Good article

Depression is more common in athletes than people might think. A roommate of mine left school because of it.

http://www.courant.com/sports/baseball/hc-jacobs-irabu-column-0730-20110730,0,3288217.column

It's been a week huh?

So if you can't figure it out, I'm on vacation...and with a big family reunion coming up tomorrow I will still be busy.

Pretty annoyed that I snapped a gear cable on my bike. Can't cycle tomorrow!!! NOOOOO

On the flip side while playing golf I hit a shot 2 feet from the hole and got a birdie. Not bad for a beginner.

Yesterday's bike ride

So I decided to bike during the heat of the day, during a heat wave and go 34 miles.

It was like volunteering to send yourself to hell.

Ok it wasn't that bad, but it was grueling.

First of all I needed to be careful of the heat, so I did hose myself off before going. I also had water and gatorade before I went, plus brought plenty of cold water with me too.

For the first six miles or so, which had some shade, I thought to myself "man this is easy" "What's everyone complaining about"

Once I got onto Route 119 the sun got on me, and I had hills to go up. Hills slow me down and the heat and the heat coming off of the road bakes me. I started to feel the heat. I realized I had a long way to go, but that I should just push through.

I decided to go on a side street with some shade and pretty views of a stream to cool off for a second.

Then I got back on 119 and I thought to myself, man this really is sort of brutal, maybe I should turn around and not go quite so many miles. I could feel the heat starting to get to me But I decided to keep going even though by this time I could lick my lips and around my mouth and taste all of the salt in my sweat.

I turned off onto a road that leads to the Cathedral of the Pines and a large hill. Just past this was the half-way point and at this point I started thinking to msyelf "your freaking nuts. Why on earth are you doing this."

Getting up each hill after half-way felt like a mini accomplishment.

As I got off the side road and back on to 119 I started to realize that maybe I was running a little short on water. I actually wasn't but was getting concerned I was. I started to be conscious of not using too much water, which is difficult when cycling in extreme heat.

As I was on my final 10 miles I just remember focusing on pedaling. I usually can think when I cycle. I could write books with the thoughts on my bike. I've thought about comments and stuff I've written about while biking. Yesterday for those final miles I could do no thinking. All I did was taste my sweat, grit my teeth, feel the heat and thought about pedaling and pedaling and sitting in a tub of cold water.

As I got finished with my final climb I realized I was pretty much home and had this feeling of surviving and accomplishing something worth writing and talking about.

The funny thing though is that cycling in the heat probably doesn't come close to running or playing other sports in it because at least in cycling you have the wind from riding, even though on several occasions the head winds yesterday made me work even harder.

Anyway yesterday's cycling was a lot of fun in retrospect because of the sense of accomplishment that accompanied getting home. I don't get that feeling on normal rides.

I LOVE THIS WEATHER

I actually really enjoy heat waves. I like the heat, but I also really enjoy listening to other people complain about the weather and then doing more things outside in that weather than they do when it's cooler out.

I don't know when I started to enjoy doing this because I remember my grandma telling me to get up off the couch when it was brutally hot at her house in Essex, Conn. I remember just praying I could be inside and watch ESPN because at the time I didn't have cable and she did. As a matter of fact my parents didn't get cable until the 7th grade so I never watched cartoons or kids shows growing up. I remember being absolutely shocked to see the Home Shopping network and Channel 14 one day before school.

Anyway, I give my grandma credit for making me like the heat because she does not believe in air conditioning. She made sure her car did not come with it. Maybe that's why she hasn't gotten a new car since 1991. Her house also does not have it. All she has are fans. In the heat she enjoyed gardening and yard work and being outside, so as a consequence when I was at grandma's I ended up being outside, and while I hated being outside then, I have come to love it now.

I remember one day five years ago or so, the heat index was 110. I was practically yelling at the sky and sun to make it hotter. I decided to go on a 30 mile bike ride that day, in that extreme heat just to say I did. I was smart and had a lot to drink and also hosed myself with water beforehand, but I did it.

I don't know what the temperature was yesterday, but it was hot and humid. I decided to bike 34.55 miles (during the heat of the day), jog four miles, kayak, attempt to wakeboard, mow the lawn and move mulch for my mom yesterday in the heat.

I was proud of myself, because I did so much and did an amount of activity that most people would consider insane for a cooler day, let alone during a heat wave. I know grandma was proud that I got off the couch yesterday.

Record Crowd

WPS had record attendance of 15,404 in Rochester for the WNY game vs MagicJack. Must have been really cool for team, area and most especially players.

Is it sustainable? I hope so, but not sure. That game more than likely actually made money for their team and that's a great thing.

My favorite reactions to a sporting event

I got thinking about my favorite reactions to a win or great play by a favorite sports team of mine.

I don't know if I can accurately say what the top ones are for my whole life, but probably could for the last year.

In ranking ones in recent memory...so this past year

1. Kemba Walker's step back against Pittsburgh in the Big East Tournament got me going crazy. I jumped up and down and ran around the room. As a matter of fact I jumped on top of my hard drive with all the highlight videos I was working on. Thankfully I quickly realized it and didn't stomp on it and break it. I was really excited because UConn won and because I said they would and few believed me. When I am proved right I celebrate just a little bit more...and then usually text the person or person's who disagreed with me.

2. Abby Wambach's goal against Brazil got me really excited. I was so into the game, and did a fist pump and screamed at the TV. That was a close second to Kemba's.

3. Dave Teggart's field goal was unbelievable against South Florida. That was another jump up and down moment. The field goal was hit from so far away and UConn was going to a BCS Bowl. Growing up in Connecticut you have no idea how far-fetched saying that was for such a long time. I was so excited I drove from my apartment to school expecting to find others celebrating...turns out it was just me. Disappointed by the lack of energy others seemed to have I decided to use my excess energy by running stadiums a couple of times at Memorial Stadium.

Those were the top three in energetic celebrations.

Other moments I clearly remember being extremely excited for was Women's Soccer in 2008 in the BIG EAST Tournament against West Virginia. I was watching that on TV, screaming at the TV at the top of my lungs...at like 4pm on a Friday. I was so excited to see Meghan Cunningham convert her PK to win it and see Steph Labbe make big time saves.

I remember jumping up and down and running around our playroom twice for the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. One was a comeback win against the Seattle Seahawks. Everyone in my house was asleep and I had school the next day but I jumped up and down, touched the ceiling and did the quietest (because I was warned once already during the game to be quiet) and weirdest celebration after Vinny Testaverde threw a TD pass and Julius Jones scored a TD in the final two minutes of the game to erase a 10 point deficit and win. I did the same similar muted, but extremely excited celebration after the Cowboys beat the Eagles on Monday Night Football in 2005 when Roy Williams intercepted a pass really late in the 4th quarter to also have the Cowboys comeback and win.

Rey Ordonez was a light hitting New York Met shortstop. He had an amazing glove but could not hit, except for the one moment in September when he would always hit a homerun. Ordonez came up with the bases loaded and hit a grand slam. I couldn't believe it. I think I rolled around on the floor, screamed and than called my mom in the age before cell phones to let her know what had happened. Also celebrated big time when Robin Ventura hit a walk-off grand slam single (he hit a grand slam but was mobbed by teammates before he could get to home plate) in the NLCS in 1999 vs the Braves.

A few things

Well obviously I am really sad the US lost but there are some silver lining things out of this World Cup.

The first is that this Women's World Cup was a dream for Women's Soccer. It elevated the sport to a new level. I'm not saying it put it on the stage of men's soccer, the NFL etc. but it garnered a lot of attention and brought the sport to a new level. Women's Soccer is better off because of this World Cup. WPS ticket sales for the Boston Breakers were up 400% I believe after the Brazil vs US game.

We saw amazing goals by Christine Sinclair, the Swedish player who won the game yesterday at the end, by Marta too. We saw amazing finishes by the US and Abby Wambach.

(Can you believe Sinclair, Marta and Morgan all play for the Western New York Flash?)

Now losing the World Cup was bad for the US and the WPS. Winning would boost attendance and interest a lot. Certainly more people will pay attention now, but it's not going to be as if the Women won it. I also must say that Women's Soccer is probably more interesting and dramatic and fun too watch than the WNBA. I think if games are as interesting as the World Cup games than the WPS should have a goal of overtaking the WNBA as the premier Women's Sports league in the US.

I'm following Alex Morgan and Hope Solo on twitter now.

For the Women's Team itself and the players I have to say that overall they should be proud of themselves. Losing sucks, but there is a right way and wrong way to lose. The wrong way to lose is to lose by having a bad attitude, not preparing etc. If you give it your all, truly your all, work together, etc. and you lose than you can be proud. The Women's team lost the right way.

The sad thing is that by losing we forget about them and because of that WPS attendance will probably not get the bump it could have had they won. I'm hoping Penalty Kicks won't be the difference between a pro league surviving or dying, so I urge everyone to get to a WPS game if they can.

I don't really feel like talking about the game that much. I mean I have opinions but they don't matter too much. I'm no soccer professor...I'd like to see Whitney Engen and Brittany Taylor in London.

I think the future is bright for the team. I expect them to bounce back and win gold in London. The question is whether or not they can do it in 2015? They are most likely early favorites.

I'm writing this in bunches and talking to others about the game so I apolgize if it's not flowing.

So overall, good tournament, great job by Germany and filling stadiums, tournament helped Women's Soccer, brought lots of good attention, but I am afraid the US losing takes away what would have been a lot of momentum for the game in helping it succeed in the US professionally...

As for that last part, the players can't worry about that. All they can do is play their game.

Anyway, the tournament far exceeded my expectations and I am looking forward to London in 2012. Hopefully everyone else is too.

My goal in life

My ultimate goal in life is to have a house on an island on Lake Winnipesaukee, or atleast on the water. I want a jet ski, kayak and a bigger motor boat that can handle the waves of the lake. I want to have a view of the mountains too and I want it to be peaceful and quiet when I need it to be. I'd like to have a place to cycle nearby, and a place to golf and fish.

I guess people are either Lake people or Ocean people, and while I like the ocean, especially Florida's West Coast (Naples, Tampa/St. Pete) and Hawaii, I am more of a Lake person...I like the idea of not coming out of water covered in salt.

Lake Winnipesaukee and New Hampshire Lakes Region is where I have gone every year of my life for vacation, and since it's been my vacation destination for so long, it feels like home to me and it's also home to many of my happiest memories. Every one of the 22 years I have been on earth I have been in the water at the Lake. There is something about that area that relaxes me.

Achieving this goal will be difficult and extremely expensive. The only obstacle to this goal is money and at 22 as a student I can't do too much to achieve this goal yet.

Soon though, hopefully next May or soon after I will have a paying job.

As these final weeks of summer wind down, I'm realizing how much I need to enjoy them, because after this there might not be anymore summer vacation, or vacation until I actually can afford to have that house on Winnipesaukee. I've enjoyed this summer a lot, and want to for whatever is left of it. It's been very peaceful and low key and refreshing. It's help clear my mind and prepare for the future.

The future will be interesting though, I can't wait to find out where I will be working in a year from now... I am really hoping that I will be in New Hampshire. I really want to live in that state!!!

A little late but so what?

Ok so I really dislike the New York Yankees, but I have a lot of respect for Derek Jeter. Derek Jeter is one of the games greats, a first ballot hall of famer. Five World Series rings, 3,000 hits and (having learned this from Tiger Woods) SEEMS to be a great person too.

I am very happy for Derek Jeter and his achievement of 3,000 hits, as it is an amazing accomplishment and something worth celebrating. He deserves all the praise he gets.

I was also thrilled that the value of his autograph went up with his 3,000th hit, since I have that too. I have no plans to sell it, but it's good to know it's value went up!

Dumbfounded

I am astonished at a few things that I found out while watching CNBC last night.

One is that a couple was gullible enough to invest $300,000 in pigeons because some one convinced them that pigeons were going to overtake chickens as a food source.

Gullible people need someone in their life who don't take everything at face value...if not they will be just like the birds that get sucked into plane engines...end up badly hurt.

Another came from the Bernie Madoff mess. I found it laughable that a family member didn't think something fishy was going on when he ended up getting a $16,000,000 return on a $14 investment. I can't even comprehend the return on that. With that kind of return...you have to wonder how your earning your money. You might be afraid to know, but you have to be curious. It's not like the whole 57 cents in interest you get on your savings each month.

Attitude Belief...

Attitude, belief, self confidence, enthusiasm, work ethic, courage, heart..etc all of more to do with winning than talent and brains.

Someone asked for a prediction

Someone asked me for a prediction for the game on Sunday...The Women's World Cup final.

France created so many good opportunities last game against the US. It's hard to think they will shut out their opponent in a Championship Game, but I like Hope Solo and think she will get a clean sheet.

I say 2-0 US with goals from Lauren Cheney and Carli Lloyd.

I'm surprised I'm not picking Wambach, Rapinoe or O'Reilly to score...but obviously I also hold those players in high regard.

Great Sports Day coming up

So what sports have I been watching on TV the most lately?

Well interestingly enough two of the three were never on my television in 2007 or before. I've been watching the Women's World Cup pretty closely. I've also been watching a lot of golf lately.

My guilty pleasure in life, one of them, is watching NASCAR while eating Peanut Butter M&M's. Never thought I would admit to that, but somehow, sometime that started and I've continued it. NASCAR starts in the winter, in February, when I can't be outside all the time. I think that habit started one winter day. Often times I fall asleep on the couch in the middle of the race because it's Sunday and I get really tired from working out in the morning.

So yes I am a NASCAR fan. Get over it, make fun of me, whatever. I love the sound of the engines, I like how down to earth the drivers are, and I LOVE THE SOUND OF THE ENGINES. I've been to a race at Pocono once. (Yes I watched the cars drive around the track 200 times for 500 miles) I've been to New Hampshire for qualifying a couple of times. I LOVE THE SOUND OF THE ENGINES. There is nothing quite like standing by the fence and hearing the cars roar by. You will get hooked if you go.

So pretty much the only sports I watch on TV this summer are NASCAR, Women's Soccer and Golf.

You couldn't find a stranger combination if you tried.

So basically this Sunday is going to be one HELL of a day for me to watch Sports on TV. My favorite state is New Hampshire, and my favorite track is New Hampshire Motor Speedway and that's where this weekends race is. Then you have the Women's World Cup Final which is a MUST WATCH. It has priority this weekend. Finally you have a Major Championship in Golf on Sunday.

So I will work out in the morning and be ready to watch soccer and race in the afternoon and then go back outside and enjoy the sun and water.

Sunday is going to be a GREAT DAY...or atleast the anticipation is there.

Now I still enjoy baseball, LOVE NFL and FOOTBALL and watch basketball too, but right now the sports I've watched the most will all be available on one day. It's like the Super Bowl in July for me.

Sad, very sad and very pathetic, but true.

Had to stop

I was cycling today in New Hampshire on the road that leads to the Cathedral of the Pines and saw these two enterprising young boys trying to sell lemonade. I passed by them the first time, knowing that I could stop on my way back past them.

I thought about it for a while and decided that I should reward them for their efforts. At one point I tried to sell lemonade or something like it at the end of my driveway. Extremely unsuccessful when you live at the end of a dead end, but at five, who cares?

I really couldn't pass by them without getting something because I thought that they should be rewarded for their effort. How many kids are just sitting behind a tv screen on a summer day? Atleast these two made an effort to do something productive. Secondly, I used to do this so I want to be someone who helped support the tradition going...Kids should be selling lemonade, it's very American...and thirdly, I wanted the two boys to gain some confidence that they can sell things and that they can do some business. I wanted them to be able to run into their mom and say they made a dollar (it was only 25 cents, but I had to let them keep the change). They would have so much pride when they told their father about their sale. They would also be able to show the people who doubted them that they could do it. (My father was probably very quick to point out that I wouldn't make money when I did it..but again at age five that's not the point). Lastly I wanted them to feel like what they did was worthwhile and not a huge waste of time.

So anyway buying that lemonade was the highlight of my day. I'm glad the kids made atleast one sale. Hopefully they got more.

I also encouraged them to watch the soccer game on Sunday...not sure they will though. They said they weren't interested.

Maya Moore an All-Star

Maya Moore was named an All-Star in the WNBA as a rookie and will start in the game. Tina Charles, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Swin Cash are also in the game.

Front Page News

I just saw that the Women's Win in the World Cup made front page news on the NY Times. That's pretty darn good coverage.

Well I am improving on the wakeboard. I get up without a problem and was able to go for a lap around our pond. I am beginning to get the feel for how to control the board so I'm happy with my progress. I also think I over-reacted when I said I needed a helmet. You really don't...instead we just needed to slow down the boat. Wakeboarding at waterskiing speed isn't recommended for a beginner.

Tom Watson was impressive to me at the British Open. I just turned on TV and saw Watson get up to the tee and hit a hole in one. Literally all I saw was Watson at the tee, swinging and hitting a hole in one. That's perfect timing as a viewer.

I am also proud of my aunt. She's 75 and had a stroke maybe five to ten years ago that inhibits her mobility. Last night she fell, and it's scary to see people you remember as young and active as scared and helpless when they can't control their bodies. Anyway she was able to get in the water two days ago. I wasn't here when it happened, but she was able to get in the water so we could say she went in for a swim. Somehow I don't think she thought she could do that. I'm very happy that she could proof to herself that she can do things that she didn't think she could do. I'm very happy for her.

Weird things you didn't know

Ok so you probably don't want to know about this, but I decided that I would share this.

There are weird people out there, and on occasion letters from prison's show up looking for pictures of student-athletes or cheerleaders. One I actually saw asked for pictures of cheerleaders, volleyball players and the gymnastics team (which doesn't exist) ...plus a highlight video too.

A former Women's Basketball player was stalked while at UConn too.

Sad, but true.

There is a reason I don't store athletes contact information by their names in my phone, god forbid anything happen to my phone, or that someone who shouldn't pick it up does.

Abby

I think one problem for the US Women's National Soccer Team has been a lack of star power after Hamm, Chastain, Lilly and Foudy were gone. No one really carried the torch from them, even though statistically there have been players who have been really effective.

Abby Wambach has probably already put herself on that level with her big goals in the last two games and will probably cement herself as a great, along with Hope Solo if the Women win on Sunday.

It will be interesting to see if this enthusiasm carries over to the WPS. I am sure many people will want to watch Abby Wambach play now, the way many wanted to watch Mia Hamm. Already WPS ticket sales have reportedly gone up.

Abby Wambach and her name is being tweeted and talked about by people that I never thought would know about women's soccer or care about it.

Anyway besides Hope Solo and Wambach, I really like Carli Lloyd for some reason. I didn't know Lloyd has BIG EAST ties, playing for a school other than the one that should be mentioned. I also like Megan Rapinoe and look forward to her being subbed in.

A Sports Dream

I bet your wondering where my post about the game was.

How often can you say "the game" and have people know your talking about the US Women's Soccer Team?

I didn't see or follow the 1999 team, so this yesterday was the big USWNT moment for me.

Yesterday was Women's Soccer's Dream. Sports like women's soccer, which are not in the mainstream like Men's Soccer, NFL, NHL, NBA, NASCAR, MLB etc. only have a few opportunities every once in awhile to catch the Nation's conscience.

(We saw that with Women's Basketball this year when UCONN brought attention to Women's Basketball for the 90 game win streak)

Women's Soccer gets the opportunity twice every four years, during the Women's World Cup and the Summer Olympics. During these two opportunities the sport must take advantage of the attention it gets on the big stage. This is very hard to do because it's not easy to tell two teams that they have to go play an amazing, competitive and riveting game. The hardest thing to control in sports is the actual playing of sport. You can control your halftime entertainment, but not the outcome of games.

Women's Soccer got a huge break yesterday and could have arguably over time generated more interest or as much interest than the 1999 team did. For me the 1999 Women's Team made me aware of the sport of women's soccer on the big stage. I think it brought awareness of it to the National Stage, and made those already aware more vested in the game, but as evidenced by the failure of the WUSA, it did not make it a sustainable professional sport that we follow everyday.

Yesterday's game was another step. People were aware of the game because of the 1999 team, and now they will probably show some more interest in women's soccer from now on.

Now social media is a big deal, and peer pressure has great influences. Twitter and facebook will help women's soccer because when people log on they will see their friends say "GO USA" or "Abby Wambach you've made me a fan" etc. All of their friends who have no idea what they are talking about will google those things or ask about those things to find out what they are talking about.

Now with ESPN.com and the greater prevalence of cable people will be able to consume the game easier. Once you hear about the amazing plays you can tune in and watch sportscenter to see the highlights, or log on to espn.com and do the same thing. Sports fans in general, always watch sportscenter, and today they will get a good dose of Women's Soccer.

ESPN has done a fantastic job covering the game and has given it the justice it deserves as the lead story on sportscenter. It made it's top 10 "dramatic moments" because of yesterday's game.

Women's Soccer got so much publicity from yesterday's match it's impossible to put dollar figures on it right now.

Hopefully the interest in this World Cup only goes up.

Yesterday's match itself was a marketers dream for several reasons. Emotions were really stirred because it was an international soccer match. Everyone in America had a rooting interest because their team was playing.

You had two great teams playing which made the game interesting. You had the world's top players, Hope Solo, Marta and Abby Wambach playing, so you had the best talent. You ended up having a great and close game that kept people on the edge of their seats. You had villians that further stirred emotions and made people emotionally invested in the game and it's outcome. People hated the referee (like me) and people hated Marta, and Erika who just fell down to waste time...then got right up and started playing. I cursed at the TV screen and threw my sandal after they took away Hope Solo's PK save. Then at the end you had an amazing and dramatic end to the game with a late game tying goal and then the drama of Penalty Kicks.

All of that emotion makes the game so interesting, riveting and watchable. This game for many American's could have been what the 2008 UCONN vs Yale game and UCONN vs WVU BIG EAST TOURNAMENT game was for me.

As for the game, I love Hope Solo and her confident attitude. I love Abby Wambach because she is a winner (And now people know who she and Solo are, the way people knew about Hamm, Chastain, Lilly and Foudy). Megan Rapinoe played a fantastic, fantastic ball to get the game winning goal.

Yesterday's game was a fantastic moment in US Sports History. It remains to be seen what kind of impact it has, but I'm sure it has already had a big positive one.

Winning the whole thing for the American's will make no mistake, be very important. The game will be somewhat forgotten and not have as great of a long lasting effect if the American's don't win. People, like it or not, don't remember things as well if a team doesn't win a Championship.

The 2011 Women's World Cup team might have the whole nation's attention right now, and it's very hard to get their attention, so good has already been done with yesterdays game. But winning the whole thing will help a lot more.

I had a lot to say in a short amount of time, hope it's easy to understand.

I'm excited, more than I expected to be honestly. GO USA!!!

One of worst sports stories ever

Baseball games and sports in general are supposed to bring together father and son...and recently father's and mother's and their daughters.

One of the saddest and worst sports stories I've ever known is the one involving the Texas Rangers fan who fell to his death trying to catch a foul ball that was thrown to him by a player. Obviously this ball was going to be given to his six year old son.

Instead of this event bringing a son and his father together it took a father away from his son prematurely.

One's mind can't wrap around this and why this had to happen. The father was a fireman, someone who has probably saved numerous lives. A fireman, a real hero, who died going for a ball he was going to give his son. He was trying to have an unforgettable memory for his son. Getting a foul ball at a game from your favorite Big League player, Josh Hamilton.

It is the epitome of a big deal for a six year old boy. It get's no better than that. I still remember being inches from a foul ball. I remember meeting Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes and David Wright and getting their autographs. It was a highlight for me.

I hope some good comes of this...but I don't know what that could be.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/news/story?id=6749966

Another sad story is the Len Bias story. He was one of the best college basketball players ever. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 2nd overall pick in 1986. Two days later he died of a drug overdose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiXvNhXWHOc

Hope Solo vs Marta

The US vs Brazil should be a very good women's soccer match and I'm hoping that a lot of people will tune in to watch.

I'm not sure what to make of this match. The US is supposed to be really good, but they really need to proof that now. I can see the US winning 1-0 or 2-1 or getting destroyed by Brazil and their talented forwards.

I hope a lot of people tune in. It's going to be a good game and I'm trying to plan part of my weekend on getting to a television to watch. If the US can get on a run I think it can have the best TV ratings since 1999. Why I think that? No clue, but I just feel like this World Cup is garnering more interest for some reason than in the past...but to be fair it's also the first one I've watched ever.

It would be sad however for the WPS should the US lose. The league is getting free publicity and attention so long as the US is on the news and on TV.

Favorite part of what I do

My favorite part of working with a team itself and working in college athletics is seeing the student-athletes succeed, both as people and on the field and in whatever they pursue. It's by far my favorite thing. If they say they want to be an All-American than I sure as hell want them to become one and would support them however I could.

It's hard to explain how happy I would be for them when they reach their goals.

I get so excited and happy when I read about a player scoring a game winning goal with 20 seconds left. I'll just do a Tiger Woods first pump when I read about it. I enjoy seeing our players score goals, the pure joy and sometimes dancing, or awkward dancing of first career goals.

Moments like those are the reason coaches like to coach and teachers like to teach. They enjoy and get a lot out of seeing others succeed.

It's those seconds of success that make the hours and hours of training, work, administrative work etc. all worthwhile.

Different Coordination

One thing that fascinated me when observing some soccer players playing volleyball and basketball is just how uncoordinated some are with their hands.

Soccer players are amazing athletes, and many of them excel at more than one sport, but for those that specialized in just soccer, or soccer and another sport like running or swimming sometimes lack the coordination necessary to play a sport like basketball. Some of the shots taken by these soccer players in basketball were dreadful and hilarious.

I once played against long distance runners in basketball and those long distance runners were some of the worst players I've ever seen. They could run forever, but didn't know how to dribble with their head up.

It also works conversely with those who have never played soccer and only arm dominated sports, as I am an example. I look AWFUL when I play soccer. I just mastered keeping my head up while dribbling in soccer. I also can't juggle and although I can get some power behind shots, they are often inaccurate or not well struck...and look awkward.

Interesting Story on Hope Solo

Interesting piece/video by ESPN on Hope Solo.

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/columnist/carlisle_jeff/id/6691703/hope-solo-overcoming-physical-emotional-issues-women-world-cup-soccer

So when you smack your head...

So even though I said that I was going to wake board with a helmet on from now on...I already ignored that saying...(but I don't encourage not wearing helmets...Head injuries are really serious.

I went again today and improved. The big thing was not to go too fast today, which was our problem last time. Going closer to waterskiing speed is not good for wakeboarding...and especially bad for face plants.

Getting the boat speed right was progress, as was everything else I did which makes me happy. When you smack the water as hard as I did on your first try...and it was extremely hard...it's natural to have some apprehension when going again, but you really have to make sure you don't think about getting hurt. Thankfully I didn't think about injuries too much and I have visualized myself succeeding recently.

I needed to make sure I had a good attitude. I told myself I would improve today. I wanted to gain confidence, that's about it. I didn't want to hurt myself again, wanted to get up and get more comfortable behind the boat on the board and also start to be able to control the board. I set reasonable goals and I met them. I got up and out of the water easily, almost all of the time. I fell frequently, but I was getting more comfortable on the board in the water and I began to learn how to (although didn't successfully) move to the left and right.

It's all a process and I'm glad I got back on the board and than made some more improvements.

Heather O'Reilly....

I was very impressed by Heather O'Reilly's goal today. That was just so well struck. I don't know what else to say.

I'm waiting for Abby Wambach to start scoring. It's coming...although I can't believe she didn't score.

I loved Megan Rapinoe's goal celebration. It was cool to see some excitement and dare I say cockiness when she went over to the microphone and screamed "USA GOOOAAAALLLL." I liked that.

The Columbian keeper made some big saves early on, but I don't know what to say about the one she let in against Carli Lloyd. I guess mistakes happen...and she was also battling finger issues??

I really like Hope Solo and her attitude. Overall I think she is a great personality for the game. She has a little bit of spunk and edge to her. She could be used as a villian figure in WPS, which would also be good for the pro league to generate some buzz. Anyway, I just like Hope Solo for some reason, and a lot more since this tournament began than before.

I felt really bad for Schelin on Sweden...I mean you got to get the ball on frame. She just seemed out of sorts today. For her countries sake I hope she can figure things out.

If you can't tell I have been paying attention to the Women's World Cup this year, which is something I have never done before. I have gotten really into it, but that's no surprise since I have/had a connection to the sport at elite levels. I enjoy watching the game, and I can understand why it's called the "Beautiful Game."

I also really enjoy watching the games for learning purposes. I learn a lot about soccer and tactics etc. just by watching the game. I brought my laptop with me and ended up taking a couple of notes while watching the game...Very nerdy of me.

I also found that I really enjoyed watching the Women's World Cup more than the Men's World Cup last year. I enjoyed the Men's but I have watched several full games from start to finish for the women. I often turn on sports events but do other things in the background. I've watched atleast three games from start to finish.

I think this World Cup has more buzz than the past few and I think ESPN is doing a great job covering the event by having people like Bob Ley, Ian Darke and Julie Foudy announcing games. The USA vs Columbia game was a lot of fun too watch.

What I am looking forward too in 2015 is to knowing a few of the players playing in it, besides the one there now, and possibly in 2015 too, Steph Labbe. I'd like to see a few others I know, on television, so that I can point to them and tell everyone watching that I know what kind of post game drink they prefer.

The best Pre-Game Videos...give you

The best pre-game videos or highlight videos give you goosebumps. Just something to remember.

No Work

I really don't believe in working around July 4th. It and Thanksgiving are my favorite holidays.

Anyway the weather is TOO NICE in July to be inside and sitting on a computer and doing work.

When I get vacation time at my job...if I can take it around the 4th...I would. I'd take atleast one week if not a little bit more.