Game Pictures from Friday

Don Cheney, parent and chaperone on the boys side was able to snap a few pictures from our game in Almere on Friday night. 

Enjoy!

Day 8

Yesterday was another full day of walking and exploring Amsterdam. It was also the first rainy day we had on the trip. We definitely got lucky with weather for the entire week with sunshine everyday. 

We started off by heading to the Ann a Frank house/Museum by bus. We went in two groups, boys and girls and were able to take the tour that brought us in and out of every room. They explained what each room was used for, displayed artifacts and included a timeline of when various events happened. It was moving to be able to walk through the house and picture yourself during that time. 

Once we finished with the museum, the day was free to explore. We shopped, ate Belgian Waffles (with ice cream), shopped, had delicious frites (fries), went to a park and shopped some more. 

The day went by pretty fast and we were back to the hostel by 5PM for the most downtime we have had for the entire trip. But not without a nap on the bus first. 

And a bit of packing....

We are all checked out of the hostel now at 10:45AM and have a full day of traveling. We will make it to the airport with plenty of time to catch our 3:30PM flight. The girls will have phone service soon and will keep you updated when we get across the border. 

It has been an amazing trip full of great soccer, team bonding, exploring Holland and having a great time. It is hard to leave but we are excited for our first two games of the outdoor season next week!

Over and out,

Gabby, Sam & Jen

Day 7

Today was another busy day of training. We had our last training with Ber this morning, exchanged gifts with him as a thank you and parted ways. The training this morning focused in a lot of small sided play of 7v7 - the girls STILL have energy and did great. 

We had to pack everything this morning as we left Valkenswaard after lunch and headed to the PSV fan shop when the boys picked us up. It was a scramble to be ready and everyone's baggage is growing with souvenirs but we made it. 

While at PSV, we were able to go in and see their field from seats close to the pitch. The stadium was much smaller than Ajax. We then headed to our game in Almere, about an hour bus ride away. Still with energy, everyone was pretty chatty having met up with the boys team again and sharing selfies and photos from the week. 

Proof that the girls do get some sleep when they can:

We arrived for our game which started at 6:30PM. This was the best team we played all week and the girls came out strong to win 3-0. Bella and Willa each scored another goal while Abby added security with the second goal by a solid penalty kick. They played hard throughout the entire game despite having tired legs. Again they incorporated everything they have worked on this week and it was very impressive to watch. You would all love to see the style of play they are perfecting, the confidence they are displaying and the fun that they are having on and off the field and you will once we return home to our spring/summer schedule!

After the game we went in to the canteen and visited with the host team again. They were all very welcoming and everyone had a great time - dancing to music, exchanging snapchats and learning a few Dutch words. The players and parents from Almere, A. S. C. Waterwijk, didn't want us to leave and  were waving and cheering goodbye as we left. 

And, accomplishing one of my goals on this trip, we finally saw some tulip fields!

We all had some pizza, another team meeting and are ready for one last day exploring Amsterdam tomorrow. We only have two nights left which is wild to think about. We have fit so much in to this trip and it has gone by so fast. Needless to say, they are already thinking about school on Monday and aren't excited!

Day 6 Game

The match kicked off a few minutes late, as the referee was running late himself. To get things going, one of the Valkenswaard supporters hopped out on the field in his socks with nothing more than his fingers as a whistle. The match was underway. 

Our girls came out of the gates quickly, with 2 goals from Willa and one from Bella making the score 3-0 inside of 10 minutes. Our girls in orange continued to dominate the ball and play and went in to halftime up 5-0 thanks to two more goals from Willa. 

The coaches were still not completely satisfied, with the team talk at the break noting the number of times we turned the ball over against a weaker opponent. The girls were told to "dominate the ball", and dominate they did. 

We ended up winning 6-0 thanks to a great goal from Sarah, and had around 85% ball possession. The build-up play and composure was truly impressive. 

After the match both teams went into the canteen for soda and fried mystery snacks. The bartender/dj cranked up the tunes, as the girls danced around the canteen to the sound of 'Sweet Caroline.' 

We returned late to the hostel for a team meeting and some well deserved European cuisine: Domino's pizza! 

Tomorrow: our final session with Ber followed by a trip to the PSV fan shop and our final match of the trip!

Day 6 So Far

Break Today the girls have had two training sessions with Ber. They both went well and Sam, Jen and I are amazed at how much energy they still have. They have been working hard for Ber all while having a great time. This morning was chilly, definitely the coldest day of the trip so far. Once training was over the sun finally came out again and it was back to 60's and sunny. 

Ber has been great with the girls, today working on the transition moments from attacking to defending and the speed of play as well as defending 1v1 and 2v2 to goal. Every practice starts out with a game of Rondo in a grid that has gotten smaller and smaller as the days go by. As a coach, it has been great to listen to Ber breakdown the concepts of the game as well as see the girls incorporate all that he is talking about into their play. 

We walked back to the hostel for lunch and shortly after, we walked back for the second training of the day. STILL with a lot of energy which is impressive. The girls even wonder themselves why they aren't more tired. 

"Gabby, why aren't we sore?!" - Willa 

They haven't had time to stop and relax and they are on the go all the time so that helps prevent the lactic acid from building up. They are definitely going to crash when we get back on Sunday! 

Ber ended the second training with a pre-game talk before our match tonight. He wished us luck and we will have one more training with him tomorrow. 

We are off to the game in 15 minutes. It is just a few minute walk away at the field we have been training at all day. The girls like to consider its a home "match". 

We will let you know how the game goes!

Day 5

Yesterday (Wednesday) was the first 'rest' day for the girls. Even though they didn't have a training or a game, it was a full day of walking - covering over 9 miles. The morning started with a scramble to be ready and checked out by 8:45AM. We met Jos and he led us on a walk through Old Maastricht on the way to The Kazematten (underground tunnels outside of the city walls created in the 1500's).

The Kazematten was an experience. They are pitch dark and the whole purpose of different tunnels and passage ways were to confuse those who entered and to make it hard to find a way out. The girls led the way in three different groups and it was in fact hard to find the way. There was a lot of frustration, conversation, singing, crying, yelling, laughing, shrieking in the 2.5 hrs that it took to get through. Needless to say...everyone was excited to see daylight again. Even the chaperones!

We walked back to the hostel for lunch and made our way to go shopping in the few hours we had left in Maastricht. The streets were full and we were able to walk through the cobblestone streets and go in and out of shops, including a stop for Gelato. 

We made it back to the hostel at 3:30PM to catch our bus to Margraten to visit the Netherlands American Cemetery. The location was beautiful and we were able to tour around for 45 minutes. It was very impactful to see the monuments and headstones from all those who gave their lives in World War 2. With birds chirping and blue skies ahead, headed back to he bus as taps played and they took down the American flag from its post. 

Once we made it to he bus, everyone fell asleep from such a demanding day of walking and emotions. We made it to Valkenswaard and the chaperones/coaches grilled dinner for the girls. After a chatty meeting to end the night it was time for bed. We are having some wifi problems so please be patient as pictures and posts go up. 

Today (Thursday) is another full day of training!

Day 4

The day started with breakfast and another training at 10AM. We all biked to training and started another full day. Ber was tougher on the girls today and really expected a lot out of them. He used yesterday as an evaluation and was not afraid to hold back today. When the girls made a mistake int raining, he addressed it and made sure to explain the reasoning. It was very eye opening and appreciated by the girls (and coaches) as it helped break down the game. 

After training, we biked back to he hostel for lunch. Time came and went and it was time to go to the second training of the day. We left a little early because Jos wanted to take us on a little tour before training. We headed out from the hostel and went into surrounding neighborhoods and into the countryside. Like everything in Holland so far - it was gorgeous. 

The second training of the day consisted of transition play from the midfield to attackers whereas the first training really focused on the build up of play out of the back from defenders to the midfielders. His concept was to be tested in the game later in the day. Once training was over, we went to a supermarket so the girls could replenish. They ended up getting a bunch of Belgium candy, cookies and chocolate snacks. We biked to the supermarket on the oldest bridge in The Netherlands and was able to see the beautiful town as we biked through. We will see more of it tomorrow when we have more free time. 

Shortly after training, it was time for another game. We headed Vv Scharn to play the game for the night. After a first half score of 1-0 and a halftime talk by Ber - the girls went out to score five more in the second half. The goals consisted of two from Willa, one from Maia and a hatrick from Bella to make the final score 6-2. The girls visited in the canteen with the Holland players after the game and shared some laughs. We then headed back to the hostel for dinner and a quick meeting. 

Until tomorrow!