Hey everyone!

I mentioned in a past entry that my AIM screenname is SoccerChicaFan. Well, now you don't have to download AIM to be able to talk to me!!!

If you scroll down the main page and watch the left sidebar, you'll notice a big blue box underneath the Google Ads. You type in that box, and I'll get it on my AIM. We can chat, even though you aren't on AIM and I'm not on soccerchica.com. Kind of cool, huh?

Well, that's all I have for now. I'm swamped with this being the last week before Finals Rest Week (the week before finals when professors aren't allowed to have any assignments due). Then finals. Then summer. 3 months of nothing. Sweet.

With only 4 weeks until the collegiate summer begins, I struggle to believe that summer is an existing season this year. It's now April and I still have to pull out the winter coat 4 days a week. I mean, instead of April showers, I'm seeing April sleet. That's just not right. What's up?

I'm sick of freezing temperatures, wooly socks, and frost. Bring on the sweat, tank tops, and pollen! (When an asthmatic begs for pollen, you know she's desperate.)

I feel better now, so I think I'm going to go do another paper. Oh, joy...

By the way! I got AIM!!! My screenname is SoccerChicaFan. If you ever get bored or curious as to what I'm like outside outside of my blog, just shoot me a message. I'd be glad to get to know some of my readers!

I came across this site that sells sports stuff specifically for girls. It's pretty cool, and they have a lot of nice items. For instance...



We have a girl on our team who can't seem to stay off the ground. She's always going in for the tackle and never backs down. Her ankles take such a beating. These would be great for the serious tacklers of any team.

Check out the rest of their website here.

Alright, so I gave you a list of 5 Great Alternatives to Writing a College Paper. Well, I used a few of them. Here's what happens when you take the Alternatives too seriously...


I had to leave for a trip at 2 on Friday. The English paper I had been putting off had to be e-mailed by midnight. Unfortunately, traveling meant no internet connection, which meant that I had to send in my paper before 2. Because I had been making use of the 5 Alternatives, I had not finished the paper when I went to my 1:00 class - English... I actually had the nerve to finish it in her class. Except that I still couldn't get it finished before 2. The final result was a great paper with a half-completed works cited page. (Not finishing a works cited page means that some sources were not given credit for thier ideas. That is defined as plagiarism, which is illegal.)

The verdict?

My professor took mercy on my situation and didn't fail me. I ended up with a B+ on the paper. I deserved much less. Some professors will be less kind and will give you the grade you deserve for unfinished papers. Please remember that you use the 5 Alternatives at your own risk. Please see the discalimer for more information.

I found this really interesting. I'd never heard of anything like this. To see this organization reach out on such a global level (with soccer no less) is amazing. Check it out.

Homeless World Cup

Can you imagine??? I would like to meet the person who came up with this idea. The author of the comment obviously missed a few major points: 1) This a MINISTRY. It's supposed to reach out to those who need help. Duh! and 2) This is truly imporving lives. It's not just making homeless people comfortable; it's about encouraging them to better their lives for themselves. Who ever wrote that comment was only thinking on the surface level and really needs to have some compassion for the less fortunate.

Ok...

I have to add a disclaimer to that last entry. In "5 Great Alternatives to Writing a Paper," I may have encouraged you to push aside homework that should be a priority. So I have a few points to add:

A student-athlete has to be a student first. That's why the student comes first.
Doing your homework, papers, and projects now will better prepare you for life beyond school, when deadlines are deadlines no matter what.
The 5 alternatives should never be applied to the workplace or the home.
Practicing the 5 alternatives too regularly may result in lower grades.
SoccerChica is not responsible for low grades due to tardiness of the paper/project or poor quality. Neither is Big D. Nor are we responsible for groundings or other punishment due to lower grades or calls from teachers or anything else.
This includes fine print that you can't see without a telescope. That fine print covers anything else that may go wrong while practicing the 5 alternatives.

Thanks.

-SC

While the particular paper to be avoided is for my freshman level English Comp class, these can be applied to any paper or project that you desire to avoid like the Plague.

1) Write a blog entry.
-This is a prime example. I don't want to write the English paper, so I am writing this ABOUT not writing my English paper. I've managed to avoid the paper and put off the guilt by not doing something completely unrelated to the paper.

2) Go outside.
-Physical activity will provide endorphins that schoolwork quickly drain. When you get back to the paper/project, you might actually WANT to do it!

3) Volunteer.
-No teacher can refuse the excuse, "I was out late feeding the homeless/building a ramp for a man in a wheelchair/reading to children in the burn unit (or whatever it is you do) and didn't have time to do the homework." It's a lot more effective and a lot more believable than, "My dog ate my homework," though I have heard that that really does happen.

4) Join a club.
-Yes, join a club. It doesn't have to be the debate club or chess team (although those are fine clubs to join...I was on both). Clubs can be for anything. There are clubs that build robots, clubs that watch cartoons/anime, clubs that read or write together, clubs based around a specific religion, and if there isn't a club for what you want to do, MAKE IT! Starting a club is great (and also counts as volunteering). Find out what's offered in your area and get busy - too busy to write that paper.

And finally....you'll love this one....

5) Do it.
-I know, I know. You have parents and teachers to tell you to do your homework. Still, the best way to not have to do something later is to do it now. Sure, you don't WANT to, but will you really want to do it later? Just give it some thought. You might be surprised at how great you feel once it's out of the way.

This is an article about a campaign for respect for soccer referees. The campaign was started by The Football Association and has recently been pubically supported by Manchester United's manager, Ferguson.

Ferguson Backs Call for Respect

I think this is great. It's so important that we treat all referees, umpires, game officials of any sort with the utmost respect. They are figures of authority on the feild, court, diamond, whatever. Especially in soccer, there is so much to watch at one time and so much effort goes into each minute and each call. They have a hard job to do and can't possibly please everyone. Though we as players, coaches, or spectators may not agree with some calls, we absolutely must remember that they deserve our respect. We think it's hard to play, but to referee is so much harder.

Thanks to The Football Association for bringing this back to the front of our minds.

Good news for American and US soccer fans! The US women's team is once again number 1 in FIFA rankings. The victory in the Algarve Cup sent us over Germany. The US team is the first to knock Germany out of the number 1 spot since the Women's World Cup last year.

Congrats!!!

There's a little more on this here:

US Regains No. 1 Ranking

These are some amazing people. I hope I can still be active as intensly as they are when I hit 50. I think the program is great and that this group of men and women would be very interesting to know.

Over 50 and Still Kickin'

Any over 50 soccerchicas or soccerdudes out there? I'd love to hear about your experiences!