Team activities including archery (watch out Katniss), flying lessons at Hogwarts (formerly known as Alnwick Castle), and a golf scramble.
[THE PITCH] “God
grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage
to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference.”- Serenity
Prayer
I am
learning a lot this year, as I stumble down my life path: realizing my power as
both an athlete and human being. My experiences with football and living abroad
are challenging me, and so, teaching me how far I can push my body, mind, and
soul with the right tools. Although I firmly believe in my own ability to
change both my environment and myself, I understand that there are times when
life is like a game of Wheel of Fortune. I spin the wheel, but who has painted
the board… Can I buy a vowel?
There
are always power structures at play, but perhaps this game is more like Chess. Sometimes
I am a Pawn, but even the Queen can be left at the mercy of her Knights. So, if
I am not in full control of my opportunities/ limitations and therefore my
future, who is? Who sits on the other side of the board? In chess, like
football, it’s pretty simple, you implement strategies to fight your opponent…
to exhaustion… every game. In life, we are often left fighting ‘the man.’ When
your adversary is as nebulous as that, it’s a tougher and often futile battle.
Success, then, comes with finding that delicate balance… that thin line…
between when to accept your circumstance and ‘reframe’ them to make the best
and when to strike back.
Each
person’s life is defined by a unique realm of possibilities. I was blessed with
a lot of opportunities. One of them, an education that taught me: 1) Anything
is possible 2) Always fight ‘the man’ 3) Question everything that comes from
the top… down 4) Never give up. However, while on my quest for… well…
everything, I have learned that sometimes enlightenment is more expedient than
enterprise, acceptance more effective than avarice.
More
importantly, I’ve learned to spend my energy and put my attention preparing to
seize the moment when it comes, rather than wondering and worrying about if
that moment will come. Every thought spent stressing over that which I cannot
control is a moment of groundwork lost.
This
mindset is effective both on and off the pitch. Accepting the fact that I
cannot control everything has made me a better footballer. On the field, I am one
of 22 players, and much of what happens in a game is out of my jurisdiction.
I’ve found it more valuable to stay ready for the next play, instead of
stressing over the why’s and the how’s of the last one. I try to focus on being
in the best position I can be in at any given moment. The key is accepting that
sometimes the situation is “a given” (i.e. out of my control.) It seems simple,
but it’s harder than it sounds; and it has made a big difference in my play. Less
frustrated and more focused, when I do have a chance to make a play on the
game, I am more adept to make it a successful one.
Football
is a subjective sport with no uniform measuring sticks. That’s part of its
charm. But as a player chasing a dream, I am left at the mercy of someone
else’s opinion. For the first half of 2012, it seemed that an opportunity to
try out for the Olympic team was one I would not be afforded. It was a hard
pill to swallow. I dedicated myself even more wholly to my sport, swearing to
do everything in my power to prepare for what, in my mind, were possible chances
in 2013. I reminded myself that every second I spent thinking ‘what could I
have done?’ was one less rep, and
with that mindset, my spirit could not be broken.
You
know how your keys always turn up the moment you stop looking for them? Well,
when your keys are your dreams, finding them will bring you to tears even if
the carpool has left without you. In the end, I feel like the attitude—of
acceptance, of patience, of focus—really did put me in the best position when
my chance with the national team came this April.
And
now, I find myself a part of London2012 named an alternate on Team USA.
Ironically, I am the ultimate pawn, unable to earn the opportunity to play. I
am thankful for this opportunity to learn, to grow, and to be a part of such an
amazing international sporting event. From the sideline I will not question
when or how I will be called upon. Alternatively, I will spend my time, energy,
and concentration preparing to be in the best position if the time arises. Once
again, I play the game.
[Off The Post!] Last week my family—little sister Channing, mom, dad, and my
dad’s mom Grandfran—came to visit me in my quaint hometown Gothenburg. We also visited
the spectacular Swedish capitol Stockholm and ended our trip in stunning
Santorini, Greece.
Again and again, my very grateful grandmother announced that
the trip was “…like dying and going to Heaven, suga’ lump!” At 79-years-old,
she’s trekked for miles sightseeing through the cities and scaled steep
stairways up and down the sloping Santorini cliffside. Throughout, she was an
absolute gem.! Of course, she had her limitations. And while we all know she is
currently telling her friends it was all “Sheer heaven”, we also heard her when
she stood at the bottom of one steep hill yelling up to us, “Aww Hell no!”
The following video is a clip from our trip. With some help,
Granfran trekked down a winding and steep donkey-poop infested path beginning 400m high down to dinner at sea
level. Full of both laughter and obscenities, it was really a walk to remember.
Watch at your own risk J
Rookie for life,
So that bag against the tent in your archery photo looks like a dementor.
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