Tag Archives: friendship

Opening Ceremonies

Posted on by
Reply

You could see, hear, and feel the significance of tonight’s World Cup Opening Ceremony. Colorful flags painted the dimming sky with the vibrant colors of nineteen countries. Bursts of cheering broke the constant hum of people singing their nation’s anthem or talking amongst themselves. Pride exuded from each player as they held their heads high and entered the stadium, covered head to toe in team gear or their country’s traditional dress,

The following nineteen countries are participating in the 2013 World Cup:

Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Haudenosaunee, Hong Kong, Ireland, Isreal, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, United States, and Wales

Before the ceremony began the organizers brought all the teams into the field house to escape the heat. When the teams first arrived, most took team pictures and stayed together. Within a few minutes, people started drifting and players from different teams began mingling and taking pictures with new friends.

Amber Falcone with the team. Amber coached at Vanderbilt University and bonded with the team when Vanderbilt played Ireland in Rome this past June.

Team USA & Ireland

Everyone we met was friendly and as excited as we are about being here and getting started. This level of lacrosse demands an incredible work ethic, determination, dedication of time and energy, and a driving passion. Every team dreams of winning the gold medal and wants to represent their country in the best possible way. These common beliefs and understanding unite us, even though we are competing against each other and there are many different cultures present. They form a common thread for all of the nineteen teams to grasp. So while we may not all speak the same language, we understand each other as fellow athletes and competitors. And ultimately, win or lose, we will leave with new friends from all over that may be friends for life.

We followed Hong Kong out to the pitch where we were greeted by cheering fans, including my adorable girls from my club team at home called Scout. The ceremony procession led us in a circle, allowing us to watch the Haudenosaunee team perform a traditional song and dance. There was something special and unforgettable about standing in a circle with all the teams, their flags waving. The ceremony began with a blessing from a local elder of a nearby tribe. They went on to welcome the teams and thank the organizers for all of their hard work. Different people took oaths on behalf of the players, teams, and referees.

My eyes kept being drawn to the flags. I love watching them dance gracefully in the air telling a story of their country with just a piece of cloth. Rebecca did a fantastic job of holding the flag all day. Near the end of the ceremony her flag went rogue and was waving in all directions. She told me that all the other flags were “well-behaved” while her flag was being “naughty”. I almost lost it because it was very true. I looked around to find all the other flags waving gently in the wind while Ireland’s flag wouldn’t stop moving in every direction. True to form, Ireland cannot stand to be ordinary. Even our unruly flag.

Once it was over, we headed home after seeing friends and family. We are ready for our first game tomorrow against Latvia. We play at 10 am and we are excited! Everyone else is in bed, so I will sign off now so I can be sharp on the sidelines.

Thank you to all the Ireland supporters out there! Here we go, Ireland, here we go!!

Check out the great photos from Game Day of the opening ceremonies. I borrowed some of their photos here, and they are quite excellent. What a great way to start the tournament!

GO IRELAND!!!

 

 

 

Finishing Strong!

Posted on by
2

Day 7, Women’s: Ireland vs. Sweden, L 14-13, Double Overtime

Men: Ireland vs. Sweden, Semi-Final, W 13-8…On to the FINALS vs. England

“That’s what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose, how we’ve changed because of it, and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning.”   – Richard Bach

Losing a close game always feels much more devastating than getting blown out by a team. Especially if you knew that you were the better team. We were in it today until the final whistle, two overtimes later.

The sun beat down on us, zapping any lingering reserves of energy we had stored. Exhaustion was etched into every face. Sweat dripped generously from our brows. Bruised and tired, we fought until the end when we lost in sudden death.

At this stage of the tournament, so much comes down to legs. We were low on subs to begin with and getting into a footrace with two speedy Sweeds was out of the question today. In spite of everything, many people stepped up ad played their hearts out. Devon, our resident race horse, ran up and down the field like a gazelle, while I felt like an elephant with legs like lead.

Ironically, my leg feels the exact opposite now. More like jello. I went down early in the second half with what appears to be a MCL sprain from hyper-extending it. I went for an interception and a girl fell into me, causing my knee to go in an unnatural direction. I tried to come back into the game, but my knee gives out when I try to pivot, causing waves of nausea and pain. Hopefully it is just a sprain, but I will know more once the swelling goes down.

As a player, the tournament is over for me. As an avid Ireland supporter, I am getting into rare form. I’m disappointed about my knee because we face the Netherlands tomorrow, and I would like nothing more than to personally avenge our bogus tie with them. However, I will be talking it up on the sidelines as we vie for seventh place.

This is not the path that we had hoped for heading into the tournament. Obviously, we would like to be competing for a medal. Gold, preferably. However, we learned a great deal, came together as a team without much team training whereas every other team has been practicing for months, and we improved every match. Unfortunately, we didn’t win it all, but who knows what the future holds? This team is scrappy, athletic, and determined. A good combination for success.

Tomorrow is our last day together as a team. After this we will go our separate ways, always sharing the bond of the 2012 Euros. I can’t quite believe it is already over. In some ways it feels like we’ve been here forever, and others, like we’ve just begun. This team will change with some people leaving and some new ones coming. But tomorrow we will celebrate together. Even though we didn’t win a medal, we came a long way as a team. We have a lot to be proud of. And this is not the last you will hear of Ireland lacrosse.

Speaking of…THE MEN’S TEAM ARE IN THE FINALS TOMORROW! They take on England at 7 pm tomorrow night. It is so exciting for our program, and I am ecstatic for them. They are a great group of guys who were not anticipated to take the tournament by storm. Don’t sleep on the Irish! Our team will be there in full effect, cheering, screaming, singing, and waving our flag. The guys have supported us in a similar way for most of our matches, and it really makes a difference. There’s nothing quite like being on the pitch and hearing lots of people screaming your name and cheering you on. We will bring our A game for their game.

No matter what, the men’s team is doing Ireland proud. It’s great for our program and a testament to how hard the guys have worked. They played England during the tournament and lost by four. Small potatoes. We can do it. GO FOR THE GOLD, IRELAND!!! We believe in YOU!

Fearless

Posted on by
10

Day 4: Ireland vs the Netherlands, Tie 6-6

Today, I had my first draw since little league soccer. Our game was neck-and-neck, trading possessions, fouls, and goals with the Netherlands. We were evenly matched, and it was a fun game to play. It was the first time that we really looked like a cohesive unit all over the field.

We were up by three goals after a heroic effort by the attack, with Caroline leading the charge. A stick check call after a goal changed the momentum a bit, disallowing the third goal and opening the window for the Dutch. We allowed the Netherlands to get two quick goals to tie it up with less than a minute to play. With less than thirty seconds on the clock, I pulled a charge against the Dutch, much to my great relief. My girl was like a bowling ball on feet, with a fierce shot to boot.

When the whistle sounded both teams were fired up for overtime. We wanted to end it. Knowing for sure which team would claim third place in our bracket. Excited and energized, we ran to our huddle awaiting information about overtime.

But that was it. The end of the game. No winner or loser, just a draw. In the European Championships?!? Talk about a let down. We were at the boiling point and then we were taken off the burner, frustration brewing beneath the surface.

Tomorrow will be a day of truth. If the Netherlands lose to Germany, we will be tied in our bracket. This is assuming we win against Switzerland. If we win and they lose, then it comes down to point differential. We have the first game of the day, so we need to score, score, and score some more to put us in the best position possible to vie for third.

I played straight defense today to mark out their main scorer. It was fun to be on d, but I missed the action of attack. I have no clue where I will play tomorrow, but I will do anything the coaches want if that means we will win. I would be the water girl, play goalie, or dance the Macarena if needed. Actually, the Macerena would be an added benefit.

Our phrase today was “no fear”. We played fiercely, with much more control and composure than in prior games. We played with heart and pride, but we never gave up or let down, even when calls did not go our way. We dug deep, and I believe that we would have come out with another W if we were allowed to do overtime.

At the end of every game we sing “Ireland’s Call” to the fans. Even though I was frustrated with the tie and a sore hamstring, I am transformed by the song. We sing with so much soul, and the song in itself makes you bleed green pride for Ireland. I am trying to get a video of us belting out the words with our supporters joining in for the refrain of “Come the day and come the hour. Come the power and the glory. We’ve come to answer our country’s call, from the four proud provinces of Ireland. Ireland, Ireland, together standing tall. Shoulder to shoulder we’ll answer Ireland’s call!” Ahh, gives me chills just writing it. Such a powerful song.

And what supporters we have…

I’m off to bed. We have an early AND important match against Switzerland tomorrow. I cannot express my gratitude for all the support from the states, especially from my amazing boyfriend, family, clients, and friends. THANK YOU! It gives me so much energy and you are here with me in spirit. Keep sending those good vibes. We can use them!

GO IRELAND! And good luck to the men who play a BIG game against Germany tomorrow!