The World Cup

The FIFA world cup is upon us my friends, and we are excited about it! The other day Jon asked some people at work if anyone was as excited as him for the World Cup...I think he said he got a couple of blank stares, maybe a non-enthusiastic...yeah.

It can't just be us can it? I've even thought about filling out a bracket...March Madness style.

My love for soccer started young. Around 5 or 6 years old I believe. My mom coached my very first soccer team, and every one after that until I played in High School. In fact, we started our team in 1st grade and most of us stayed on that team every year for about 10 years. A few left and joined competition teams, but the majority of us stayed together. I only remember a few things about the first years of soccer. One game a girl was playing goalie and instead of guarding the goal, she decided it would be fun to climb up the back of the net. All of the parents are yelling at her to stop the ball and she was just pretending to climb the vines of the jungle! (I'm only about 60% sure this wasn't me)



One particular Saturday morning, I think it was around 7th grade or so, we were playing, and we were winning. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but for a rec team we were pretty good...I dare say exceptional! So here we are totally beating this other team and their coach is furious. I remember this guy yelling so much, even his own players were embarrassed. You know, he was like that embarrassing parent that everyone tries not to stare at, but can't help it because they are making a fool of themselves they are yelling so much. Yeah. He was that guy. The girls on the other team were secretly whispering to us that he was so mad he was going to make them run miles and miles because we beat them. It was quiet a show, to be honest. After the game we shook the hands of the other players, but the coach decided that instead of shaking our hands, he was going to stand there and yell at my mom. He insulted my mom and the fact that she was a female coach and she somehow cheated her way into winning the game, he was going to go and tell somebody who was in charge to get our team kicked out of rec league soccer. So naturally all of us players stood behind her (with folded arms and snotty looks on our faces, rolling our eyes at everything he said. And you know how well 7th graders can roll their eyes) while his players snuck off with their parents to go home, too embarrassed to support him. Sheri took it like a champ. She just stood her ground and listened to him literally tear her apart and she calmly said something like, "All I'm doing Sir, is making sure these girls have fun. I think that is the most important part of the game." But of course she said it with a bit of sass because she's Sheri. I got my sass from her and I love it. You wouldn't think that you'd get that kind of drama in rec soccer, but you do.



I knew you would enjoy a few old school soccer photos. Enjoy Sheri's hair and my bangs. I rocked that side pony for a few years. We know hair style, that is for sure.

I'm hoping for an underdog win this year in the Wold Cup. I love when they have huge upsets and the whole world watches in wonder of the team that wasn't even supposed to be in the world cup take it all. But my favorite part is when a player is taking the ball down the field, a pass, another pass, (show me that fancy footwork boys) a fake and then.....

GGGGGOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!