Stephanie Labbe
Stephanie Labbe is a keeper for the Canadian Women’s National Team and Piteå IF of Damallsvenskan. Follow her on her journey to the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.
Sept. 15, 2011
First Day of School
After a long flight from the north of Sweden all the way over to Kansas City, Missouri, we finally arrived in camp. This is a camp of a lot of firsts for us. It is the first time we are back in camp after our heartbreaking exit from the World Cup. It was good to get a mental break, a physical break, and time to refocus and reconnect with our family and friends. For some, it was time to go to clubs and get into a different environment with different challenges, a time to get some games in, and experience a different professional lifestyle.
This camp is also the first time a team will play against the USA after their recent success as a finalist in the World Cup. It is a huge opportunity for us to get a positive performance against a great team. Lastly, this is the first camp for us as a team with our new coaching staff. Recently, John Herdman was appointed as the new coach for our Canadian National Team, and he has brought over a few of his assistants and support staff to join us. Coming into camp, it felt like the first day of school. You get to see all your closest friends after a break, bring your stories from your recent "adventures," and meet your new coach/teacher. So far, first impression has been great. We are all really open to John's ideas and philosophies, and he seems to be really invested not only in the short-term success of this team, but also for the long-term consistency of being a top-ranked team. The first few days have been filled with many meetings and video sessions to really get an idea of where he sees our success coming from and where he sees our future.
There have been some really funny moments, with us being a little slow to understand some of the things he says with his accent. For example, we were in a meeting Wednesday, and John was talking about being "booked" or given a card. We misunderstood and thought he was saying "booted" or boot somebody. Was a funny moment of awkward head nodding “yes,” to an awkward silence to finally someone raising their hand and asking if he was talking about us booting someone else. I have personally had some little chuckles to myself every time he says "fact" thinking he is saying a different "F" word ... maybe that’s my own bad hearing since no one else seems to be having an issue with that.
It is a really exciting week for us, and we are all really excited to get back out on the field again in the Canada jersey, to represent our country, our fans, our supporters, and to regain back a lot of what we lost not only on the field but off the field at the World Cup. Today is the first day to our next goal: the 2012 Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament.
First Day of School
After a long flight from the north of Sweden all the way over to Kansas City, Missouri, we finally arrived in camp. This is a camp of a lot of firsts for us. It is the first time we are back in camp after our heartbreaking exit from the World Cup. It was good to get a mental break, a physical break, and time to refocus and reconnect with our family and friends. For some, it was time to go to clubs and get into a different environment with different challenges, a time to get some games in, and experience a different professional lifestyle.
This camp is also the first time a team will play against the USA after their recent success as a finalist in the World Cup. It is a huge opportunity for us to get a positive performance against a great team. Lastly, this is the first camp for us as a team with our new coaching staff. Recently, John Herdman was appointed as the new coach for our Canadian National Team, and he has brought over a few of his assistants and support staff to join us. Coming into camp, it felt like the first day of school. You get to see all your closest friends after a break, bring your stories from your recent "adventures," and meet your new coach/teacher. So far, first impression has been great. We are all really open to John's ideas and philosophies, and he seems to be really invested not only in the short-term success of this team, but also for the long-term consistency of being a top-ranked team. The first few days have been filled with many meetings and video sessions to really get an idea of where he sees our success coming from and where he sees our future.
There have been some really funny moments, with us being a little slow to understand some of the things he says with his accent. For example, we were in a meeting Wednesday, and John was talking about being "booked" or given a card. We misunderstood and thought he was saying "booted" or boot somebody. Was a funny moment of awkward head nodding “yes,” to an awkward silence to finally someone raising their hand and asking if he was talking about us booting someone else. I have personally had some little chuckles to myself every time he says "fact" thinking he is saying a different "F" word ... maybe that’s my own bad hearing since no one else seems to be having an issue with that.
It is a really exciting week for us, and we are all really excited to get back out on the field again in the Canada jersey, to represent our country, our fans, our supporters, and to regain back a lot of what we lost not only on the field but off the field at the World Cup. Today is the first day to our next goal: the 2012 Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament.
Aug. 25, 2011
The Knee Test
The Knee Test
Aug. 18, 2011
The New Haircut
The New Haircut
Melissa Tancredi, Stephanie Labbe, and Carmelina Moscato
Aug. 14, 2011
Canadian Invasion!
Well its official ... the Damallsvenskan is now four Canadians deeper, and it has already made an impact. Erin McLeod and Emily Zurrer, two of my close friends are playing for Dalsjöfors, a team that up until now has only accumulated 1 point. Today (Saturday) Emily and Erin played their first game, and helped the team to their second point of the year. Although looking at the stats, they were outshot, but it seems like they both did their big part in securing the tie! So exciting for them both, and I am so happy for them for making an immediate impact in their team! Sunday, its Piteå's turn! Both Melissa Tancredi and Carmelina Moscato are ready to play for us in today's big game vs Hammarby. If we win, we pull ourselves away from Hammarby and give ourselves some breathing room above the relegation line. If we lose, Hammarby sneaks up behind us and brings it very close. Will be an exciting match at home here, where we are fortunate enough to have the most consistent fan base, who constantly fill the stadium and support us through ups and downs.
I cant wait to get on the field with both Carm and Melissa again, and show the league Piteå is here to stay this year! Outside of training sessions, Carm and I have found a new addiction. We had heard a lot of things about the show Pretty Little Liars and thought we would give it a chance. After one episode, we were consumed. Could not stop. We had two nights in a row of marathon night to get through the first season. After every episode it was like...well, we cant stop now, we have to see the next one. It was bad. I lost track of time completely. We watched about 15 episodes in two days, completing the first season in three days total. It was incredible, and now the fact that we have to wait a week between each episode is mind boggling. I guess now we can enjoy each other's company and not just stare at the computer screen.
Big week ahead of us with our game Sunday vs. Hammarby, then a quick turnaround to our "Derby" match vs Umeå on Wednesday. Then the weekend off, where Melissa, Carm, and I will make a trip down to Göteborg to visit our other Canadian friends! Should be a great week, and finish off with a great weekend with friends!
Canadian Invasion!
Well its official ... the Damallsvenskan is now four Canadians deeper, and it has already made an impact. Erin McLeod and Emily Zurrer, two of my close friends are playing for Dalsjöfors, a team that up until now has only accumulated 1 point. Today (Saturday) Emily and Erin played their first game, and helped the team to their second point of the year. Although looking at the stats, they were outshot, but it seems like they both did their big part in securing the tie! So exciting for them both, and I am so happy for them for making an immediate impact in their team! Sunday, its Piteå's turn! Both Melissa Tancredi and Carmelina Moscato are ready to play for us in today's big game vs Hammarby. If we win, we pull ourselves away from Hammarby and give ourselves some breathing room above the relegation line. If we lose, Hammarby sneaks up behind us and brings it very close. Will be an exciting match at home here, where we are fortunate enough to have the most consistent fan base, who constantly fill the stadium and support us through ups and downs.
I cant wait to get on the field with both Carm and Melissa again, and show the league Piteå is here to stay this year! Outside of training sessions, Carm and I have found a new addiction. We had heard a lot of things about the show Pretty Little Liars and thought we would give it a chance. After one episode, we were consumed. Could not stop. We had two nights in a row of marathon night to get through the first season. After every episode it was like...well, we cant stop now, we have to see the next one. It was bad. I lost track of time completely. We watched about 15 episodes in two days, completing the first season in three days total. It was incredible, and now the fact that we have to wait a week between each episode is mind boggling. I guess now we can enjoy each other's company and not just stare at the computer screen.
Big week ahead of us with our game Sunday vs. Hammarby, then a quick turnaround to our "Derby" match vs Umeå on Wednesday. Then the weekend off, where Melissa, Carm, and I will make a trip down to Göteborg to visit our other Canadian friends! Should be a great week, and finish off with a great weekend with friends!
Aug. 4, 2011
Busy week back home and in Piteå
Well, it has been a very interesting past week for me. I am so proud to say that after nine long months of long waiting, that I am finally an aunt! On Tuesday, July 26, my brother and his wife welcomed into the world a beautiful baby girl. Everyone, including them, were kept in suspense until the final minutes to find out whether they would be having a little prince or princess. They also kept us all in suspense as to what their options for names were. In the end, Harper Marie Labbe was the little princess who joined our family, and she couldn't be more beautiful or breathtaking.
I waited with total anxiety for the last few days for news of my sister-in-law's pregnancy, just waiting for that phone call, that email, whatever the sign would be. I told my brother I didn't care what time he/she would have been born, I wanted a phone call ASAP! Luckily for me, she was born at noon back home, which was just after dinner time here in Sweden. When my phone rang, I took a glance down and immediately I felt my heart race when I saw my brother's name on my phone. I answered quickly to hear my brother congratulate me on being an aunt, and revealing to me her sex, name, birth weight, and status of both her and mom. All healthy and happy, and I was instantly crying like a little baby. There really are no words to describe what I felt in that moment. I don't even think I know what i felt, but I do know that from that moment I have been obsessed with this little bundle of joy, and I am counting down the days, until I get to finally meet her in person. I have been getting daily pictures, videos from my brother and parents, and even a few face-time phone calls, but of course this is nothing compared to what it's going to be like to hold her for the first time. Nothing can replace that. But for now, I will grab onto what I can, embrace it, enjoy it, and do whatever I can to show my niece how much I love her. There is one thing that is a guarantee ... I am going to be the aunt that spoils her. I have already sent home a care package, which I'm sure has clothing for the first three years of her life, and that says a lot considering she will grow out of things every few months. Goodbye paycheck. Hello stylish Harper :)
Besides Harper taking up every thought of my day, finally one of my new teammates here in Piteå from Canada has arrived. Carmelina arrived last week, and I couldn't be happier! She is one of my best friends from back home, and I am lucky to have her not only on the National Team but also now living here in Piteå, Sweden with me (well, not "with" me, but in the same city!). It feels like since she got here last Thursday, we have been together every minute! We get along great and have such similar sense of humor that there is always a laugh when we are together, which apparently is very often! I am so excited to play our first game together here on Sunday vs Djurgarden. We played them this past weekend (Carm wasn't able to play yet) and had a tough 2-0 loss at home. Luckily for us, the series turns round and we play them again in a rematch this weekend, this time on their home field. It will be a tough game, with a lot at stake being that both of us are fighting to stay above the relegation line. Although they pulled away a little with this past weekend's win, anything can happen. Every game is important, and every game is a possible three points, which makes it so fun to play!
Busy week back home and in Piteå
Well, it has been a very interesting past week for me. I am so proud to say that after nine long months of long waiting, that I am finally an aunt! On Tuesday, July 26, my brother and his wife welcomed into the world a beautiful baby girl. Everyone, including them, were kept in suspense until the final minutes to find out whether they would be having a little prince or princess. They also kept us all in suspense as to what their options for names were. In the end, Harper Marie Labbe was the little princess who joined our family, and she couldn't be more beautiful or breathtaking.
I waited with total anxiety for the last few days for news of my sister-in-law's pregnancy, just waiting for that phone call, that email, whatever the sign would be. I told my brother I didn't care what time he/she would have been born, I wanted a phone call ASAP! Luckily for me, she was born at noon back home, which was just after dinner time here in Sweden. When my phone rang, I took a glance down and immediately I felt my heart race when I saw my brother's name on my phone. I answered quickly to hear my brother congratulate me on being an aunt, and revealing to me her sex, name, birth weight, and status of both her and mom. All healthy and happy, and I was instantly crying like a little baby. There really are no words to describe what I felt in that moment. I don't even think I know what i felt, but I do know that from that moment I have been obsessed with this little bundle of joy, and I am counting down the days, until I get to finally meet her in person. I have been getting daily pictures, videos from my brother and parents, and even a few face-time phone calls, but of course this is nothing compared to what it's going to be like to hold her for the first time. Nothing can replace that. But for now, I will grab onto what I can, embrace it, enjoy it, and do whatever I can to show my niece how much I love her. There is one thing that is a guarantee ... I am going to be the aunt that spoils her. I have already sent home a care package, which I'm sure has clothing for the first three years of her life, and that says a lot considering she will grow out of things every few months. Goodbye paycheck. Hello stylish Harper :)
Besides Harper taking up every thought of my day, finally one of my new teammates here in Piteå from Canada has arrived. Carmelina arrived last week, and I couldn't be happier! She is one of my best friends from back home, and I am lucky to have her not only on the National Team but also now living here in Piteå, Sweden with me (well, not "with" me, but in the same city!). It feels like since she got here last Thursday, we have been together every minute! We get along great and have such similar sense of humor that there is always a laugh when we are together, which apparently is very often! I am so excited to play our first game together here on Sunday vs Djurgarden. We played them this past weekend (Carm wasn't able to play yet) and had a tough 2-0 loss at home. Luckily for us, the series turns round and we play them again in a rematch this weekend, this time on their home field. It will be a tough game, with a lot at stake being that both of us are fighting to stay above the relegation line. Although they pulled away a little with this past weekend's win, anything can happen. Every game is important, and every game is a possible three points, which makes it so fun to play!
July 25, 2011
Great to be back in Sweden
Well, after some really nice time at home with my family and friends post-World Cup, it was finally time to head back to Sweden and get back to the grind. Since I was the responsible for my flight back to Sweden, I decided to treat myself a little and book my flight first class with my aeroplan miles. And let me tell you it was WELL worth it! Fun to treat yourself sometimes, and enjoy what only few get to! And the good thing was that I got a great sleep and limited the amount of jetleg that I had when I arrived. Was definitely hard to leave home, and my family. I only get to go home for Christmas and then usually once in the summer if I am lucky. And this time was especially hard since my brother and his wife are expecting any day now, its their first child, and of course my first niece/nephew. I am definitely not looking forward to meeting him or her on Skype..but its the life I choose and I cant complain too much!
It has been great to be back in Sweden, back with my team, my friends, and my "family" here. Feels great to be a part of this team again, and especially to play in my first game back since my injury. Saturday, we played against Hammarby in the first game after the World Cup. We came out strong, and it was a must-win game for us. We set the tempo, and controlled the game well. First half we were a little off on our final pass or final shot. We were there, but not there if you know what I mean! Second half we did much better and were much more focused in the attacking third. We put away two goals, and kept it tight in the back to preserve the shutout. I was so proud of our team to be so sharp after such a long break in the season. Only bigger and better things will come!
Something that I do for every game is put tape on my wrist, and I always write two things on it. On one side I write something that reminds me of my family back home, a few words so that they are with me every step I take. And on the other side I write one word of inspiration. I find it from many different places. Saturday, I decided to involve the "Twitter world" and ask for suggestions. After many responses and a lot of great suggestions, in light of the recent tragedy, my word for Saturday was "Norway." I think it is so sad when things like that happen; nobody deserves to go through that. Doing anything is doing something, and that is why I chose to dedicate my performance and really play for all those affected in the tragedy. I then posted a picture of my tape pre-game so that the winner could see their suggestion and know it was with me all game!
I will be asking for suggestions again later this week for next weekend's game. If you would like to be involved you can follow me on twitter @stephlabbe1, and keep an eye on my tweets later this week! Hope to hear some more great inspiring words!
Great to be back in Sweden
Well, after some really nice time at home with my family and friends post-World Cup, it was finally time to head back to Sweden and get back to the grind. Since I was the responsible for my flight back to Sweden, I decided to treat myself a little and book my flight first class with my aeroplan miles. And let me tell you it was WELL worth it! Fun to treat yourself sometimes, and enjoy what only few get to! And the good thing was that I got a great sleep and limited the amount of jetleg that I had when I arrived. Was definitely hard to leave home, and my family. I only get to go home for Christmas and then usually once in the summer if I am lucky. And this time was especially hard since my brother and his wife are expecting any day now, its their first child, and of course my first niece/nephew. I am definitely not looking forward to meeting him or her on Skype..but its the life I choose and I cant complain too much!
It has been great to be back in Sweden, back with my team, my friends, and my "family" here. Feels great to be a part of this team again, and especially to play in my first game back since my injury. Saturday, we played against Hammarby in the first game after the World Cup. We came out strong, and it was a must-win game for us. We set the tempo, and controlled the game well. First half we were a little off on our final pass or final shot. We were there, but not there if you know what I mean! Second half we did much better and were much more focused in the attacking third. We put away two goals, and kept it tight in the back to preserve the shutout. I was so proud of our team to be so sharp after such a long break in the season. Only bigger and better things will come!
Something that I do for every game is put tape on my wrist, and I always write two things on it. On one side I write something that reminds me of my family back home, a few words so that they are with me every step I take. And on the other side I write one word of inspiration. I find it from many different places. Saturday, I decided to involve the "Twitter world" and ask for suggestions. After many responses and a lot of great suggestions, in light of the recent tragedy, my word for Saturday was "Norway." I think it is so sad when things like that happen; nobody deserves to go through that. Doing anything is doing something, and that is why I chose to dedicate my performance and really play for all those affected in the tragedy. I then posted a picture of my tape pre-game so that the winner could see their suggestion and know it was with me all game!
I will be asking for suggestions again later this week for next weekend's game. If you would like to be involved you can follow me on twitter @stephlabbe1, and keep an eye on my tweets later this week! Hope to hear some more great inspiring words!
July 7, 2011
"Life is a Journey"
Life is a journey. We must embrace every part of it, whether good or bad, happy or sad. We control our own destiny, and we define ourselves. In a team, one of the most important things to remember is that you define who you are as a team. It doesn’t matter what other people say, what the media says, and what the results say. One game does not define you as a team or as individuals.
I am of course referring to my recent experience at the Women’s World Cup. Off the field, it was such an amazing experience. Everything from the personalized busses to beautiful stadiums, to accommodations and food was top class. It was so well-advertised throughout the country, and it showed with close to sold-out stadiums in every match, including a sold-out stadium of 74,000+ in our opening game vs. Germany. Being a part of it was such an honour, and I am so grateful to have been a part of that experience.
As far as results go, there isn’t too much to say. It is easy to point fingers and put the blame on all these outside factors. Of course there is a lot that needs to change in order to help our program keep improving. We need to keep improving our grassroots development and help develop the younger generations of soccer players in Canada. But that is a goal that has a “long-term effect” on our program. It’s not going to change overnight, but no better time to start change then now. I think for us, we need to analyze this tournament, and really find within ourselves what happened. For starters, we had a very difficult group, and a very difficult draw. Playing the “hardest” game of the group first, against the host team and defending World Champions was nothing short of hard. Playing France next was again difficult. They were a great team, and on the day, they seemed to be perfect. They had a game plan that they seemed to follow very well, and we never quite recovered after their first goal. It was one of the most heartbreaking games I have been through in my life. The feeling after that game cannot be described in words. Our third game, looking at rankings, was our least hard of the three, but given the circumstances, it was far from easy. Having to come back after an emotional second game and a difficult few days wasn’t easy. We knew we had a lot to prove, not only to ourselves, but to the world, and to all of our supporters back home in Canada. Although the result didn’t go our way, we came out and fought to the best of our ability on that day. With some bad luck against, we continued to stick to our game plan. Unfortunately, we just didn’t convert on our chances.
What to do now? There is only one direction we can go and that is forward. We need to take every positive thing we can from this and learn from it. For me personally, I have gone home to be with my friends and family for a few days to regroup and refocus. Being here helps to find a balance and really look back on the experience and all that I have gained from it. I will go back to Sweden and begin the second part of our season the end of this month, and excitedly play in my first game back from my injury!
"Life is a Journey"
Life is a journey. We must embrace every part of it, whether good or bad, happy or sad. We control our own destiny, and we define ourselves. In a team, one of the most important things to remember is that you define who you are as a team. It doesn’t matter what other people say, what the media says, and what the results say. One game does not define you as a team or as individuals.
I am of course referring to my recent experience at the Women’s World Cup. Off the field, it was such an amazing experience. Everything from the personalized busses to beautiful stadiums, to accommodations and food was top class. It was so well-advertised throughout the country, and it showed with close to sold-out stadiums in every match, including a sold-out stadium of 74,000+ in our opening game vs. Germany. Being a part of it was such an honour, and I am so grateful to have been a part of that experience.
As far as results go, there isn’t too much to say. It is easy to point fingers and put the blame on all these outside factors. Of course there is a lot that needs to change in order to help our program keep improving. We need to keep improving our grassroots development and help develop the younger generations of soccer players in Canada. But that is a goal that has a “long-term effect” on our program. It’s not going to change overnight, but no better time to start change then now. I think for us, we need to analyze this tournament, and really find within ourselves what happened. For starters, we had a very difficult group, and a very difficult draw. Playing the “hardest” game of the group first, against the host team and defending World Champions was nothing short of hard. Playing France next was again difficult. They were a great team, and on the day, they seemed to be perfect. They had a game plan that they seemed to follow very well, and we never quite recovered after their first goal. It was one of the most heartbreaking games I have been through in my life. The feeling after that game cannot be described in words. Our third game, looking at rankings, was our least hard of the three, but given the circumstances, it was far from easy. Having to come back after an emotional second game and a difficult few days wasn’t easy. We knew we had a lot to prove, not only to ourselves, but to the world, and to all of our supporters back home in Canada. Although the result didn’t go our way, we came out and fought to the best of our ability on that day. With some bad luck against, we continued to stick to our game plan. Unfortunately, we just didn’t convert on our chances.
What to do now? There is only one direction we can go and that is forward. We need to take every positive thing we can from this and learn from it. For me personally, I have gone home to be with my friends and family for a few days to regroup and refocus. Being here helps to find a balance and really look back on the experience and all that I have gained from it. I will go back to Sweden and begin the second part of our season the end of this month, and excitedly play in my first game back from my injury!
June 25, 2011
"This is our time. This is Canada's time"
Well … it’s that time where there really isn’t much to say. Feels like just yesterday we began this journey. All of our preparation has been done, in every aspect of our game. Not only on the field but off. Our team is closer than ever, and it will take all 25 of us in the fight tomorrow to come out victorious. And I have no doubt in my mind that we will be there as one, until the final whistle.
Today was our last day of training before tomorrow's match. We got to train at the stadium today, and it was unbelievable to say the least. Absolutely beautiful exterior, well-designed interior, and beautiful grass. Just walking onto the field gave us goosebumps, and to picture it tomorrow, with 70,000+ people there watching and cheering, is incredible. To see where the women’s game is at and where it will go is amazing. I am so proud to be part of such an incredible time in the women’s game, and I am so excited to see where it goes from here.
It's only hours now until kickoff, and its time to rest up, focus, and get our game faces on. We have worked so hard for this moment. We have sacrificed and committed ourselves to every training session, to every game, to every workout. This is our time. This is Canada’s time.
"This is our time. This is Canada's time"
Well … it’s that time where there really isn’t much to say. Feels like just yesterday we began this journey. All of our preparation has been done, in every aspect of our game. Not only on the field but off. Our team is closer than ever, and it will take all 25 of us in the fight tomorrow to come out victorious. And I have no doubt in my mind that we will be there as one, until the final whistle.
Today was our last day of training before tomorrow's match. We got to train at the stadium today, and it was unbelievable to say the least. Absolutely beautiful exterior, well-designed interior, and beautiful grass. Just walking onto the field gave us goosebumps, and to picture it tomorrow, with 70,000+ people there watching and cheering, is incredible. To see where the women’s game is at and where it will go is amazing. I am so proud to be part of such an incredible time in the women’s game, and I am so excited to see where it goes from here.
It's only hours now until kickoff, and its time to rest up, focus, and get our game faces on. We have worked so hard for this moment. We have sacrificed and committed ourselves to every training session, to every game, to every workout. This is our time. This is Canada’s time.
June 17, 2011
It's Time
It is now down to single digits. Only nine days until our first game of the World Cup. It is all so surreal to me right now. To think about the amazing journey we have been on as a team and as individuals is very exciting. We have come so far in the past two years and have come together more than ever in the past few months. We know we are ready. Now it’s the time to put it all together and just play. Just enjoy it, and have fun! This is what we live for, what we strive for, and what we train for day in and day out. This is the reason why we move across the world to play professionally, why we jump on a plane without thinking twice about our next destination, why we could spend a week in an amazing historical city and see nothing but a hotel and soccer field. This is what we sacrifice for. This is what we love to do, this is our passion!
After an extremely intense past few weeks for myself, both mentally and physically, I have got myself back in the race. I am so proud of myself for pushing from day one and never giving up. I am still in shock every day that I was able to get back and give myself a chance to be named to the roster. And I can proudly say now that I have been selected to represent Canada at the World Cup, and it is such a great feeling. I don’t want to say it’s a relief, because my job isn’t over. This is just the start of a new journey. It's never over. There is always a new journey to embark upon. But now I can relieve that pressure off myself and continue to push myself every day. As long as I arrive in the best possible shape and condition, whether playing or not, I know I have succeeded, and I know I have helped our team to be better in one way or another.
Now it's time to go out, have fun, and take in every part of this experience. It's time to go out and show the world what we have! Two days until arrival in Germany. Nine days til kickoff vs. Germany. There are no other 21 players (+4 alternates) that I would rather spend this journey with than the girls here. We have come so far, and I am so excited to continue into this exciting time in our careers and embark on something beautiful! Go Canada Go!
It's Time
It is now down to single digits. Only nine days until our first game of the World Cup. It is all so surreal to me right now. To think about the amazing journey we have been on as a team and as individuals is very exciting. We have come so far in the past two years and have come together more than ever in the past few months. We know we are ready. Now it’s the time to put it all together and just play. Just enjoy it, and have fun! This is what we live for, what we strive for, and what we train for day in and day out. This is the reason why we move across the world to play professionally, why we jump on a plane without thinking twice about our next destination, why we could spend a week in an amazing historical city and see nothing but a hotel and soccer field. This is what we sacrifice for. This is what we love to do, this is our passion!
After an extremely intense past few weeks for myself, both mentally and physically, I have got myself back in the race. I am so proud of myself for pushing from day one and never giving up. I am still in shock every day that I was able to get back and give myself a chance to be named to the roster. And I can proudly say now that I have been selected to represent Canada at the World Cup, and it is such a great feeling. I don’t want to say it’s a relief, because my job isn’t over. This is just the start of a new journey. It's never over. There is always a new journey to embark upon. But now I can relieve that pressure off myself and continue to push myself every day. As long as I arrive in the best possible shape and condition, whether playing or not, I know I have succeeded, and I know I have helped our team to be better in one way or another.
Now it's time to go out, have fun, and take in every part of this experience. It's time to go out and show the world what we have! Two days until arrival in Germany. Nine days til kickoff vs. Germany. There are no other 21 players (+4 alternates) that I would rather spend this journey with than the girls here. We have come so far, and I am so excited to continue into this exciting time in our careers and embark on something beautiful! Go Canada Go!
June 6, 2011
One Giant Step Closer
Five weeks and one day ago I saw my hopes of making the Canadian World Cup Team flash before my eyes. Now, on this day, it is one giant step closer. I have officially been cleared to play, and I couldn’t be more happy and prepared. I have spent the last five weeks doing everything in my right mind to get myself back into this position. The time is coming fast, and I haven’t stopped working towards my goal. My main focus has of course been to get my knee back healthy and prepare my body to get back to the highest level. And now that my knee is healthy, there is a new focus - to make the roster. I am determined to not let this obstacle take away all the hard work, dedication, and commitment I have put in. Even though I know I have given everything I have and a little more, if that’s even possible!
With the roster deadline coming fast, it’s been a great past few weeks of high intensity training sessions. The team left today for Budapest, Hungary, where they have a game vs. Hungary tomorrow. Will be another great test for the team, and I am excited to see the result. I am back in Rome with a few other girls who have just flown in from clubs and/or are recovering from small injuries. We are here putting in some extra workouts and getting ourselves ready for Wednesday when the team comes back. Tonight we decided to go out for dinner and find the best pizza place in Rome. Sincy googled “best pizza in Rome” and got the address for the number two place, since number one was a bit further. We hopped in our little car “Panda” with the map in hand and began our journey. Let’s just say I am not the most aggressive driver there is, and being here in Rome, that doesn’t go so well. I got a few horns honked at me, some angry mopeds, a few cut-offs, all the while still saying politely as if they could hear me, “excuse me,” “please move,” or “oops sorry!” Guess I need to learn the Roman style of driving. Needless to say we got there, and it was absolutely delicious! Totally worth it! And we didn’t even get lost. Was a true success in my mind!
One Giant Step Closer
Five weeks and one day ago I saw my hopes of making the Canadian World Cup Team flash before my eyes. Now, on this day, it is one giant step closer. I have officially been cleared to play, and I couldn’t be more happy and prepared. I have spent the last five weeks doing everything in my right mind to get myself back into this position. The time is coming fast, and I haven’t stopped working towards my goal. My main focus has of course been to get my knee back healthy and prepare my body to get back to the highest level. And now that my knee is healthy, there is a new focus - to make the roster. I am determined to not let this obstacle take away all the hard work, dedication, and commitment I have put in. Even though I know I have given everything I have and a little more, if that’s even possible!
With the roster deadline coming fast, it’s been a great past few weeks of high intensity training sessions. The team left today for Budapest, Hungary, where they have a game vs. Hungary tomorrow. Will be another great test for the team, and I am excited to see the result. I am back in Rome with a few other girls who have just flown in from clubs and/or are recovering from small injuries. We are here putting in some extra workouts and getting ourselves ready for Wednesday when the team comes back. Tonight we decided to go out for dinner and find the best pizza place in Rome. Sincy googled “best pizza in Rome” and got the address for the number two place, since number one was a bit further. We hopped in our little car “Panda” with the map in hand and began our journey. Let’s just say I am not the most aggressive driver there is, and being here in Rome, that doesn’t go so well. I got a few horns honked at me, some angry mopeds, a few cut-offs, all the while still saying politely as if they could hear me, “excuse me,” “please move,” or “oops sorry!” Guess I need to learn the Roman style of driving. Needless to say we got there, and it was absolutely delicious! Totally worth it! And we didn’t even get lost. Was a true success in my mind!
May 26, 2011
Guess who’s back?
Well, today was officially the first day back between the pipes today with my gloves on since I tore my PCL three and a half weeks ago! The fact that I am moving the way I am, with no feeling of pain or weakness still amazes me. Back on May 1, when I suffered my injury, naturally, I NEVER thought I would be doing as much as I am at this time. Since I woke up on May 2, I had a goal to be back for World Cup, and I haven’t looked back once.
Of course I still have a ways to go, but I am feeling stronger and more confident than ever before. I have pushed myself a lot, but I owe a lot of my speedy recovery to my trainers, coaches and most importantly my family and teammates both in Piteå and here on the Canadian team for motivating me and supporting me unconditionally. I spent the first part of my recovery in Piteå, Sweden, but I hopped on a flight Tuesday morning to Rome to join the Canadian team for the rest of my recovery, with the hopes of not only being selected to the roster, but to compete for the starting spot. It’s a high goal I have set, and I am pushing myself every day to get there.
With this being said, the opening game of the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany, which also happens to be our first game vs. Germany, is now just one month away. It really feels like just yesterday that we were in Cancun, Mexico in the CONCACAF Qualifying tournament. We have grown so much as a team, and I can feel the excitement in the air. Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps, knowing how close it is! Still lots of work to do, but I know when the time comes to walk out onto that field in Berlin for warm up, we will be ready in every way possible.
Guess who’s back?
Well, today was officially the first day back between the pipes today with my gloves on since I tore my PCL three and a half weeks ago! The fact that I am moving the way I am, with no feeling of pain or weakness still amazes me. Back on May 1, when I suffered my injury, naturally, I NEVER thought I would be doing as much as I am at this time. Since I woke up on May 2, I had a goal to be back for World Cup, and I haven’t looked back once.
Of course I still have a ways to go, but I am feeling stronger and more confident than ever before. I have pushed myself a lot, but I owe a lot of my speedy recovery to my trainers, coaches and most importantly my family and teammates both in Piteå and here on the Canadian team for motivating me and supporting me unconditionally. I spent the first part of my recovery in Piteå, Sweden, but I hopped on a flight Tuesday morning to Rome to join the Canadian team for the rest of my recovery, with the hopes of not only being selected to the roster, but to compete for the starting spot. It’s a high goal I have set, and I am pushing myself every day to get there.
With this being said, the opening game of the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany, which also happens to be our first game vs. Germany, is now just one month away. It really feels like just yesterday that we were in Cancun, Mexico in the CONCACAF Qualifying tournament. We have grown so much as a team, and I can feel the excitement in the air. Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps, knowing how close it is! Still lots of work to do, but I know when the time comes to walk out onto that field in Berlin for warm up, we will be ready in every way possible.
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Just believe …For the first time in my life, I have been faced with an injury that has kept me out of play for longer than a week and a half. On May 1, in our game vs Kristianstad, I suffered a knee injury 25 minutes into the game. I did everything I could to keep playing, but two corners and five minutes later, I had to come out. It was no longer possible for me to continue, and it was only fair to the rest of the team. I got an MRI, and I am just waiting on our doctor to confirm the results before announcing it, but what I can say is this is something I am determined to fight through, and I wont let it hold me back.
I have been doing rehab since day one, and for the first time I understand what all these girls with knee injuries have to deal with! From day one, I have done my best to have a positive outlook on this, because of course there are so many negative things I could focus on – the World Cup less than six weeks away being the main one. But instead, I have taken a different approach. I don’t have time to waste thinking about the negatives, focusing on things I cannot control, and wasting my energy on the intangibles. Rather I am putting this energy into my workouts, into my rehab, and into my nutrition. Doing everything I can to get myself back on the field, whenever that may be.
I know I can affect the healing of my injury through my workouts and rehab, not by moping around and complaining about “timing” or “why me.” Something not many people know about me is not only do I have several tattoos, but also the majority of them are quotes. They all have a special meaning to me, and remind me of different events or phases in my life I have been through. I believe wholeheartedly that if you put your heart and soul into believing in something, no matter what it is, it will work out in the best way possible for you.
The quote I relate to this is “Everything happens for a reason.” I truthfully think that if you deep down believe this, for every situation you encounter, it will work out for the best. I have been preaching this for so long, and now I have the chance to relate it to a big obstacle that has been thrown at me, and I know that this has happened for a reason. It’s not worth it to me to think about what that reason is, but I know after my rehab is done and I am back on the pitch, there will be a parting of the clouds, and I will understand it then. All you have to do is believe in it.
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Just believe …For the first time in my life, I have been faced with an injury that has kept me out of play for longer than a week and a half. On May 1, in our game vs Kristianstad, I suffered a knee injury 25 minutes into the game. I did everything I could to keep playing, but two corners and five minutes later, I had to come out. It was no longer possible for me to continue, and it was only fair to the rest of the team. I got an MRI, and I am just waiting on our doctor to confirm the results before announcing it, but what I can say is this is something I am determined to fight through, and I wont let it hold me back.
I have been doing rehab since day one, and for the first time I understand what all these girls with knee injuries have to deal with! From day one, I have done my best to have a positive outlook on this, because of course there are so many negative things I could focus on – the World Cup less than six weeks away being the main one. But instead, I have taken a different approach. I don’t have time to waste thinking about the negatives, focusing on things I cannot control, and wasting my energy on the intangibles. Rather I am putting this energy into my workouts, into my rehab, and into my nutrition. Doing everything I can to get myself back on the field, whenever that may be.
I know I can affect the healing of my injury through my workouts and rehab, not by moping around and complaining about “timing” or “why me.” Something not many people know about me is not only do I have several tattoos, but also the majority of them are quotes. They all have a special meaning to me, and remind me of different events or phases in my life I have been through. I believe wholeheartedly that if you put your heart and soul into believing in something, no matter what it is, it will work out in the best way possible for you.
The quote I relate to this is “Everything happens for a reason.” I truthfully think that if you deep down believe this, for every situation you encounter, it will work out for the best. I have been preaching this for so long, and now I have the chance to relate it to a big obstacle that has been thrown at me, and I know that this has happened for a reason. It’s not worth it to me to think about what that reason is, but I know after my rehab is done and I am back on the pitch, there will be a parting of the clouds, and I will understand it then. All you have to do is believe in it.
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It has been a very interesting week here in Piteå. Something I never thought would happen happened! My double lives collided, head on! The Canadian team has been on break for the past week and a half, and fortunately for me, three of my close friends from the team decided Sweden was where they wanted to spend their break! Carmelina, Kaylyn, and Marie-Eve hopped on the plane and began their trip to the north.
I don’t think they knew exactly what to expect, with the exception of Kaylyn who played here with me in 2009. It was a busy few days, with them being here over Easter weekend and me attempting to show them every little place and spot in town that I like to go to. I am truly blessed to have what I can easily say is a second family here in Piteå, and they were just as welcoming to the girls as they are to me. After a few home-cooked meals, a trip to Stockholm for our game last weekend vs. Tyresö, and some more family dinners, the trip was coming to a close. Living the life we do, it is difficult to maintain close relationships with everyone you meet. With the constant moving, traveling, and changing of phones, it’s never easy. I am truly blessed to have these girls as such great friends, who are willing to come visit me for their vacation time!
As part of their trip, last weekend we went to Stockholm, as I said before, for my team’s game vs Tyresö. It was our toughest game yet, playing against a team that was organized, experienced, and played very high pressure. They pressured high from the start, and made it very difficult for us to maintain a rhythm. We had some bad luck with injuries during the first half, having one of our starting center backs going down 15 minutes into the game, an outside back getting hurt, and a forward having to pull herself at half. We were fighting against a lot of different obstacles, but we stayed together and kept pushing all game long. We had moments of greatness with some really high quality chances, but the Tyresö goalkeeper came up with some big, big saves for them. We left the game down two goals, but I think it’s a great step for us. There is so much to learn, and it was a game we needed to play early in the season so we can learn from it and change some things for next time. A lot of potential for us, and those moments of greatness are only going to come out more and more!
I don’t think they knew exactly what to expect, with the exception of Kaylyn who played here with me in 2009. It was a busy few days, with them being here over Easter weekend and me attempting to show them every little place and spot in town that I like to go to. I am truly blessed to have what I can easily say is a second family here in Piteå, and they were just as welcoming to the girls as they are to me. After a few home-cooked meals, a trip to Stockholm for our game last weekend vs. Tyresö, and some more family dinners, the trip was coming to a close. Living the life we do, it is difficult to maintain close relationships with everyone you meet. With the constant moving, traveling, and changing of phones, it’s never easy. I am truly blessed to have these girls as such great friends, who are willing to come visit me for their vacation time!
As part of their trip, last weekend we went to Stockholm, as I said before, for my team’s game vs Tyresö. It was our toughest game yet, playing against a team that was organized, experienced, and played very high pressure. They pressured high from the start, and made it very difficult for us to maintain a rhythm. We had some bad luck with injuries during the first half, having one of our starting center backs going down 15 minutes into the game, an outside back getting hurt, and a forward having to pull herself at half. We were fighting against a lot of different obstacles, but we stayed together and kept pushing all game long. We had moments of greatness with some really high quality chances, but the Tyresö goalkeeper came up with some big, big saves for them. We left the game down two goals, but I think it’s a great step for us. There is so much to learn, and it was a game we needed to play early in the season so we can learn from it and change some things for next time. A lot of potential for us, and those moments of greatness are only going to come out more and more!
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The “double life” of a national team keeper
Since the end of the 2009 Damallsvenskan season, we, Piteå IF, have been looking forward to our first game back in the Damallsvenskan. We had a very successful 2009, winning Division 1, and earning our spot back in the top league. It was a year of very hard work, but it paid off, and our moment is here. We had our first game back in the league on Wednesday vs. Linköping, away. They finished among the top of the table last year, and were recently knocked out of the Champions League in the semifinal. They are a strong, fast, talented team, that we knew would be very tough, not only from their recent successes, but from playing them two years ago.
We came out, and fought hard. There were ups and downs for us, playing with some nerves, and excitement that the moment was finally here. We created some great goal chances throughout the game, missing a few really big ones. The game ended, 1-1, and we were more than pleased to be going home with a point against one of the top teams in the league. We showed amazing character in our team, fighting til the final moments and getting a goal in the 84th minute. We took our point, packed our bags, and headed back to Piteå to start our preparations for this Sunday’s home opener against Dalsjöfors, the other newcomer to the Damallsvenskan this year. It is a huge game for us, and of course it is very exciting to be playing at home, where we have unbelievable support, and where we won the “best attendance” award in 2009 while in the top division. I am very excited to play in that atmosphere again!
Switching over to my “double-life,” there are 71 days until the start of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and in my mind, that is nothing. Every day counts, and knowing that I am missing some camp with the National Team to be here playing games and getting game experience in Piteå only means I have to do a lot of extra training on my own, to make sure I stay in my top shape to fight for a starting spot in the World Cup. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the World Cup, and the amazing opportunity we have ahead of us. We have worked so hard, and come so far. We have overcome obstacles that have been in our way, and battled through many ups and downs both off the field and on. Our team has never been so close-knit as we are right now, and I know that is going to be a huge strength for us when our moment to shine arrives. Until then, we have to put in the work, refine our strengths, minimize our weaknesses, and perfect our game plans. 71 days…nothing, more nothing less…
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The “double life” of a national team keeper
Since the end of the 2009 Damallsvenskan season, we, Piteå IF, have been looking forward to our first game back in the Damallsvenskan. We had a very successful 2009, winning Division 1, and earning our spot back in the top league. It was a year of very hard work, but it paid off, and our moment is here. We had our first game back in the league on Wednesday vs. Linköping, away. They finished among the top of the table last year, and were recently knocked out of the Champions League in the semifinal. They are a strong, fast, talented team, that we knew would be very tough, not only from their recent successes, but from playing them two years ago.
We came out, and fought hard. There were ups and downs for us, playing with some nerves, and excitement that the moment was finally here. We created some great goal chances throughout the game, missing a few really big ones. The game ended, 1-1, and we were more than pleased to be going home with a point against one of the top teams in the league. We showed amazing character in our team, fighting til the final moments and getting a goal in the 84th minute. We took our point, packed our bags, and headed back to Piteå to start our preparations for this Sunday’s home opener against Dalsjöfors, the other newcomer to the Damallsvenskan this year. It is a huge game for us, and of course it is very exciting to be playing at home, where we have unbelievable support, and where we won the “best attendance” award in 2009 while in the top division. I am very excited to play in that atmosphere again!
Switching over to my “double-life,” there are 71 days until the start of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and in my mind, that is nothing. Every day counts, and knowing that I am missing some camp with the National Team to be here playing games and getting game experience in Piteå only means I have to do a lot of extra training on my own, to make sure I stay in my top shape to fight for a starting spot in the World Cup. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the World Cup, and the amazing opportunity we have ahead of us. We have worked so hard, and come so far. We have overcome obstacles that have been in our way, and battled through many ups and downs both off the field and on. Our team has never been so close-knit as we are right now, and I know that is going to be a huge strength for us when our moment to shine arrives. Until then, we have to put in the work, refine our strengths, minimize our weaknesses, and perfect our game plans. 71 days…nothing, more nothing less…
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My life in Piteå
Since returning last week from Holland, where I had met up with my Swedish club, Piteå, I have finally had the chance to settle back into my little niche here. It is so great to be with my team and bonding and hanging out with them. It is hard being away for so long, as you gain a lot with one team, but then miss out on some with another. Sometimes I feel like I am living a double life! Either way, its been great to be back, and play some friendly games in our gear up for the start of the season!
This past weekend, we played two games, the first against a Norwegian club, Trondheim, in which we won 3-1. We played well and created many chances offensively. The second game was against Umeå IK. It was a hard-fought game both ways, ending in a 3-3 tie. PKs were done to ultimately give Umeå the win on the sixth shooter. It was a tough loss, but some really positive things coming out of the game for us!
Off the field, I have been enjoying my time hanging out with friends and eating lunch at my Swedish mom’s restaurant, Röda Lyktan. It is a little café in town that I have lunch at almost everyday! The food is so amazing, and of course its an excuse for me to socialize! Along with my favorite restaurant, I have my favorite coffee shop, which is Wayne’s Coffee. It reminds me a lot of Starbucks, and I go there almost everyday as well! Aside from going to my hot spots, I like to venture out and find new restaurants and cafés to go to with friends. One thing that I love about Sweden is how they go for “fika” instead of going for coffee. It is basically going for dessert. They have so many yummy desserts here, ranging from cakes to donuts to pies and to cookies. I love to try new things, especially new sweets! I guess you could say that is another one of my weaknesses.
I will be enjoying my last few days here before heading back to Rome on Thursday for camp with Canada. Will miss my fika here in Sweden, but i have to admit the Italians have some pretty good gelato and crepes that I think can hold me over!
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Shopping=my weakness. OK, I have many weaknesses, like chocolate, candy, new clothes, and possibly even watches. Unfortunately for my bank account, on our day off in Rome, I indulged in some of these weaknesses. “When in Rome, right?” After many hard days of testing, training, and workouts, we were rewarded with a day off. Some girls on the team stayed back to do some rehab/treatments for injuries and knocks, and some of us went into the city to explore a little, and of course shop. We are girls, what do you expect right?
The gang I was with for most of the day was Carmelina, Emily, Kaylyn, and Marie-Eve. We began our day with a little walk around the Colosseum, and of course some pictures with the other girls we ran into. We then continued into the shopping district where we proceeded to spend our money/money that we don’t have. With some new jeans, shorts, shirt and purse, we were on our way to watch a Serie A game featuring home team Lazio vs Bari. It is always exciting being able to watch these games live, and with some spectacular
goalkeeping from Bari’s keeper, the game ended 1-0 in favor of home team, Lazio.
We left the game starving and ready to find a nice restaurant for some dinner. We found a cute little pizzeria near the Trevi Fountain, where we dove into some delicious Italian Pizza, followed by some gelato. After a beautiful day in the city, the rain began to pour, and it was a race to find a taxi to get back to the hotel. We finally caught one, having us spread across the road attempting to beat the locals to it! We were successful, and with our hands full of shopping bags, we made it back safe and not too soaked.
After another double day of training, we were finally en route to Cyprus, where we begin our hard preparations for the upcoming Cyprus Cup today. Without knowing if we will actually be playing in our first game, we are putting in a lot of hard workouts, training hard, and preparing ourselves for whatever comes. Hopefully I don’t reflect too many people here due to my extremely pale complexion at the moment. I am clearly hoping for a little sun … at least on my face.
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Happy Valentines Day!
Typically on Valentine’s Day I would want to wake up to a nice box of chocolates, or candy, or maybe even flowers and a card … but not this year, not today. OK, I wont lie, I did get some chocolates and candy and a card, but that’s a secret … OK, not anymore, but it was! This year for Valentine’s Day, I woke up with my Canadian team to weigh-ins, fat testing, strength testing, and fitness testing.
Luckily, I am a goalie so the fitness testing didn’t apply to me, but it isn’t the “ideal” way to start your Valentine’s Day! BUT, sometimes it’s a nice reminder that we eat, live, and breathe soccer … even on holidays! So we put on a smile, and got ourselves out there and KILLED the testing! This team is so motivated to do great things. It’s so fun to be a part of it! And now, to support this as well, we officially have all our gear for our new team sponsor, UMBRO. Of course I am going to give a shout-out, as they also personally sponsor me, but we are so happy with everything we have received, and we truly look amazing with our new gear!
Backtracking a little now to update on my quick travels recently … after a short two-day trip to Sweden last week, due to some visa mix-ups, an exhibition game in which we won 9-0, it was back on the plane and off to Rome, to begin our Canadian team preparations for the Cyprus tournament. Of course, we still do not know our fate in terms of actual game playing with our boycott still in full effect. There are approximately two weeks until our first game, and we still have hopes that there will be change, and it will happen soon. Meanwhile, we must work hard and prepare for whatever happens, games or not.
After all the testing today, I am going to have a new best friend for the night, my new foam-roller. When I was home over break I bought myself a “Trigger-Point” foam-roller, and it has changed my life. OK, maybe not my life, but it has definitely changed the way I think about stretching. I am definitely one of the least flexible players on this team, which everyone seems to find impressive given I am a goalkeeper. But I prove that theory wrong by a long shot. I try to stretch when I can, but it’s just so painful. Now, my new foam roller has made stretching much more fun!
If you have never used one, it’s literally a tube of foam that you just roll your body on to massage/stretch them. I don’t know the exact wording, but I think it “releases your fascia.” It has worked wonders, and it’s much more fun than just sitting and stretching, which makes the pain easier to handle … ha. AND my teammates make fun of me because I am definitely the new spokesperson for this specific roller since it’s hollow and great for travel because I can shove things in it to save room! Go out and buy one and you wont regret it!!!
Typically on Valentine’s Day I would want to wake up to a nice box of chocolates, or candy, or maybe even flowers and a card … but not this year, not today. OK, I wont lie, I did get some chocolates and candy and a card, but that’s a secret … OK, not anymore, but it was! This year for Valentine’s Day, I woke up with my Canadian team to weigh-ins, fat testing, strength testing, and fitness testing.
Luckily, I am a goalie so the fitness testing didn’t apply to me, but it isn’t the “ideal” way to start your Valentine’s Day! BUT, sometimes it’s a nice reminder that we eat, live, and breathe soccer … even on holidays! So we put on a smile, and got ourselves out there and KILLED the testing! This team is so motivated to do great things. It’s so fun to be a part of it! And now, to support this as well, we officially have all our gear for our new team sponsor, UMBRO. Of course I am going to give a shout-out, as they also personally sponsor me, but we are so happy with everything we have received, and we truly look amazing with our new gear!
Backtracking a little now to update on my quick travels recently … after a short two-day trip to Sweden last week, due to some visa mix-ups, an exhibition game in which we won 9-0, it was back on the plane and off to Rome, to begin our Canadian team preparations for the Cyprus tournament. Of course, we still do not know our fate in terms of actual game playing with our boycott still in full effect. There are approximately two weeks until our first game, and we still have hopes that there will be change, and it will happen soon. Meanwhile, we must work hard and prepare for whatever happens, games or not.
After all the testing today, I am going to have a new best friend for the night, my new foam-roller. When I was home over break I bought myself a “Trigger-Point” foam-roller, and it has changed my life. OK, maybe not my life, but it has definitely changed the way I think about stretching. I am definitely one of the least flexible players on this team, which everyone seems to find impressive given I am a goalkeeper. But I prove that theory wrong by a long shot. I try to stretch when I can, but it’s just so painful. Now, my new foam roller has made stretching much more fun!
If you have never used one, it’s literally a tube of foam that you just roll your body on to massage/stretch them. I don’t know the exact wording, but I think it “releases your fascia.” It has worked wonders, and it’s much more fun than just sitting and stretching, which makes the pain easier to handle … ha. AND my teammates make fun of me because I am definitely the new spokesperson for this specific roller since it’s hollow and great for travel because I can shove things in it to save room! Go out and buy one and you wont regret it!!!
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Since arriving home from China, getting back on my proper sleep pattern has been a challenge to say the least. From late afternoon naps, to 3 a.m. Skype sessions with teammates, to 5 a.m. mornings wide awake, I have now managed to get myself back on a decent sleep schedule. It took a while, but by forcing myself out of the house during the day it has come around … almost all the way. Just in time for me to fly off to Sweden and go through it all over again!
My time home in Stony Plain, AB, Canada has been a real treat. Just before I went to camp, my best friend/neighbor’s dog had eight puppies, and in the last few days of camp in China, my brother called me to tell me I was going to be an aunt! Since being home, I have been playing with puppies and preparing for a baby … and by that I mean setting my brother and his wife up with Skype so that I can be a part of my nieces/nephew’s life while I am away.
I usually have time to come home during the year, but this year is going to be so busy between my season in Sweden with Piteå IF, and with the Canadian team and the World Cup, I wont be planning to come home until November at the earliest. This has of course made my time home extra important for me, as I cherish my family so much. It’s not only fun and games being home, for any of us on the Canadian Team, and this little break from camp has been very eventful on the soccer side of things.
I am going to try to keep this as objective as possible, but of course I, along with the rest of the Canadian team have a lot of emotion towards this issue. On Friday, Feb. 4, 2011, our head coach, Carolina Morace announced her intention to step down as head coach following this summer’s 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany. You don’t have to be a genius to see that Carolina has been the best thing that has happened to this program, and the growth and success we have seen in the past two years is night and day compared to any other Canadian Team. How the team feels? We support her decision 100 percent. Enough said.
Following this decision, there was the Canadian Soccer Association’s Special General Meeting in Ottawa on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011. The point of the meeting was for the membership of the CSA to vote on governance renewal. Recently retired from our Canadian National Team, Kara Lang was present along with Jason de Vos, former captain for the Canadian Men’s National Team. Kara had a speech prepared on behalf of our team, but was not allowed to read it (as only motions on the agenda were open for discussion, see more on cbcsports.ca). The result of the meeting? Instead of instant change, it was voted that starting in 2012, provincial presidents will be removed from the CSA’s board of directors until, by 2015, the board will be entirely professional. There is a lot of frustrating things about this, other than the obvious long, drawn out process.
This has been a long process, so to see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel is great, but the fight isn’t over, as promises now need to be followed through. And we are still faced with the bigger issue, our coach and her pending retirement. We are hoping for something to happen immediately, because almost anyone in not only Canada but the world can see that this program needs Carolina to achieve our potential. This is a large obstacle in our climb up the mountain, and we all hope the CSA will jump on board with us, and support our coach 100 percent like we do, so that this summer, Team Canada can not just show up in Germany to participate, but show up to compete and win.
