Premier SuperCopa- Part 1
Alyssa, Donnie and I just returned home from Rockford, IL where Alyssa's soccer team participated in the Premier SuperCopa. The SuperCopa is a soccer tournament for high level U9-U12 teams; teams from across the country came to this event to play different teams and engage in high level soccer play. Alyssa's team played teams from Minnesota, Illinois, Texas and California. Although her team did not win or even make it to the finals, the experience was unique, challenging, and engaging. I'll write more about specific games in a different post.
Abby and Jacob could not go to the SuperCopa nor would they have wanted to if they could. Abby had mandatory dance on Saturday and Sunday to begin learning routines for next year. Last week was the first week of high school soccer conditioning for Jacob and he didn't want to miss the first week of that. I really wanted to go to the tournament but I hated to leave the teens for four or five days (how long we stayed depended on how the girls did in the tournament). They assured me that they were fine with both Donnie and me being gone.
We could have made them stay with grandparents but that wasn't a realistically feasible option. Donnie's mom did stay one night and she brought dinner one night for the kids. She took Abby to a movie and to dance. She was also around and was close by as was Donnie's dad in case they needed something. Also, two of our neighbors were on alert to assist if the kids needed anything imminently. In short, the kids were good to go and things went smoothly. We left plenty of money for the kids as I put it, "if the need arose." The kids' definition of "need" and mine were perhaps a bit different but I didn't care; I was glad they had fun. The kids used the money to do some fun things with friends and I'm glad we left them with plenty of money (they both also had their own money if the need arose but obviously using the money we left was the first/ only option as long as there was money left from us :)).
We made the seven hour drive to Rockford, IL and checked into our hotel. There had been a major hotel snafu with regard to the tournament and as a result, a few of us families were located way further away from the soccer fields than we wanted to be (about 35 minutes away in the city of Rochelle) and we were separate from the rest of the team who stayed much closer to the venue. It was disappointing but we made the most of it. The girls who stayed in rockin' Rochelle had a good time together.
After all the families who were staying in the Comfort Inn in Rochelle checked in, we all got together to get ready to carpool to Mercy Healthcare Sportscore Two in Loves Park, IL. Mercy Healthcare Sportscore is a massive sports complex with a large indoor facility and many soccer fields outside. On the night that we arrived, the tournament had an opening ceremony for all of the teams that were participating. The teams all gathered together in a baseball ballpark that was part of the sports complex. The parents sat in the bleachers while the soccer teams assembled on the baseball diamond and each team took turns being announced and paraded around the stadium. After all of the teams had been announced, guest speakers said a few words. The speakers were Mia Hamm, Kristine Lily, and Tisha Venturini Hoch. These women are all former members of the women's US national soccer team. After the ladies' brief talks, the event was complete. We hightailed it out of there so that we could get a good nights' sleep before the girls' first game which was the next day.
Here are some pictures from the opening ceremony:
This is a picture of the teams congregating on the baseball field. We parents were sitting in the bleachers at this point.
Here's a zoomed in shot. Our girls are in the back toward the middle with red shirts on.
Another zoomed out shot
Getting the ceremony started off patriotically :)
Our girls (both the top CUP 05 and 06 North teams played in the tournament) begin their walk around the stadium. They were the second to last team to start their walk.
A zoomed out shot of them walking... the other teams had finished their walk and were assembling in the "outfield" of the baseball park.
The girls continue their walk...
Now they're getting close to us parents in the stands...
...and they see us
A picture of the professional photographer getting assembling the girls for a group photo
...getting the professional photographer's shot (albeit from a much worse angle :()
.... and capturing the photographer capture the girls' picture
All the teams sat around where the infield ends (I think that's correct description)
Here's where something funny happened. The person running the event addressed the crowd by talking into a microphone and explaining a little bit about the event. As soon as she mentioned that she was going to turn the mic over to Mia Hamm, Tisha Venturini Hoch and Kristine Lily, kids started running from their spots where they had been sitting and rushed over to where (presumably) the three women were standing. It was odd to say the least.
The kids were cajoled back to their spots and the ladies began to speak.
I'm not sure who is who but they all took a turn and said a few words.
The following pictures were taken when we arrived and before the ceremony started. Not sure why they aren't in order; maybe it's because all of these were taken with my iPhone and not my Nikon. Anyway, here are Lauren, Annabelle and Alyssa at our hotel. Our goalie, Kalina, also stayed at our hotel.
At Mercy Sports Complex, the girls meet up with each other. Here Alyssa and Allie hug...
The girls are looking at the top of the building because a man with a camera was taking pictures and the girls wanted to get their picture taken (apparently).
Alyssa's team
Abby and Jacob could not go to the SuperCopa nor would they have wanted to if they could. Abby had mandatory dance on Saturday and Sunday to begin learning routines for next year. Last week was the first week of high school soccer conditioning for Jacob and he didn't want to miss the first week of that. I really wanted to go to the tournament but I hated to leave the teens for four or five days (how long we stayed depended on how the girls did in the tournament). They assured me that they were fine with both Donnie and me being gone.
We could have made them stay with grandparents but that wasn't a realistically feasible option. Donnie's mom did stay one night and she brought dinner one night for the kids. She took Abby to a movie and to dance. She was also around and was close by as was Donnie's dad in case they needed something. Also, two of our neighbors were on alert to assist if the kids needed anything imminently. In short, the kids were good to go and things went smoothly. We left plenty of money for the kids as I put it, "if the need arose." The kids' definition of "need" and mine were perhaps a bit different but I didn't care; I was glad they had fun. The kids used the money to do some fun things with friends and I'm glad we left them with plenty of money (they both also had their own money if the need arose but obviously using the money we left was the first/ only option as long as there was money left from us :)).
We made the seven hour drive to Rockford, IL and checked into our hotel. There had been a major hotel snafu with regard to the tournament and as a result, a few of us families were located way further away from the soccer fields than we wanted to be (about 35 minutes away in the city of Rochelle) and we were separate from the rest of the team who stayed much closer to the venue. It was disappointing but we made the most of it. The girls who stayed in rockin' Rochelle had a good time together.
After all the families who were staying in the Comfort Inn in Rochelle checked in, we all got together to get ready to carpool to Mercy Healthcare Sportscore Two in Loves Park, IL. Mercy Healthcare Sportscore is a massive sports complex with a large indoor facility and many soccer fields outside. On the night that we arrived, the tournament had an opening ceremony for all of the teams that were participating. The teams all gathered together in a baseball ballpark that was part of the sports complex. The parents sat in the bleachers while the soccer teams assembled on the baseball diamond and each team took turns being announced and paraded around the stadium. After all of the teams had been announced, guest speakers said a few words. The speakers were Mia Hamm, Kristine Lily, and Tisha Venturini Hoch. These women are all former members of the women's US national soccer team. After the ladies' brief talks, the event was complete. We hightailed it out of there so that we could get a good nights' sleep before the girls' first game which was the next day.
Here are some pictures from the opening ceremony:
This is a picture of the teams congregating on the baseball field. We parents were sitting in the bleachers at this point.
Here's a zoomed in shot. Our girls are in the back toward the middle with red shirts on.
Getting the ceremony started off patriotically :)
Our girls (both the top CUP 05 and 06 North teams played in the tournament) begin their walk around the stadium. They were the second to last team to start their walk.
A zoomed out shot of them walking... the other teams had finished their walk and were assembling in the "outfield" of the baseball park.
Now they're getting close to us parents in the stands...
.... and capturing the photographer capture the girls' picture
The kids were cajoled back to their spots and the ladies began to speak.
The following pictures were taken when we arrived and before the ceremony started. Not sure why they aren't in order; maybe it's because all of these were taken with my iPhone and not my Nikon. Anyway, here are Lauren, Annabelle and Alyssa at our hotel. Our goalie, Kalina, also stayed at our hotel.
At Mercy Sports Complex, the girls meet up with each other. Here Alyssa and Allie hug...
Alyssa's team
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