Brandi's Blog

Reflections Of My Soccer Career

What’s happening ladies?  I am sure you have plenty of great stories to tell me what you have been doing, but until you can write to me, I will share what I have been up to.

As you may know, I have been SO fortunate to have had a great career with the women’s national soccer team and been to three World Cups, as well as three Olympic Games, with the last coming at the home of the Olympics, Athens, Greece.  Each experience, beyond the medals, were amazing in their own way.

The first one in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996, was, well, the first.  So, as you can all understand, the first is always special and cherished.  Being it was the centennial games and in America, made the excitement on top of soccer being in the Games for the first time ridiculously spectacular.

The second, in one of my favorite places in all of the world, Sydney, Australia was beautiful.  Being from the west coast, I compare Sydney to the biggest city near me, San Francisco.  The water, the bridges, the art and Opera House, make it incredibly unique.  Not to mention that it is one GIGANTIC island, it was very cool.  It has interesting natural qualities that don’t exist here, like thousands of kangaroos (no, they don’t hop around downtown or anything, but there are tons of them for any visitor to go check them out).  Also, instead of pigeons, they have beautiful Rosettes (or at least that is what=2 0I think I remember them being called).  They are parrots, living in the neighborhood trees.  One day we were training early in the morning, and something startled them.  All you could see was a wave of glorious green, radiant red, beautiful blue flying through the air.  It was as if a pet store had just opened its doors and shooed all the birds out.  Beyond that fun, the people in Australia were all amazingly generous, welcoming and just plain nice.  My parents actually ended up living at the home of a couple for a week or so.  Back in the day when I growing up and my soccer team would travel to a tournament, we would stay with a host family.  We would put the sleeping bags on the floor and laugh most of the night.

Then there was Athens, Greece.  What an incredible place.  The history of the Olympics, going back hundreds and hundreds of years, was present when we had the chance to walk the ruins of the Coliseum. Seeing the old world values of the local elders and the new world ideals of the youth.  Spending 2 weeks on the island of Crete off the Mediterranean Sea was like living in a dream.  We would open our doors to the salty smell and relaxing sound of the water flowing over the rocks on the cliffs down below.  But there was nothing we could see, eat or do that compared to the time when we would get on the bus and ride to each stadium to represent our, your, country in the Olympic Games.  You may be saying , what does that have to do with what I did this summer?  Well, for the first time women’s soccer has been in the Games, I wasn’t on the team.  BUT, I found a way to still experience the glory, the excitement, the beauty that is the Games.  I became a color commentator for NBC for both women’s, and men’s soccer.  So, I packed my bag and made my way to the studios in New York City, to give you and others insights.  I didn’t get any practice, but I was really lucky to work with the best in the business, JP DellaCamera.  He was the one who actually did the play by play for the Women’s World Cup when I scored the penalty kick at the Rose Bowl in 1999.  S He did everything necessary to help me feel comfortable so I could assist him to bring the fans out there the best product.  Even though it wasn’t the same as being on the field, it was great to be on a team again.  We would have to either take a shuttle, or walk the 4 blocks to the NBC studios (we used the same studio as Saturday Night Live, very exciting) for our VERY early morning meetings, and I mean early, 4am.

Because the games were broadcasted live (with the exception of a few), we were getting up early in the morning when they were taking the field in the early evening.  The US team didn’t start out so well, losing to Norway 2-0.  BUT, that didn’t make them stop believing in their plan and vision.  They were on a course to make it to the final gold medal game, and they made it happen.  It wasn’t their best soccer, but with a new coach and injuries just before the Games, they had to all stick together.  And ultimately it worked, they did everything necessary after the first game to make it to their ultimate goal, the top of the GOLD MEDAL podium.  I have used their example all the time to remind myself that when things get tough, you don’t fold.  You don’t give up.  You look at the loss as an opportunity to improve and get closer as a team….  As well as to find a way as an individual to make an impact.

Peace,
Brandi

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