It's Where You're Headed

There is so much I could write about… Let me tell you, nothing prepares you. Nothing. When it became “game time” my whole personality changed. I’m in general a very goofy person, tending to let others lead. But on game day, I don’t know who that person was. I was making decisions, directing people left and right, coordinating one thing after another, meeting some very important people without pause…I was even wearing heels!

It didn’t go perfectly, and I’ll say I’m the first person to focus on what needs to be fixed than on what went well. The thank yous and well dones don’t stick in my mind like the “suggestions for next time.” But I’m making that choice to actively seek criticism. Asked friends, my volunteers, even checked out Big Soccer and other blogs.

My motto for this year: It’s not where you started, but where you are headed.

I won’t lie, it hurt when at least 30% of the fans cheered when Marta scored. But that’s something we’ll work on. Everyday gaining one more fan for Sky Blue FC. And its strange how that sneaks up on you. That you’ve traveled far in what seems like one quick breath. What two short years can bring.


I knew one person in NJ when I moved here. One.


But Sunday, I felt I knew half the stadium. My first team in NJ, JET Power U15s, promised to pass along pictures to the rest of the team as proof I had my hair down. Another team I train, the West Windsor U10s all clamored with sugar-fueled excitement to tell me how their games went at the PDA Tournament that day. Got to say hello to Mona, Sop, and many others from the Julie Foudy Leadership Academy last summer. They’ve all grown!! Then there was Winnie, and our future intern Liz who traveled from Ithaca for the game. Meg, Mary, and Taylor came over from Queens to support. Sarah, my long lost friend and current Associate AD at Philadelphia University, drove from Philly. My old roomie, Meghan Ryan and a few other Rutgers girls where there. I even had the chance to say hello to Bob from Montville, a long time supporter. Finally met Kevin's family, he's always talking about when we discuss a new order of stickers or t-shirts. That's just a small portion! Even having some familiar faces on our volunteer staff, Charlie, Kevin, and the rest, made me realize its one step at a time. One step in front of the other is the journey.

A life goal of mine is to hike the AT, and it may be easier to take a car and certainly a plane to span the Appalachian Trail, but ask any thru-hiker, and it’s the journey, not the completion that changes you. Makes you who you are. So those who have been with us in the beginning and those who will join us along the way. We’re hiking, one foot at a time. One person at a time. It may be easier with a bigger budget, more staff, and more glamorous location than central jersey, but its when we reach the top. When we become the club by which others hold their standard, we will look around at those who took the journey with us, look into the eyes of those who saw the mountain top in Maine when we were only traveling the woods of Georgia, and we will see a true sense of accomplishment.


I’m in operations and shouldn’t wear my heart of my sleeve so easily so I hope you’ll forgive me for my emotional recap. This is my first opportunity to process what we did, what happened.

I was a different person on game day.