Rants

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!

Good morning. Yes, it's 1:30 in the morning as I sit here at write to you.  Last night, I went until 2:30 or 3:00. Ah, the life of a college student.

Speaking of, I know you all know how this feels: taking a full course load, having a part-time job so you can get a car (or food or rent money, or whatever), being involved in multiple extra-cirricular activities, doing volunteer work, trying to have a social life, and attempting to not neglect your family in the midst of all this. Do you wake up some mornings and just think, "I can't do it anymore"? I know after a good, "productive" all-nighter I want nothing more than to be able to just go home for a week or so (without penalty) and catch up on my sleep.

Oh! How about those lonely nights? Those are killer. It's 2 or 3 in the morning. Everyone's in bed, like normal people. And you're stuck in your room, staring at your computer screen. Those are the worst. It just makes you want to cry or go find a friend who gives really good hugs. The problem is that your roommate is asleep along with all of your good-hugging friends.

This is one of the most degrading things I've seen in a while regarding athletes. It takes everything that we, as female athletes, work so hard to achieve and diminishes it to nothing more than a man's fantasy!

Pictures of soccer girls

I'm hesitant to contribute to that websites' traffic, but you have to see it to understand. At least, they're not naked.

Well...this just proves my point about Beckham. He's soaking it up a little too much if you ask me.

Superficial Beckham

Raise your hand if you have asthma.

Me too.

Hello, my name is SoccerChica and I have asthma.

If you don't have asthma, please, allow me to explain it to you. You're running as usual, maybe chasing after a ball that went way over your head. Defender on your heels. Suddenly, you stop. Dead in your tracks. You can't move. It feels as if one person has their hands tightly clenching your throat, while another is squeezing your lungs as hard as possible. Neither lets up at any point.

Since we're all on the same page, now, we may continue.

In high school, I never played with any other asthmatics. On my college team, though, there must be at least 4 other girls with asthma. It works out well if one of us happens to forget the inhaler on a bad day.

The whole point of this rant is that asthma is the Devil. During off-season training, it's typical to run a few miles each day and work out a little. As it gets colder, though, it gets really hard to keep running outdoors. Of course, the preference is to run on similar terrain to that on which you're playing. But the cold air just gets in an asthmatic's lungs and freezes them to the point that they won't expand to take in more air. It becomes impossible to run.

So, those of us who can't run outside, end up feeling like fat tubs of lard once it gets cold enough for the first snow (which we haven't seen much of this year!!!!). It's quite depressing for an athlete to feel that way.

Thank you for listening to me. I appreciate your time and patience.

-SC