A Surreal Draft Day, Player Blog by Megan Rapinoe

January 16, 2009

Da da da da duh da da duh da, daa daa daa da duh duh… For those of you who do not have a seven-year-old nephew obsessed with everything Star Wars, the da da’s are the opening soundtrack to the movies; signifying something very big, and very important is happening…

Draft day has finally arrived! I suppose you could say that I had been waiting for this day since late November, when my final days of dawning University of Portland purple had come to an end. But in all honesty, I had been waiting for this day since I was a little kid. Whether it was ripping every last picture out of the weekly Sports Illustrated that sported my childhood favorite, Michael Jordan, or the American flag painted on my face at the 1999 Women’s World Cup semifinal; I think it was obvious from a young age this was my dream.

So, surreal is the closest I will be able to get in describing the feeling I had leaving the hotel this morning to brave the, literally below freezing, one block walk to the St. Louis Convention center, room #276, where the draft would be taking place. I arrived about 45 minutes before the start of the draft to see that most of the chairs in the seating area were open while the coaches in the “war room” seemed anxious and excited to say the least. I took my seat in the first row of chairs along with the many other players who were slated to be drafted. Before we knew it, the draft was about to begin, the place was packed to the brim, literally not a cold seat in the house with only standing room available, and without being too dramatic, our lives were about to change forever! Ok, that was a bit dramatic, but at the very least we were about to find out which city we would soon be calling home, which person we would soon be calling coach, and which players we would soon be calling teammates.

I will now offer up my apologies to WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci for not being able to recall much of her opening remarks because my mind was going crazy and my heart rate shot up to dangerous levels. I was thinking to myself, “Is this really happening to me? Really!? Yes, it is, now pull it together, your name was just called.”

With the second pick in the 2009 WPS draft, the Chicago Red Stars select, Megan Rapinoe (pronounced rah-PEE-no), from the University of Portland. Smiling ear to ear, I walked to the podium, received the official congratulatory hand shake from the commissioner; which may not seem that exciting but in the moment definitely was; and met my new coach, Emma Hayes, who was nice enough to give me two gifts right away: an authentic Chicago Red Stars scarf and jersey donning my last name (pronounced rah-PEE-no). If she brings me gifts like this all the time I think we will get along just fine.

From there it is a bit of a blur. I met the other Red Stars coaches, General Manager, and President briefly, and quickly became well acquainted with Jim Houghton who officially dons the title of Director of Marketing and Communications for the Chicago Red Stars, but soon discovered he is a jack-of-all-trades behind the scenes. I had pictures, interviews, and even a little TV! Again, I found myself asking, “Is this really happening? Yes, it is, focus please, no daydreaming!”

When things had finally calmed down and I was really able to take it all, I was still as happy as I had been all morning. I am going to live in one of the most amazing cities in the U.S., to be a part of a first-class organization, with an already stellar fan base, play for a brilliant coach (who has a ridiculously cool accent), on a team full of incredibly talented women. As I was saying all day, I could not be happier. I believe Emma, and the rest of the organization, has assembled a team of soccer players, or footballers as she probably would say, that will play this beautiful game the way it is suppose to be played; with passion, and hard work, with creativity and flare, and as always, a team that will bring the fight. I don’t believe it gets much better than this at the ripe old age of 23, right? But in all seriousness, I am so lucky, and feel so honored and humbled to have this opportunity to be a part of WPS, and the Chicago Red Stars family.

This draft day ends with me in the middle seat, of a bumpy flight, on an airline that is now, unbelievably charging for water, sporting a crisp new Red Stars t-shirt, as happy as can be. Chi-Town here I come!

Megan Rapinoe (pronounced rah-PEE-no)
Chicago Red Stars

Read additional Player Diaries:

Nikki Krzysik (Drafted #2 by the Chicago Red Stars, #13 overall)
"My Draft Day: A Heart-Racing Experience"

Jen Buczkowski (Drafted #6 by Sky Blue FC, #39 overall)
"Refresh"