Three Things that Fuel My Fire
1. The Memories
I remember it like it was
yesterday, the final soccer game of my high school career, the Missouri Class 3
State Championship Game. With seconds ticking down in overtime, my outside back
steps up to take a goal kick that would exhaust the clock and force the game to
be decided at the spot. 13 seconds separated us from the 5 kicks that would
decide our fate. But we never made it that far. Instead, the ball found its way
to the other end, coming off of my foot and into the back of the net with :01
frozen on the scoreboard. It is still the most incredible, dramatic and
exciting sport’s moment of my athletic career.
You never forget those moments,
not the ball coming off of my foot or the seconds before. But it’s the moments AFTER
that stick with you for years to come. You remember each teammate joining the
pile, one after another, further cutting off your source of air. You remember the
moments after when your coach embraces you, eyes full of tears, knowing you
both had given everything in hopes of getting to this very moment. You don’t
forget standing there with your teammates in shock and in pure joy waiting to
hoist that trophy in the air. You never forget those memories. I play soccer for
those memories. I play for those incredible moments in sports when what was
once thought to be impossible is somehow made possible.
2. The Platform
It’s hard to forget the first
child you truly touch. Mine was Riley. I met Riley at the Texas A&M Soccer
camp a few years back. She never said much, she wasn’t the most skilled or the
most aggressive, but there was just something about her. She believed in me and
she never had to say it, you could just see it in her eyes. The following
season, Riley traveled over 4 hours to see one of my games. After the game
ended, I saw Riley’s little face light up when I saw her through the crowd of
people. She ran to me and held her hands out, ready to do our handshake we had
created at camp. Then we took a picture and a few months later, I met her
grandmother after a different game. She told me that Riley watches every single
minute of every single game.
3. The People
I can’t even begin to name the
people who have gotten me to this point in my career. Each adding value to my
game and to my character in their own specialized way. Whether it was pushing me
to do another rep, breaking down my film, listening to one (of my many)
meltdowns, staying after practice to shoot, sitting with me in the doctor’s
office awaiting another surgery, or just believing in me in times I didn’t even
believe in myself, there were so many people there that kept me in the game and
got me to where I am today. I play for the coaches who believed and who
continue to believe in my dreams. I play for the teammates who were willing to
work and be part of teams who gave me the platform to move forward in my
career. I play for the parents who have done everything in their power to give
me just the chance to be something great. I play for the family who supports me
and loves me even through my failures. I play for the fans that watch just wanting to feel apart of something bigger than themselves. I play for the little girls
who want to be just like me and look to my game to see that it is possible to get there.
I am so excited for the launch
of our new campaign Fuel Your Fire. I think its important for everyone to take
a step back and think about why they do what they do? It might change the way
you use your platform or it might refuel your love for whatever your passion
may be. Either way I think this campaign is a great opportunity for our players
to take a look at what “fuels their fire” and motivates them to be great.
Realizing the incredible opportunity you have and the purpose of your play, may
be the very thing that sets you apart. If you are playing for a greater purpose
then it will push you to train harder and value every practice and every game. You
can always be better and you can always do more. I think this campaign will
give players some more tools they can take with them to improve both their game
and character!
As for my RVA adventures, this
weekend was full of new experiences. I took a little day trip to Williamsburg
and may or may not have gone only for the outlet mall J.
However, I did eat at Pierce’s BBQ by complete chance. I’m not very picky about
my barbeque, but I am very loyal to my KC BBQ…that being said my tummy still gives Pierce's a good review. On Sunday, I saw “The Newsies” musical at the Altria theatre and
it was amazing to say the least. I think they could have used my ukulele
talents in the orchestra, but I guess it was still pretty good.
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| Groupie or Nah? |
I know this is y’all’s favorite
part of the blog and after extreme anticipation, I am excited to announce, I did
see a “Richmond is for Lovers” t-shirt
in the Atlanta airport J…but I didn’t buy it for reasons I cannot even
explain. That being said, I keep seeing all these “RVA” bumper stickers…and I’m
wondering how long I actually have to live here before I can buy one and not
just look like a ‘groupie’. Comment your thoughts below!
We left for Phoenix this week
and I am so excited to for my first event with the ECNL! At this event I will
be in charge of making the ECNL Photo Booth come to life. I will also have
other duties including social media, assisting with some of the operations
behind the event and just learning how it all works! Tune in next week to hear
all about my adventures at #ECNLPHX!
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