Under Dramatic Skies, On the Road With My Youngest

This afternoon and tonight, I cheered heartily for Julia and her team, Athena White, in the first sports tournament she has ever played in. This one is taking place in Morgan Hill, south of San Jose. I could not be prouder, as she played brilliant defense in two games on a badly injured ankle. When she was on the pitch her team outplayed their opponents, 3-0. When she was off, they were outscored, 0-2.

Of course, what happens in team sports is always much more complicated that what any one person does. But on this particular day, Julia did her part at right fullback, and then some.

She told me afterward what the difference is. She is no longer afraid of being hit by the ball. A great soccer coach once told me this is the key point in any player's development, and they all get there at different ages. She has gotten there at age 16.

What I noticed was when the ball came to her high, she backed up, let it drop to about knee level, and then drove it up the pitch with a long, accurate kick to one of her midfielders or strikers.

This brought back memories of her nickname when she was a much younger competitor -- Thunderfoot. And also how her brother and former coach, Aidan, played the same position before he moved to center back.

Her club team is competing for a place in the championship round tomorrow. As we cut the tape off of her swollen ankle tonight, thanks to a pair of scissors I borrowed from the front desk of our hotel, and after she took her Ibuprofen and while she held a bag of ice on her left leg, we had a surprise:
The girl at the front desk sent up a free gift -- some ice cream and a spoon for my warrior daughter.

Go Julia! Go girl athletes! Go hotel workers who care about their guests!

Life never, ever gets better than this.

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Happy 16th to My Youngest!

Love you, Julia...

Happy Birthday Oliver!

The little guy is 3.

As the Sun Went Down on the City...

After the Great Game

Travis Ishikawa almost quit baseball earlier this season after being cut by the Pirates, and signed to the minor leagues by the Giants, where he was benched. He called a friend in tears, asking whether it was time for him to retire.

Luckily for all baseball fans, he didn't quit. He hung in and was called up to the big leagues late in the season.

Now he has become a post-season hero for the ages. Like Bobby Thompson 63 years ago, he has hit a walk-off home run to send the Giants to the World Series.

After the game, I shot this video of the crowd walking down the long series of ramps leading from the upper deck, where I was sitting, to the streets below. In a spontaneous act of love, the crowd started a brand new chant -- one no doubt never heard before.

Enjoy.

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Five in a Row

Over to San Pablo in the East Bay I drove today to watch Julia's team, Athena White, win its fifth game in a row, 2-0. It was the fourth straight shutout, which says something about their defense. Julia is part of that defense, and played 40 minutes of good soccer today.

She has a hurt ankle, which we were icing Friday night and yesterday. She wrapped it before the game. She got hit in the back of the head by the ball in the second half and then had to come out after having trouble breathing.

I think it was a combination of the heat and a turf field that caused that.

her team is in second place, and is the best team she's played on since the palominos coached by Aidan. That team only lost one game and finished in second place.

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