Tag Archives: Travel

Playing as a Team

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Day 5: Ireland vs. Switzerland, W 20-5

Solid win over Switzerland. It was not our prettiest game, but we were still able to pull out twenty goals from many different shooters. My roommate Meabh, #7, and Aoife, #11, both scored their first international goals, and Aisling, #10, was tallying up the assists. I nearly went nuts when Meabh scored. I was out at the time, but otherwise I would be caught on film jumping all over the place.

With Aoife and Meabh celebrating their first international goals! Awesome job!

Vanessa, Caroline, and I all had four goals on the day and hope to repeat that trend again today against Wales. With the draw against the Netherlands, we were hoping that our goal differential would be better, placing us in third going into the Quarterfinals. Germany only beat the Netherlands by one, so we move on to take on the reigning European Champions today at 5 pm. More to come about that.

We had a rocky start to the game yesterday, our mood matching the overcast day. Luckily, we picked it up with some key saves by Amy in net and found more of a rhythm on attack. The refs are very conservative with calls, so we have had to be really disciplined when it comes to just about everything. Checking is pretty much out of the picture unless you want to end up four meters behind with annoyed coaches on the sidelines.

This check against England wasn’t called, but I am opting for body position from here on out.

The photographers are slacking on posting photos from our last three games. I hope that they put some up soon, so you can see us in action. Hopefully they will at least post some pictures from the men’s Quarterfinals against Germany. The men lost to Germany in regular play by one goal in triple overtime. Yesterday, they came out with fire, putting Germany on their heels and scoring relentlessly. The took the win and my voice. I was screaming and singing so loudly that my throat is raw. Our team supported them in full effect, including using a drum, flag, and even some face paint. That’s how we roll.

Getting ready to crush Germany!

Random fan celebrating the victory!

After the game, we came back to the hotel to prepare for our big game today. Luckily we have until 5 pm to prepare to be giant killers. The men’s game yesterday reminded us how heart, determination, and fire can be the perfect ingredients for success.

Wales is an excellent team. So are we. We just need to put sixty minutes of excellent play together and leave everything on the field. Then, no matter what happens, we will be proud of the outcome.

While I’m staying positive mentally, my body is betraying my hidden nerves. My stomach is all over the place and my dreams were filled with lacrosse. We need to play with the same defensive composure that we did against the Netherlands with the attacking prowess as we had against Austria and Switzerland.

I was honored to get the “player of the game” for marking out the Netherlands best player. Shifting to straight defense felt like coming home in a weird way since I played that for most of my career. However, I have to admit that notching some goals has been really fun as well. I can see how attackers love finding the back of the net. So far Laurie, Vanessa, Katelin and I have received player of the game, though there are many other players who are extremely deserving as well. Caroline and Devon both being prime examples for their play all over the field.

My hope for today is that the entire team receives the “player of the game” honor. Meaning we all play so well that it would be impossible to select an individual. It starts with the draw. Sixty minutes. Composure. Determination. Heart. And the will to win.

LET’S GO IRELAND!

And so it begins…

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Day 1 of 8: England vs. Ireland

Yea…about that…

The match did not go as well as we had hoped. We lost by a significant margin. It was a very physical match, and judging from my photo, the fouls were flying both ways. I have two massive bruises on my head and let’s not even talk about my arms. The fact that a major foul of mine was caught on film is not a plus, but I consider us even after the bruises my teammates walked away with. Well, maybe not completely even…

While it is never fun to lose, I know that the team made major strides today. Considering the fact that it was our first time ever playing as a team, plus the fact that we are playing the fourth ranked team in the world, I think we handled ourselves a bit better than what the score reflected.

I have a laundry list of things to work on (guess I will add “no cross checks” to the list), but mostly I need to remember to have fun with this amazing group of girls. I get in my head and frustrated when I really play better and enjoy myself more when I’m not calculating all of my mistakes. Who benefits from doubting myself? The other team. I certainly don’t.

We are getting prepared to face Austria tomorrow at 5 pm. Hopefully, I will have good news to report. It won’t be worse than today, so that’s already a plus!

After the game I spent some time with my mom and dad in downtown Amsterdam, the city of crazy bikers. Cars trump bikes and bikes trump people. Basically this translates to watch out. Pedestrians do not have the right of way, and a bike may hit you because you’re moving too slowly. No joke. When I took a team here last summer two of my girls were hit. I think it has gotten worse.

My dad arrived today in time for the game. Such a trooper. He arrived at the field, bags in hand from the overnight flight, ready to cheer on his team. Exhausted, my mom and I got him settled into his apartment after the game. I was starving, so my mom and I went in search of food, one of my favorite things in the world. My experience with the food so far has been subpar, at best. We were recommended to try a local Dutch restaurant called Moeder, “mothers” in Dutch. How fitting. We had a great meal for the second day in a row. Success.

Yesterday the team went into Amsterdam, and I stole away for a little over an hour to have lunch with my mom. Instead of hitting one of the tourist traps, we asked a local man where the best place for pasta was in the area. We ended up at a cute Italian restaurant off the beaten path with loud Italian waiters paying tons of attention to us and shouting undecipherable things to each other in Italian. Felt pretty authentic.

After another good meal tonight, I met up with the team to cheer on the men against the Netherlands. They gave it a good go, but lost the lead with one quarter to go. Hope that the luck of the Irish will kick in for both teams tomorrow!

One of my favorite things about wearing green and playing for Ireland is the camaraderie. The Irish bleed loyalty and teamwork. After every match the men’s team goes over to their fans, clapping to the fans in appreciation of their support. The women’s team sings “Ireland’s Call” to our supporters, which chokes me up every time since the song drips with country pride. Mine grows daily.

Off to bed to rest up for our big game tomorrow. I think that we will come out fighting from the first whistle. GO IRELAND! BEAT AUSTRIA!

 

Getting Into Full Swing

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2012 European Championship Ireland Team before the Opening Ceremony

I have been a busy bee.

We woke up yesterday a bit sore and energized to run the mile. I got a personal best of 6:05, and the entire team cruised in with good times. After two hours of practice following the mile, I couldn’t believe that I was disappointed we were done for the day. I enjoy playing with this team so much and being coached by our coaches that I would have been happy to stay on the pitch for hours more. Pretty unusual for me.

We traded our training shorts for khakis, revealing that there were actually attractive people behind the goggles. We loaded the bus with the men’s team and headed for the opening ceremony for the tournament. Over 2,000 players lined up, chanting their country’s song, and sporting brand new gear splashed in their colors. We waited outside the arena to be called, bantering with the men’s team and snapping photos in line.

The ceremony was held in the arena where the 1928 Olympics were held and will be again in 2028. The Olympic rings covered the entrance, making us feel like we had entered into a new threshold. Many hope and expect that lacrosse will be an Olympic sport by 2028, if not way before. Fingers crossed.

Today was another great day. We did team stickwork this morning and I led everyone in a modified version of yoga sun salutations. I’m not giving up the stick for the mat anytime soon. My yoga skills could use some work.

We headed to the pitch for lunch and practice, giving us a chance to scout some of the other teams. I am impressed by the overall level of competition and athleticism on each team. I’m a tall girl, but there are some talllll girls on other squads. Massive.

I am officially playing midfield, which is exciting and bit intimidating since I have not played it before. However, I love playing on both ends of the field, so I’m sure it will work out. And work ME out.

After practice we watched the men’s game versus England. I have been on many teams in my life, but the support and unity that the men’s and women’s teams have is unparalleled. I felt so overwhelmed to be part of this amazing group of players, signing at the top of my lungs supporting Ireland and the men.

My mom arrived today and my dad arrives on Saturday for our first match against England, our toughest competition. I imagine that it will be powerful to put on the green and orange uniform knowing that I’m representing my dad’s entire side of the family, especially my grandparents who have both passed away. I’m sure it will be quite a moment for my dad as well.

Well, I’m off to bed. Tomorrow we have an early practice and then will head into the city for the first time since we arrived. It has already been a whirlwind, and I already consider my teammates dear friends. I can only imagine how much closer we will be after this. There is a special bond we share and an energy that each girl possesses. Our coaches all played for Ireland in the 2009 World Cup, and they share the same passion and enthusiasm that we do. It is a great group and I am blessed to be part of it. GO IRELAND!

Travel to the EUROS

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“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”  ~Susan Heller

The wait was finally over. After six months of training and days of fretting, the day was finally here. I was heading to Amsterdam to compete in the European Championships for the Ireland Women’s team. Eight games in eight days. Over 2,000 players in attendance. Over 20 nationalities represented. One incredible experience.

I had my bags packed, my checklist crossed off, and I was ready to head to the airport to fly to Amsterdam. Or was I?

Packing for my trip was a struggle. There are four seasons in one day in Amsterdam, so I had to prepare for anything. Sweat pants? Check. Raincoat? Check. Sundress? Check. Quite the combination. Being an clotheshorse and over-packer by nature, luck was not on my side for shoving all my gear into one bag. I ordered a bag long enough to hold my sticks, turfs, and gear. Everything fit without any problem. What a relief!

Until I tried to pick it up.

I forgot one small detail. The size. It could easily double as a body bag. So while I was impressed with myself for fitting everything, I neglected to acknowledge that filling a four-foot long bag to the brim would weigh a ton. And it did. And the bag does not have rollers. No dice.

Judging it to weigh well over 50 lbs, I grabbed a smaller bag and began chucking clothes and gear between bags. Did I think to leave things at home? Nope. I just made more room to off-set the weight. I’m heading to Europe for three weeks, but packed for three months.

Everett, my amazing boyfriend, hauled my bags to the car and off we went to the airport with three hours to spare. I was flying out of Dulles International Airport, purgatory for all travelers. Having had a bad experience before at Dulles, I wanted to allow extra time before my 5:55 PM flight. As soon as we pulled up I knew that I was right. The line wrapped through the lanes and overflowed halfway down the terminal.

I was pulled from line by an attendant because she was worried about my bags being too heavy. My three-bag scheme fooled nobody. Rats. I wheeled myself to the scale, heaved my bags on to find that my body bag was exactly 50 lbs. But I wasn’t out of the clear just yet. My carry-on bags needed to weigh 25 lbs combined. The scale doesn’t lie. I was over by five pounds. Inwardly scolding myself for bringing 80 lbs of who-knows-what to Europe, I asked how much it would cost. $100 unless I took some articles out and wore them to the check-in counter. Well that was an easy answer.

While slowly weaving through a ridiculous line, I begin to look even more ridiculous with each turn. I pulled clothes from my bag and layered like a kid going sledding for the first time. My butt grew four sizes as I wrapped top after top around my waist. I waddled up to the counter hoping the attendant would not comment on the fact that I was clearly wearing a few pounds of extra clothes around my midsection. He didn’t seem to notice. Better yet, he didn’t weigh my carry-ons. All of that for nothing, except maybe the entertainment of my fellow passengers.

Now, for security. I held my breath as I prepared for what would await me at the bottom of the stairs. A massive blob on disgruntled travelers immediately came into view. Traveler’s dreams go to die at Dulles and this was just another day. Like cattle, I was herded with the rest from one end of the airport to the other. All the while I was stuck behind a man who smelled like onions. I’m sure he is a perfectly nice man, but come on. Mandatory deodorant application should be administered when they are checking your boarding pass to enter into security if you will be stuck there for over an hour.

The woman behind me missed her flight. The clock was ticking on making mine. Although I had allowed over 2.5 hours for this endeavor, I was still not on my way to my gate. I sent my bags through the scanners, anxiously eying the time. As I waited for my bag to be scanned, I heard the TSA agent say, “Um, I’m trying not to freak out, but do you see this?!?” Crap. I knew immediately what they were concerned about. In my bag swap, I put my stim machine in my carry-on. The stim machine is in a black case with lots of wires. Doesn’t take a genius to realize what they assume I’m carrying. The dreaded b-word.

Luckily, I was not seized on the spot. An explanation fell clumsily from my lips as the agent eyed me cautiously. Thankfully the case was deemed acceptable, but everything had to go through the scanner again. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

I hurried to my terminal to grab some food to carry on the plane when I heard the final boarding call for my flight. Classic. A younger Sarah who always reached the gate in the nick of time would have still been waiting at the ticket counter covered in clothes. Instead, I heaved a sigh, grateful I have learned a few things over the years.

I boarded the flight only to find that I had a front row seat to the baby brigade. Directly diagonal to me were two infants, one toddler, and one 3-year-old all joining in a chorus of cries. Thank goodness for ear plugs. Ear plugs and complete exhaustion.

Seven hours later we touched down in a rainy and cold Amsterdam. 52 degrees and raining was not the welcome I had hoped for. I ran into some other lacrosse players in the terminal, which instantly warmed me up with the excitement for the days ahead.

I paid the extra 20 euros for early check-in, grabbed a big breakfast, and headed to bed. Devin, one of my teammates, was arriving many hours later, so I hunkered down to snooze for a bit. Devin’s knock on the door woke me up. Head pounding and completely disoriented, I stumbled to the door to let her in.

After lounging for a bit, Devin and I grabbed a burger for dinner. So American of us. Ironically, I hardly eat burgers at home. Go to Europe to eat like an American. Oh well. We wanted a safe and easy meal in the hotel, and we got it.

Now, I am off to bed. I barely know what time it is or what continent I’m on. It is 10:40 pm here and the sky is just beginning to go dark. Such a change from DC. Hoping to be fully rested and energized for our first day of practices tomorrow where the new players have to serenade the existing girls with Ireland’s National Anthem. In Gaelic. I don’t think mouthing “watermelon” will cut it. I will keep you posted.

Erin Go Bragh!