Dragonwing Blog
Courage, as defined by my fortune cookie
Courage is the mastery of fear--not the absence of fear.1. After dinner, I was scrolling through Twitter and saw that a former teammate of mine had just committed to Florida State to play soccer. So, my dad asked me if I was still okay with my decision to not play soccer in college and to quit. Looking back on the decision, there were two sides to me. The first and more dominant side was the one at complete peace with the situation. During a tournament in Colorado, I had just scored my dream goal and as I came off the field, I no longer envisioned myself playing in the upcoming season. It was also exciting to think of my weekends not being filled with 10 hour bus rides and Jason's Deli box lunches. The other half of me was freaking out. I had been playing soccer for as long as I could remember. I didn't know life without it. Like I said, Freaking Out.What if I miss soccer in a month? What if my dream school calls me right now offering me a roster spot? What will my teammates think? How am I going to tell my coach? Even though I knew this was what I wanted, it was still so hard. And I was so emotional. On the phone call with my coach, my tears got so bad that I had to secretly put myself on mute so I could blow my nose without him hearing. Through the blurry eyes and raspy voice, I made it through. There are still moments where I want nothing more than to train with my favorite coach and ex-teammates, but overall I'm very happy with my decision. I faced my fear of the repercussions of quitting, and so far I haven't looked back.
A Swimmer's Body
I want to start by saying that most older teen female swimmers HAVE bodies. They have hips, thighs, butts, breasts, shoulders and some curves. They have confidence. Looking like a string bean is out. Looking and being strong and powerful is in.
This a big change for me as a former high school and college distance runner. I am short (good for a distance runner) but more solidly built than a toothpick. For most distance runners, it really is a case of “less is more.” For years my coaches bugged me about losing weight, so I would be faster.
Back to swimming. Swimmers who are training hard eat a LOT. Not junk. But high quality calories—carbs, fats, proteins. That tremendous caloric output during heavy training has to be matched by a healthy caloric intake. Anna eats dinner #1 around 5:00 pm for her 6:00 pm practice. She gets home around 8:30 pm, showers, and then has dinner #2 which is more like a heavy snack. It usually involves some fruit, peanut butter, or leftovers from dinner #1.
So yes, women swimmers have women’s bodies. They are expected to train, to eat well, and to swim their fastest. Swimmers have broad shoulders and strong bodies, and those are something to be admired because they represent dedication and hard work.
Mom, I Love Cross-Country
Back to School--A Parent's Perspective
February 14: Happy Birthday, Candice Wiggins!
Happy birthday to Candice Wiggins, the former Stanford University starting shooting guard and current Minnesota Lynx player! During her college career, she was a three-time Pac-10 player of the year and a four-time All-American player (she is one of only seven female players to be named All-American four times). She also won the Wade Trophy, given to the best NCAA Division I player, her senior year.
March 17: Happy Birthday, Mia Hamm!
March 29: Happy Birthday, Jennifer Capriati!
Happy birthday to Jennifer Capriati, former world number one female tennis player. Capriati began playing tennis professionally in 1990, when she was fourteen, and became the youngest player ever to be ranked in the world top ten that same year. Besides her numerous successes as a top-ranked player, Capriati also holds the distinction of being the lowest seed to ever win the Australian Open when she won the 2001 title.
April 6: Happy Birthday, Janet Lynn!
Happy birthday to Janet Lynn, Olympic bronze medalist and five-time U.S. figure skating champion. Lynn skated her first exhibition performance at age four and, at age eleven, became the youngest skater ever to pass the eighth, and final, United States Figure Skating Association test. Besides that, Lynn was one of the first female figure skaters to perform the triple salchow and triple toe loop jumps in competitions, pioneering a style of skating that would be emulated for years.
April 6: Happy Birthday, Sun Wen!
Happy birthday to Sun Wen, undoubtedly the best Chinese soccer player in the world. Often compared to Mia Hamm, Sun Wen won the 2005 AFC Women's Asian Cup, as well as both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball at the 1999 Women's World Cup.
April 8: Happy Birthday, Carla Overbeck!
Happy birthday to Carla Overbeck! The star central defender played college soccer for the UNC Tar Heels, who won the NCAA Women's Championship each year Overbeck played on the team. She was also a member of the U.S. team that won the first FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991 and was one of two U.S. players to play every minute of every one of the team's games in the 1995 Women's World Cup, 1996 Summer Olympics, and 1999 Women's World Cup.
April 19: Happy Birthday, Candace Parker!
Happy birthday to Candace Parker, star player on the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team, winner of the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Championships. Parker now plays for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, was voted Favorite Female Athlete at the 2009 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards, and is the second WNBA player to dunk in a game.
May 16: Happy Birthday, Olga Korbut!
Happy birthday to Olga Korbut, the Belarusian who has won four Olympic gold medals! Korbut has also won two Olympic silver medals and was the first gymnast inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1988. The Korbut Flip is named after her.