. . .And Beyond

I hear the east coast is getting hit with some brutal weather - sometimes you have to endure the cold to appreciate the sunshine. Out here in Chula Vista, we were hit by a snowstorm that came in the form of orange; and by orange, I mean the Dutch. In our test series last week against Holland, we learned some lessons the hard way. In the first two matches, we lost 4-0; in the third match we posted an extremely embarrassing 10-0 loss; we enlivened for match four but the dutch brought a barrage of goals near the games end as we lost 7-1; in the final match, we made some improvements and played the Dutch to a 3-1 loss. As dismal as these results are, they have provided the team with great insight into what it takes to be Olympic Champions. In my estimation, the Dutch are the most technically sound team going around right now - their ability to execute skills and 2v1's, finish plays, synchronize timing, and play pressure defense is almost unmatchable. Opening the new quad with match...

I am back in San Diego. I enjoyed an exciting and eventful weekend with my family in North Carolina. We attended a reception for the Patterson Medal, watched a Tar Heel Men's basketball game, and watched an unfortunate Eagle defeat. It was really nice to share a fun weekend with my family in Chapel Hill. This week we will host the Dutch National Team in a few competitions in Chula Vista. In an unofficial test match, we lost 4-0. We were a bit tentative in our play, and we must be more assertive if we want to give the Dutch a good challenge. Today is such an exciting, and pivotal day in American History. Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. His inauguration symbolizes hope - hope that we can overcome all the ails of our past and present. For in the depths of our circumstance, we must forge ahead together. We must unite in hope of what we can do now to change our path. The question is how can we purify and further the spirit of America...

Coach Shelton, the Head Coach of the North Carolina Tar Heel Field Hockey Team calls Chapel Hill heaven. I think she is right. However, my niece Kylie, a four year old future Tar Heel (hopefully) who is helping me write this post, disagrees. She is just too young to understand how incredible this place is. I think the value Chapel Hill holds in your heart appreciates with time; the longer you are away, the more you see how great this place is. Lets just start with the most beautiful color in the world - Carolina blue. It must be God's color because the sky in "heavven" is matches the Tar Heel uniforms. So incredible is this shade of blue, that the Chapel Hill fire department has blue fire trucks (My nephew Will is itching to see a blue truck!!) I hope that fate goes the way of the Tar Heels today as they face the University of Miami Hurricanes on the basketball court. We will see. Look for me and my fam at the Dean Dome!!! I will write more about the escapades of th...

The sun woke me up this morning. Yup - my phone died in the middle of the night leaving me alarm-less; I had to rely on the good ole California sunshine to awaken me from my peaceful slumber. But I'm not complaining - I mean, it could be worse, like New jersey worse. Anyway, I am pretty excited. We jumped back on the horse today, getting back to business on the hockey pitch (and the weight room, ughhh) with our first official training of the New Year. Following a short training, we had a team meeting about what to expect over the next year. We set a task for ourselves that is achievable in February - QUALIFICATION for the 2010 World Cup. It will be quite a formidable task, nevertheless one we are fully capable of attaining. So with our preparation underway, we will test ourselves immediately as we host Olympic Champions Holland in Chula Vista next week. It will be a great opportunity to measure up against the best in the world. Personally, I am incredibly excited about hostin...

Can you believe it is 2009? What happened to 2008? It was a pretty extraordinary year to say the least. But like all things, the year has come and gone, and all we can do is move on. The opening days of 2009 have been interesting, both for me on a personal level and for the nation as a whole. We anticipate the New Year because of the opportunity it offers us to start fresh - we eagerly wait for the hands on the clock to change from 11:59 to 12:00 believing that the passage of a moment will change the hands of our lives, refreshing the spirit by enlivening our hope for things to come. But, when we bade farwell to 2008 - the gloom and misery of our situation did not fade. It seems that the spirit of hope has been undermined by our current predictament - we are in disarray, trying to find our way through the uncertainty as we remain fearful of what is and what is to come. Perhaps though, this is the best way to start the new year. In the muddle, we can make a lasting new years resol...