Tracy wraps it up....
April 2, 2001
Well, I have just arrived back in Boston. I took the redeye back from San Diego last night with Lindsey Massengale, Chrisy McCann, and Sarah Powell. The remainder of the team went out and celebrated Karina LeBlanc's birthday.
The flight was good … relatively empty and on time … can't ask for better than that! However, while all of you were springing forward one hour we took a GIANT leap forward FOUR hours! Daylight savings plus the three-hour difference from EST and PST is a real killer combination. So needless to say, today wasn't a very productive day for me. I spent most of it unpacking, sleeping, and settling back into my digs here in Wellesley.
So you are probably wondering where the rest of the team is now. Well, we are officially on break for FOUR long days! YIPPEE! After a very productive 2nd leg of pre-season we have earned a couple of days off to recover and regroup. However, relaxation may not really be the reality for most. Unfortunately, most of the team will be spending break flying home and then scrambling around trying to move to Boston and find housing here in their new city. Only a couple of the players on our team have apartments right now. Most of the team had to wait for the final roster to be named before relocating. So if there is anybody out there that has an apartment for rent in and around the city or the Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Natick areas I am sure my teammates could use some help! J I think for most of them it is going to be tough to find a place in four days. Luckily, most of the players will be able to continue to live with their local host families here in the Newton / Wellesley area until they find a place of their own. Thank you host families! You all have been tremendous!!!!!
We are a month in and I am really starting to get excited now. Our team made it successfully through pre-season without any injuries and we are starting to see glimpses of how good we are going to be. Since the team is brand new and we are playing a new formation, it will take time to gel and learn how to play in our new system. We have improved with each game and are now starting to knock the ball around well, keep possession, and generate some potent attacks!
Look out! Our team chemistry is great too. Everyone is super positive. We push each other on the field, competing for every ball as if it were the World Cup, (since every game we play at practice is for points and the top 3 get prizes weekly!), and off the field we all hang out. Typically, we go to the malls and movies, sun bathe at the pool, talk about our husbands, boyfriends, and loved ones, laugh at each other, do the daily USA Today crossword puzzle, and play games, (Chrisy and I are the reigning Taboo champions) … ahhhh life is good! J
It is only 21 days to our first game against Carolina and 14 days until the league's inaugural game, the Washington Freedom versus the San Francisco Bay Area CyberRays. After playing and watching the other teams of the WUSA out in San Diego I know this league is going to be a HUGE success. All of the teams are very competitive and the level of play is very high. Plus I think the fans will be in for a real surprise when they see the foreign players. All of them are amazing players with great style, flair, and individual skill. They are a treat to watch. And of course our International players, Maren Meinert, Bettina Weigmann, and Dagny Mellgren are the BEST! We love them and you will too!
So with only three weeks to go before kickoff what do we need to do? I think our focus in the next few weeks is going to be on deepening our fitness base and continuing to get "played in". The more games we play the better we will play together and the better decisions we will make come regular season. We need to eliminate unforced errors, finish the chances we create, and play more consistently instead of just having moments of brilliance. We have the time and I am confident that we will be ready come the 21st!
Finally … STAY TUNED! In the upcoming weeks you can look for us here locally! Our training site has yet to be determined due to the monsoons and saturated fields, but I know we have some upcoming scrimmages scheduled against UCONN, Harvard, and BC. So visit our website daily and come check us out as we finish the final leg of pre-season! After reading about us for the last month you will finally have the chance to see what we are all about in person. We would love to meet some of our new fans!