What Ana Does

Pictures of one of my favorite places on the Earth ... before I bore you with the story of where, what and how ... Larkin Lake in the Morning. Ready for Campers.  The Woods Outside Our Cabin. One of my favorite places in the entire world is a camp my sister and her husband run in the lovely Berkshire hills of Massachusetts. It was a camp in the hey-day of camps, then fell completely neglected and reclaimed by the woods there. Until the camp owner swooped in and invested lots of cash into building it back up again ... and wisely hired my sister and brother-in-law to run it. We started visiting in the early years during Labor Day weekend, when the camp was still being refurbished and the program was just building up. Over the three (or was it four?) years that we visited it quickly became my favorite vacation spot. I never went to a sleep-away camp like this, so I indulge my inner 10-year-old. We'd sleep in cabins, eat in the dining hall, play in the Playhouse and lake. A...

Oh the joy of being back on the soccer field. Is there a better sign of Spring?! It was a tad chilly but there's nothing like the feeling of being back on the soccer field with this group of fantastic girls. Chilly Night From the Practice Fields

There as frost on the ground on Sunday morning, temps at a crisp 34 degrees, but that didn't stop my team from playing their second-to-last game of the season. A parent took this picture from the game. That's Leah looking all intense, ready to receive the ball. And I'm hanging on the player's bench looking all nonchalant. "What? Me worry?" But you know I was yelling something at her. Soccer Stance! We won by a lot ... though, I couldn't tell you the final score. Even as a player I didn't keep track of goal counts. I'm usually pretty clear on if we're winning, losing or close. But final score? I leave that up to the parents to keep track.

Being a soccer coach for two teams each Spring and Fall takes a toll on our family and schedule, for sure. It disrupts dinner plans three days a week, dictates our weekend plans and discourages good homework practices. Seriously, it's a whole lot of disruption. But it's ALLLLL worth it when that shy girl on my first-grade team -- the one who never played soccer before and doesn't even say her own name loud enough the first week, and barely says a word at all for a month -- when she finally scores that hard-won goal in practice and she lights up, pumps her fist and says "YES!!!!!" and high-fives you!! OH that feeling!! The gift of her little friendship and trust. HUGE. It's just awesome. Oh, and getting to spend quality time each week with my own daughters, playing around on a field I basically grew up on and seems more like home than any other place I could share with them. But... you know ... both things. Feeling the glory of all that today.

The Women's World Cup is underway, with the US Women's team playing tonight!! Here's where I get reflective: As a girl growing up playing and loving the sport of soccer, it was a very rare occasion when we actually got to see professional women play soccer. I mean, can you imagine playing/loving football or baseball and never seeing a professional (of your gender) play your sport? On TV? In front of fans?! As if! We'd talk about Michelle Akers and then Mia Hamm in reverent tones, and via second and third-hand information, during our warmups. Such as, "my aunt saw Mich play last week. She scored three goals, one from the top of the 18." And "I heard she is so strong, her legs are the size of tree trunks." The stories often took on mythic proportions. Anyway, I don't take the progress women's sports has made in my lifetime lightly. I mean, I was in college in 1996 when women's soccer was added as an Olympic sport, for Pete's s...

Being a new head coach in a youth soccer club, I'm learning a lot and quickly. Like, don't talk to the parents. No matter how much you want to make adult friends. Just don't. Some parents are jerks and don't get it. And some are cool. And there's no way to tell who will fall into what category. And hanging out with a team of girls is maybe the best thing ever. Especially if one of them is your kid. This week we're holding our annual tryouts and building out our teams for next year. And given all the emails I'm swapping, players we're moving, parents freak-outs we're considering, etc. etc. I feel like I'm in the throes of a mini-NFL draft. Even though I'm new and feeling like a novice, I quite like it.

It's spring! And that means we're back on the soccer fields. Mondays and Thursdays I'm coaching Leah's U9 team. And Tuesday, I'm coaching Alice's Kindergarten team. Then, Saturday and Sunday we're at their games. And it makes for a crazy schedule of running around all week and quick dinners well past the usual time. Or homework put-off for the morning. But, that's just what we do. And for soccer, we'll do it. Hooray Spring!

We had our first away game for Leah's travel soccer team. We were really excited about seeing a new field and "driving far" to the game. The head coach had to run to another game, so I was left in charge for most of the match. No problem, of course, and we won! Although I don't mind playing head coach, it IS more fun to be the assistant coach at a game. I can sit with the players and point out strategy and ideas instead of managing the field. And this group of girls are just awesome. Also, having played soccer all through my youth, there's something that hits me at my core when stepping on a new field on a sunny weekend morning. A feeling like familiarity, belonging ... or home. Don't you love September?! Happy soccer mom! That's My Girl!

This summer, like we did last summer, I signed the girls up for a week of 2-hour soccer clinics in the middle of the morning. And despite the complete upheaval to our schedules, driving them from one camp to the other -- not to mention gathering and packing up all they supplies they'd need for the day each morning, it was such a fun week. For them, it's a week of playing soccer with some fun coaches and friends. For me, it's sitting on the sidelines, watching and reveling in being outside on a weekday. This week, as usual, I had to do my share of conference calls -- some from the field, others I ran home to take. But totally worth it. Water Break!  Soccer Sisters! CCHEEESSEE!

I am, by no meaning of the term, a Sports Junkie. I have a hard time sitting still through any sporting event. And I don't have the patience to follow stats or players or long seasons of whatever the sport is at any time of the year. But, every four years, for the World Cup, I get as close to a Sports Junkie as I will ever get. I love watching soccer at this level. I get so jazzed about the country vs. country competition. I love cheering for the Spanish national team (my birthplace). Over the last eight years, I've gotten to know the players and the style of play and it's all the more exciting. Also, the nice thing about national teams, is the players don't move around to other teams, like they do in club leagues. Every four years, if they're healthy and haven't retired, they'll be playing. So it's easy to keep track of good players from the different countries. And recall their last matchups. And it's every four years, so I can really binge o...

With our fall soccer season starting this week and school underway next Wednesday -- I can't believe the summer is coming to an end. I was school supply shopping this morning, for pete's sake! I'm not ready to say good bye to this fantastic summer. Working part-time this summer (first part time hours ever!) has given me so much extra time with the kiddos and to tackle projects in the house and in the backyard. And to keep up with this blog. The weather has been good and we've done a lot of fun activities -- exploring more of this new state we're still not completely used to. Fall, already? No way.

I have lots of reasons for coaching Leah's soccer team and I just confirmed a big one: Sitting and watching soccer practice is torture. I see bad passing and I need to get up and fix it. Energy level is waning and I want to jump up and cheer. Why must I just sit here! I am getting good ideas for drills and watching them executed by professionals is helpful. So, there's that. Ugh. Longest. Hour. Ever.

First day of soccer clinics and Alice is ready ... despite the rainy morning that sent her practice inside. This is the first time out for Alice and shin guards, so big moment in our lives. When she's playing for Olympic gold, we'll look back at this picture. :) Leah's practice was outside, when the "clouds finally gave the sun a turn," as Alice phrased it. Leah had never had another coach than me and she'd never played with boys. She handled it with her usual style. 

Hands In! My co-coach Tracy sent me this photo take at our last game. I don't think we won the game, but we had a fun time playing. Ahhhh ... I love being a coach. Leah's in the front with the tie-dyed soccer socks. She played her best game that day.

Get Your Game Face On! We're entering the last week of soccer season and oh how I hate to see it all end. Team Sharks have not had a very triumphant season, but we've had a lot of fun. Leah's becoming a pretty swell player. And she absolutely loves to play. There's always a smile on her face when she's running for a ball. We're so proud of her. And there's a few girls who I've been coaching for the last year. It's been fun to see the grow taller and become better players, too. I've got one more season before Alice joins up and I'll be coaching two teams. Oh boy!

There's no better hareld of Spring than these two signs. And the sunshine was out today, too! The Bulbs Are Peeking Out Airing Out My New PUGG Goals (Christmas Gifts)

Is there anything better than kids lined-up on a green soccer field, balls at their feet, waiting for direction? That is my happy place. In my normal life, I'm a little introverted. A little agoraphobic. Would prefer to be hiding or daydreaming. But, put me on that field and call me coach -- and I'm a different person. It's going to be a great season.

Not Me. Sister Maggie. It runs in the family All day I dream about soccer. It's the axis for which my world should revolved around ... as it has been for as long as I can remember. I'm either getting ready for a new season, or getting over a past season. I'm looking out the window like a caged animal dreaming of when the snow will melt and I can run outside. So, it's with great excitement today that I was given my Spring roster and game schedule for the team I coach for Leah. My dormant soccer brain is now whirling with drills and pep talks. I'm planning out my first practice talk with the parents, and what good ice-breaking activities we can do that first day. I'm getting a large part of my Fall team back this Spring, which pleases me to no end. The parents must like me, or they just like the continuity of the same girls going through this early training together. Either way, I'm pleased. I'm also delighted to have two co-coaches on my side. ...