…Can keep Merced United Players at Bay!

Diving Headers in the Rain

The Merced United Clinic was a success thanks to the awesome dedication from players and parents this past weekend. We were skeptical Friday when we saw 100% chance of rain and possible thunderstorms in the forecast due to a random cyclone in the South Indian Ocean.  Saturday came and fortunately for us, the weather held long enough for us to get warm before the impending precipitation started. We had a very willing group who played on through drenched clothing and numb hands. They didn’t mind putting themselves out there, laying out into the cold grass, and diving into some headers!

The weather Sunday morning gifted us with a smidgin of actual sunshine. We pounded out some pretty important technical work and even got a little creative at times.  It’s fun to see players combine moves and put their own mark on the game. We can’t wait for the girls to send in video of the “Shorty McTwist!”

Even though we got through most of Sunday without much rain, the last 20 minutes offered a unique experience of shooting combined with hail in the face. But that’s just soccer… Rain, Sun, Wind, Snow, Hail…We just keep on keeping on.

Thanks to Ed for sharing some photos he took over the weekend. We appreciate you sending them our way. We’re working to get some up on the website.

We hope to work with you all again. Keep in touch!!

Some athletes are three sport athletes while others focus on one sport. In the end, you need to do what suits you and what you love to do. Everyone has their own life path and unique story.

I fell into soccer after following in my ballerina sister’s footsteps. Jenny is four years older than I am and as a younger sister, not only was I dragged to most of her recitals and rehearsals, but I was bound and determined to at least try every extra curricular activity that she did. With that said, I was introduced to an eclectic mix of performing arts activities. While I enjoyed a handful of her likes, there were plenty more (i.e. ballet) which I loathed.

By chance when she was in fourth or fifth grade, she tried soccer. She didn’t take to it, but I did and I found something that really clicked for me. I was athletic, so I tried other sports as well. I was immediately turned off to gymnastics when my tumbling instructor took role and I suddenly became “Alena Thumb” instead of “Alena Thom.” I fouled out too much in basketball and never really got the whole making it into the basket thing down. I was decent at track but wanted to puke before every 800 meter race. And even though pole vaulting was fun, it was discouraging that I never really got the bar to bend, topping out at a whopping 7ft something clearance.

I was signed up to play football in 5th grade before realizing that it would interfere with soccer practice and by the time I was 13, I was playing soccer year round, traveling 2 hours to play with a club team in St. Louis. But by that time, it’s what I knew I wanted to be doing.  It’s what I paid most attention to and what I willingly did in my free time. I even got halogen lights for my make-shift, backyard field one year for my birthday so I could train at night. Coupled with the occasional roller hockey pickup game (sometimes admittedly with myself in the driveway…), I had found my niche.

Although Jenny stuck with the performing arts and didn’t take to soccer after her first frightening season spent dodging the ball, I commend her for trying it out. She knew what her passion was, and because of her, I found mine.

Alena and big sis, Jenny

Thanks Merced United FC for the Donations to Haiti. We’re working hard to get sponsors for shipping, but soon people will be enjoying your donations!

Check out this rundown of goods! Thanks to the girls and all who donated!

The Goods...

“Here’s a photo of what we donated to SULA.” Coach Lance, U-16 Merced United FC

Merced United U-16 Haiti Helpers!

Over the past couple months, I’ve been so blown away by the support of people we’ve encountered. Like I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, there was a huge amount of support for the Haiti team after Vancouver and people across the country have been supportive of our first SULA tour.  We have been fortunate enough to meet more people who are taking time out of their lives to help others. We just got connected with a team in Merced, Ca, who are involved in something called a PASSBACK program. This program gives an avenue for young people to find a way to help others.  I met  Coach Lance from Merced United FC through a search for teams around the area who would want to do a clinic. He explained to me that his U-16 team had collected a ton of cleats, uniforms, and more.  After looking over some of the blogs from my experiences this past January with the Haiti team, he told me he and his girls have decided to donate all that they have collected to Haiti in exchange for a free Give Back clinic.  Obviously we accepted.

As you can imagine, this made my heart smile. It’s so amazing to see young girls taking time out of their life to change the life of someone they don’t even know. I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before in any blogs, but the first time I played with the Haiti team, I finally saw the luxuries I take for granted everyday.  In the try out, there was a day that many girls got cut and were to head back to Haiti in the morning. This day was sort of surreal.  As I passed by the coach’s room, I saw a pile of cleats. I didn’t understand. The coach explained to me that those were the cleats of the girls who got cut and were to be left there for others to use later. Again, I didn’t understand. Did they not have their own cleats? Were they using those cleats on loan? I was crushed, shocked, sad; all of the above.  I wanted to give up my spot on the roster, to leave and bring back all the brand new cleats I’ve seen me and my college teammates stuff in their locker because we didn’t like the fit.  I wanted to do something, anything, but all I could do was be sad for those girls and hope to do my best to win games for them and for Haiti.

So, to you girls who collected those cleats and the coach who reached out to make this all happen, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you know that you will affect a person’s life more than I could ever explain. I know that you have touched mine in just your willingness to help.  We had a blast getting to know you the other week and wish you guys the best of luck in your high school seasons. We hope to meet more spectacular people like you!

Support from Pit Meadow's Pride Club Team

Last night was our final game. We played against Cuba, another struggling country. We have played them many times and have always had a great match. But last night, it was more than a great match, it was one that will go down in my books as one of the greatest wins Haiti has had that I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing.

The day started out as usual. We got up excited to get the job done. Little did we know, we had a huge surprise waiting for us put together by our liaison Kay Hussain. She managed to get two limos to agree to take the team around Vancouver for a site seeing day. The team was ecstatic. Music was playing, dancing was happening, and I could just feel us start our win right there and then. We had an amazing time together in those limos and Kay went above and beyond her job to do something for girls she met less than a week ago. Something special happens when people meet the Haiti Women’s National team. Connections are made and people, including the team, are inspired.

As for the game, it wasn’t just that the team scored three seriously beautiful goals (by Kimberly Boulos, Manoucheka Pierre Louis and Nadia Valentin) that made a lasting impression, it was the support we received from all who came to the game. There were fans from everywhere! Canada, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico….they were all there for the team in the form of signs, cheering, and tons of encouraging messages. Wow! And after the game, the support continued. An anonymous donor gave the team a dinner at a brilliant restaurant. Along with the gals who came the night before to give the team what they had fundraised, another young U-11 team (Pit Meadow’s Pride) surprised us. They presented us a card saying how inspired they were by the mentality of our team. They also raised money for the girls to thank them for showing them what determination in its finest form looks like. They wanted signatures and pictures and to be around women they now see as heroes and role models. And honestly, they are my heroes as well.

So, maybe we aren’t going to the Olympics, but that doesn’t mean we did not win. We won the hearts of people all over the world who saw strength in the Haitian culture amongst hardships. We won the chance to influence young minds and hearts to become people who can now see the need to help others and find a way to do it. We won a chance to show people who we are and that soccer can be more than just some sport people play to win, it can be an avenue to connect with others. We won a chance to make our family in Haiti proud. Kinda priceless if you ask me.

To all who have donated, no matter how you have, thank you. Thank you for taking second to see us. Thank you for letting us into your hearts and know that you are in ours forever. We’re looking forward for our next international opportunity. You’ll see us again soon enough.

Vancouver United Girls with Members of the Haiti National Team

Today was one of those days you remember how much people can care. We had the pleasure of meeting some amazing women with huge hearts today. Jen Wells and Jeana Hamilton, Michelle and their wonderful kids walked into the lives of the Haiti Women’s National team. They are part of the Vancouver United soccer club and now will forever be in the hearts of this team.

Two days ago, the U-11 through U-18 girls teams of the Vancouver United soccer club made a decision. They saw the spirit in the girls and were compelled to help. Jen Wells, the U-11 coordinator, sent out an email to coaches friends and families of her club, inviting them to watch a video of the girls that touched her heart, and asked them a question. Will you find it in your “…hearts to give to the Women’s National team of Haiti, a group of women our young girls will no doubt idolize.”

That’s amazing. What they ended up doing was setting up a donation spot on their photo day and asked the people of their club to help them raise money for the team. And oh boy did they. Not only did they raise money, they managed to collect equipment as well. Last night these gifts were presented to the team. I wish I could explain how the girls reacted. The spirit of the team was immediately lifted and dancing and singing commenced. It was priceless.

It’s amazing how soccer can bring so many people from different walks of life together. And there’s always one constant: Love and compassion for others.

The girls of Vancouver United and the people in the community directly impacted these women in a very positive way.  And for these girls to be able to know that they helped people, people they can see play tomorrow, people who are playing the same sport they are, people they can look up to….well, it’s something that may stick with them forever. As one of our captains put it (in English), “..this is unforgettable.”

So, people of Vancouver United, thank you from the team. You have blessed us and we will never forget it.

Haiti. What can you say about Haiti? A lot of people still see Haiti as a broken country. A lot of people still have an image of tent villages, crying children and lost people. I’m here to tell you I’ve personally seen so much more from this country.

Are there still tent villages? Yes. Are there still young people struggling? Yes. But broken? Definitely not. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know a piece of Haiti. I did not grow up knowing very much about Haiti. My grandmother wanted her kids to be American, which is common when people flee a country. And in a way I’m glad. I’m glad I got to know Haiti through the experiences with these girls. Tonight, we sweated together, fought together, and played for each other. Sometimes soccer is funny and the better team walks away with a loss. It’s not always fair, but that’s a part of the game. It’s a part of the game that’s always baffled me, but it’s not to say that I haven’t benefitted from it too.

It’s funny how life can be like that sometimes. It’s not always like the movies where the man wearing white wins and the one in black loses out of principle alone. Just like in everyday life, I guess in soccer we are left with a choice. Get out of the game or learn from those losses and strive for something better. For something that can inspire someone else. I hope that’s what this team has done for anyone who watched. I know they’ve done it for me. So, what’s next for Haiti? More. All I can say is more. Because every turn that doesn’t go our way makes us stronger and we will come back stronger than ever against Cuba. Can’t wait.

Teammates are a luxury I try not to take for granted. Have you ever had one of those days you can’t seem to stay positive? Maybe you woke up late and your whole day started in a panic. Maybe you went to start your car after shopping at the mall to find out you left your inside lights on and your battery is dead. Or maybe a friend or family member is in the hospital and you can’t stop thinking about them. Sometimes we have those days where things just aren’t sitting right, where we need outside help to remind us it’s all going to be ok.

I’ve spoken in these blogs about how I was sent to this team to try and make a few gals giggle. I was sent to help the coach breathe life back into these girls. Meanwhile, as I’ve sat here and told you how I’ve helped make them laugh, regardless if at or with me, these girls have been changing me. Today was one of those days for me like the ones I describe above. If you missed the game, you would’ve missed some pretty bad hits where people got seriously hurt. One of those people was the goal keeper I mentioned in a previous blog. The one who reminded us we are lucky to be here. The one who makes us feel like, no matter what goes on, she’s got our back. She was injured pretty bad. And worst of all, it happened in a collision with me. I was devastated.

While I was playing the “woe is me” game, hanging my head all day, I was missing something so amazing. My team was reuniting. My team was finding their spirit and I can see they aren’t seeing last night as a defeat anymore. Honestly, they aren’t seeing last night at all. They’re looking at tomorrow. The opportunity we still have. And on the bus to practice, it wasn’t me lifting them up, it was them lifting me up. The dancing is back. The singing is back. My team is back. Like I said, teammates are a luxury I’m learning never to take for granted. We aren’t done showing what we’ve got. Hope Costa Rica is ready!

There are a lot of things to learn from a soccer game, win or lose. Sometimes you learn how a teammate reacts in a certain situation. Sometimes you learn what happens when everything goes wrong, or even right. But every time you learn something about yourself. It could be how you yourself react when everything goes wrong. It could be that you’re a lot more brave than you give yourself credit for. No matter what, you’ll learn something.

Our team had a hard lesson today against Canada. We know we could’ve played better, that’s a given, but we are learning. We are learning how to deal with adversity on the field, with injuries, changes of personelle, and much more. It’s crazy how soccer is though. So many people approached us saying how they loved our style of play. And I know I’m bias, but I’d have to say so do I. We have more to show, we aren’t done here.

So, should we hang our heads and carry this game into the next match? No. We leave it on the field and start planning to beat Costa Rica. Tomorrow is a new day.