The End of the Road

Soccer is nearly over.

Today was the last soccer practice of my life.

Tomorrow is the last home soccer game I will play at the collegiate level.

Saturday is the last time my dad will watch me play a competitive soccer game.

It has been a sixteen year road, but I am approaching the end.

I have mixed feelings about it.

I will miss it.

"If you ain't got no money, take your BROKE ass home..."

I broke my nose today, and it hurts pretty bad. My eyes are beginning to swell up and I can't breath that well. I got hit in the head with an elbow while trying to win a header. During my time laying on the bed putting ice on my face I have thought about a couple of things:

1) It is pretty impressive that I haven't actually broken my nose until now. Think about how many times in soccer you jump as high as you can and try to literally slam your head into the ball, right next to multiple other people, with elbows, and fists trying to do the very same thing.

2) After I broke it I went in to see the doctor in the training room and he actually put a pencil in my mouth, told me to take a breath, and proceeded to pop it back into place as best as he could...twice.

3) I had never ever had a bloody nose until today, no joke. Take that Collin.

4) I wonder how many X-rays a person has to get without that funny lead bib that they always give you before you actually get testicular cancer.

5) Hopefully I will be able to breath better through my nose, after it heals of course. I have always been a mouth breather, maybe this will change things, oh I can only hope.

6) Part of me hopes I get addicted to wearing the nose guard, that way I can have a trade mark...just like Richard Hamilton.

Welp, that's all I got for right now. I will probably post some pictures of my face once all the blood pools in my eye sockets, and it looks as grotesque and possible. I love you all. Keep it real.

Confidence. Trust. Community.

I told all of my fellow defenders that I loved them and that I wouldn't want to play defense alongside anybody else. The way the opposing forwards responded was hilarious. First, because they probably thought we were joking around, but continued to make fun of us by calling us gay. Second, because they realized that what we had just told one another was for the most part true. And that seriously decreased their chances for having any chance to score a goal.

Initially we didn't play very well today, I think it was because none of us were very confident. After half time we had our bonding moment on the field, that I mentioned above, and we began to play with a lot more confidence. It is amazing to see how your own level of play is changed when you know that there are ten other guys on the field who have got your back. About twenty minutes into the second half "Little Guy, Travis Isaacs" scored a great goal, and that was it. To the spectators the game probably wasn't that great, but for the four dumb defenders in the back (including myself in that statement) it was a very valuable learning experience. It has been a great season so far, and we are only three games into it. I am excited to see how we perform, but even more excited to see what comes of this year relationally...because so far it has been very rewarding.

As of right now we are 3-0. We just beat the Pomona-Pitzer Gamehens, which I think is one of the worst (but impressively) original mascots I have ever heard of, just behind the UC-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs of course. Aaron, you are one of the most insightful people I have ever met, but I have to say that the majority of the guys on the Pomona team did a very poor job at displaying the intelligence that most have paid a lot of money to acquire. We play again on Sunday, until then we are going to spend a lot of time in our hotel in Tacoma.

I suppose the lesson of the day is that confidence, trust, and community is a pretty powerful combination. With that said, I love you guys, and I got your back.

Flip Flop...

Soccer practice in fifty-four minutes.

We had an amazing weekend on the pitch. We beat a top ten ranked team at home under the lights Friday night. I had never played soccer in front of that many people before, some said that there was over five hundred Linfield fans there. All I know is that my throat went hoarse trying to yell over the awesome chants, and heckling fans.

Time management has become necessary again, for the first time in nearly ten months.

My classes are crazy this semester. I am taking two senior seminar classes, one mathematics based Economics class, and Drugs and Behavior, which is a pharmacology class involving rats...mine happens to be names Archimedes.

I want to keep blogging a priority, but it will be difficult.

I miss a lot of people, and look forward to sporadic conversations over the phone. It will be exciting to see the ways that all of us respond to graduating, moving away from home, marriage, new jobs, etc. We will always be experiencing change in our lives, but it seems like the next twelve months may yield the highest levels of combined change yet.

I have loved spending time in fellowship with the guys from my team, they are all awesome.

I have been reflecting on the summer a lot lately and it scares me to think that it may have been the last "Colorado Summer." I don't know if I will be here in Oregon after I graduate, but I know that I won't be living in my house, with my parents, in Longmont, during the the summer ever again.

Soccer practice in thirty-two minutes, I have to go.

The beginning of the last round

Here I am, sitting at my desk slouching out of tiredness, trying to convey what I am feeling. In about four hours I will be done with daily doubles, for what most likely will be the rest of my life. This year's preseason has proven to be tougher than those in the past, and having a new coach has forced everyone into a new gear. We have been running longer, faster and for more consecutive days than I would ever voluntarily do again.

Preseason is one thing that has always brought a sick feeling to my stomach. It doesn't matter how much or how little I train before hand, I always dread the day preseason starts. I know that it is going to be two weeks of hell. I know that I will have to run the timed two-mile, sub sixties, and manchesters before playing soccer for two hours. In the same way, I know that I will stumble while getting into bed, and struggle to eat anything solid, simply because I am so exhausted. My body has been on the brink of breaking down for a couple of days, but after this afternoon it will have a full 24 hours of rest.

I have always had "next season" to look forward to. If we failed to win the conference championship, then we always had next year. Or, if I failed to build a relationship with someone on the team I always was able to validate it by thinking about next season. Well, the bittersweet reality has begun to set in. There won't be anymore collegiate soccer for me next year. I won't have another season once the final whistle blows to accomplish what I intended. This is the last go at it, the last first game of the season is a week away, and the last daily double practice is coming soon as well.

The truth is, there will be a lot of "last time I (fill in the blank)" for many who read this blog. For some it may be the last time we get to watch funny freshman wander around campus, or for others it may be the last time we take a ridiculously hard class for our major, and others still may be rejoicing in the fact that this could be the last time all of their friends leave the state for college. Either way, I am excited for our last round. I am ready to work my tail off this season. I am stoked to build some solid life long relationships with the guys on my team, and I am ready to learn a lot about econometrics.

Whenever I see something coming to an end, I begin to appreciate it much more. These last couple of days have been met with some sadness over the fact that I won't have another week of daily doubles to complain about, or for that matter dread. I have reflected on the time that I have spent with many of the guys on the team, and to be honest, I wouldn't pick anyone other than the guys I have been blessed with to sweat, bleed and complain about being sore alongside. The guys who I have run next to, recieved passes from, and dogpiled onto for the past three years are the reason I come back. They have and will continue to be the fire that keeps me going day in and day out. I am sad that we are beginning the last leg of our journey together, but at the same I am excited because that is just what it is...the beginning.

Alright, that is all I can muster right now, an ice pack and my bed are both calling. Oh yeah, I have a mohawk too. I figured I should probably make a few memories and start my senior year with a three inch long hawk. I wish you all the best as you begin your last rounds. I hope to hear from many of you very soon.