Go be it.

The melody of a familiar tune dances around the room. In an instant, I'm focused on its rhythmic beat. I start to hum along and just like that, I'm lost in its words. Not lyrical lies, only lyrical truths. These truths travel within me, ebbing and flowing through my veins, searching for a place where they can take root. In my heart, I can feel it. My pulse, steady but strong. Locked in, I take hold. 

"There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And I'm frightened by those that don't see it

When nothing is owed or deserved or expected
And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected
If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it

There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in and demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I'll scream til I die and the last of those bad thoughts are finally out"

Thank you Avett Brothers for this beautiful message. DECIDE WHAT TO BE AND GO BE IT! 

I made my decision. I am living my dream. I am connecting myself to something greater. A cause that provides meaning and gives hope. I know what I want. A better world. A healthy world. Happy people. CONNECT YOURSELF!

In honor of this wonderful Mother Earth.

The night grows dark. The air cools. It brings with it a heavy dew. I bow my head to collect each drop. Slowly filling up the crevice of my back, I create a little pool. I keep it with me until morning. Its weight is heavy. It pulls my head towards the cool black earth. Its been a long night. Just as my head reaches bottom, warmth strikes me. The pink and orange rays tickle my face. Happy, I stretch my neck, slowly unwinding from the toes up. As I do, the little bubble slides down my back and I return to the dirt what the sky had given to me. 

My Runner's High

Trail running is all it's cracked up to be.

It was 7:30pm. I laced up my shoes. Still sore from the previous days soccer match, I was hesitant to get out for a run, though I knew it would only take me a short mile to loosen up and feel comfortable in my stride. The sun had already set but the sky was still radiating shades of blues, oranges and reds.  With a quick step out the door, I breathed in the air, fresh with flowering scents that reminded me of summer in Indiana. My pattering feet took me to Baltimore Canyon. The air was still and quiet, giving me a feeling of complete solitude. Winding my way through tall redwoods and ferns that covered the forest floor, I focused my attention on the ground beneath my feet. Small roots jutted out of the littered path, mottled with rocks of various shapes and sizes. The wind whispered quietly to me and I listened with curiosity. Lost in thought, my mind wandered aimlessly through images of mountainous landscapes, rushing rivers, home, an undefined future. The purity of thought when left in peace is so great and for me is only found when running.  As I quickly and quietly stepped over a narrow channel, the trail changed direction to parallel a babbling creek. Wind and water now danced songs in my head.  I hadn't realized but darkness was slowly creeping in. The trail opened to a small meadow, and looking up provided me with the last glimmer of light from the day. A few more steps, and I was lost in darkness again, left trusting the feel of my feet on the ground. My toes curled around sticks and twigs. I felt so light, bounding in what felt like a world that resisted the pull of gravity. My senses, even more awakened now, brought new life to my surroundings and more energy within me. An energy that had me racing the day, the light, my breath, my feet. And just like that, the world opened up. 

My runners high doesn't happen at any particular mile. It happens at every mile. 

I will be running in the Big Basin Trail Marathon June 8th in efforts to raise money for my year abroad working as an unpaid volunteer intern for Grassroot Soccer. It will cost me roughly $40/day to live. Donate $40 to my cause, and I will dedicate a mile to you!  

Not quite the wooded trail I talk about above... but the beach is a sandy trail :)

The Fight.

I can say without doubt that soccer has put me in the company of some pretty amazing people. To be an athlete, passionate about a game, takes a lot of drive, tenacity.  Ask any college athlete and they will tell you their success didn't come easy. It came from persistence, perserverance, determination.  This type of mental toughness is one that becomes so rooted in ones existence, that everything in life, every road taken, every battle fought, is done so with this attitude. One becomes a fighter. 

A great friend of mine, college soccer teammate, Julie Thompson is fighting for something bigger. In August of 2013, her long time friend KK, a former Division I soccer athlete at Princeton, was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer- Renal Medullary Carcinoma(RMC). Since then, her life has forever been changed. Right now, there is NO CURE. KK is on the Fight to Win. The fight to find a cure.  

Julie will be running in the Cincinnati Full Marathon on May 4th. Her goal is to raise $100 dollars for every mile. All proceeds will be given to KK to help cover her medical expenses and of course help to find a cure! Please visit Julie's page at https://fundly.com/run-for-kk-10-s-fight-to-win?ft_src=fbshare to find out how you can donate. 

To learn more about KK and her Fight to Win- visit http://www.10sfighttowin.org/

And remember...

“The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other,... but to be with each other.”

How Soccer Explains the World.

I know that soccer is more than just a game. This wasn't a truth though that I was born knowing. Only recently has it come to fruition. Soccer explains life. 

Last night, upon returning home from work, my sister handed me a gift. It was from Mark, my brother in law. A book titled How Soccer Explains the World: an {unlikely} theory of globalization. It was odd, but in that moment, a rush of emotion took over me, traveling through me in such a way that I felt it's tug in every inch of my core. I can't really explain it. I stood there, in my sister's presence, laughed uncomfortably and said "This is going to make me cry." Why? Was it because it was such a kind gesture? Was it for a reason deeper than that? Perhaps it was because in that moment, I felt supported. Supported in this journey. Supported by soccer. I realized that other people too are getting this message. Connected- people seek more, share more. This web of interconnectedness that is forming is beautiful. Words of support and inspiration. People are reaching out and that is the kindness of the human heart. Yes, the human heart is so kind. There is a reason to be better, to do better. 

In the words of Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World, soccer is a "perfect window into the crosscurrents of today's world, with all its joys and its sorrows... it is often more deeply felt than religion, and just as much a part of the community's fabric, a repository of traditions.” If soccer truly does explain the world, everyone must play. Soccer brings hope where hope was lost and provides support where it was so brutally beaten down. 

Continue to believe in the game. Continue providing support. Reach out. Connect yourself. Be kind. 

Looking for inspiration?

Better People. Xavier Rudd.

US Women's Soccer Shows Support

Christen Press, a member of the US Women's Soccer National Team just recently announced that she will be joining Grassroot Soccer as an official Ambassador.

Press holds the all time scoring record at Stanford University and earned the 2010 Hermann Trophy, given to the top male and female collegiate soccer players in the United States.

“I am excited and honored to join Grassroot Soccer in the quest to use the power of soccer to fight against AIDS. Soccer has always been much more than a game in my life and with the education and inspiration of GRS, I know it can positively change the lives of so many people. I hope that in some small way I will be able to contribute to this important, important work,” commented Press.

Want to show your support? Check out my fundraising page for ways you can contribute.

soccer in my life...

I spend my life moving forward, reaching further, and dreaming bigger. When I stop to think about what has been the driving force in my life, really decode each chapter, it comes down to pure and simple PASSION. At an early age, I found soccer. There wasn’t a day that passed that I didn’t touch a ball.  Soccer became such a major part of my life that my existence was defined by it.  Soccer became my identity. My goals started small. Get two assists in today’s game. Score a goal perhaps. They eventually grew larger. Make the high school varsity team.  Become a starter. Eventually, I had just one goal-play competitively as an NCAA Division I athlete. Persistence, hard work, and most importantly PASSION- these allowed me to achieve such high levels of success.  Playing at the collegiate level helped me realize something bigger- I wasn’t playing just a game anymore.  Soccer meant more to me than that. I understand looking back on my soccer career that so much of who I am today, I owe to the game of soccer.  Soccer provided me with structure.  It taught me the importance of hard work, trust, and dedication.  I learned what it meant to be a part of a team and the value in the support a team can provide. I grew stronger- both mentally and physically. I was challenged every single day. Soccer also taught me the importance of ADAPTABILITY. It made me vulnerable. It put me often times somewhere I had never been before and that was unnerving and unsettling. The greatness in this though is that it allowed for adjustments, adaptations. It stretched my mind and body to perform and act in ways more fitting, that challenged, and that created growth. When my college soccer career ended, I felt a sense of uneasiness. I felt that I suddenly had lost everything I had once identified myself with. However, I realized quickly that though my time as a competitive athlete was over, it didn’t mean I was going to lose my passion for the game. What is rooted in the game and thus in myself will never leave me. 

My goal of playing competitively at the collegiate level took me to Miami University. MU Athletics has created an environment, a "culture of champions" that fosters student-athlete growth and development. The five pillars: Family, Develop, Champions, Love, Honor. 

Family is defined as "two or more people who share goals and values, and have long-term commitments to one another."  Develop is defined as "to aid in the growth of; to improve the quality of; to influence the behavior of; and to convert or transform." Champions are "those who win first prize; is clearly superior or has attributes of a winner; is a supporter of the greater cause; fights tenaciously for the overall cause." Love is defined as "infused with a deep feeling or passion; strong commitment, enthusiasm, or drive for anything".Honor is defined as "honesty, fairness, or integrity in ones actions; a source of credit or distinction; garnering high respect or esteem."

Now, my life is supported by these five pillars. 

Love&Honor

ENOUGH.