UW-Stout Women's Soccer

Unfinished Business

2009-11-21T18:52:00.000-08:00

The gear has been stowed, the exit meetings completed, and winter workouts will be outside the office door soon for the players to retrieve. It hasn't felt like we should be done with soccer. Maybe it is the unseasonably warm weather, or possibly the continuing analysis about how things could be better. In all honesty, it probably doesn't feel like the 2009 campaign should be over because we have some really serious unfinished business.

To lose one heart-breaking game in the closing minutes is unsettling, but to finish six games that way is practically unbearable. I found myself in anticipation of that next chance for so many of our games this year, and we fell barely short so much of the time. It has taken me a few weeks to finally accept the fact that yes, we are indeed done. That breakout didn't happen this year, and in true form, we were meant to end things in a shootout. It was so painfully appropriate.

Part of me is ready to start fresh next year, before there is any disappointment, or frustration or disbelief. The other part of me is having a hard time letting go of the fact that we never managed to tap into the potential of this team.

There is next year, and for that I am thankful. However, there is also right now, and right now needs to look better and be better than past years to move this team to the other side of those close matches. I am encouraged by the commitment of the returning players to work with and for each other in the off-season. I, too, vow to work harder so that I can be the potential-tapper that a coach is expected to be. It will take the combination of the commitment of the players and the focus of the coaches to bring together the formula that will lead to success. There were enough of those "character building" exercises this year in our tough losses, that character should never be our issue. Winning needs to be, and getting prepared to finish that business starts now!

Making Our Mark

2009-10-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

Like many of the games this October, our concluding regular-season game started with clean uniforms and socks and ended with mud-soaked shoes, shorts, socks and jerseys. Currently, Nelson Field, on the UW-Stout campus looks more brown than green and is finally more mud than grass. After withstanding a wet, and lingering, snow storm, we took our home field for the last time this season with the expectation that we would, with the help of Whitewater, make our mark on the field. We did that...with every cut, and slide and step and dribble. Footprints remain in that mud, and in a way, those prints will remain year in and year out.

We took time yesterday to honor one of the players who has made her mark during practices, training sessions and games. Katie Zernikel, our only senior, has run countless steps on that field, and the mark she leaves has been tallied in record books and calculated in minutes. That mark, however, is arguably less powerful than the intangible one that she leaves in the hearts of those who know her.

I think it is human nature to want to leave a memorable mark, and it is apparent to me that those who support the UW-Stout soccer team desire to leave an enormous, positive impression on the women of this team. Repeatedly, through this year, the team has been hosted by amazing families and fed by generous parents. The players are surrounded by supportive and loving family and friends. They have been there in sun, in wind, in rain and logging a number of miles along the way. They cheer and console, congratulate and comfort. The microcosmic reality of sports competition brings to light the character of the players who play, but it also reveals the hearts of those who cheer them on. This team is incredibly lucky to have such supporting fans.

At Saturday's game, the UW-Stout Soccer community collected nearly 100 cans/boxes of food for the local food pantries. It will be a small contribution to that bigger cause, but any mark we make is an important one.

We are on to the post-season now, and we have a chance to go back to UW-River Falls to upset the third-seeded team and move on to the semi-finals of the WIAC conference. I am inspired by the drive this team has to make an impression, and we WILL certainly make our mark.

Remembering the Positives

2009-10-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

Before the 2009 season started, I have to admit, I thought that this year the players would start to reap the benefits of their hard work. You hear it all the time in sports..."Oh, we're young" and "This is a rebuilding year", and I had hoped that those declarations would stop applying to the Stout team. However, I think I have learned some valuable lessons this year as a coach.

We are, indeed, a young team. Sixteen of our players are freshmen or sophomores, six are juniors and we have one lone senior. The juniors and senior we have are possibly past the "young" label, but when so much of our team are brand new faces who are trying to navigate our expectations and our systems for the first time, it takes some time to build.

Building takes patience and a deliberately positive approach. I admit that I was lacking a bit of both for some of this year. By nature, I am an incredibly competitive person with not as much patience as I like to tell myself I have. Any team who works as hard as this team does deserves a lucky bounce every once in a while, and too many times this year I have let myself get wrapped up in the frustrations of the last-minute losses. Nine games have been lost by one goal and five of those one-goal losses happened in overtime or in the last ten minutes of the game. This team deserves to be on the other end of some of those tight games.

This team continues to persevere. They have incredible chemistry and a willingness to keep going. Several players are continuing to improve, willing to learn and working tirelessly for that lucky bounce that is bound to come. They are connecting, they are defending, they are working and they are encouraging. Positive building is happening, despite what the record books might say.

We are not yet done with the 2009 season. We have three games in the span of four days this upcoming weekend, and I personally plan to take the approach of pointing out all the phenomenal things this group of women are doing. There are plenty of things to compliment, and even if this year has ended up being one of those "rebuilding" years, I want to make sure that we build with the best bricks we can.

Coach's Favorite

2009-09-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

It is completely expected, at this point in a winless season, that frustrations will start to emerge. One expressed concern that I recently heard was that I have "favorites" and that those players are the only ones who get any playing time. I was initially defensive about that comment, but as I let the thought settle on a reflective heart, I started to admit to myself, that my accuser may actually be on to something.

I absolutely admit that I do indeed play my favorite players, but not for the reasons that calling them my favorites might imply. As a player, and now as a coach, when there is discussion of a"coach's favorite," it is never a compliment. It often refers to the players who have the best relationship with the coach and who sidle up next to him/her weasling playing time that is often undeserved. My issue with that definition is that it is not the way I would define the favorite players who play for this team. For this team, the players who earn playing time are favored for hard work, experience, consistency, commitment, talent, dependability and guts. Unlike the perception of players who are feeling unfavored, the players who play are not "given" favors, they absolutely earn them.

Our team has regular opportunities for players to get some extra shooting or technical work. The shootarounds are open to any and all players who hope to improve in some skill area. Monday's shootaround included 3 of my "favorite" players, a back up goalie and me. I don't expect that all of the players will be there, but the consistency of voluntary practice pays off in improvement for the players who attend. Technique can be tweaked, and repetition and individualized instruction can happen there.

It is not the taking advantage of opportunity that makes a player the coach's favorite, but what is borne out of making the most from the opportunities given is favorable for any player who truly wants to get better.

The traditional "favorite" player doesn't have to even show up for extra work...they get the advantages without trying. My favorite players keep working no matter who or where they are and strive to keep the spot that they have worked so hard to earn.

Family Weekend

2009-09-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

There is a reason the women on this team are of such great character, and the reason becomes clear when they are each flanked by supporting family and friends. We enjoyed the presence of many parents and siblings at the family weekend festivities this past weekend, and although the performance at the game was lacking, the company at the potluck and the fun at the golf outing partially made up for the disappointment of the non-conference loss.

The players all introduced the visitors who joined us for the day, and then the entire group participated in a rousing game of ultimate ninja. It was entertaining to watch how the competitive streak runs so deep in some families. Sunday morning, a handful of players, alums and parents met at the local country club for a fun morning of golf and socializing. The weather could not have been better, and it was truly an amazing weekend.

Practices have been better the past two days, and the team is determined to show better in the next few matches. Tomorrow we will open our WIAC conference games with UW-Eau Claire, and then follow it up immediately with a game Friday against UW-Stevens Point. Both Eau Claire and Point have traditionally done well in both WIAC conference play and on into the NCAAs. We aspire to compete with such programs, and tomorrow will be a great test of the mettle of this team.

We are coming off a disappointing performace against Augustana. The team who had competed so well in the previous games, was not the team that took the field on Saturday. It was a lull the team hopes not to repeat, and it will take focus and intensity from the entire team to pull off wins in the two upcoming games.

Optimistic Losers

2009-09-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

You would think after three straight losses, we would be hanging our heads and disappointed about how things are shaping up, but we are not. Don't get me wrong, we would be happy to be on the other end of these 1-0 losses, but there is so much to be excited about, it is hard to remember that we have not scored a goal yet, and we are winless for the 2009 season. True, we have not scored a goal, and ties and wins have eluded us, but so many great things have happened.

We are creating opportunities, possessing with purpose, defending with intensity and continuing to get better each half. It is our goal to improve each half that we play, and so far we have accomplished that goal. We have some bigger goals that we need to start scoring and winning to achieve, but I think we can all sense that the flood gates will eventually open. We have half returners and half freshmen, and that makes for an interesting mix. It has potential for difficulty, but these women have decided that it is going to be a non-issue. They have come together so quickly and with more chemistry than we could have hoped for, and the goal now is to keep that going as classes start and people begin to flood the campus and dorms.

We are in phase two of our three phase motto this year. We want to "come together, stay together, work together." We have come together just fine, and now that there are a number of distractions that could seep into the mix, we need to focus on staying together. When those two things happen, it will be easier to continue to work together, and I have every confidence that good things are going to happen for this 2009 team. Records cannot speak to how entertaining and well-played our first three contests have been.

The next three matches will be just as entertaining as we come upon some tough competition, but I feel we are more prepared for that portion of our seasonhan we would have been had we chosen to lighten our load at the start. Playing good teams only makes us better...and that is working so far.

2009 Season Kick-off

2009-08-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

On the eve of the opening game for the 2009 soccer season, the UW-Stout Blue Devils are poised for a memorable and successful season. After arduous and competitive tryouts, and a fast-moving preparation, the Blue Devils are more united than would normally be expected for a team with half returners and half newcomers. They are focused and determined to take this program to the next level, and I personally am very excited to see all that they will accomplish this year.

Preseason ends tomorrow, but classes do not begin for another week, so the team will continue to focus on only soccer for a few more days. The 2009 team has worked hard to learn each others' strengths, to communicate well and to come together for a common purpose. Along with all the soccer playing, this team has conditioned, lifted, done yoga, gone night hiking, competed in synchronized swimming and discovered the ultimate ninja in each of them.

This team wants to enjoy what they do.

This team wants to compete.

This team wants to win.

This team is going to accomplish great things.

This team is ready to kick off the season, and I am confident that they will kick it off well!

Fresh Start

2009-08-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

The August steam continues to increase, and that can only mean one thing: preseason practices are about to start.

One week from tonight, the UW-Stout women's soccer team will have all arrived on campus and they will have completed the first practice of the 2009 season. I expect that at this time of night, on that first day, there will be a number of emotions floating through the rooms at South Hall and in the houses of upper classmen. There will be relief for some, and increased anxiety for others. There will be fatigue, excitement, confusion, sadness, intensity and for the lucky few...they may actually be sleeping.

Regardless of how it starts individually for the players who come to start the 2009 season, what really matters is how they finish things as a complete and cohesive unit. It is a challenge for any coaching staff to encourage that eventual unity, on the heels of competitive tryouts, but the challenge needs to be owned by each and every player named to the 2009 squad. It is up to them how they move and react as a group, but that movement starts with the decision by each player to take part in the effort.

One week from tonight will be the start of a season full of stories and pictures and moments that change lives. As a choice, I too choose to be caught up in the Stout movement, and I trust wholly that I will be changed for the better along the way.

The Importance of Setting Goals and Having Accountability

2009-06-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

Running in the wind, on hills and at altitude is a different experience than running inside on my treadmill at sea level, but that is how my running experience has changed these days. Every part of me wanted to stop and walk in the middle of my run yesterday, but I had two things going for me that helped me to complete the run.

1. The goal that I had set for the day was to run the entire length that had been prescribed. I have adopted a new running schedule that will prep me to be able to run a ½-marathon by August, and I have laid out on my calendar the expected mileage for any given day.

And, 2. A friend of mine, in Minnesota, has also started the training program so that the two of us can run the race together.

Everyone needs goals, and I am finding that it is increasingly important for me to have someone to whom I am accountable. Goals keep us moving in a direction toward what we want to achieve, but a general goal is not as effective as a specific one. If I say to myself, I want to run 4 days a week, I find that I am not as motivated as I am when I say, “I need to run 4 miles on Thursday”. Breaking it down, for me, is much more effective. I am a list-maker, by nature, so when I have on my daily itinerary that I have to complete 4 miles, I push myself to do it, because I don’t like leaving unfinished activities on my calendar. If I had written, “prep for 1/2 –marathon”, I would not have been as motivated and, although I may have run, I don’t know that I would have run as long or stayed as motivated when the run got difficult.

It is the same way that players prepping in the off-season should approach a long training program. It is not productive to simply say to yourself, “I want to be in shape by preseason.” That is a great long-term goal, but not specific enough to keep you motivated enough to do it. Lay out your goals by the week, and even better, by the day. What do you want to accomplish for your workout, today? How long do you want to run, how much do you want to lift? Which day can you put aside for your rest? Be specific with how you lay out your workout plan, and you’ll find it easier to complete those smaller goals.

When I played competitively, I was continually pushed to work hard by my younger sister. She and I both played, and then when we were home from college, we trained together. I took for granted her presence in my workouts and my goal-setting, because I always had someone to whom I felt accountable. The days I didn’t feel like running for 45-minutes, she often found a way to motivate me, and vice versa, and our sprints were more effective because we could push each other.

It is ideal to find a friend, or just a motivated workout partner to help you through the daily grind. It is, of course, not always possible to convince someone to work out as hard as you’re going to need to on a regular basis, but it is worth your effort to keep looking for some accountability. Check up on your teammates, or give a friend or parent the assignment of “workout warrior”. Tell them that you need to be asked every once in a while how your workouts are going, and then make it a priority to be able to tell them that you did it, and that this Tuesday was better than last Tuesday.

If you haven’t been setting small goals for yourself, make that a goal this week.

Remembering a season and readying for another...

2009-04-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

Plenty has happened since I last blogged. Winter has come and gone, and life for Stout soccer has continued to pulse. The players worked indoor youth clinics in January and February and they have been part of a new program that takes our skills clinics on the road for area teams. On their own, the players worked through the winter and we are heading into our final week of our five-week spring season.

As a fun conclusion to the 2008 season, we postponed the team banquet so that we could take a dinner cruise on the St. Croix River. The weather was beautiful and it was a wonderful way to remember the 2008 season, to recognize some deserving players and to send off the seniors in style.

This weekend the team is taking part in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. For the third year, the members of the team have raised money for cancer research and starting tomorrow night, there will be a member of the team walking on the track for the 12 hours of the relay.

When classes conclude, mid-May, the players will head home for the summer and the intense preparation for next fall will begin in earnest. We are looking forward to a large incoming freshmen class, and tryouts in August will be incredibly competitive. There is a lot of excitement about what is to come.

For every season...

2008-11-30T20:24:00.000-08:00

The seasons have changed for our team; from fall to winter, and from in-season to out. We finished with a tough game against La Crosse, losing 2-1 in the quarter-final of the WIAC tournament, but there were many things that happened through the year for which we can have some pride. We finished one place higher in the conference rankings, added three ties to our record, and continued to close the gap between us and our opponents. We still have a lot of work to do, and that harder work starts now and happens continuously until the start of preseason next August.

There will be several new faces next fall as we say goodbye to a group of seniors who have most definitely made their mark on the UW-Stout Women’s Soccer program. They of course added to the statistics page for goals and assists, they accumulated minutes played and fouls committed, but that is not what the players in years to come will hear about this particular class of players. This group is how the transition was made from one coach to the next with questions and challenges, with hard work and dedication and with a willingness to accept the changes that were thrust upon them.

This was the group that sat on the steps at North Hall my first year as coach and rattled off so many names that I felt sure I would never remember all of them. I am grateful for each and every one of the players who were a part of the last three years, but especially these seniors who have been so monumental in all that has changed. I may never know what, if anything, I may have taught them, but I know that I have learned immensely from this group of women. They have taught me humility, perseverance, ingenuity and sacrifice.

Seniors will come and go, and seasons too are in constant flux. I have been changed by this group of women, and with each passing season I know that I can no longer be who I am when we start. We have to change now. Our fall jackets will give way to parkas and the focus will change shortly from studies to family and friends. The seasons are inevitable, but we choose whether to be changed within the seasons we are given. The 2008 soccer season has changed record books and the paths of many players, and I as a coach was not unaffected by all that happened this season. It is now time to embrace this new season, the off-season, and make it a valuable time preparing us for that next season.

Hurry up and...wait

2008-10-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

It has been a positive season so far, on so many levels, and after barreling through our conference games we are now in a holding pattern. Last week was our most demanding of the season so far, and I am continually impressed by the focus and drive of the members of this team.

We played an incredibly hard-fought battle against UW-Eau Claire (ranked #22 in the country) on Wednesday. We held them scoreless for the first 70 minutes of the game. After they scored, we nearly put in the equalizer had it not been for the athleticism of their goalie. They snuck in a second goal with 20 seconds left in the game and we were drained of everything we had brought to the field that day.

There was no rest for the weary and we had to muster up the same level of intensity and focus for our Saturday roadtrip to Whitewater for another epic battle. This time we put ourselves on the board first, but we were unable to hold on to the lead in the second half and lost the match 2-1.

Unbelievably, the women on this team were able to get themselves up again for our match against MIAC powerhouse St. Benedict's for our Senior Day game on Sunday. It was a back and forth game in playmaking and in scoring. We put ourselves up 1-0 and they battled back to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. We tied it up and then in the final 17 minutes of the game they stayed after a ball banging around in the box and after all the bodies had landed, the ball was in the back of the net. We lost the game 3-2, but it was a victory in spirit.

It took an incredible amount of energy for the team to stay up for game after game after game, and there truly was not a let down of the sort that would indicate a loss of focus. Practices this week have been similar and we look to recapture our home-field winnning record when we take on St. Mary's and Hamline in two non-conference games.

We could potentially be hosting the first round of the WIAC playoffs, but after all the hurrying to get through the conference play first, we have to wait to see what happens with Oshkosh and La Crosse.

The games and training for the next week and a half will be challenging as we attempt to hone the focus that has been so positive and keep progressing forward in everything we do. I am confident that the momentum that we have started is going to be hard to stop.

Soul Food

2008-10-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

The way to a soccer teams’ heart is through their stomachs. The parents and families of this team are well aware of what makes the experience complete, and because of that there have been very few games when there were no treats to be passed around. We’ve enjoyed the hospitality and generosity of so many of the parents who have supplied pizza, ice cream, cookies, brownies and other treats after our games. We’ve had memorable experiences at the houses of several of the players and our family potluck meal was another fun day. Life is often remembered most favorably when there is food involved.

It has been fun to watch the team progress from separated groups of diners to the unified way they devour food now. It mirrors the progression of how much better they are playing as a unit right now. The more they have had a chance to eat together, the better they get to know each other and the more that translates out on to the field.

What I remember most from my college days were the meals and treats along the way. I remember great restaurants and meals at the houses of my teammates. It has always been that way for me. It’s funny that I remember my “lucky pancakes” on the Saturday mornings before my youth soccer games, but I could hardly recall much about the actual games.

The post-game treats we’ve enjoyed this season are indeed a representation of how “lucky” we really are. The women on this team are lucky to have the parents they do. They are lucky to be supported by the people around them, and I am lucky to be in the right place at the right time to sneak a few sweet treats along the way.

If food for the soul can be found in Tupperware, the Stout Women’s soccer team should have some of the happiest souls around.

There is, in fact, crying in soccer

2008-10-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite films of all time has to be "A League of Their Own". Tom Hanks plays a disenchanted baseball coach in charge of coaching a women's professional baseball team in the middle of WWII during a time period when Major League baseball has stopped competing. He has his own troubles with alcohol and has few, if any, expectations of the athleticism of the women who play for him. He, of course, is quickly turned toward enthusiasm for the potential of the women on his team and it is a feel-good movie about exceeding expectations.

A great, and memorable line from the movie happens when he has just yelled at one of the women and she stands in front of him on the verge of tears. He struggles to keep control of his own emotions as he points fervently at her saying, "There is no crying in baseball...there is no crying in baseball."

I think it is a turning point for him as it is evident that he truly does care about what he is doing, enough to express emotion the only way that he knows how...even if that meant yelling at his players. He was a yeller.

I am not a yeller. I generally do not express much of the emotions that I feel on a regular basis during practices and games, but I discovered this week, that when the emotions are overwhelming, it is a tearful expression that grips me.

As a player, I could simply run off frustration, work harder when the chips were down or tackle harder on 50/50's. I have been challenged with a new way to express very real emotions about the games we prepare for and the practices we endure. I wouldn't say that I am weepy, but I guess I have embraced the cathartic release that tears can have.

We had a tough game this week. Not because we played so hard and were outmatched, but rather because we were not willing to leave what we had on the field. I was frustrated and instead of yelling, or throwing chairs or pouting, I guess...I cried.

I've seen tears from players I've played with and coached over the years. The players on both sides of huge games are quick to shed tears...some out of joy and others out of utter despair. Others cried because they were seniors and they knew it was the last game. It is an expression of a full commitment of everything that a player has that leads to such an emotional outburst.

Hanks eventually accepts the differences between some of the things that the women on his team do that no man would ever feel compelled to do. Tears are never really accepted, but he softens his approach to accommodate the needs of his team.

I hope that crying does not become a regular occurance for me or the women on this team...but I do think that there is a place for it. Sometimes, when you care enough about something, you cannot help but to shed a few tears.

On the road again...

2008-09-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

We’re on the road again…literally and figuratively. We played Oshkosh at their place yesterday and we’re slotted to go on the road again for a game against Gustavus Wednesday afternoon. The team is also on a new figurative road that is taking us to some new places for this team, and we are all enjoying the scenery.

It has been a positive couple of weeks with equally positive weekends.
We had three shut-out wins at home and that weekend was full of family, and phenomenal weather. It was a truly incredible few days, and as a group we began moving with a positive energy that is going to be hard to slow.

I’ve been busy watching high school games, planning practices, attending shootarounds and watching film. The entire team has been busy with classwork, lifting, practices, study hall and training room expectations. They even went to St. Paul last week to get in training for our off-season fundraising.

I have to admit that when a player and a team are as focused as we are right now, there is not much room for life outside of soccer, but the nature of players who want to compete at this level is that soccer is life anyway.

I am continually impressed by the hearts of the young women who compete on this team, and after having a chance to see the support of their families, I am not at all surprised that they are the way they are.

I received an email early last week from the Oshkosh team that they were going to be wearing pink for yesterday’s match. It was in honor of breast cancer research, and a really worthy cause. I told the team about the gesture, and Ali Sonsteby, a sophomore on the team, suggested that we join the movement and put pink tape on our socks. They did that and added pink prewrap on their heads. It was a great idea that gave a physical demonstration of the heart of this team.

The game itself was an important one, and I am struck by how evenly matched we are on paper and very evidently on the field too. It was a great intense game, and we were energized and continually learning, even into the overtime periods.

We all hope that we’ll have another shot to play Oshkosh later this year, but until then, we are busy prepping for another non-conference game and another very important conference game against UW-La Crosse next Saturday. It has been good to find a new road….now we just have to stay on it.

Time to take some drastic steps

2008-09-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture." It is a fast read about all that really matters in life. I was quickly reminded that it is too easy to get caught up in the details of life's mosaic. The pieces that are really ugly when you look at them up close can be part of a beautiful picture when you back up to look at the entire scene.

We've been given some ugly pieces so far this season. Early injuries, difficult opponents, a relatively young roster and unlucky bounces and calls are all ugly pieces to what I truly believe will be a phenomenal picture when all is said and done.

I believe that because I've seen this team when no one else is watching. I've seen the character of players who run in the dark to get conditioning because they were not put into the lineup for a game. I've seen players commit to what they can give to practice, even if it means they have to run off with all of their gear to make it to class on time. I've seen the team rally around our injured and express immense gratitude for the generosity of our many parents.

The pieces we have been given may be ugly, but it matters more how we arrange those pieces to get the finished product that we want.

Pausch did not use the mosaic analogy, but rather made reference to brick walls in our lives. Walls that are put there to see who has it in them to get over them. The walls are put there to keep out "the other people". We don't yet have entire walls, but rather the bricks. We can let the bricks build upon themselves until there really are walls, or we can manipulate them to be steps in another direction. I vote for building the drastic steps!

Time to get creative

2008-09-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

The team took a collective sigh of relief as the bus pulled in from our Labor Day jaunt to Rock Island, Illinois. The conclusion of that trip marked the end of our longest one day road trip of the year and the end of the grueling preseason weeks. We have been battered by the demands of preseason and by the opening games of our season, but there is a positive and creative energy that has started to take shape.

Through the course of preseason we lost three players to ACL tears. It is a frustrating reality on all fronts and the plans for everyone have to shift direction. Those players planned on playing, their teammates planned on playing with them, and the coaching staff planned on many things from the crew that now spends their time in the training room. So, we have to be creative. The line-up has changed and there are more expectations from the remaining players than there might have been otherwise. We'll find creative solutions to unexpected issues.

We have run across such unexpected issues both on and off the field. The picture of the sign above our shed represents a few things about the women on this team. I gave the assignment of sanding and painting the sign to some of the seniors on the team. They collaborated with a couple of the younger players, and they all problem-solved and put up a graphic display of the talent we have among our players. They had to be creative about how to get the image the way they wanted it, and that sign now represents the creative and hard-working talent of the five who worked on it: Jessica Halverson, Laura Howard, Kelsey Keimig, Kaitlin Arjes and Alicia Sonsteby.

Classes have also started and the chaos of new schedules forces yet another shift in thinking. There is a very real need to prioritize, and the commitment of the team to the energy they bring to practice seems to reflect their desire to continue moving this program in a positive direction. They seem to have set their minds to creating an atmosphere of competitive freedom on the practice field, and I have no doubt that it will pay dividends for them.

What I love about soccer is that you have the freedom to have personal and team creativity. The best players can adapt to any situation and still find a way to perform. The mental part of sport fascinates me the most, and I am happy to report that the 2008 Blue Devils have taken the mental challenges in stride and they have not yet been distracted by frustrations.

There is never a good time for injury

2008-08-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

No one likes to get hurt. It is a general rule that people avoid pain because it's, well...painful. There is something worse about bad timing of an injury that can make one more painful than another. A season-ending injury at the very start of a hopeful season is among the more painful experiences. Working hard to come back from an ACL reconstruction to only have it happen to you again, is... indescribable.

The team has come in with better fitness than we have had for three years, but despite the hard work, we've suffered two of those painful injuries in the last four days. I say we, because it is something that is felt through the entire team. We watch it happen, we wriggle with anxiety when we can see the obvious discomfort and I, as a coach, spend sleepless nights wondering if there was anything that I could have or should have done differently. It takes a toll on the injured and it takes a toll on the teammates who were rooting for her.

Injury is part of sport...blah, blah, blah and every part of me hates that reality. I suppose I could spend more time than necessary being bitter about that, but I guess I truly do not have a choice. (Can you guess which part of the grieving process I am in right now?)I have to move from where I am and more toward the stage of acceptance. The entire team is going to have to do that too, and for some, getting through the angry and sad stages of grief takes longer than for others.

The injured players will have a journey that is unfortunately much separated from the support and presence of the team, and the healthy players will have to continue preparing for the imminent season, putting out of their minds the pain their friends are being forced to endure.

We'll all bounce back from this, prepare for the season to come and grow through the injuries...despite the fact that the timing couldn't be worse.

The Start of Something New

2008-08-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

The 2008 season has officially begun. There is nothing quite like the first day of another season where nerves are settled and hard work is rewarded. The lonely workouts of summer have paid off and it is so exciting to see the energy that comes with a clean slate.

It was very hot today, and it is expected to be just as hot through the remainder of the week. It will be good for conditioning, and we're all very happy to be outside without the frustration of rain days. I hope that doesn't jinx us!

There are several practices ahead of us and time for the players to get to know each other and to find the rythem and chemistry that is going to be so important for us as we come up on our initial competitions.

It is easy to have energy...it is easy to be hopeful...what is not easy is maintaining that attitude through all there is yet to come.

When a workout is successful

2008-07-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

My goal this summer was to see how far I could go through the training program. I remembered that it was intense, but I forgot that I was using a body that was better equipped almost a decade ago. Everything is starting to hurt more than just soreness, and my joints are screaming at me to stop the madness. I know that I do not have much cartilege in my left knee, but that is not the knee that hurts...of course.

In my younger days I would have seen the body aches as a hurdle over which I should climb, but I've seen too much. I don't want to get the news from my doctor in a few years that knee replacements are in my future (although I was told that at my last scope) It is probably an inevitable reality, but one that I can delay if I start listening to my body a little more.

So, what is my body saying? My body says that I most definitely need to exercise 4-5 times a week. I feel better, I am nicer to the people around me and I don't feel guilty about my biggest vice...ice cream! My body says that I have to stop pounding on my knees. As much as I love to run, hard runs or extremely long runs are probably not the best idea for me. I will stick with weighttraining programs, yoga, aerobics, walking, hiking, biking, swimming and the occasional jog. Plus, I keep threatening to learn how to rollerblade and ice skate. My kids will love that!

So, what I ended up doing this week for my workouts was tapping into the variety of options. I took two hard hikes with the kids (one of whom was riding in a backpack on my back)and a good quick run pushing the double-stroller. I can no longer justify dragging them to the track so that they can watch me inflict pain and suffering on myself. I am fairly certain that that is grounds for child abuse on some level.

Instead, I will incorporate a lot of my workouts into family activities, and when I get a chance, I will go for longer and more intense workouts.

The attempt this summer has taught me to better schedule my time for my own workouts, making them a priority instead of an afterthought. I am in better shape than when I started, and it is the beginning of what I hope to be a regular regimen. I am not in shape to compete against other players for a spot on a college soccer team, but I have used all of my eligibility anyway. I am in shape, however, to carry 15 bags of groceries up three flights of stairs, chase an eight and six-year-old with a wiggling two-year-old in my arms, hike for two hours with over fifty pounds on my back, play tag with three kids and my husband (even if I cannot get away from him), and push five kids in a double-stroller up several steep hills.

There is not much left of the workout to push through for those who are excited about the last week. It will prepare those who attempt it for what they are needing to do, and it did that for me!

Motherhood Trumps Training

2008-07-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

Cross-training was forced upon me for last week's workouts, but I should be able to get back on track with the intervals this week. I suppose that there is a reason that 30-somethings who parent small children don't regularly take part in heavy training.

My son was involved with a daily camp last week that included a half-hour commute one way and then five hours of activity. I had the girls with me every day and I had to be creative about how I could get any workout in while my son was busy with his camp.

I was excited that there was a track on campus, but was quickly disappointed when I learned that it was closed to public use. So instead, I loaded my two-year-old into the hiking backpack and pushed my six-year-old in the stroller for a downtown jaunt. It probably totalled a two-mile, hilly walk that got my heart rate going, and my muscles were definitely sore the next day.

The other two workouts that I managed last week included running the two girls in our double stroller on a path that was generally uphill for the first mile and the weight of the stroller increased my heartrate significantly from previous runs. The girls got out to play at a park, and I found a bench there to do push-ups and dips. The last workout included pushing the double-stroller with two and sometimes three children, up and down a rocky and steep grade for over an hour.

They weren't the intense interval runs that I had hoped to complete last week, but my family is priority number one, and the needs of my kids came first last week. We are not having to leave town at all the next few days, and I'll be able to get back on track...literally.

Know Your Limits

2008-07-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

The second of the interval days was almost more painful than the first. This time it was my body that was hurting, instead of my ego. I managed to get the first two 400's in under the 82 seconds, and after the second one, I was fairly certain that I was done for the day.

I was doubled over in agony while my children sat in the shade of the building near the track. Kiana, my two-year old, asked, "Mom, what are you doing?"

I managed to get in, "I'm dying," between breaths.

Haley, my almost-six-year-old, aptly responded, "You know, you don't have to do this mom."

She was right, but I was too out of breath to finish the conversation with her, so instead I just nodded in agreement. I did one more 400 at my hardest pace and then jogged out the last two laps.

There is no reason that I should be doing this to myself, except that I just want to see what this old body can still do.

It has been an exercise in acceptance. As of right now, I am definitely improving with each time out to the track, but I highly doubt that I will come very close to what I could do as a college athlete. I've had to let go of the frustration that I often feel when I attempt to do something that used to come so easily for me. That is not where I am right now, and it is not what I can do.

There is a reason that the most competitive an average person can become happens around the college years. That is not to say that every athlete has the window close when they reach 22, but for most people, the limits start to close in. It is an exceptional athelete who can break swimming records at the age of 40, or play professional baseball well into the 50's. I'm not exceptional, and I am not breaking any records that matter.

I did, however, manage to get in 5 400's today for the first time this summer. I was able to get in two of them faster than 82 seconds and I ran the fifth one only one second slower than the one before. That is a good day for me. It is not what I could have done twelve years ago, but I am not who I was twelve years ago.

Some days will be better than others, and on those bad days I hope that I can just chalk it up as a bad day and start to get ready for the next one. My best is not good enough to compete with trained college athletes, but my goal has been to find my personal limit, and that is the best I can do.

Humility Comes with Age

2008-07-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

The last of the long runs happened over the weekend, and there is much satisfaction in the completion of phase one of the conditioning program. It was only when I stepped out on the track for the first of the interval training sessions that I felt as old as I expected I would while doing these workouts.

I probably waited a little later in the morning than I had hoped because I refused to do the 400 meter runs with an audience of hundreds of high school football players. It was mid-day, with the heat that goes with it, when I headed out to run at least 4 times around the track with a timed expectation for each lap, and I was quickly reminded that I am no longer capable of training at the level I once did.

Humility happened with the very first lap. I came in at 93 seconds, and I was frustrated that I have forgotten how to pace faster. I got the second lap down to 85, but then every lap after that was slower than that. I had hoped to get the first two laps in under 82, and that will be my goal tomorrow when I give it another shot. I had hoped to do 5 laps, and that too will be a change to my effort.

I don't think as well when my heart rate is raised as high as it is on these timed 400's, and I have a much greater appreciation for how much better a younger body can accomplish these feats. I'm humbled by the challenge of these workouts, and I'm grateful to be humbled by this next phase of the workout.

Go Where the Path Leads

2008-07-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed learning about an area or town by taking a good, long run. It is so much easier to get a sense of a place when you run or walk through it rather than quickly drive by. Castle Rock, Colorado is not a new place to me, but it is like new every summer that we return here. Starting the endurance portion of the workouts has been a bit of an adventure, but now that I have only two long runs left, the path is getting worn a bit.

When you run someplace new you don't yet know exactly where you are going, and you cannot dread what you have left. Now that I have a path carved out that lasts the 45 minutes I need to complete it, I find myself thinking about those hills I have yet to climb, that wind-blown area and that intersection that slows me down.

The path today seemed a little harder and I enjoyed it less than I have the last two weeks. That means it is time for me to shake it up. I need a new path with different scenery and an entirely new perspective. So tomorrow I will run a new path, one that leads to the feeling of satisfaction, but that I can enjoy along the way too.

I have been really happy with the way the runs have gone so far. I shaved thirty seconds off the 7-lap test at the end of last week, and I am grateful for the building endurance because I've needed it on a couple of the hikes we've taken where my youngest has had to be carried in the backpack. I want to look forward to these last two runs because I know that the workouts are going to start to intensify and I won't be able to simply enjoy the scenery.

Forget frustrations

2008-06-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

At this point in my life there are many things that are out of my control. I cannot control my children, their thoughts,their emotions or their experiences. I cannot control the reality that with a family of five comes important responsibilities that I cannot shirk. I cannot control unforeseen events and much of life in general. For these workouts I cannot control the fact that I do not have access to a weight room, or even the weights that I left at home before our vacation.

I am still in the learning stages of a movement to find a way to relinquish the need to try to control those things that are out of my hands, because I recognize the futility. It is by far the hardest thing to do.

So, I don't have a weightroom, but I am trying to complete a workout that has weights. I have two choices essentially. I can moan and complain about the lack of weights and sigh regularly with frustration, giving in to that negativity. Or, I can find this as an opportunity for creativity and a challenge to adventure.

I do the staple push-ups and ab exercises. I do squats with soup cans and lunges with a loaded backpack. I do dips off my bathtup and pullups from the monkey bars. My kids love the "legpress" game where I pick them up on my feet while I lay on my back and get in a few reps.

It is not perfect, and not exactly what the workout should be, but it is the best that I can do right now. I can't be frustrated with my best, and neither should any of the players who are working hard to get in workouts between jobs and with limited resources.

This workout is like many things in life. It offers the ideal guideline, but the reality of how it plays out, is never perfect. I have to tell myself to be open to creativity. To give up on my very real need to control the uncontrollables. I have to forget frustrations so that I can move forward with what I have to work with. That is the best I can do.

Hurt

2008-06-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

These workouts have been good for me, not just physically, but as a chance for reflection and realization.

It was not possible for me to get my fourth workout in last week because I inadvertantly assumed that I would have a free minute away from kids during the weekend. I don't know why I thought I'd be able to do it, because I know full well the demands of my husband's job this time of year. It is right about now that I miss the convenience of a treadmill in the house.

So, I learned the valuable lesson that my workouts are going to have to happen during the weekdays, and most definitely around my husband's schedule. I literally ran away from my kids and my husband when he met us at a park at the end of his workday on Monday. I was so excited for the break that I managed to enjoy each and every step of the long run.

When I looked at the schedule for Tuesday, I realized that if I was going to get in a long run I was going to have to do it before anyone in my family was awake. That means leaving the house by 6:30 in the morning. I was good until about 15-minutes into the run, and then I remembered why I space out workouts to be further apart than twelve hours!

I finished just fine, but along the way I had a revelation of sorts. While I was running, a Johnny Cash remix came up on my ipod. I don't know if I had heard it before, but if I had, I had never really paid attention to the lyrics. It starts, "I hurt myself today to see if I still feel." It is a morbid and depressing song, but the first line stuck with me. Why in the world am I subjecting myself to this pain? I realized that at this point in my life it really is just to see if I still feel. I'll never compete at the level I have competed before, but I am still drawn to challenges, and I suspect I always will be.

The summer workouts in college were for the sole purpose of surviving preseason in one piece and being in shape enough for a demanding season. I wish that I knew then what I know now. Life is meant to be felt and rigorous workouts are no exception. I wish that I had looked at my time playing as an opportunity instead of an obligation. I wonder how that might have changed things.

7-lap time is in

2008-06-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

It has been interesting trying to coordinate a rigid workout schedule with the demands of my family, but I've just had to be creative and diligent.

I took my second forty-minute run on Wednesday while my husband was with the kids at the baseball practice for my oldest. We all drove together and after the practice started I headed off on the adjacent path and ran in gorgeous weather up and down a nearby hill. As the kids get older, I imagine that many of my workouts will happen while they are at various activities.

I was determined to get in the 7-lap test today, and because my husband had to go in to work early, I had to improvise. I took all three of the kids to a nearby high school, unloaded them to one end of the football field with a number of things to play with, and I ran the 7-lap test. I completed the seven laps in 14:12. It is a couple minutes slower than the last test I took in college, but I am not terribly upset with the first attempt this summer.

I did sit-ups and push-ups when I got home from the run, and then did some pull-ups and dips when I took the kids to a park later in the day.

I am unsure how I will get in the last 40-minute run of the week over the weekend, but I hope to come up with a viable plan. So far, it has been a good start to the week, and I am excited for the next run over the weekend.

Back to the workouts

2008-06-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

It is week one of the Stout summer workout plan, and I have decided to try to complete the program this year. It is easy to measure how much has changed since the last summer that I did this, but there are intangibles that cannot necessarily be counted, but are significant nonetheless.

Thirteen years have passed, three children have been born and four surgeries have happened since my last completed program. I am worried about a number of things that could work against my desire to get the workouts in, but I am determined to do all I can to finish. My body aches more than it did thirteen years ago, and with the schedule of three children under the age of eight it is going to be harder to find the time to stick to the plan, but I'll take it one workout and one day at a time.

I had to start with yoga yesterday to loosen my tight muscles after being in a car for two straight days. It was really relaxing and I felt ready to tackle the first running day today. My plan was to get up before the kids this morning to get in an hour workout, but the early-rising sun woke our two-year old, and I wasn't able to get my workout in until 9:00 tonight.

Tonight's run was a phenomenal way to start the workouts, and I was pleased with the finish. It was a cool evening, and I was happy that my lungs felt much better than I expected they would. I did sit-ups and push-ups after the run, and I'm hoping my stretches will keep me from being too sore tomorrow morning.

My stride has changed, my speed has changed and life around me has most certainly changed, but what most surprised me tonight was the change in my thought-process with regard to these workouts. When I was in college, I would dread the workouts, counting down the days until they were done and cursing every step I had to take to complete any one workout. What was different tonight was that I couldn't wait all day for a time to myself to get in a workout. Even on the run I was grateful to be able to take another step running, because I know that my time for running is not infinite, and there will be a day when I will not be able to do a summer workout. I am grateful to be able to attempt it instead of overwhelmed with an obligation to do it.

I have not yet done the 7-lap test to see where I am, but I think I'll be able to get in the timed run on Thursday morning. I'm still walking around relatively normally, and I really hope I have that same feeling tomorrow morning. Time will tell.

Losing Control

2008-05-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

It is only fitting that we concluded our non-traditional spring season wrapped in our warmest winter clothes, sliding on a wet and muddy field in less than ideal soccer-playing conditions. You would think that we mistakenly started the season too early and tried to play a game in February, but really, it was May 3rd and another miserable weather day for spring 2008. The cold lingered longer this spring, and the rain pounded harder than anyone expected, but maybe we just all forgot that we are in Wisconsin after all.

We started the spring season with a commitment to the theme of control. Time on the ball in tight quarters of racquetball courts and limited space in the multi-purpose room forced the issue. We had to keep the ball from jetting out onto the track so it would not take out an unsuspecting sprinter. We had to soften our first touches so we could make the ball stay close enough to manipulate the way we wanted. We took control of what we could, but our bigger challenge was with letting go of expectations that we can control everything.

This spring was more an exercise in letting go of a need to control because we had no choice. We couldn't control the lingering winter and the stubborn spring weather. We couldn't control the soggy and dangerous field conditions. We couldn't control the prioritization of in-season training or our ability to work ourselves into available spaces. We couldn't control academic schedules and conflicts with ever-changing practice schedules.

Yet, the season came and went and we gained a handle on what it means to control. Control means recognizing the places you can effect change. Sometimes control simply means keeping your emotions in check when you recognize that there is truly more you cannot control than those things that you absolutely can.

Mirror Mirror

2008-02-24T19:13:00.000-08:00

Just because the outside soccer has stalled temporarily, it does not mean that I have stopped contemplating about things that I believe influence the ability to compete. My inspiration often comes from the strangest of places, but anyone with children would concede that they are often an excellent source of the most profound thoughts. I was with my two-year-old at her gymnastics the other day, and I was struck with an epiphany of sorts.

As with most gymnastics gyms, there are a number of mirrors that cover one entire wall. My daughter was getting ready to mount the low balancing exercise when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She watched herself walk to the beam and then attempted to make the step up to where the balance beam was. She awkwardly managed to get up continuing to hold her gaze on her own reflection. She tried then to navigate the beam and it was immediately apparent that she was not going to be able to watch herself walk across. She stepped off the side and fell the short drop to the ground. “Watch where you are going,” I encouraged her and as soon as she stopped watching her reflection she was able to walk the entire length of the beam with no issue.

I really don’t think that this small episode is too unlike the struggles that many athletes face when they are working to compete in a team sport. It is very easy, especially with cultural influences that promote individualism, to become too focused on what you are doing as an individual athlete. Of course it is extremely important how you choose to motivate yourself, how hard you train and the individual choices you make, but when it comes to competing, the best athletes on a team are those who are able to shift the gaze from the mirror to the task before them. To see the world around them as a part of their own experience, but that they are only a part and not the entire action.

I admit that there have been times in my life, and as a competing athlete, where my focus was too selfish and to be honest, by game suffered. When I finally pulled my gaze away from my own reflection I was better able to see what I was intended to do and it made me a much better teammate. There are some athletes who are able to compete looking at their reflection the entire time, but imagine how much better they would be if they saw the whole picture.

Youth Players Far from Winter Weary

2008-01-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

The field is buried in about half a foot of icy coldness. The goals have been stored underneath the stadium for almost three months and it is hard to imagine the stands cleared of snow. It seems as though soccer games in warm, pleasant fall weather were ages ago, and with temperatures hovering in the single digits, it is hard to imagine that spring training is creeping up on us. It is easy to become a little winter weary, but thanks to the interruption of January youth soccer clinics, I get to breathe a whisper of rejuvenation.

Most of the Stout players have been home for a few weeks, while others are milling around campus for winterm classes. Preparations are being made for the captains’ practices that will commence once the players are all back at Stout, and I am lucky that I’ve had a chance to kick a ball around again….even if those who kick back to me struggle to use the right part of the foot.

Together, with a small group of players, the Stout team has been putting on winter skills sessions for the area youth. There are some regulars who have found their way back into the MPR of Johnson Fieldhouse, and there are some excited newcomers too. The ages range from five through high school and the energy level is of course high. It has been fun this year to note the growth of so many of the young players who frequent our camps and clinics.

They’ve grown into bigger shoes and they’ve also grown into well-skilled, sure-footed soccer players. It is fun to watch the maturation of young players. To see them get excited about an element that I would never have been able to show them a year ago, but because of time on teams and with coaching throughout the year they have matured into better players.

I see them through a window of sorts…a few hours here and there at different times throughout the year. I know little else of what goes on in their lives except that they play soccer and they want to play it enough to continue to get better. I’m excited for the potential that so many of these young players possess. It is a refreshing reminder of what passion for soccer looks like…a quick breath of fresh air when it’s still too cold to go outside.

An end and a beginning

2007-11-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

We closed out our season against two of the top four teams in our conference, and although the results were disappointing, we have set ourselves up to continue to make strides in the seasons to come. We have spent the last few days as a coaching staff talking to each player individually to get a feel for what they think we can do to continue moving forward. It’s good to hear that we are all convinced that we have not yet exhausted the potential of the players on this team, and there is a willingness across the board to invest personally for the future successes of the group as a whole.

We are coming up on the important months for any college soccer program…the offseason. It is truly the time of year that separates the mediocre players and teams from those teams that are still playing at this point in November. This gets more at the character of the women on any particular team than what can be orchestrated by coaches.

The off-season captains have been chosen by the team, and it will be up to them and the other “leaders” in the group to motivate, inspire and push each player to continue to improve. We can’t stay where we are right now. Where we are is sitting on the sidelines watching the other teams in our conference play for the WIAC championship. That’s not where we want to be. We want to be announced at the start of the big games, a force to contend with throughout the entire season and recognized as one of the top four teams in the WIAC conference. That doesn’t just happen by itself. It happens because everyone involved in the program sets sights on those goals and makes the necessary commitments in and out of season to attain them.

We are planning for the end-of-the-year banquet, but it is also a gathering to celebrate all that is yet to come. Our seniors will be beginning careers and life outside of soccer and college, and the remaining players will start to turn their attention to what can be, and what will be better. It is the end of one season, and the start of the next.

Prepping for a big game

2007-10-24T20:03:00.001-07:00

We are in the midst of preparing for an incredibly tough game this coming weekend against Stevens Point, and it is refreshing to feel the consistent focus that has found its way into our practices and into our preparation. Our goal is to field the best Stout team that we can, and to play a game that we can be proud of. What might that look like? Well, I never focus on the stats that would traditionally define a successful game, because if we do the little things well, the stats will take care of themselves.

We have turned our attention to the simplicity of the little things. We plan to make the most of every possession we have, to defend as a unit all over the field and to think and play one moment at a time. We know we’ll need to communicate effectively and to be intensely involved. We need to be present and challenge for every 50/50 ball and to sacrifice physically because we want to make a difference when we have the chance. It all sounds simple, but any player who has faced a worthy opponent knows that maintaining focus despite the reality of the opponent is more of a challenge than running for 90 minutes, controlling a ball that is on your feet and taking effective shots when given the opportunity.

This game is an important one, and the way to play an important game is to make every moment in the game THE most important moment. We need to stay focused on each play and to let those minutes add themselves up without being overwhelmed by the entirety of a 90-minute game. What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Stepping up

2007-10-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I am an incredibly competitive person, and I have always enjoyed winning much more than losing. I have learned, over time, to take from the losses what has made me grow, but that doesn’t mean that I enjoyed it. It always feels even better to win because you should, to win because you’ve prepared well, and to win because you wanted it more. That is why the win against River Falls felt so good. We have managed to grow from the losses throughout this season and to pull from those growing experiences to get to a place that we should learn to expect.

I think it is fair to expect the level of play that we had against River and Whitewater and Hamline on a daily basis. It is a mark of a maturing team that where growth can happen it does, and then there is a humble recognition of the fact that there is always room to grow more.

We are no where near finished growing to the potential of this team or this program, and the best part about all of it is that we never will be. There will always be room for development, a chance to be challenged by better players and by better teams. We have a ways to go and we’ll go that way one game at a time, one half at a time, one play at a time and we’ll do it as a group!

Staying in the moment

2007-10-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

Watching practice yesterday and the intensity with which the players are continuing to train and play, an outsider would hardly believe that we are a team who has only won four games this year. It was a good week last week with a win on the road against Hamline and then a very tight 2-1 loss to Whitewater. It is easy to be discouraged by the numbers and to write off a season when you have been in games and come up short most of the time. The women on this team have not done that. They are still committed to lifting, to training with intensity and to playing every game with the desire to win. It is partially the mark of a young and hopeful program, but more than that it is an indication of the character each player possesses. They’ve each made the individual choice to live in the moment. To work past those frustrating moments and not worry too much about what is coming down the line, but to stay focused on the here and now.

We face River Falls tomorrow in what will be the most important game so far this season. According to the numbers we are equally matched, but I know something about the Stout team that is not on any stat sheet. They will be there to play…they will play for each other and with an intensity that will be hard to cover, and no matter what happens on the field we’ll have done everything we can to play the best in the moment at hand. Isn’t that the point?

Back to the basics

2007-10-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Thankfully there are not many times in a season when I tell the team to forget everything they know about combination play, to stop building from the back and to simply put the ball forward and go after it. Only when the field we are playing on has standing water, thick piles of mud in random places and a strong wind that blows straight into one of the goal mouths would I tell them to scrap what we try to do and play like they did when they were five. It was not going to be a pretty game, and the team adjusted and simply played.

They simply went to every ball, ran at and through them, and put the ball in the net some of the times we had chances. There were memorable slips, mud caked uniforms, frozen hands and feet, a ball boy that went down right in front of our bench, a lot of jumping around on the bench (to stay warm) and a trip down memory lane that simplifies what can sometimes get too complicated.

One of the things my club coach always told us when I was playing is that soccer is a really simple game, and it is. It is easy to forget that simply running, kicking, shooting, attempting to pass, working to dribble, defending our goal and going for their goal are really the elements of soccer that always matter. At the college level intelligence starts to play a factor about how, why and when we do those things and to what degree, but the elements are the same.

Games like Saturday take out all of the strategy. They level the playing field for dribblers and play-makers and simplify the game to who can kick the furthest out of the mud, who can run fastest with water-logged shoes and who cares the least about what the uniform is going to look like at the end of the day.

If there is nothing else learned from games like Saturday, at least we know we can adjust to any conditions and still have the passion of little kids to just go out and play in the mud.

Growing through adversity

2007-10-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

We’ve been through a tough stretch of conference play, and I have been pleased with the growth that has happened for our team in the midst of seemingly disappointing circumstances. The mental state of the team is in much better shape than would be expected at this point in a season that has not turned out the way we had all hoped. Each player has found a way to play for the sake of playing, to dig down and to push when it doesn’t seem like it really matters. They each seem to have come to the conclusion that what matters is that we push through because we should…that we play because we love to play…that we work because that is what and who we are.

A better team has shown up to play each game, and that is a movement forward that hasn’t yet made its way to the record books. The wins have been hard to come by, but we are winning nonetheless. The character that can only be built through adversity is getting stronger and stronger every week. The foundation needed to build a successful program consists of the attitude, work ethic and team cohesion that is solidifying with every passing practice and game.

The pieces are coming together and the results will undoubtedly follow. Good things happen when you are willing to learn from the hard times, and the women on this team are an inspiration because of their willingness to grow despite the adversity.

Character Building

2007-09-25T04:12:00.000-07:00

When it seems as though there is no way to catch a break, we must find a way to just keep going. We had a rough game Wednesday against St. Kate’s…not because we were outplayed, but rather because we didn’t do what we needed to do to show up to play. We were not mentally prepared for the day and played without much urgency or passion.

The captains were part of a movement in a new direction to get the team more invested in mental preparation, and it paid off for the two games on the weekend.

A much more inspired team showed up to play, Saturday, for our second conference game of the year against Oshkosh and we found ourselves on the losing end of a 1-0 battle. It was an incredibly well-played game with a lot of speed playing both directions and it took a lot out of us.

We then had to board a bus for a 41/2 hour trip to Dubuque, IA on Sunday for the second game of the weekend. We continued to play well into the second game of the weekend, and dominated possession, shot attempts and overall play. It started to take its toll on us going into the second half and many of the players who had seen a lot of minutes on Saturday were starting to feel the effects of fatigue and injury. We had a 2-0 lead going in to the last 8 minutes of the game and we were unable to shore up where we needed to in order to hold the lead. We painfully watched one player, an inspired senior from Dubuque, chip away at our lead and ultimately take the win for their team.

It is hard to get back on a bus for a long ride home when a win was so imminent, but it is what we have to do. It is hard to continue to work toward bigger goals that will move the program to where we, the coaches, ultimately see it going, but it is what we have to do. It is hard to forget about record, to move beyond losses and to see the positives of all that has happened in the last couple of games, but that is what we have to do. We are starting to gel, to see the opportunities, to play better team defense, to trust one another and to play for one another. The focus is coming and the play is improving all over the field. It is hard to keep working, but that is what we have to do, and that is what we will do.

To Build from Here

2007-09-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

We opened conference play with a win against UW-Platteville. We had to overcome quite a bit to pull that one off, and it has the makings of the propulsion to get us moving with some positive momentum.

Platteville is a long ways from Menomonie. I have never been through that part of Wisconsin, and I can tell you that it has some unparalleled beauty. We weren’t sure we were actually going to make it to the game on time because just after we left, we pulled over to the side of the highway because a door on the side of the bus popped open. It opened probably 4 more times in the space of about 20 miles, and we pulled to the side of the highway each time to get it closed. Thankfully, a mechanic was able to meet us on an on-ramp in Eau Claire to get the door fixed, and we were on our way.

We pulled in to Platteville pretty much right on time and headed to the fieldhouse to get ready. We found out that the football game that was being played before us was quite a bit behind schedule. There had been an injury that required an ambulance, and the game was only in the third quarter. We were directed to the grass field outside the stadium to wait for the go-ahead signal.

We waited…and we loosened…and we waited, and next thing I know the girls are playing some sort of camp tag game. Most of the players are linked by arms in pairs and four others are playing chase. The object is to get from one pair to another and link arms so that another player has to become the chased. I thought about how perfect that warm-up was. We weren’t using balls, and we weren’t getting our needed time on the turf, but they were getting ready. They were doing something that made them smile and enjoy each other, and they weren’t overwhelmed by the fact that things really hadn’t been going our way. They simply made the most of it.

That attitude and energy translated onto the field, and although the refereeing was a bit suspect and the field was bouncier than we were used to, they maintained composure and class and continued to plug away at what we know works for us. We had spent an entire practice on taking and defending corner kicks, and after forcing a few, we were able to convert for the one goal we needed.

What I love is that good things are happening, and the women on this team are making the experience theirs from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Colorado or bust

2007-09-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

After a frustrating start of preseason with weather that refused to cooperate, we boarded a plane and headed toward a trip of a lifetime. Everything that needed to happen in Colorado to make the trip go smoothly, happened. On our first day, we took a long hike in Boulder, CO that led to incredible views and a number of photo opportunities. The dinner that night was in an incredible setting and we enjoyed laughter, good food and a chance to get to know each other outside of the dorm confines.

Friday of our trip we ventured to downtown Denver where we walked on 16th Street Mall and got some souvenir shopping done. We met with a sports psychologist near the steps of the Capitol building and spent some time talking about what is going to propel us to the successes we all want.

Our first scrimmage was played at an unbelievable facility adjacent to the stadium where the Colorado Rapids play. The sunset that occurred during our game was truly breathtaking, and we played to a 2-2 tie with a women’s select team.

Saturday morning we loaded up the vans and headed to southern Colorado. We stopped in Colorado Springs to visit Colorado College’s campus. We made a hefty contribution to the bookstore there and then took a peek at the Division I women’s soccer practice. We then headed to Canon City, CO where we put on the life jackets and went white water rafting under the Royal Gorge Bridge. Only one player barely fell out, and the experience was everything that a team building adventure should be.

Sunday morning we went for a run in the scorching temperatures along a trail that runs parallel to the river. We spent the rest of the day preparing for our second game. We played Division II CSU-Pueblo, and although the score was extremely lopsided in their favor, we scored 4 goals on them and had many things to be excited about with respect to our play.

We boarded the plane early on Monday, and headed back to Menomonie to finish out the remainder of our preseason. We had all gained valuable experiences, a chance to get to know each other, and more pictures than we know what to do with. All of the hard off-season work paid off and the team is already brainstorming about going on another adventure.

Choosing Battles

2007-08-23T02:10:00.000-07:00

They ran like they always do, in pairs…in sync. Warming up for another day on the soccer field, they did what they could to ignore the torrential rain that worked against their every step. The sweatshirts, t-shirts and pants were immediately pounds heavier with the soaking.

Most definitely not the ideal conditions for a fall tryout.

Every coach hopes to know which players are going to best help the program. They want to quickly identify those with the fastest feet, the longest endurance, the best skill. It’s difficult to do under the conditions we have faced thus far in our tryouts for the 2007 Stout soccer season, but many other things can be determined in situations like this.

Almost as important as physical fitness is the ability to decipher between which battles are worth fighting and which ones should be ignored. One thing that makes a good soccer player is her ability to adjust to her surroundings and accept those realities that cannot be controlled.

No battle will ever be won when it comes to the weather. The wind will continue to blow, the rain will continue to fall, and the choice becomes whether or not to stand and gripe about it, or to simply adjust.

The same goes for so many aspects of the game. No matter how bad the call was that a ref made, the choice is to stand and argue with him or to simply accept the new situation that has been created as a result of the call.

Where do you spend your energy? Are you preparing for that next moment, or are you stuck fighting against those things that have already happened?

Opposing teams and opposing fans can be equally as challenging. They often say and do things to take your focus off of the moment so that you turn your energy away from what you should be doing and instead you react to things they have said and done. Choose your battles.

Even when the weather is perfect and the opposing team is polite, there are always going to be battles to fight. You may not get the playing time you think you deserve, or get to play your favorite position, or you may be plagued with nagging injuries, but you always have a choice about what part of those things you are going to fight against. Choosing a reaction that will help you get from where you are to where you want to be, is often more than half the battle.

You’re not going to change the weather, a bad call, the choices of the opposing team, the reality of an injury, or the decisions of your coaches, but you are always in charge of the battle lines that are drawn.

Fighting for a Good Cause

2007-05-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

I was tempted to hit the snooze, but there were too many reasons to obey the 3:45 am alarm clock. Eighteen reasons to be exact. The soccer team had coordinated efforts and created two teams of nine to walk in the Relay for Life fundraiser on Stout's campus. I had to get up. Besides, there was supposed to be a frozen t-shirt contest or something.

It hadn't really been all that long since I had found myself up in the wee hours of the morning, but for the first time in a long time it wasn't to satisfy the needs of the little people in my life.

When I got to the fieldhouse, the group had dwindled a little, but the ultra-dedicated were still among the walkers on the track. There were a few snoozers on the futon that lay at the designated soccer area, and remnants of an extremely busy night still littered areas of the multi-purpose room. The girls were not nearly as tired as I imagined they would be, and they were still as goofy and entertaining as always.

As I walked...

Laura and Cassey, the team leaders, were still there and still walking.

Laura had sent her mom back to the dorm many hours before, and she was in it for the long haul.

Cassey helped to figure out that she and Laura would probably walk for a total of ten hours before the 12-hour event ended.

Mallory was the first to really take note of what gravity can do to a pair of hands that have been walking for several hours. We told her to take her swollen hands to bed.

Rachel and Trish were not far behind when it was apparent that fatigue was getting the best of them. The incoherent sentences were a dead give away.

Amanda jolted awake at 5:00 am for her shift and it took probably 3 laps for her to figure out where she was.

Meesh lamented her loss in the big-glove boxing ring that had been set up earlier in the night. She will be looking for a rematch!

Jess enjoyed judging the karaoke performers, but resisted the urge to take a turn at the microphone herself.

And, while we walked...
The sun came up. The event closed down. Fatigue set in.

The several months that Laura and Cassey spent organizing and motivating the team to take part in the worthy cause for the American Cancer Society had come to a close. All together, the team was able to raise nearly $800 for the cause, and create priceless memories through the walk itself.

It is always worth it to be part of something worthwhile. To fight for something that is bigger than you are. It's ALWAYS worth it....even if it means fighting the urge to stay in bed at 3:45 in the morning.