Hello from the Sunshine State!!

Hello from the Sunshine State!!

Hi this is Nikki and Chioma. Everyone is enjoying the surprise afternoon off in the sun by the pool except us lucky ones. Chioma and I are both already tan, seeing as I have Polish skin and Chioma is half Nigerian, we figured it would be more beneficial to stay inside and write to you guys.

I really haven’t had a good chance to sit down and blog because things have been CRAZY lately. We started off the week with a 4 am cab ride to the O’Hare airport and have had double days since the beginning of preseason. Chioma compares our routine to a dog’s daily life. Our day consists of sleeping, eating, “training”, and some more eating and sleeping. And you know what’s crazy?? We love it.

Ella just came back to the room (she is Chioma’s roomie) after tanning for a good half hour and still looks exactly the same…. Pale, but she begs to differ.

Anyway, even though we are playing more soccer than ever before we enjoy every second of it. Bonding, growth as an individual and as a team is all happening so fast and we are starting to see an amazing team take shape. We have come up with quotes of the day to remember the moments that stand out in preseason the most. Today’s quote came from our fitness and weight trainer Tom Scott, otherwise known as Mr. T. His famous words were, “When you think you can’t…. You can.” This came from the physical challenges we are faced with day after day. Whether it’s fitness, core, or double days, when you think you body is about to breakdown, you can push harder if you try. We have learned this through personal experience. Even though it was tough, we were looking forward to a team outing the coaches had planned.

The coaching staff decided that after a few hard days of training it would be good for us to get out of the hotel and take our minds off of soccer. They told us we were going to an outdoor concert and everyone was so excited about it. Little did we know what was in store. As we slowed down to turn into a retirement home, our faces dropped. The name of the concert was called Jimmie Stow and the Stowaways and boy was it a treat. The music was a Tropical, mellow, and interesting to say the least. Many of us stood behind the main crowd and enjoyed the festivities, but a couple decided to spice the environment up a little. Natalie, Chioma, Kat, Frida, Sess, and Wags started a conga line that ran across the front of the stage and it only got worse. Before we knew it people from ages four to eighty were grooving to the music. Once the girls came back dripping in sweat we knew it was time to go.

The next day was pretty routine, two sessions, one with Mr. T which wasn’t one of our easier sessions. We had a standard day of sleeping, eating, and playing, but tonight was a special night. After dinner we played two hours of Environmental Jeopardy put on by none other than Natalie. We bonded and learned about the environment and the winning team got some green laces to decorate their shoes. We set team goals in order to be a more eco-friendly team. Personally, the three of us think that Green laces is a great nonprofit organization and can’t wait to be more involved in actively supporting it. You guys should check out the website if you are feeling compelled to support as well. www.greenlaces.org.

We play U16 boys tomorrow and need to get as much rest as possible because we are going to be doing A LOT of running. So until next time GO GREEN!!!