University of Richmond Athletics
JJ's Journal
11/22/2002 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 22, 2002
In her third installment, Meredith Johnson discusses preparations for the Portland game.
Six out of 7. I'm not talking about some statistic where 6 out of 7 kids will scrape their knee in a day, or 6 out of 7 college students will go out on a Thursday night or 6 out of Molly's teeth has cavities. What I am talking about is 6 out of the last 7 weekends the Women's Soccer team has been lacing up their cleats to play somewhere other than at U of R. We are packing up right now to head off for the Sweet 16, but I think the team has been ready to go for a few days now.
All I want to do is crawl into my bed right now due to food coma. You see we have kind of a ritual, not so much a superstition, to have Outback take-out either a night before a game, two nights before a game, or the last night we are in town before a game. I have this idea in my head that I have to have a steak before a big game ever since I was a young girl-thanks to my dad for that habit--that's why he gets the Outback bill! A nice meal is even sweeter after a week of intense practices. Not to mention the surprise celebration Sam Honig's parents put on for her birthday. After practice we all went into the Robins Center where her family had made cake and cupcakes for the team. I thought the security guards might have come running when we were singing to her because we sounded like squealing pigs...and I said sounded -not looked like - squealing pigs! We were singing, not eating, at that point. But that's why we're soccer players not singers.
We were given Monday off this week, which was good since I could barely roll over in bed due to exhaustion mentally and physically from the games on Friday and Sunday. Tuesday we were still getting our legs back and Wednesday and Thursday, we were back into it full force. Practices this week have been amazing, even though we did have to do the forbidden word, FITNESS. The funny thing is that it does not feel like a chore doing fitness anymore. It is a necessity that will only make us better down the road. The past two days the team shows its focus and excitement to be given the chance to advance further into this tournament.
Coach spent some time talking to us about how Portland is very beatable but we did not spend too much time focusing on Portland because like I have said it is truly not about the team we are playing, but what Richmond team decides to show up. If the Richmond team that showed up the past two weekends and this past week in practice shows up, then we will have no problem doing some damage on Sunday. I have had so many conversations with different team members during the week and they all ended in a huff going -- "lets play right now" -- even in this skirt and boots-- "I'm ready coach put me in."
I am going to leave you with a quote...little food for thought if you will and I believe that this team is living this quote. "Luck is taking a chance you have no choice. Destiny is making a choice when given the chance." This is not luck that the Spiders are on to the Sweet 16. This is our destiny that we have made for ourselves. See you in Portland...
