to come post game. Come out at watch (6pm) or follow us online!!!

GO STATES!!

Volunteering!

2010-05-08T12:05:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy last week! We started training back up last week and it took us a little to get back into the routine we had been so accustomed to. We were all happy to be back training together though.

We spent much of the weekend together as well, volunteering for some very good causes. On Saturday a bunch of us, myself included, teamed up the with United Way in order to help out with Stuff the Bus. This was an event where we were helping to collect sports equipment to fill up, or stuff, a school bus. All the equipment collected would then be given to foster children who could not afford to buy it themselves.

Growing up, we were all fortunate enough to be given opportunities through sports. Not only was it a way to meet friends and a fun activity to participate in, it also kept us out of trouble and taught us a lot about life. Through sports, we learned teamwork, hard work, dedication, and time management, just to name a few. These skills, whether used in continuing athletics, or in the real world are invaluable. We wanted to help give back by providing these same opportunities to children less fortunate than we were.

For another worthy cause, much of the team participated in the Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk on Sunday. This was another cause whose meaning was felt close to the hearts of our team. Our former team captain, Kate Kinnear's mother passed away from lung cancer in 2006. We walked in honor of her, as well as all others whom we have known or not, who suffered through the battles of lung cancer.

After a great weekend of giving back, we had to get back to work ourselves for our final week of preparation before we head off to the East Coast to play Argentina in a 5 game test series at American University!!

GO STATES!

Steps

2010-04-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

As we step back onto the field after returning from our time away, it feels surreal. We all know how hard it is to be away, seeing our family and friends, and to have to leave the comforts of these people to come back to training. It is especially difficult when we come back realizing we are no longer training in pursuit of the World Cup.

But we have all returned. As a team we choose to continue to take steps forward. We know what we need to do to progress, as individuals and as a team. We realize this is the most critical time for us to stay committed to the program and the process. Our focus returns to the short term and the upcoming Argentina series that is quickly approaching in a few weeks.

"To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping."

Off Time

2010-04-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

The past week and a half we haven't had practice as a team. Although most of the team has gone home (back to the East Coast) to spend some time with friends and family, I have remained out in Chula Vista a little bit longer, along with a few other teammates.

Last week was a nice break from training where I found myself living life with no plan. What I mean by that is that I would wake up everyday without a plan and come up with it as the day went along. With such a set schedule of practice the majority of the year, I love times like these where I have no requirements. On Saturday I found my way up to UCLA to watch some of the track and field athletes from the OTC compete. It isn't often that we get to see our fellow athletes in action, and it's great to have support from those who know what we go through day in and day out. It was exciting to see in person just how good they really are at what they do.

Ready to get back to work, this week our workouts began again. Those of us that are still here (there are about 5 of us) have been going out to play everyday. We know every day is another opportunity to get better even if we only spend an hour out there, it is an hour that can better us. We all agreed that we wanted to analyze our form a little more because now is the time to look at the little details, critique them, and improve on them. Today, we pulled out a video camera and videoed our shooting drills. We watched ourselves, as well as each other, to help analyze how we did. This helped tremendously to see not only our tendencies, but to correct those things that aren't where they need to be.

Although I miss my teammates, I love having a little downtime to focus on the little things and putting everything back into perspective. I am going home next week to spend a little time with my friends and family as well before we start up again, but for right now I'm enjoying exploring Southern California in ways I haven't been able to during training blocks..... More fun to come!

EASTER!!

2010-04-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!!

Easter was exactly what I needed today! After the tournaments end yesterday, today was nice to enjoy being with people we care about and having a little fun! All week, Lauren Pfeiffer (one of my roommates) had been planning the wonderful Easter party that we would put on at our house for all those who were still in San Diego after the tourney. Needless to say, I don't think I have ever seen more candy in one place!! With 6 people living in our house, on top of 4 other teammates, as well as friends and family, who attended, there were a lot of people in our house today! It was perfect though.

After the delicious ham fest, so graciously prepared by Maren Ford's parents, we proceeded to play Easter games (which Pfeiff had all planned out! although a few were last minute additions). With approximately 20 packages of peeps, the first competition was chubby bunny with peeps. (For those of you that don't know, chubby bunny consists of putting as many of said objects, peeps in this case, in your mouth as you can). Lauren Powley started off with a good performance at 7, and it took the whole house before Rachel Dawson took the lead with 8. But Maren's dad wouldn't be outdone and crushed the field with 12 peeps! With only a few peeps left, we decided to have a contest off our balcony to see who could project their peep the furthest (and yes, we were spitting them out). The first round was easily won by Lauren Powley. The second round was much more of a competition as we all got the hang of the technique and was won by yours truly! Now, who could have Easter without an egg toss? With 6 teams (Sarah Dawson and Katie Evans; Maren Ford and her dad; Katie O'Donnell and Lauren Powley; Lauren Pfeiffer and myself; Maren's mom and Brian Schledorn) we began tossing. Sarah and Katie prevailed as the winners with Powley and OD in a close second. We definitely got a little messy on that one! (I mean we are athletes, everything turns into a competition!)

The afternoon was wonderful and allowed us to be thankful for everything we have and the people we get to enjoy it with. We were happy to spend Easter with our teammates and their families. We have all become very close over the years, so much so that this team is our family. We have spent so much time, so many birthdays, and holidays together that it just seems weird when we aren't together. As we all begin to separate for the next couple weeks, since we have a little time away from training, it will be nice to go home, but we will miss our second family. Spending one last day celebrating Easter with my teammates was exactly what I needed!

Post-tournament

2010-04-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

First, I want to apologize for not blogging during the World Cup Qualifying tournament. It was a hectic week in which our team went through a lot. I'll try to give you a little re-cap here.

For those of you that follow us, you know we started our tournament off with a bang and a 7-0 win against Mexico, including 7 different scorers. It was a strong performance all around, and we were all happy to get our first win under our belts. In our second game, we met France, who proved to be more of a test for us. Although not our strongest showing, we came out with a solid 4-0 win. At this point, our team was ready for our first rest day. Our bodies were beginning to feel the build-up which comes along with any major tournament.

After a nice pool workout and a relaxing morning, we had the afternoon to spend with our family and friends. Seeing as we hosted the tournament, most of our families were able to make the shorter, in-country trip to see us play. This was a major plus for us to have the support of loved ones behind us the whole tournament. These are the people who are there for us no matter what, and have got us to where we are today. Being able to have these people here with us was priceless. During this down time, a few of us attended the US Women's Soccer game against Mexico which took place at San Diego University. Personally, I know a few of the players and it's great to see your fellow national team athletes compete! And of course they won 3-0! After the game I got to see my parents, my brother Matt, and his girlfriend Holly. It was a really nice break from the hectic routine which is a major qualifying tournament.

We had to quickly refocus as a team though because we had a really important game against Belgium. We played Belgium earlier this year in Argentina and came out on top 4-0, but we all knew they were more prepared and ready to challenge us in this qualifier. Our team came out strong though. We absorbed the many different attacks the Belgians threw at us, but we were ready, and we not only found the back of the goal 3 times, we kept the ball out of our net.

Our bodies were definitely beat up after this game and another much needed rest day proceeded our biggest match against Korea on Wednesday. In the morning we had a short practice to get a couple things worked out for our final couple matches against Korea and Canada, and practiced a few corners just to sharpen up. The afternoon allowed us for a little more family time, in which my parents, my brother, my aunt, my cousin's wife, and her daughter all met me at Mission Beach for a little change of pace. To me, the beach is so relaxing and calming. It is gorgeous. Everyone seems so free to run and play, whether volleyball, surfing, basketball, or just relaxing in the sand. It definitely brought me away from hockey for a few hours. The coaches had a surprise waiting for us back at the hotel when we got back though. We were told to bring a jacket and a camera, but thats all we knew. Leaving the hotel, we all had our guesses on where we would end up, but the vans finally arrived in Point Loma as the sun was beginning to set. The view was absolutely breathtaking, and to spend it with my teammates and coaches was to spend it with some of the most important people to me. To see nature at it's finest allowed us to take a step back and see the bigger picture on what we were doing as a hockey team. As Katie O'Donnell so nicely put it, our journey as a team can be compared to the sunset. As she saw it, the sun slowly sets until right at the end it quickly sets down, which compares to us in that we build for long time before a tournament, but when it finally get theres, it goes by so quickly. In other words, we have to live in the moment, enjoy the games, enjoy the tournament, and really take advantage of the opportunities that are presented in front of us for only a short period of time. After a few more words of insight, we were all eager and ready to finish out the tournament continuing to climb.

The game versus Korea started really well for us. We came out right away with Claire Laubach scoring 2 fantastic goals off drag flicks. But Korea would not be denied. They threatened and responded with a goal of their own going into half time at 2-1. We knew the battle was just beginning. We came out fighting at the beginning of the second, but even with a multitude of chances we failed to find the back of the cage. At last, Korea struck again. The knotted the score, which would eventually see the game out into a tie. Although it was frustrating to go from a 2 goal lead to a tie, we knew we had set ourselves up for the final as long as we took care of business against Canada the next day. Despite the rivalry between the US and Canada, we stayed solid, sticking to the game plan, finishing with a final score of 3-1 against the Canucks.

One more rest day before the final test, the last game, that we had been training for, for what seemed like forever. Friday saw us back on the field for one last practice to prepare for Korea with what we learned from them in pool play. We were really sharp and felt very prepared to see them in the final. In the afternoon, I found my way to my cousins house for an afternoon of dying an decorating easter eggs. I love seeing kids and how carefree they are. Nothing worries them and they live in the moment. This really hit me and helped to calm my nerves about the possibilities of such a meaning final game.

It was only a mater of time before the game verse Korea was finally upon us. The finals. Where we wanted to be. What we play for. To put everything on the line. Leave it all on the field. You hear these phrases being said all the time, but at this point in time, they were all so meaningful. This day was one that I had been training for, that I longed for as an athlete. The challenge of a do-or-die. The challenge that the World Cup is on the line. The game began with a few nerves still lingering. Korea took advantage and capitalized on a penalty corner. Frustrated, we went into halftime a goal down. We were not ready to quit, we were not ready to back down. That has never been our team, and it is not something the United States knows how to do. We fought back, scrambled, scratched, did everything in our power to create opportunities. We had plenty, until finally we broke back with our own penalty corner goal by Carrie Lingo. At this point, carrying the momentum, we were confident that if we kept pushing, things were bound to go our way. We kept the ball in their end, pushing them to fall, but they would not. With a break in the play, Korea went down and earned another penalty corner. With 5 minutes left on the clock, Korea found the back of the net to take the lead. It was a hard blow, but we were not ready to see our dreams shatter so quickly. Within a minute we were back in their end with a penalty corner of our own. Unfortunately ours did not result in a goal. We persisted. We began to push everyone forward. It was all or nothing. This is where we take more risks, because whats losing by another goal if you don't push it to score your own. Tragically we gave up a break away and a textbook goal giving them a 3-1 lead with just minutes, seconds left in the game. Although we fought to the last second of the game, time ran out before we could respond. Heart-broken, we knew we would not claim a spot in the 2010 World Cup.

The feelings and emotions that were felt by our 18 member squad are indescribable. It felt as though the whole world had crumbled right before us. As much as our friends and families support us, it is impossible for anyone to really understand just what it means to us. How hard we worked for this, just how much we wanted it. It was crushing. Our coaches urged us to realize just how far we had come and that this is not the end. This will be the true test for our team, whether we want to succeed in the future and how much we are willing to commit when the future is so unsure. A lot of questions arise. Although it has only been a day since we lost, it makes me think and question as well. But I know what I want, for me and for my team. I know we all want to be at the top, we want to be better, we want to never feel the pain that we felt yesterday (and the pain we are still feeling) ever again. I know WE will be stronger for this. Even though it is hard to see it now, we are the type of people who aren't willing to accept failure. We are the type of people who work harder, fight harder, train smarter, otherwise we wouldn't have made it to this point. It hurts now. But I am willing to say that if we are ever put in this situation again, we will be ready. We will be better. The United States will stand tall. We proudly represent our country, our families, and ourselves.

Tournament Time

2010-03-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

The week is finally upon us. We have been preparing and amping up for this tournament for a long time now. Our final days of preparation are here. We are so excited and so ready to finally get our chance to show the world just how far we've come. We see the goal in sight.

As our build up peaked, this past weekend we finally got some time to rest. Our bodies have been beat up and tested so that we would be ready at this point. With a few more practices this week to put some last few things into place, we will be fresh and ready to go on Friday against Mexico. All the training, all the running, all the lifting, and all the game film we've studied will be put to the test. And I know our team is up to the challenge.

Although we are hosting the tournament, it is a major one and we will be moving into a hotel starting on Tuesday. Even though we are in the comfort of our own town and community where we train, we will be secluded so that our entire focus is on the task at hand. As much as we love the people and things around us, they all have to wait for 2 weeks while we take care of business! Needless to say we are excited to have the comforts of a home field and crowd advantage, as well as having most of our parents able to attend and see us succeed.

Personally, I can't wait to play. I can't wait to see all the supporters (my parents, family, friends, community, fellow athletes, etc.) cheering us on, beacuse without them, I could never have gotten to where I am today. I can't wait to show everyone (not only those watching, but all those who follow me, us field hockey, and field hockey in general) just how far I have come and our team has come. I am ready. We are ready.

GO STATES!!!

Last Full Week

2010-03-15T19:54:00.001-07:00

Today began the last full week of training before the Qualifier begins!! This week will be one of the toughest for us. We have been building and building to this point, and it is the last full week of intense work/practice before we start to taper off for the tournament. We are all very excited because we can see the tournament in sight.

My roommate, Katie O'Donnell and I decided to start a new way of motivating ourselves today. Although we know what our goals are for the team and for ourselves, we thought it would be a good idea to write them down in a place where we would see them everyday to remind us to keep working hard and to constantly keep us focused on why we do this every single day. We wrote our goals on our bathroom mirror. We will see it every morning when we wake up, motivating us for the day, and every night before we go to sleep, giving us something to dream about. (I must give credit to the person we got this idea from, a Long Jump and High Jump athlete, Norris Frederick). It was just so good, we had to use it ourselves!

Back to Training

2010-03-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

After a few days off upon return from Argentina, we were back out on the turf training again as a team. The first week back is always interesting. It was exciting to all be back together, as many of us went home for a few days and training again with those that didn’t travel. With the start of our final preparation for the World Cup Qualifier, practice, lifting, and running all become accelerated and more intense. We know we have to push ourselves to get the most out of these last few weeks.

Our coaches also finalized their new masterpiece, the sand hill, for added sprint workouts. They had been talking about it for weeks and now that it is done, we have and will be running sprints up it multiple times a week. Imagine how hard it is to run on the beach in the sand. Now, imagine that, but running up a hill. It is one of our harder workouts, but in a way it is fun. It gives us a change of pace to our normal workouts and allows us to work on our explosiveness. Although we are doing these in addition to our normal runs, we know it will help prepare us physically for the rigors of a qualifying tournament.

This week also brought about Lauren Powley’s birthday! It was one of the highlights of the week, including a double layer homemade cookie cake by our very own baker Lauren Crandall. We followed that up with a little surprise team dinner and festivities later that night. As this rainy, relaxing weekend comes to a close, we prepare for yet another busy week!! Bring on the sand hill!

United States!

2010-02-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

We finally arrived back in the states after what seemed like days of travel. Leaving on Monday morning, we didn't arrive to our final destination until Tuesday afternoon (and night for some of us). So happy to have finally arrived back in the states, although exhausted, the first thing I had to do was go get a burrito! One of the big questions toward the end of tour is "what is the first thing you are going to eat when you get back?" We often are fed the same meals on tour, so there are those American foods/restaurants we crave on tour. Needless to say, my body was happy to finally have some familiar food as well!

Since being home, it has been so nice to finally be able to watch the Olympics in English!! And have all the coverage of the American athletes we so lovingly support! As always, the Olympics never fails to amaze me. With crazy crashes and amazing stories. The most touching has to that of figure skater Joannie Rochette from Canada. She lost her mother to a heart attack just days before competing in the games, yet found a way to still compete at the highest level. Her strength and determination led her to a bronze medal finish. What an inspiration this young women is to all of us. This is one of the many reasons I love the Olympics. It just goes to show to heart of these amazing athletes.

As the Olympics come to a close tomorrow, I am sad that I will no longer be able to watch these fascinating performances, but it gives me new motivation to continue on my journey for 2012. I see the emotion that comes with years of hard work, dedication, and passion, and I know that I want to be a part of that. I know how much blood, sweat, and tears go into the process, and I can't wait to get back out on the field Monday morning and continue to train.

Rain Rain (Don't) Go Away!

2010-02-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

With tension mounting (as Rachel mentioned in her blog), Thursday's 4-0 win over Belgium was a much needed win for our team. With no game on Friday, we headed to the field for practice in order to continue refining some areas that the last few games have highlighted we need to address. As we got off the bus, we felt the light sprinkle of rain beginning to fall. As the many other rain "storms" we have encounter here in Argentina, we figured it was just one cloud that would soon pass. So we got down to the field and we waited. It didn't take long for the rain to turn into downpour though. Within minutes, the field was soaked, beginning to puddle. We experienced these types of storms just weeks before back in California, making the field unpracticable.

All of a sudden, Claire Laubach, Katie O'Donnell, Kayla Bashore, Lauren Crandall, and Sara Silvetti run out onto the field with the soccer ball (which we always bring with us for Friday soccer and it was Friday after all). In what seemed like a monsoon with the amount of rain falling, everyone on the team slowly decided to join. After an intense, and difficult (lots of puddles!) game of soccer, we convinced the coaches to join in the fun.

With the field covered, a slip-n-slide contest proceeded. The coaches even got into this one. Some local boys also came down with a boogie board to make use of the wet conditions. While this was going on, a game of whiffle ball began (also one of the accessories we travel with). Leeroy served up some nice curveballs, but most of the team got hits off, only to see Claire and Rachel come up with some big throws to first. As the game came to conclusion, the rain also seemed to stop.

With about 30 minutes left in our practice time, still soaking wet, we decided to play one last big game of soccer with all of the coaches and coaching staff to finish up. Although we did not even touch our sticks, I think this practice is just what we needed. We have been playing so much hockey, with few days off in 2010, and a day of fun games to get our minds away from hockey is just what our team needed to refocus and go into the last two games in Argentina fired up and ready to go! Although most teams would have just cancelled practice, our team always seems to find a way to make the most of altered situations, and of course make them fun! A little rain never hurt anyone!

Photos taken by Jamie Young

Game Day's

2010-02-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

Throughout our playing days, we all have developed routines and rituals that we find work best for us before games. Over the years, these often change and evolve until they are right for each individual.

These rituals vary from what sock or shoe is put on first, listening to a specific song or playlist, or even sitting in a certain seat on the bus to the field. Whatever it may be, these rituals and routines often have a calming effect, helping us feel fully prepared, with every minute detail and factor in our control taken care of before the game.

The morning of a game, you may find some of the players reading or doing a crossword to keep their minds active, yet not overly stressing the game. As the game begins to approach and we start to get physically prepared, many of us have to do our hair a certain way. (We are girls after all!) During this trip, Jackie Kintzer has become the braider of choice, even coordinating times to do Sarah Dawson and Katie O'Donnell's hair.

Once our hair is done, our uniforms are on, and our stick bags packed, we load up the bus and begin our journey to the field where really start to focus into the task at hand: taking care of business on the field and winning the game. At this point, many of us have our headphones in listening to anything from alternative (to stay relaxed) to hip-hop (to get pumped up). Upon arrival, we usually have close to 30 minutes before our actual warm-up on the field starts. This is where one of my favorite rituals takes place: The Hacky Sack game. About half the team participates, standing in a circle, hacking until everyone gets a touch. The rest of us usually spectate and get a few good laughs in along the way.

As we head to the field, our focus narrows. With a jog, stretch, and some touches on the ball, we are physically prepared for battle. After one last word from Lee, we finally take the field, hear the line-ups and the anthems, and we're ready to go. Personally, my favorite part is the anthem. Every time it gives me chills to know I am wearing my countries colors and representing not only myself and my team, but my country. It always puts things into perspective on how very lucky I am, how many people would love to be in my position, but how hard I've worked to get here. I know that every time I hear the Star Spangled Banner, I am about to embark on a once in a lifetime opportunity that fuels my passion for the game.

Despite our differences in rituals before each game, once the whistle blows we are all on the same page, working together for the same goal: a win for the USA.

Photo 1 & 2 taken by Michelle Kasold
Phtoto 3 Taken by Jackie Kintzer

Cordoba, Argentina

2010-02-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

After a 10 hour overnight bus trip, we have made it to Cordoba!!! It's crazy to think that we were only in Mendoza for a few days. It seemed much longer with all the free time we had during the day and the 2 games we've already completed. Although we didn't get the results we would have wished, we continue to progress as a team towards our ultimate goal of world cup qualification.

As you all know, Valentine's day was yesterday, and seeing as we are all in Argentina far from our friends, family, and significant others, we found ways to make the most of the day. Maren's boyfriend seemed to outdo everyone when he sent roses to the hotel for her! This made all the girls a little jealous! (Okay, maybe a lot). I still think my Valentine was the best! (Sarah Dawson!!) We made the most of our day with a nice lunch date in the hotel restaurant (where we ate all our meals with the team) and an exchanging of cards we made. ;)

Cordoba will be a nice change of pace for us though. A new hotel, a new field, new opportunities and challenges. It almost feels like home too because we are "chillin at the Holiday Inn"!! haha.

Mendoza, Argentina

2010-02-12T08:04:00.002-08:00

We have officially arrived in Mendoza, Argentina!!! After 22 hours of traveling, we got in yesterday morning around 11am. Needless to say we were a little exhausted, most of us only having slept for bits and pieces of the flights. In good spirits, and with all of our bags, we had lunch waiting for us as we arrived at the hotel. After some down time to rest and nap, we had practice. We always practice on the first day of arrival to help us just get moving, get used to the turf, and adjust to the new time zone. Mendoza, Argentina is 5 hours ahead of Chula Vista, so it definitely has thrown us off a bit.

With a good nights rest under our belts, today's schedule includes two practices to really get our touch back and bodies ready to go. We already have our first game against Argentina tomorrow!! Fortunately our hotel is very accommodating with comfortable beds and good food to keep us charged and ready to go!

Pictures and video will be coming soon.

Nothing too crazy or funny has happened yet, but we did have a hallway pow-wow last night in order to use the internet. We get wireless in the rooms, but the signal is pretty weak. We discovered that it is much better in the hallway, so there were about 5 of us sitting in the hallway last night calling and skyping home from our computers.

OH! and I almost forgot... the WINTER OLYMPICS start today!!! Hopefully we will be able to watch it from down here and the TV coverage will be good. :)
GO USA!!!!!

Big Steps

2010-02-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

It's been a few days since I've last posted. This last week was pretty hectic. After finishing our test matches against Holland with a heartbreaking loss in the final seconds of the game (after being up 2-0 at half too), we had 2 final games vs. China to get a result. Our 2nd game with China was a hard fought 2-1 loss which was yet again disappointing after the effort and work we have put in. Going into the final game, we approached it as our World Cup qualifier, a must win to get into the World Cup. We took a mentality and belief that we would win the game no matter what. Finally taking a step in the right direction, we got the results, with a 2-1 win, weathering everything China could throw at us.

In conclusion of the series, we got some much needed time off this weekend. Finally getting settled into our new place, my roommates and I had the rest of the team over for a little house warming get together. It's always nice to have your own place and space to go home to after a hard day's training. :) It was also superbowl weekend, so 2 of my roommates and I got together with the Gementera's (the family we stayed with for a little bit in the fall of '09) and had some tacos, watched the game, and we'll took a little nap too... we were tired!! All in all, it was a nice little break from hockey to let our bodies and minds recover as we get ready for the next stage of our build up.

As we prepare to leave tomorrow for our trip to Argentina for more test matches in preparation for the qualifier, we are excited to continue stepping forward and seeing the results of the hours/days/years of hard work we have been putting in.

Game Time

2010-01-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

We are now in the midst of our test series with Holland and China. Today will be our first test with China, as we have already battled through a scrimmage and test match with Holland.

Sunday saw the first match up against the number one team in the world. No doubt the Dutch showed us in that first game why they won the Gold in Beijing. After three 25 minute periods, they had put in 5 goals on us, with us struggling to make anything happen with our attack. We proceeded to play an overtime period (golden goal) for practice. This was a tale of two very different teams. With a new mentality, in which we know we can compete with anyone, whether the previous scoreline shows this or not, we knotted one just 4 minutes into the first overtime. This was quite a shock to the Dutch who hadn't seen much action in their defensive end all game. It was a major step in the direction our team has been striving to go, and we were very excited to end on a positive note. A round of stokes still followed though. After one round, five strokers, it was tied 4-4. Followed by sudden death, Holland capitalized on their first chance, and we unfortunately didn't, leaving the final at 5-4. Although the score fails to show the steps we have taken as a team over the past year or so, we knew just how much positive we could take out of this game.

Building off of this first performance, our first real test match against Holland showed vast improvement. Our mentality and belief is one of our strongest attributes as a team. When it is present, it shows in our play on the field. Despite what has occurred in previous games against Holland, we went out on this day to win. The Dutch took an early lead just minutes in off a quick counter due to poor decision making on our part. We responded though with a goal of our own. Before the half was over, Holland yet again took advantage of a mistake in our backfield giving them the 2-1 lead going into break. The second half led to a multitude of chances that did quite return in our favor. Although we challenged the Dutch and kept them under tight pressure for the rest of the game, they proved their number one ranking with a pair of drag flick goals to end the game at 4-1. As a team, we know that this match was fairly evenly played, and that with a few adjustments (in particular, cleaning up a few unforced errors and finishing on a few more chances) the outcome can be much different.

Today is a new day though. With a few practices this week and a day off yesterday, we are fresh and ready to go for our next challenge, China. On mornings before games, we all have rituals or things we like to do. Often you will find people filling out the crossword, reading, or playing cribbage (Maren hehe); anything that is relaxing, yet still engaging. This morning I decided to go for a walk around the center. It's a beautiful day here and it was nice to just clear my head, loosen my legs up, and enjoy nature. But now it's time for the crossword before our pregame meeting!

Rain rain rain

2010-01-21T21:15:00.000-08:00

Hello All!!

Week two updates comes amidst one of the craziest storms I've ever seen in California! (Although in all honesty, it's pretty tame compared to the hundreds I've been in back east.) This is SoCal though and neither the natives nor the land is quite prepared for a storm like this. Unfortunately it has also greatly affected our training schedule this week, limiting the number of times we have been able to get on the field (it is flooded) and practice in preparation for our big games this coming weekend/week.

Staying true to one of our team mottos: adapt and adjust, we have found a way to continue our progress and stay flexible with our schedule.

In the mean time, my roommates (Lauren Pfeiffer, Maren Ford, and Melanie Brill) and I have been finding plenty of ways to keep busy! Daily crosswords are nothing new, but we have given a bit more attention to this endeavor. Reading and movie time has increased in recent days as well. All in all, we have enjoyed some quality bonding time! Today we even found a little time to go bowling to get out of our rooms and away from the training center.

Although it is supposed to continue raining and thunder storming all day tomorrow, we already have plans of watching and analyzing video on our upcoming opponents. There are always other ways to prepare besides on field preparation, and we plan on taking full advantage of the time indoors to not only rest, but better understand the game of field hockey.

That's all for now from rainy California!

Week One 2010

2010-01-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

First week back of training for 2010. It’s the start of a new decade and a new team that has evolved a lot since the Olympics in 2008. With a lot of fresh faces joining us this past fall, and many returning to the team this spring, the energy surrounding the start of the year and the training block for this World Cup year was high. Personally, I was excited to get back out on the turf in preparation for our first game of the year, which is now only a week away!

The first week was a tough one, as it always is after being away from the team. It is hardly “time off” when we are away because we remain diligent in our fitness/running and lifting, even though we take a little time away from the pitch. Getting back into “hockey shape”, as we call it, takes about a week or so, and we definitely feel the soreness in week one. The first week looked a little like this:

Day 1(Monday): Practice in the morning- mostly to get our touch back on the ball and get used to playing with everyone again. Lifting in the afternoon- which was a hard lift, building on what we had done away from the team

Day 2(Tuesday): Practice in the morning. Running and small games (7 aside) in the afternoon.

Day 3(Wednesday): Recovery run- 40 minutes

Day 4(Thursday): Fitness testing in the morning. Full game in the afternoon.

Day 5(Friday): Corner practice and running in the morning.

Day 6(Saturday): Recovery run- 4 minutes

Day 7(Sunday): (today) REST DAY!

This is a typical week for us (except Thursday usually consists of a practice and a lift), although, our schedule for the next month is going to be quite different because we are playing so many games (which is awesome!!!) J

Even with such a rigorous program, we do find a little time here and there to do some fun things. This week I had a chance to go to dinner with my cousins who live in the San Diego area, went to see Avatar (GREAT MOVIE!!), attend our coach’s 40^th birthday celebration, and root for the Chargers (my new hometown team! even if that was a rough game today).

I will update more in the coming week and keep you posted on how our preparation and matches are going.