Wow! This girl is amazing! How can she do it all..?! I wish I could be like that..

Supersoccerchica

Merry Christmas!

I find it to be pretty strange that during the season, my grades are top-notch, I'm always doing something productive with my time, and my head is always on straight. Of course, once the season ends, one would expect that nothing would change unless I found myself studying harder or working longer. Riight.

After the last game concludes, all of a sudden, I have all this free time. I don't know what to do with it, so instead of studying, I play around; instead of working, I sleep; and instead of managing my time, I goof off. Why is that? I've talked to some of my teammates, who all experience similar slacking periods during the off-season. None of us can figure it out.

If you can shed some light on this backwards phenomenon, please do so.

We're all at a loss.

Okay, I think it's all great and fine that Beckham decided to come play in America. (Not to mention that he's not too bad to look at.) BUT! Does anyone else get sick of hearing about nothing or no one else??? I mean, get serious! He's not the only person playing soccer in the United States. There are plenty of other people to talk about. Why is he in all the headlines? I don't mind seeing his face, but I'd like a little variety if it doesn't offend anyone...

Hey everyone.

This entry is basically to apologize for my silence over the past couple of weeks. I was trying to get through finals for a week. And once my Christmas Break started, had to fly to Texas to spend a week in the remote lands which have no internet. I'll spend this week catching up.

Thanks! :D

-SC

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

Hello, my readers!

I was just passed this site from Big D. It's kind of like getting an inheritence from someone who's still alive. I guess that's a gift? Whatever you want to call it, that's what this site is to me.

I'm not really sure what to do with the site. The only way I'll know what to do is if you, the readers, tell me what you'd like to see. If I don't hear from you, I'm just going to have to keep re-capping the news. If you like that or want to see something else, let me know.

Talk to me!!

-SC

OK, ladies. It's time for us to step up and take some action. We can't just sit here and read something like this without doing something about it. Sitting around thinking Wow. That really sucks.. isn't going to sway the numbers. We need women like you and me to get out there are change it!

L.A. Times article: Number of female coaches in women's sports shrinks to all-time low

The article was a little long or I would have included the whole thing...

How can we help? It starts with coaching rec teams. Coach your church team, your YMCA team, or even a neighborhood team. Set the foundation. When you're more confident, coach a middle school team. I have a friend who does that and she loves it. Finally, when you're older and more experienced, coach a club team or a high school team. I have a friend who coaches 2 club teams and a high school team. All of those kids are being exposed to something they may not be used to. Eventually you'll be coaching a collegiate team.

This just out from Alabama:

University of Alabama Names Todd Bramble Women’s Soccer Coach

Good catch, but I think Debbie Rademacher would have been a better choice. What do I know?

Ok.

Well, if you have a need for a gift for a soccer girl or guy, this might be something you want to consider.

Check this out...

Design Your Own Soccer Ball Kit (Toy) Manufacturer:Design Your Own Released:

The Missouri Athletic Club announced the semi-finalists for the Club's Hermann Trophy today. The Trophy honors top male and female Division I college soccer players in the United States. The award is college soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy and represents the highest level of individual achievement in the sport. Past female winners of the award include, Mia Hamm, Shannon MacMillian.

This year's women's semi-finalists are:

Danesha Adams, M, Sr., UCLA, Shaker Heights, Ohio
First-team All-Pac-10 selection…second in the league in scoring with 34 points (13 goals, eight assists)…ranked 19th in the nation in points per game (1.7)…her 136 career points rank second in school history…holds the school record for career starts…has 25 career game-winning goals…the all-time Bruins leader in NCAA Tournament scoring (37 points, 17 goals, three assists).

Yael Averbuch, M, Jr., North Carolina, Upper Montclair, N.J.
Returns to the MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists list after being named one of three finalists in 2006…started all 24 games for the Tar Heels this season…has 18 points on six goals and as many assists…four of her goals were game-winners…earned two caps with the U.S. Women’s National Team earlier this year.

Ashley Banks, F, Sr., West Virginia, Annandale, Va.
Big East Co-Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Big East…leads the conference in goals with 15…first-team Academic All-America…her 38 points and 15 goals are school single-season highs…her hat trick against Georgetown was the second in her career and ninth in school history…2006 NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-Region…junior season was cut short due to injury…second-team All-Big East her first two years at WVU.

Stacy Bishop, F/M, Sr., Florida, Land O’Lakes, Fla.
Two-time All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection…led the Gators in goals (10), assists (10) and points (30) this season…has led the team in goals and points each of the past two years…candidate for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award…third-team NSCAA/adidas All-America as a junior…an All-SEC second-team pick in 2004 while playing at LSU, where she earned team MVP honors.

Brittany Bock, M/F, Jr., Notre Dame, Naperville, Ill.
Big East Co-Offensive Player of the Year…led the league with 10 goals in regular-season play…earned NSCAA National Player of the Week honors Oct. 7…second-team Academic All-America…her position change from midfield to forward has been a catalyst in Notre Dame’s late-season dominance…has career marks of 39 goals and 19 assists…NSCAA All-Region and second-team All-Big East as a sophomore.

Lauren Cheney, F, So., UCLA, Indianapolis, Ind.
Ranked second nationally in goals per game (1.05)…leads the Pac-10 in every major statistical category, including points (55), goals (22), assists (11) and game-winning goals (nine)…rewrote the UCLA single-season scoring record by scoring the game-winner and logging an assist in the NCAA Tournament win over No. 7 Virginia…NSCAA National Player of the Week on Oct. 24…one of five finalists for U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Athlete of the Year.

Amanda Cinalli, F/M, Sr., Notre Dame, Maple Heights, Ohio
Has appeared in 19 of 24 games this season despite battling a hamstring injury…has three goals and five assists this season…two-year starter with the U.S. U-20 and U-21 national teams…has 34 goals and 31 assists for her career…All-Big East selection in each of her first three seasons…her eight goals in NCAA Tournament play rank fourth in school history…her 98 career games rank 10th at Notre Dame.

Christina DiMartino, M, Jr., UCLA, Massapequa, N.Y.
First-team All-Pac-10 selection…started all 22 matches for the Bruins…tied for the conference lead in assists (11) and tied for fifth in scoring with 23 points…one of five finalists for U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Athlete of the Year…had three assists in a 6-0 win over Hawai’I and a pair of two-assist games in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Kerri Hanks, F, Jr., Notre Dame, Allen, Texas
The 2006 MAC Hermann Trophy recipient, becoming the youngest player, male or female, to claim the award…one of only four players this season to reach double digits in both goals (13) and assists (18) this season and was the first to reach the landmark…her 22 goals and 22 assists in 2006 made her the second player (along with Mia Hamm) to lead the nation in both categories…the third women’s Division I player to reach 50 goals and 50 assists before her senior season.

Tobin Heath, M, So., North Carolina, Basking Ridge, N.J.
Started 21 of 23 matches for the Tar Heels…has logged 1,927 minutes this season…logged nine points on two goals and five assists…an NSCAA/adidas All-Region selection as a freshman…a member of the 2007 U.S. Pan American Games team that claimed the silver medal in Brazil…currently a member of the full national team and the U-20 National Team.

Stephanie Lopez, D, Sr., Portland, Elk Grove, Calif.
Missed the team’s first 10 games while playing in the Women’s World Cup…the team was 10-0 with nine shutouts since her return…started all six matches for the U.S. at the World Cup…has two goals and two assists…a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award…third-team NSCAA/adidas All-America as a junior after claiming first-team honors as a sophomore…has 28 caps for the full U.S. team.

Kelley O’Hara, F, So., Stanford, Fayetteville, Ga.
A two-time All-Pac-10 first-team selection…played 17 games, starting 15…had a pair of two-goal games in three matches (v. Arizona and Washington)…added another against Sacramento State…a finalist for U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Athlete of the Year…trained with the U.S. national team in April and the U-20 Pan American Games squad in June.

Ashlee Pistorius, F, Sr., Texas A&M, Bloomington, Ill.
Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year…four-time All-Big 12 selection, including three consecutive first-team honors…started 90 consecutive matches for the Aggies…career highs of 12 shots and four goals against Baylor and a hat trick against Kansas…had seven game-winning goals this season…holds conference records for goals (81) and points (194)…leads the nation with 25 goals scored…second-team NSCAA/adidas All-America as a junior.

Mami Yamaguchi, F, Jr., Florida State, Tokyo, Japan
Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year…the only player to rank in the top 10 in points (3rd), goals (4th) and assist (7th)…set FSU records for points (62), goals (23) and assists (16) this season…her seven-game goal-scoring streak is a school record…recorded five multi-goal performances this season, including three hat tricks…first in school history in career assists (28) and second in goals (31) and points (90).

Claire Zimmeck, F, Jr., William and Mary, Fairfax, Va.
Two-time Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year…led the league in virtually every statistical category, including goals (16) and points (32)…closed the regular season sixth in goals scored (0.842/game)…her 42 career goals are fourth on the William and Mary list…scored the game-winning goal over No. 2 North Carolina…NSCAA/adidas All-Region selection as a junior.

Source: National Soccer Coaches Association. http://www.nscaa.com/