Why, why can’t this moment last forevermore?, Tonight, tonight eternity’s an open door, No, don’t ever stop doing the things you do, Don’t go, in every breath I take I’m breathing you, Euphoria...." Loreen

It had been a fabulous weekend!! Eurovision was on Saturday night.  Eurovision is an annual music competition.  Every country in Europe sends an artist or group to perform and then at the end of the show each country votes to determine the most popular song.  I watched Eurovision for the first time last year in Finland and loved it.  I was really excited to see it again. 

I had practice Saturday morning and then immediately after I took the train into the city to meet up with some my best friends. First, they surprised me and gave me a ticket to see Sweden verse Serbia at Sweden's national Stadium in Stockholm, for my birthday!! We are going to the game next Tuesday. Thank you so much Helena, Martina, Hanna, Linda and Therese. You guys are amazing and I am so happy I am so close to you all.

 The weather on Saturday was perfect so before Eurovision we enjoyed the sun in a park and played some Kubb (a Swedish game). After we went and had a little BBQ and got ready for the show. It was great!! Sweden's performance was incredible!!! They were the best.  When the points were being awarded we were cheering every time Sweden received any.  They got points from every country and won the Eurovision title!!! The Swedish song was Euphoria by Loreen.  Loreen's performance was absolutely stunning!!!  Euphoria has been on repeat on my ipod since the competition. Here is Sweden's Eurovision performance.

It was a fantastic night; I did not want to leave!

Sunday was just as incredible.  We had a big game verse IK Huge.  They are the other team in Gavle and our biggest rival.  We played a great game! Everyone all over the field was on.  Defensively we were compact, together and doing whatever it took to win the ball.  In the first have Sandra our forward scored two great goals!! One goal came off a beautiful cross from our outside mid Jossefine and then Josse split the defensive perfectly to send Sandra one vs. one with the keeper.  Huge was pretty good on the outside but we shut them down every time.  Pernie our goalkeeper came up with some big saves as well.  We created many opportunities but the game ended 2-0. Everyone contributed to the win and had a great game.  The Win felt great and it was well deserved!!! It was an incredible end to a great weekend!

"The greatest education in the world is watching the masters at work." michael jackson

When I was younger I went to every one of my Dad's indoor soccer game.  I would live at the indoor arena in the winter; if I was not playing I was always watching.  My family and I would go to watch the Boston Breakers when they were in the WUSA, I followed the USA national team, The English premier league, the champions league, etc.  If there was a game on that I could watch, I watched. I was and still am a soccer junkie and in love with the game. 

I feel like watching the game helped me develop as a player.  I believe you can learn just as much or more by just simply watching the game.  I don't think youth players watch enough soccer, especially girls. 

I want my youth team to start watching soccer! Last week I had the perfect oppertunity to get them started.  Tyreso was playing IK Sirius in the Swedish cup. Marta is playing for Tyresö.  They are a team out of Stockholm and  compete in  Allsvenskan (Sweden's top league.)  Tyresö is stacked!! Besides Marta, they have big names such as Lisa Dahlkvist,  and my personal favorite Caroline Seger.   

 The game was at IK Sirius's home field in Uppsala. Uppsala is not far from Gavle so I thought this was the perfect chance for some team bonding.  My girls get to be together, watch some quality high level soccer and see one of the best female players in the world!   


  I met the girls at the train station and we were off to Uppsala.  We got some food and headed to the field.  I was really happy they came to the game and I think they got a lot out of it.  I told them to pick out a player in their position and try and imitate their movements and technique when they play. I want them to become students of the game. 

They all seemed to be big fans of Marta and I asked them "what do you like about her?" "What makes her special?" Marta is a spark. She is technical, speedy and fun to watch.  Marta puts on a show.  She gets people excited about the game.  Every player has a special quality; Marta uses hers to full capacity and sticks out.  I want my players to use their special qualities to become a spark on the field.  By seeing a this spark, hopefully the next time they play they will want to imitate and shine in their own way. 


This past week, the training's with the girls were great. Monday was the best session so far! I tried out some new ideas and they were beyond successful.  The session was on speed of play and creating space.  The girls really grasped all the concepts I threw at them and when we ended in a game they looked like soccer players.  It was fun to watch!   They are gaining confidence and becoming a team! It was one of those days where everything just clicked.

I had practice  with them today and we have a game tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to it! It is another day to play and another chance for them to express themselves.  Now it is up to them to transfer what they have learned into the game!

*More updates to come about my team's last game and the game this Sunday

"Nothing is learned from success" African Proverb

This past week we had two games; one against Stromsbro and another verse Bele Barkarlaby.  We tied both games. I'm glad we came away with the point but I felt like we deserved to win.

 After the game I had some flashbacks of certain events in my college career.  I feel like  my mind is like my own personal movie theater; sometimes I can just place myself in different events in my life. The images are so vivid.  I don't know why my mind works like it does but after the game  my mind brought me back to my personal finance class. My teacher always said to the class "Nothing is learned from success" Its an old African proverb. I could see myself sitting in the business building listening to my professor give us some life lessons.  There is so much truth to that quote and I have seen it within my own life experiences.  My mind then jumped around and brought me back to my Sophomore year in college.  My team at Florida Southern  was incredible!! I felt like my team was always special but I could not see anyone beating us my sophomore year.   We had a rough start and started the season 2-2..  we realized that it was a bump in a road. we came together and ended up going on a 11 game win streak!!! It was unbelievable.

I am a firm believer in the the thought that your actions are a product of your thoughts.  What you think and see is what you become! I think the psychological part of the game is so important.  I have created my own personal highlight tape in my mind.  I go back to different events within on my career when I was successful and I take in the environment.  I always notice the small details; how I felt, the weather, the fans, the ball, my teammates, etc. I do this in hope that I will be able to replicate and play my best game.  I believe if you can see yourself being successful you will be successful; the mind is very powerful!

I felt good thinking about that particular season at Florida Southern and it made me feel better.  I saw myself and my team as a very successful team. I saw us fail but then I saw us overcome the failure.  I remember everything, the environment, the people, the other teams reactions, and the whole feeling of each win. I can picture my self now playing in the middle with Christina Crooks and Erin Hopkins. I could hear our center back Ashlie Haas giving me direction after playing me the ball.  I can picture our speedy outside backs Lexie Bottomly and Kristen Volmer making runs up and down the flank.  The whole team connected so well all over the field.  I remember watching the highlight videos; a few goals we scored started from Martina our goal keeper.  Every person on the field was involved.  It was 'sexy' savvy soccer.  I remember Princess Haley our forward scoring the winning goal in double overtime to beat St. Leo for the first time in school history.  I remember  all my teammates, coaches, and fans rushing to her in celebration.  That feeling of the win gives me the chills right now. 

We may not have started to season as we liked but we regrouped and had one of the most successful seasons in Florida Southern history! Every time we stepped onto the field we came with the attitude that we were going to win.  Losing was not an option; If the other team scored three goals we were going to score four.

 IFK Gavle reminds me of my team Sophomore year. I see similar personalities all over the field.  We did not have the start we would have liked but I can sense we are on our way to a very successful season and it starts with the game against Hille today! Nu kor Vi!!! 

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Life the life you imagined"

I feel like so much happens all the time. Everyday something new and exciting happens. Where do I even start? This past Sunday was another Swedish Holiday.  The swedes celebrate the last day of April and the beginning of May. Everyone is excited because spring is here and summer is on its way.  In Gavle, they had a big Bonn fire and fireworks. All of Sweden was out! I love the different traditions;  Swedes always come up with a good reason to celebrate and really enjoy life!

This past week I got a call from the English school in town.  They heard about me coaching in the schools and they wanted me to come in for an interview for a PE position.  The school was beautiful; the facilities are great.  I met with the academic coordinator and the vice principle.  It was a nice conversation! They asked me about my background and wanted to hear in detail about some of my experiences.  They asked me what my philosophy was. I told them  that first, I want to challenge my players and  create an environment that will help them solve the different challenges thrown at them.  Then pick out points of success and then most importantly create an environment that is fun! My main focus is on the development of the whole athlete, physically, psychologically, and socially.  The academic coordinator agreed with what I said. She told me that their main focus is that they want to show the kids that they are capable of so much more than they think they are.  Their philosophises matched my own.  I really enjoyed this interview.  Who knows what could happen. I will hear in a few weeks if I got the job.  I think it would be a really good experience. 

While I was in this interview, all I could think about was my youth team.  There are some good players on this team but the biggest problem they have is psychological.  Why are people afraid to be great? Why is it that the person who gets in your way the most is yourself?  I had a meeting with my team Wednesday and I asked them "Why are you here?" "Why do you play the game?" I told them every time you step onto the field you should give it your best.  If you don't give your best, even in everyday life then why do it? Why waste time? I have this mentality ingrained in me and I get it from my parents.  They work so hard at everything they do; I learned from example. They showed me what hard work looks like and always believed in me when no one else did. They used to tell me, "Even if you are a garbage worker, you be the best garbage worker you can be!" I told my girls the same thing.  Wednesday's practice was a turning point. I want to change things around.  I'm treating this team as if they were professionals. I have many different ideas to help them get to the level I want them to be at. stay tuned for more.

In other news, my team tied our first game 1-1, now we have our first home game tomorrow.  Brynasvallen is the name of our field and I absolutely love it!! It is ours and I'm proud to call it home.  The field is real grass and our locker rooms are awesome! Everyone was so excited to be back at Brynasvallen; I love the pride of our home that everyone has taken on.  It has been a good week at practice. At training yesterday, it was cold and rainy but it was such a fun practice; We played, worked on some fancy free kicks and corner kicks, did some shooting and a few of the girls were speaking a lot of Swedish to me; I'm getting better but I still have a ways to go. My teammates are awesome! All I can say is that after the training I felt an overwhelming surge of joy; I get to do what I love everyday with some great people!  I'm having so much fun and I am excited to play at home tomorrow! We are ready for this game and are going to capture three points!!

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Confucius

Monday.. What do most people think when it is Monday? For most people, Monday's  are a downer because it means the weekend is over and its time to go back to work.  So far in Sweden I have never had a case of the "Monday's" I wake up every morning excited for the new day's tasks and adventures.  I am enjoying what I am doing so much! This past Monday I experimented; I tried some new ideas on my school kids and it went extremely well and the girls seemed to really enjoy the session. 

  In my coaching course in Florida they empathized that exercises should be simple and game like.  I'm trying to use the progression and other things I learned in the course to create my practice sessions. My session was on speed of play with a focus on communication and movement off the ball. For this session, I set up a 40 by 40 grid and that's the space we worked with the whole time.

  Communication can make the game so much easier.  Girls (myself included) can talk all day off the field but once they are on the field its silent.  We trained the simple commands of "turn" and "man on." I expanded my vocabulary and learned that "turn" in Swedish is "vän" and "man on" is "akta rygg".

The session went from playing with no pressure, to adding a little pressure and then to two verse two.  They got a point if the were able to successfully get the ball from one side the other.  The  next step was having the girls combine with their teammate before playing it to the outside.  Throughout these exercises, I talked about movement off the ball and the importance of changing your speed when you are checking for the ball.  They all really grasped and absorbed everything I was saying; the intensity was high and the soccer was beautiful.  I almost wish I could have recorded the girls; they really put on a clinic.  I was going to end with a game going to goal but I lost track of time. We did not have enough time to play...  Time management is one thing I need to work on. I get so excited sometimes; I tend to lose track of time.

 I ran this same session on my next school and made sure I had enough time to play.  I think the game is the best teacher and I wanted to see if my exercises would transfer in a game like situation.  I found that the movement off the ball was much better but the communication still needs work. 

I could feel myself develop as a coach during this session. When I evaluated the players, I noticed I still need to get the girls out of the habit of admiring their pass and to communicate on the field. I got really good feedback on the session;  now I'm going back to the books to create something that will help them reach the next level as a player and also to help myself reach the next level as a coach.

"What we choose to fight is so tiny! What fights within us is so great!"

Last Friday the weather was crazy; it snowed all day.. We had practice and when we got to the field it was covered in snow! You could not see any green.. We still practiced! I had so much fun and I was not even that cold.  Snow balls were thrown and a snow man was built! We started out with some technical training, did some ladders and then played the rest of the practice.

 I felt like I was playing in the sand and it reminded me of beach soccer.  I love playing soccer on the beach!! When I would go to the beach with my family I would always juggle in the sand and jump in every pick up game I could.  It was great and I have met so many people.   In Florida, when I went to the beach with my friends, I always brought a ball and we always played.

 It is a different type of game in the sand and it was the same in the snow on Friday. When you would pass the ball it would get stuck or not go very far.  Juggling comes in handy and the snow almost makes it easier to do some crazy little tricks, flicks and adds a whole new creative element to the game.  I had a blast playing in the snow! Everyone was sliding everywhere, there were some fancy goals scored and a ton of laughter in the process. 


After the practice I took a deep breath and was just so happy I could take a deep breath. When I was in high school; every October I would start to go down hill when the weather started to get cold.  Halloween would always be a turning point for me.. It was like clockwork; my lungs would get the worst of me from October to March every year.  I did not do well in the cold. I was always fighting; it was a constant battle. I would have to take treatments at the half times of games and their were countless emergency room visits. When it was winter in Massachusetts; just walking to my car or up the stairs was like running a marathon. It was like their was an elephant sitting on my chest at all times.



 I went to school in Florida because I did really well in the warm weather and my lungs have healed. Now I can play in the cold with not one problem. I feel so healthy and strong!  I think I was on a natural high during this past Friday's practice.. I went from hoping I would be strong enough to make it through a practice or game to being able to play 100% without even flinching! It was cold out and I could breath!!!

"Dancing queen, Feel the beat from the tambourine,You can dance,You can jive, Having the time of your life, See that girl, Watch that scene, Dig in the dancing queen" Abba

I come from a family full of DJ's; there is always music playing in my house.  My whole family loves music and are always the first ones to start dancing at any party.  When I was younger I danced for nine years; I quit when I was 13 because I became extremely committed to soccer.  I think coming from a family full of DJ's and my dancing career was a big reason why I excelled in soccer.  In dance I learned how to use both sides of my body and have full control. I also gained some rhythm and foot work.  I brought all of this to the field.

  On one of my first club teams my my coach would bring out his speakers and play music.  It was these African drums and he make up a whole dribbling and juggling routine to the beat. He mixed my two favorite things; soccer and music. I feel in love with this!! One year at soccerplus we did "soccer aerobics" as well.  They had the techno music blasting and we were getting so many touches on the ball.  At Florida Southern we did "Soccercise" which was my coach's version of the dance.  I have learned so many different "dances" on the ball from all my coaches.  I have combined everything that I have learned to create my own routine to teach my players. 

Tuesday I brought speakers to the youth training.  The play list I made consisted of some Swedish music, techno, today's hits and some classics.  The girls saw the speakers and asked me "Ska vi dansar?" (Are we going to dance?) I said, "Ja, Vi ska dansa! (We are going to dance) They looked a little confused but I gave them each a ball, blasted the music and the great dance began.  It was an
extremely technical session and much of what I did with them they have never done before, but they seemed to love it! (I still think I was having more fun then them though) I was very impressed with their willingness to try the new things I was throwing at them and I think they really gained alot from this session.  The next step is to transfer this particular rhythm to the field! 

To me soccer is a dance; it is a beautiful dance! Games are full of improvisation and many different rhythms. There are passing rhythms, shooting rhythms, dribbling rhythms, etc.  If you can get a team on the same rhythm it will be a creative and fun performance to watch.

Here is a fun video I found of the "great dance" Enjoy!