Whitecaps

This is my first year participating in the Whitecaps Residency Program. It is a team that trains together all year, plays exhibition games and enters tournaments. Tournaments such as Surf Cup in San Diego and a college showcase tournament down in Las Vegas. This team consists of about 22 players, both of '92 and '93 born. Most of the older girls that play on this team I've played with in the National Training Center. Training takes place up at Simon Fraser University about 4 times a week. I just started training in January of this year as I was out because of my leg when the program started back in September. It's been difficult getting back to playing because I had been out for about 8 months. Going from playing with the provincial team to breaking my leg then to getting into playing with the Whitecaps has been really hard because it's such a big difference between the two teams. Whitecaps is a lot more intense with the older girls as the are very good players. The timing of breaking my leg between the programs was pretty bad. I've been playing with the team for over five months now and it's still pretty difficult having to play again. This program runs until August so maybe hopefully by then I'll be fully used to playing again. However this program has a great reputation from over the years from doing well in tournaments and I am fortunate to be apart of it. Many college/ university scouts have come to see our team play in showcase tournaments which is great exposure for all of our players. Many of our older players have already committed to schools like the University of Victoria, Trinity Western University, Washington and many others. I am hoping to have the opportunity like our older girls to get into any of these great schools.

Breaking My Leg

I continued to play on the U15 and U16 Provincial Teams Program for the next two summers. We traveled back to Germany in U15 and stayed in the same two places. However some of the teams we played weren't the greatest. One friendly game we played we won 25-0. It was the highest scoring game I've ever played. U16 was a shorter season for me because I broke my leg during a tournament down in Portland, Oregon. The other girl came into the tackle with her cleats up directly hitting me in the shin. It really just felt like a really hard kick to the shin but I didn't think it was anything serious at first. But I noticed my leg felt really weird when I was sitting on the sidelines. After the game I was taken to a clinic in Portland where I had to wait quite a while before I got checked. I finally got an x-ray and was told I broke my tibia.

X-ray of my right leg

If I stayed down in Portland to get dealt with I would've had to wait til the Tuesday and it was only Saturday. My dad decided that to make the car ride back to Children's Hospital that night. It took us around 4 hours to drive back which was a lot faster than it normally takes to get back. I spent the night at Childrens and got my bone put back into place the next morning. The bone went back in perfectly so I didn't need any pins to hold it in place. I was put in a full leg cast which I had to wear for a few weeks. I pretty much lived downstairs for couple months because I couldn't get up and down the stairs. Having a shower was always a lengthy process because I couldn't stand up and I couldn't get my cast wet. I would have to sit on a little chair with my leg out of the shower while wrapped in a garbage bag. I accidentally got water down my cast one time and it was an very uncomfortable feeling. U16 was the last year for the provincial teams program so it was disappointing that I could finish off the program. But I honestly really enjoyed the time off soccer. I got to spend a lot more time with my family and it was really relaxing not having to do anything. This was an experience I surely will never ever forget!

This is a video clip of some very talented individuals who are amazing at soccer tricks! I really wish I could do some of the tricks they show but I would imagine it would take a lot of practice. There are so many talented individuals such as these people in the video all around the world it's incredible how skilled they are! This video makes me want to pick up a ball and practice, practice, and practice some more until I can do even just one trick. So please enjoy!

National Training Center

After nationals were over in the summer, myself and a number of girls from the provincial team continued on with the National Training Center (NTC) in the fall. It's a training program for both boys and girls of a two year age gap. I was born in '93 so half the girls I trained with were '92 born. We trained at the same time as the boys but we didn't train with them which was good because that would've been very difficult! Training took place up at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, which was about a 45minute- 1 hour trek twice a week. A lot of my homework was done on my travels back and forth from the mountain since it felt like most of my time was spent in the car. NTC was a great program that provided a fun and competitive training environment. I really enjoyed training with older girls because they are great players and they really were supportive of us younger girls. Apart from the occasional fitness tests, which I am still horrible at to this day, I really enjoyed the program.

Montreal, Quebec

While most of my team left for back home after nationals my family and another girl on my teams family stayed behind for a few extra days. We did the same thing the year prior in San Diego with the same family, after the U13 Provincial Teams Program came to end. Our families always have a lot of fun together so we decided to do the same thing and stay behind in Quebec. We stayed at the Chateau Frontenac which was this amazingly beautiful hotel. All the decorations and furnishings inside are really old which was really neat to see. My brother convinced me that the room we were staying in was haunted, which I believed because it sure looked like it was. Even the people working in the hotel dressed up in old clothing which I thought really added to the whole mood and setting of the hotel.


Chateau Frotenac

Walking through the streets of the old town Montreal was incredible. All the buildings were so old, it felt like we were walking in the past. It was great that our families got to experience this new culture, which I wouldn't mind doing again. I'm thankful that soccer has allowed me to travel to new places such as Quebec and Germany because without it I don't think I would be able to.

Nationals

The following year was a national year where all U14 and U16 provincial teams from all over Canada compete. It took place in Montreal, Quebec during the summer of 2007. Our first game was against Newfoundland whom we beat to get into the top pool where we could compete for first place. We won our next two matches against Alberta and Nova Scotia the following days, which was important because we needed to win every game if we wanted to have a shot for first place.

During this tournament, we were fortunate to have a day off in between games to go sightseeing and do some fun activities. Sightseeing was amazing because some of the buildings in Montreal are so old it was like stepping foot into the past. Our team went on this tour bus that took us through the streets and through the water! The tour bus actually doubled as a boat, which was really cool. I’ve never been on anything like it before. Our team also got to go laser tagging which was a lot of fun. It was a nice break from the pressure of the tournament. Finally, to conclude our day off we went and saw the movie Hairspray. This was back a few years, so this movie was still in theaters at the time. But let me tell you, the chairs in the theater were probably the most comfortable chairs let alone movie theater chairs I’ve ever sat in! I haven’t forgotten about those chairs till this day.

The next day we played a tough match against Quebec. We needed to continue to get as many goals as we could because every goal counted. We only got one goal but we did win the game, which was more important. Finally, our last and final game was against Ontario who was ranked number one. I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous for a game as I was for that one. All our team needed was a tie or a win to win the tournament because we went into that game with more goals than them. That game felt like it went on and on and on. Corner kick after corner kick on their part made the game that more intense. The game ended in a 0-0 tie, which was all we needed to win. We came first place and were given the title of National Champions.

Campbell River

That same year we traveled to Germany we took part in a training camp in Campbell River. Our coach was from there, which made it very convenient for him. Our first exhibition game was against a boy’s team. They were very tough and physical but it was actually a fun experience even though we lost pretty badly. It would have been pretty embarrassing for the boys if they had lost to a bunch of girls!

Our team was also fortunate enough to have spent the day with a soccer team of young girls from around the area. We spent the whole day together from having breakfast with them, going on walks and finishing the day with them watching a game of ours. We each were partnered with a young girl so we could get to know them better. I really enjoy working with young kids so this experience was awesome. I would love to do something like this again sometime soon.

On a side note, while we were staying in the hotel about ¾ of our team, our trainer and our manager got stuck in an elevator! Now I hate elevators to begin with but getting stuck with about 14 other people was absolutely horrible!! We were passing around one of the girl’s ice pack because it was betting pretty hot in there. After what felt like forever, which really was probably about 5-8 minutes, we were free. Getting stuck in an elevator is exactly why I hate those things!! But I always remember that moment every time I step foot into one.

Smoke, Salami and Soccer

U14 was a great year filled with lots of traveling and much excitement. Our team was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to Germany for 10 days! This was my first time traveling outside of North America and it was a great experience. This trip was meant for our team to experience a new culture, train in new environments and for our team to bond together before we headed off to Montreal, Quebec for Nationals.

2 flights, 1 long bus ride and about 11 hours later our team finally arrived at our destination spot in Dusseldorf, Germany! The first facility we stayed at was huge! It consisted of a massive swimming pool, a soccer pitch and a large cafeteria. Our team even had the whole floor to ourselves in the building we stayed at in the facility. I thought that was pretty sweet until I actually saw our building. About what felt like a million stairs later we finally arrived at the front door of our building. But it doesn’t stop there… about another couple hundred steps later we make it to out rooms. What can I say about those rooms… well let’s just say large pillows, dangerous balconies and bugs, bugs and more bugs! My friend and roommate Emily actually made me go on a bug hunt one night to de-bug our room. The railings on the balcony were so low that our coach banned us from even stepping foot onto them. Even the locks to our rooms were suspect. I swear even the slightest breeze could open those things. One of the most memorable moments on the whole trip was our first meal overseas- the infamous quiche. At least for me it was eatable, but for most of the people on my team it was like trying to eat nails. However watching my teammates try to eat it made it that much more unappetizing for me. Other than the rooms and the quiche, everything was great. Every meal consisted of buns, chocolate milk and some kind of meat like salami which I didn't mind at all. Surprisingly I didn't get tired of the food day after day. I think it was because I was hungry all the time so any food they served I was happy with. However, the one downside to the trip was the constant smell of smoke. Even the airports had a strong smokey smell. It gave me a greater appreciation of the fresh air we have here at home. Speaking of home, after a few days into the trip I was starting to miss my family. However, I was fortunate enough to have seen my dad while I was there. He came down with a few other dads on the team and made a trip out of it. My dad rarely misses a game of mine let alone a practice! He would never have passed this opportunity to come down to Germany to watch my team and I play.

Getting Serious

When I was 13 the opportunity to try out for the U13 (under 13 yrs old) Provincial team came around. I really didn’t want to, but my dad told me to try it out and to see what happens. I agreed and ended up making the team in the end. Unlike all the other girls on the team, upon hearing the news I was very upset. It was out of my comfort zone as no one else from Richmond was on the team, I knew few people on the team and it was just something I was not prepared to do. After a long talk with my dad he convinced me that it was a great opportunity and just to try it and see what happens-- sound familiar? I was really happy I listened to him in the end because the program was a great experience. It ran from April to June and consisted of training camps in Victoria and Kelowna, tournaments in Portland, Edmonton and San Diego. I made a lot of new friends from all around the lower mainland. I continued to play with many of these girls for the next 4 years throughout the program until U16.

From the Beginning

“I don’t want to play!” my 6-year-old self tells my father after he insists that I take up the sport. I was a stubborn little girl as I finally agreed to it only if my dad coached me and that my parents got a friend to play with me. After my demands were met I started playing on a team in the Richmond Girls Soccer Association (RGSA). I instantly fell in love with the rush of scoring a goal and chasing the ball around just as every single player on the field would do. The game at this point was pretty much just kick and run and to follow the ball wherever it went. As long as you didn’t pick up the ball with your hands (unless you were the goalie) or you scored on your own net, life was good. Many of the friends I started playing with at this age, I continued to until I was 15 with the RGSA.

Getting Started

Welcome to my first blog ever! It will be about my experiences I’ve had with soccer and how’s its taken me to different places around the world, gotten me new friends and given me life stories I will never forget! Stories that range from breaking my leg, to getting stuck in an elevator with 16 other team members to winning U14 Nationals in Montreal, Quebec!