I say it loud. I say it often. My writer friends and colleagues are my tribe. They get me in a very unique way. My inner goober fits right in with the kid-lit crowd and I often wonder how I went my whole life without them.
The reason I did so well was because I’ve had other amazing groups of people in my life who love me and support me. You know my family is everything to me. *heart squish* And you’ve heard me talk about how much my dance family feeds my creative soul. Now it’s time for you to meet my soccer family. I get such a kick (yeah, I said it) out of being a part of this amazing group of people.
I’ve been playing Beacon Soccer since I was in 5th grade.
My first soccer team-I’m in the middle with the Dorthy Hamill haircut. *shudders*
I wasn’t very good that first year, but I had a blast and I learned so much from my coach Mr. Franzenburg. And while I was learning to play, my dad was learning to coach. He went on to start Beacon’s first girls traveling team, which became the first JV girls soccer team, which became the first girls varsity soccer team at Beacon High School. We did it all-together. We went straight from soccer fields to proms. We had amazing wins and horrific losses. We ran a lot of hills with an angry German accent nipping at our heels. We taped our injuries, including my broken nose and kept playing. We drank jungle juice and dotted our shirts with chalk. We were a team. When I graduated, we won a Conference Championship with my very first soccer coach as my final coach. I spent my life being mentored by my father and a man I loved like a father. It was amazing.
I have the best memories.
And I’m making more all the time. Now I do the coaching.
I hear my father and Mr. Franzenburg whispering in my ear as I pass down the things that they taught me. It makes me miss my dad and it makes me wish that Mr. Franzenburg was still local. It also makes me proud to be a part of something I still think of as my family. And you know you’re with family when sooner or later–everyone finds their way home.
It’s become a tradition–the Saturday after Thanksgiving is Alumni Day at the soccer field.
Not everyone makes it every year. And enough time has gone by now, where we have to introduce the “older” generation of players to the new. And of course we always let a few of the next generation fill in–they’ll be alumni soon enough. But what I love the most is that I still have as much fun playing with my soccer sisters as I always have. I’m still full of pride at what we started and what has continued to grow. These are special people to me and my life is rich because I’ve had them in it.
Thank you ladies–you make me feel so good.
By definition, a beacon is a a fire or light set up in a high or prominent position as a warning, signal, or celebration. That can’t be a coincidence. I’m always proud to be a Bulldog. Love you.
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