The University of Portland will have four alums competing at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany. PortlandPilots.com is excited to have two of the four on board as World Cup Bloggers throughout the preparations and actual competition this summer. USA National Team and Boston Breakers (WPS) defender Stephanie Cox and Canadian National Team and MagicJack (WPS) defender Sophie Schmidt will share experiences periodically over the next three months, so make sure to bookmark http://www.portlandpilots.com/WorldCupBlog to follow their journey to Germany.
You can send Stephanie and Sophie any questions, comments or feedback that you might have by clicking HERE.
Budapest, Self Reflection and Lady Gaga (June 13, 2011)
Less than two weeks until the big showdown. This past week has been filled with excitement!
The team travelled to Budapest, Hungary this past week for an exhibition match. To be completely honest, I did not even know that Hungary had a women's national soccer team. The trip was short and sweet. We flew in on the 6th, played on the 7th, and were back "home" to Rome on the 8th. Driving through the heart of Budapest with the team bus was a tease. It is such a beautiful city with such unique architecture. Perhaps it is a place I'd like to come back to, without the sole focus being soccer. Once past the city, we drove through a forest wonderland. As a team we stayed in a soccer-specific establishment (containing an indoor futsal court, beach soccer court, three grass fields and one turf). The game against Hungary ended in favour of us, with a score of 1-0. The score is not a true reflection of how the game unfolded, but does show that our passing/finishing in the final third needs more purpose. There is one more test in our final preparation before leaving for Germany to make some slight adjustments. It’s exciting to see months of work coming together. It also helps to have the entire team together now, including all the other WPS players.
A renowned Olympic skier for Canada made a little guest appearance for a day here at camp. Jennifer Heil, a Canadian freestyle skier, won gold for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. It was fantastic to hear another elite athlete's story, about the struggles she faced in the pursuit of her goals, what helped her in her journey, and ultimately reflecting back on a successful career. Coming away from such an interaction, I wish I was able to remember everything that was said. Unfortunately my mind came out with its own central message it wanted to focus on. That message: What is the definition of success and who defines whether or not we are successful? How an individual sport functions is different from that of a team sport but I think there are many similarities; after all, a team is comprised of multiple individuals with hopefully the same intended goal. It made me wonder… yes, I want to win the World Cup and I believe that it is most definitely possible with this team… but what if we don't. Does that make our World Cup a failure? I most definitely hope not. I also hope that our fans do not define our success based on this outcome. Perhaps there are a bunch of little things that factor into determining success. If it's defined solely based on an outcome such as a medal, then it might be a straight answer. However, for me, knowing that I prepared as best I could (mentally, physically), played with my whole heart, and gave all of me for those that bleed and sweat beside me… are all factors that play into how I reflect on a potentially successful World Cup. My definition or criteria is not concrete, as you can tell, but I invite you to think about how you would define success. Take into consideration that soccer is a team sport and you cannot control your teammate’s performance on any given day; also, is an individual’s success the same as that of the team?
Camp life is really relaxed once off the field. Apart from playing, eating, sleeping, stretching and getting treatment there seems to be some free time at our disposal. Some of my teammates are taking classes… high school and university. Those that are not in school try to find activities to fill the time. The most popular options are: reading, tanning, watching movies, TV, shoes, card games, and shopping.
In the rare event we get time away from camp, we are able to experience some pretty amazing happenings around Rome. The latest of which was a free concert during Roma Europride. Carolina Morace, our head coach, was kind enough to give an evening off for those that wanted to head into town to watch Lady Gaga perform. It was truly a unique experience. As a result of her performance (she only sang two songs) I have a new appreciation. She sang a beautiful acoustic version of Born This Way on the piano, and another song from her most recent album. :-) Music is near and dear to my heart. Currently I am trying to refine my guitar skills when I can find some space where no one can hear me. Also, music is a big part of most of my teammate’s pre-game routines. Each has their own special little playlist that is listened to on the bus en-route to the field. Once in the locker room, a team playlist is put on. After the game, a legend has been known to make the team break out into song. The one and only… Celine Dion… Power of Love. Words will not do the atmosphere justice; just try to imagine 21+ players belting along. :-)
Take care,
Sophie
PREVIOUS ENTRIES
Steph Entry #1: Countdown to Germany (May 26, 2011)
Soph Entry #1: Training in Italy (May 31, 2011)
Steph Entry #2: Mexico Sendoff Game (June 7, 2011)
