"They tell me I'm too young to understand.. They say I'm caught up in a dream"

Change. Opportunity. Happiness. That is what these past two months have brought me.  I started off July with an incredible vacation with the most amazing people I know. I explored Gothenburg, went to a concert, and spent an incredible week on the west coast just eating seafood, enjoying the sun, enjoying my friends, boating,  and living the good life!!

 

 The dream vacation was over but the dream continued and just got better. I have transferred teams and I am now playing for Tyreso DFF.  Tyreso is a fantastic club and I am honored to be apart of it. I’m enjoying every second and I finally feel like I am in a place where I  don’t want to be anywhere else. The environment and the culture here is my fit.   

As for TikiTaka, I don’t even know where to start.  My first project back from vacation was to direct the first ever Tyreso Football TikiTaka Academy.  It was the biggest camp I have ever run and the staff I had was out of this world. It was an amazing experience and I loved being apart of and having the say in every aspect it took to make the camp successful. I was in charge of 150 kids, 12 staff coaches and I also had all the players from the A team; Tyreso FF. 

The first day of camp the kids and parents sat in the stands and they saw my 12 staff coaches, Peter, Tony, the whole A team and I.  You could not ask for a better picture as a young player. You could just see the excitement!!

The first day I set up a “Technical Screening” I created 12 different stations on the field and I put the A players on the part of the field they see the most and I tried to put them with a drill that brought out their biggest strength.  Every kid got to meet and be coached directly by each player. They experienced a “Marta” drill a “Seger” drill, a “Vero” drill, etc. 

This camp was special the players got to see first hand the work it will take to be a professional player, to be a national team player… They got to hear what it takes mentally and they got to see it first hand from some of the best women’s soccer players in the world.  Hear it. See it. Do it!!

I have so many stories from this camp, so much I want to write.  There are so many little inspiring stories. My heart is going just thinking back on the week.  All I can say is that by the end of the camp you did not only see improvement in the players but what you saw was new role models, new inspirations and new dreams created. There are few words to describe it. It was beyond a success and one of the highlights in my coaching career so far!

I look back on my path. How I got here both as a player and as a coach.  I think back to my legendary 88% and I take a deep breath and smile thinking about running this camp, becoming a partner with TikiTaka, playing with Tyreso DFF, and getting the chance to train with the A team; Tyreso FF.  I am surrounded by this vision, this Tyreso vision, this TikiTaka vision, my vision.    

"Do you not understand? I may die in this cell tonight or in the arena tomorrow. I am a slave. What possible difference can I make!"

In the movie the Gladiator there is one scene where Maximus is chained up talking with Princess Lucia.  Maximus says to Lucia,” Do you not understand? I may die in this cell tonight or in the arena tomorrow.  I am a slave. What possible difference can I make!

Lucia responds,” Today I say a slave become more powerful than the E

mperor of Rome.”

I am just a girl from Southampton Massachusetts but I have this vision. I have this dream. How strong am I? How far can I go? What will I learn?

 “What possible difference can I make!”?

After my session this past week with Tyreso I was on the buss home and I felt so genuinely happy. I can’t explain it.  My heart was almost racing. I could not sit still thinking about everything that has happened and everything that is about to happen.  My mind wandered back..

You’re too small.. You’re not strong enough.. Your will never play again.. You are wasting your time.. You should just quit..

Words that I know to well and have heard to often but also words I never believed in.  Now I am in Sweden living the impossible dream; working for it everyday.

We have had a few games; one game against my old club IFK Gavle.  It was a great game and my team had one of our best games of the season. We played as one and we got the win. It was fun to play against IFK and it was great seeing them all again!

 Then we played against Bele Barkarby in Stockholm. The field was not in the best condition but I try not to complain about that because both teams have to play on it. We started the game off well but it was not connecting as it did when we played against Gavle… Passes were a little off and we were a step behind at times.  

Things were not going our way but everyone kept fighting.  We lost the battle. Bele Barkaby played well, but we are a better team; we just had a bad day.

 Soccer, as in life is a bunch of little battles; you have good days and you have bad days. Barkarby had a very good day and deserved to win the game.

Now, we have had time to regroup, refocus and got ready to take on the leader in our series Bollstanas. It was on our home ground!!

The game against Bollstanas was exciting. We had some good combinations and created some opportunities but did not finish our chances. Bollstanas is a strong talented team and we fought.  We were down 4-0 in the second half and I scored in the last 15 minutes. The game ended at 4-1. 

Yesterday we had a home game against Roslagsbro.  Thinking about the past two losses I was hungry for a win.  We control our own destiny. I want those three points. I felt in the moment and had a good feeling.  I thought about my role, my strengths and how I can impact the team. 

We scored very classy goals. The first goal came off of a good combination and a perfect pass across the goal for Anna (our forward) to finish it off. The next goal was similar.  I had a few looks on goal. I took a shot outside the 18, I hit it just right, I already had my arms in the air in celebration but then it was ruined by the crossbar/post  (note to self don’t play crossbar challenge all week with my kids before a game)

 In the second half we kept our lead and played very well defensively.  In the last 10 minutes of the game Lina had a nice breakaway with two defenders to beat, I made a run through and Lina played me a perfect ball so I was one on one with the goalkeeper. I placed it and then I could finally throw my arms up in the air in celebration. It was Lina’s goal… without that perfect pass I would not have scored.  It was a great game for us; we played well offensively and got a shut out defensively!! It is coming together and getting better and better every game!!

This month has been, not even month but my time in Sweden so far this year has gone beyond my expectations.  I feel as if everyday I have a new story to tell or a new adventure to go on.  I think back again.. 

You’re too small.. You’re not strong enough.. Your will never play again.. You are wasting your time.. You should just quit..

“What possible difference can I make?!”

I want to be the one everyone goes to on the field, the one to make a difference; both as a player and as a coach.  I will always take the risk!  Now I’m here. I’m here, Continuing to Dream, Do and Believe.

"Don'tcha wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don'tcha wanna dance"

There have been so many exciting things happening. Everyday is a new adventure, a new story to tell.  My training with Tyresö last week was phenomenal; the focus was in the final third and finishing.  We played small sided the last 15 minutes of training and the soccer was fantastic.  The image I had in my mind on how the game should be played had really come to life… The play reeked of TikiTaka and it was so much fun to watch.  My groups in Tyreso consist of talent groups of different ages and different teams within the club; through the time I have had them so far I have seen a massive improvement. They all have developed as a player and as a “team”.  There is a feeling that they are one; “One team, One Tyresö.” 

                                          

TikiTaka has also just recently partnered with Olympen Skolan. It is a huge partnership! Olympen is starting their first football school.   The school could not be in a more perfect location. They are located between Stadion, which is one of the most beautiful stadiums in Stockholm, and a beautiful soccer complex, Ostermalms IP.  I am playing a big role in this partnership and the experience so far is amazing! I am included in all the decisions and have a say in the publications and press.

One day I had a meeting with the Principle of the school, the director of sports and the communications manager.  I actually dressed up very professionally for the meeting. I felt good showing up for the meeting in “business attire” Usually my “business attire” involves shorts, a tee-shirt and soccer cleats; (nothing better than knowing you get paid to play or coach and that the field is your office.) Dressing up was a nice little mix up and it made everything feel even more special. I met everyone and after 20 minutes they asked me to change into my soccer clothes...  They wanted to do a photo shoot for different ads and so forth.  I thought is was pretty funny; I only lasted 20 minutes in my so called “business attire” until I changed into what I belong in!

 I had two open TikiTaka sessions with Olympen; anyone is welcome. They are attracting kids from all over Sweden.  In my first session we had kids from Lulea; which is way up north.  This past Friday I ran another open session. Before the session was held, Olympen invited me to their “Olympen Games” The Olympen games is a whole day event filled with dancing, competitions and more. It was like a giant field day.  It was so much fun!!! Olympen is also starting a school of dance and their focus is on Street Dance.  The girl in charge of the dance school put the kids through a routine at the beginning and at the end.  It was incredible; she had a stage set up and there were over 200 kids jumping, dancing, singing, and clapping, I have never seen anything like it. It looked like a raging concert full of little kids!!

I was up next! I was lucky enough to have some incredible guests with me; Tyresö FF’s players Vero Boquete, Meghan Klingenberg and Christen Press joined the session.  They are all World-class players and they all had such a positive impact on the session!! It was great for the kids; they got to witness greatness firsthand and meet some great female role models.  It was so much fun having them there! They have joined my Talent groups at Tyresö as well and I am extremely grateful.

I started the session with my “dance with the ball” I love dancing with the ball! It’s a very different type of training but to me soccer is a dance; it is a game full of different rhythms. There are individual rhythms, team rhythms etc. If you can find your “rhythm” you are going to succeed. The players were getting really into it! The DJ playing my music told me in the beginning that he was only going to play one song and then he had to shut down and pack up. He ended up playing six songs…   The reporter for a soccer magazine joined the session; he interviewed me before and told me he would stay for the first 10 minutes of the session and then head out. He ended up staying the whole time… The DJ and the reporter caught the fever as well!! When the music stopped I focused on one on one’s and attacking the space on a dribble and a pass.  I think the kids got a ton out of it and learned a lot. Then I ended with some team building exercises. 

Parents, players and coaches came up and thanked Tyresö players and I for the session.  I had one parent come up to me and say that her son is really interested in this football school.  She told me that her son has been discouraged from soccer lately and is not having very much fun. He said that he might not want to play anymore. She told her son to come and try out my session.  Then she said to me, “I have not seen my son this happy with football or anything in a long time. He looks like he loves it again.” Those words are proof of a beyond successful session!! That was the best feedback I could have asked for.   We talked for a little while and I told her our TikiTaka philosophies and so fourth and her son is extremely interested in coming to the school. He found the fire again!!!

The day was done and I was sitting on the bus back to my Stockholm home thinking and recapping on the session, everything about the day and almost could not help but smile.

Another blog will come shortly about my adventure as a player. I am excited to announce that my good friend and Former Florida Southern Teammate Morgan Sammons has signed for Gustafs and is here in Sweden J More to come!!

“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..." John Lennon

Joy, Happiness, Hope.  Joy in playing the game, happiness within the game.  Hope, hope within the game and hope in something more, new opportunities, something great; hope in a common goal, hope in a dream and the spread of that hope, happiness and joy. 

“Jackie, we are coming to your game. We need it! We need something good.”  

My team had a game this past weekend in Stockholm against Vasalunds IF. It was at a beautiful stadium and it was a beautiful day.  I saw Fredric, the director of Tyreso, Emma; who I coach with and her dad.  I then saw Therese, her parents (the family I stay with in Stockholm) Jesper, Martina and August all in the stands.  I was so happy to see them all there! 

                          

We scored early on; I split two defenders and our outside mid Ronja sent a perfect cross to our other outside mid, Lina, who made a great run into the box and finished it first time on a volley.  It was a classy goal!! Vasalunds fought back hard; I was impressed with them. My team had some times of great combinations and we created some solid opportunities. It may not have been out prettiest game but we held on and the game ended at 1-0. 

My dad told me when I was younger that when I am making a run into the box trying to score, that it “doesn’t always have to be pretty. A goal is a goal.” That is how the game was on Sunday; not our “prettiest” game but I am proud of my team for sticking together and getting the win! “A win is a win!” This is the first of many three points to come this season!

I met my little Swedish family after the game and everyone seemed so happy talking about the game and just everything.  Again, it was like I lived this moment before. I know I am in the right place.

Sometimes I can’t help it and my mind brings me back to different places and events in my past.  So much has happened… There are so many different stories to tell and I promise one day I will write a book.  After thinking back for only a second I started thinking about all the great things that have happened; all the things I enjoy such as just simply playing the game, taking a walk, exploring a new place, a coffee in the sun with a friend… 

 It is an amazing game. It brings people together from all over the world and from all different types of backgrounds.  The excitement, passion and joy is contagious… You almost can’t help it.  The game this past Sunday brought “something good.” I want to be the one to make the difference, bring that joy, that excitement, that happiness, and that hope… Whether it be as a player or as a coach.