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.
The Big Event is Almost Here! (June 24, 2011)
Less than two days until the big event!!! Team Canada arrived in Berlin on Sunday and the days have been flying by; filled with meals, sleep, video tactical sessions, practices, media engagements, doping control…. and who could forget little excursions to Starbucks. There were absolutely no Starbucks to be found in Rome, so our team was thrilled to discover about three within walking distance of our hotel… lead by none other than your very own, Christine Sinclair.
There are only a couple of English channels at our hotel and even though I am able to understand German, all I watch on TV is the sports channels (out of courtesy to my roommate who understands limited German). While watching, it has been great to see the coverage and publicity this Women's World Cup is receiving. There is a buzz in the air and it’s for Women's Soccer! How awesome is that!!!
The match on Sunday against Germany will be held in the historic Olympic Stadium in Berlin. This venue has an unbelievable amount of history associated with it. Starting with the official inauguration of the 1936 Summer Olympics by Adolf Hitler, the first televised broadcasting of the Olympic Games and the stadium where Jesse Owens (USA) won four gold medals! Some matches from the 1974 Men's World Cup were also played in this historic stadium and unforgettably it was the location of the final between France and Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup…. including the infamous Zinedine Zidane headbutt! With the significance of those historic events and the potential of 70,000-plus fans attending this opening match, it will make for an electric atmosphere….which has never been seen in women's soccer and who knows when it will happen again.
Am I scared for the match on Sunday? Nah. Perhaps only a little bit nervous, but it is nervous excitement. It is the same feeling I have before every game. It shows me I care and am excited about the prospect of playing the beautiful game. I am excited to play… actually the word excitement does not do justice to how I feel. That feeling of putting on your country’s jersey, looking your teammates in the eyes and knowing exactly what they are feeling/ thinking, to know how proud everyone back home is of you (family, friends, past coaches, teammates, anyone that has been a part of your journey), those little girls across the country that you don't even know but have been impacted by and now share your dream…… words cannot describe, but a warm true smile from the bottom of your soul comes close. :-)
I received a question from a fan regarding my parent’s approach that made me successful…
It’s interesting the number of times I have been asked this question. Looking back its hard to say exactly what my parents did to push me along; in the sense of…. how much of the success is based on their support for me, or whether it is something within myself, or the coaches that I have had, or just the course of opportunity.
My early childhood years were spent in Paraguay running around and playing soccer with boys. Girls did not play soccer, so in a sense I am lucky to have had an amazing brother that I wanted to emulate. Once we moved to Canada, it took my parents two years to warm up to the idea to let me play soccer even though my brother started playing immediately after the move. I think that the dreams of my mother, for me, had to change over time. I wanted to play soccer more than anything. I loved it (even though I was a big kid back in my younger years), and because they saw how much I loved it they supported me unconditionally. They tried to protect me from only focusing on soccer and tried to promote a balance in my life. A balance between school, friends, family, piano, other sports and soccer. It is the best thing they could have done for me and I am so grateful for it now. Yes it was challenging to have so many things on my plate, but in the end it made me a stronger person and helped me realize that soccer was something that I truly loved and wanted to pursue. Even though I am still considered "young"… I know that how children grow up now has changed in the short time since I was a child. People told me the odds of becoming a professional athlete were so slim and the competition has only become more competitive in recent years.
My parents did right by me by not throwing their hopes and dreams on me and smothering me. They saw my passion, even if they didn't understand why, and supported me in it. As for my dad, he was always the voice in the back of my head telling me I had so much more to give and that I could be better… in the most loving of ways.
Thanks!
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)
Soph Entry #2: Budapest, Self Reflection and Lady Gaga (June 13, 2011)
Steph Entry #3: From Salzburg to Germany (June 24, 2011)
