If this year’s Men's Cup left you wanting more well never fear, Women’s Cup 2011 is here! I can’t wait to see some of my favorites hit the field in Germany! I’m hoping Nike will send me out there to cover the games since I consider myself to be tight with the Women’s National Team after I spent a couple of days with them at their training camp in Atlanta, GA.
Right when I got there I saw my girl Whitney and of course we made eye contact across the field and started dancing. I mean what girl doesn’t like to dance and have fun? I know the WNT enjoys a good dance before they go out to play or after a big win.
As I waited for the WNT to step onto the field and begin to practice I wanted to start playing with them. I realized within two minutes that my dream would never come true… let’s face it…they’re just too damn good.
So while my dream of being part of the WNT never came close to true I did get to interview the girls and hang out.What more could I ask for?
I hung out with Ali Krieger who plays in Germany and speaks it fluent German after living there for a couple of years. She tried to teach me some German since I love to be international and all.
After failing to speak German, I went on to kick it with Megan Rapinoe and her teammate Tobin Heath. If you’re looking for the best soccer than you can definitely find it at the WNT! There is stellar athlete after stellar athlete (a little intimidating).
Stephanie Cox, a defender from the WNT admits that all the girls at the training camp have a talent that when they all come together, they make up this amazing team. Not only are these girls hungry to make it to the World Cup, but they are all passionate and ready to push themselves and each other.
Ms. Heath is known on and off the field for her tricks. Although she couldn’t show off some of the tricks she due to an injury she was still able to give us a little teaser. Her teammates told me to check one of her trick videos online, and let’s just say next time I see her, I’m gonna ask her to teach me at least a basic trick.
So, that leaves us with six months until the first game of the Cup and I can’t wait!! Make sure you cheer all these ladies on as they prepare for the WWC 2011.
The sport of the world, soccer or as most call it football, is a game that is very passionate and respected. Since I was very little, I remember seeing both my Colombian and Czech families get excited for the game.
Slowly I became a fan and always dreamed of doing soccer tricks. My desire to want to play was quickly replaced by one of just being a fan. As much as I would have loved to play soccer growing up, the opportunity never really presented itself. But to this day, I am an fanatic! And when the World Cup comes around, I am completely submerged in the event. Soccer truly brings countries together.
Soccer has even united soccer players Whitney Engen and Casey Nogueira who showed me their moves on and off the field when I came to visit them in Chicago. Their friendship is like no other I have seen in sports. They know everything about each other and can even finish each other’s sentences.
These best friends gave me the inside scoop on their training, their mental and physical preparation, as well as their fondest memories with each other. Turns out these two Chicago Red Star players like to have dance parties in the locker room before games to pump the team up.
They taught me how to 'Pop, Lock, and Drop It' (Whitney's signature move) and how to 'Pancake it' (Casey's signature move). They even suggested I attend one of their pre-game dance parties to show them what I can bring to the dance floor.
The Utah Jynx football team is opening doors for athletes everywhere! Before I got there, I was sort of nervous because I had to go out and buy a mouth guard incase I got tackled. I just could not imagine being tackled by a defensive lineman. So, did I get tackled? You bet!
Back to square one though. When I arrived, Coach Greg helped me suit up before I got out on the field. Once everything was in place, including my mouth guard, pads, and helmet, I went on the field and introduced myself to the semi-professional football team. I even brought my Nike football jersey that had my name on it.
Immediately, I got in line and started to do the warm up and drills. At first, I was struggling just a bit with all of the weight of the pads and helmet, but soon I was zipping through the drills. Angela, one of the defensive linemen, suggested that I should tryout for their team (she thought I would be a good receiver since I was so fast).
The women were so inspirational and motivational. They truly made me feel part of the team. Instead of calling me Gevvy or Gevrina, the coaches decided to nickname me "Nike". After drills, we went straight into a scrimmage and they had me run a play. This is the precise moment that I got tackled. Ouch! Did not expect that. Better yet, the woman who tackled me, Vee, is 39! Making her the oldest woman on the team. Even though we were on opposing teams she became my favorite player.
I interviewed Vee after practice and she told me that she plays for the women on the team and her kids. Her son who plays football in high school is number 23, in honor of his mom's jersey number. Football has kept her looking and feeling young.
As I stood on the sidelines after I was interviewed by KSL, a local news station, I became kind of teary-eyed. I felt so touched by these women who are breaking the stereotypes of what women are told they can and cannot do.
To them, there is no 'CANNOT!' Where there is a will, there is a way. The Utah Jynx football team plays because they love the sport. Remember to love what you do and do what you love!
You all I know that when it comes to working out, I’ll be trying out the most challenging or the most butt kicking workouts that are out there for me to try. What can I say? I like a good sweat!
While there were very many tempting activities at the espnW Retreat like massages and facials, I decided to go the more challenging route I guess you would say. And why would I not want to do the Navy Seals Boot Camp at the beach with former Olympians and other professional athletes? Come on now, I couldn’t pass that one up!
Plus I had to show of my skills since I had Warrior Fitness Boot Camp under my belt. We headed over to the beach and started off lying on our backs in the sand. We were all close together and were divided into two lines and each line was in charge of a rope. We had to rest the rope along our bodies and never let it touch the sand. This rope was supposedly our “friend” but by the time I was done doing 300 crunches, it was more my enemy.
The surprising part of it all was regardless of how tired I was, I never gave up. I came to realize that I was just so motivated by the women I was with. We were all there to be each other's support. No one wanted to let anyone down. and we all managed to pull through.
It was honestly incredible! We ran, did crunches, army crawls, sit-ups, you name it we did. I totally understand why sports teams have such a strong bond. You are with a group of either men or women all competing for the same goal. I miss that team spirit I was able to find it at the espnW Retreat.
I want to take this time and give it up for the women around the world who are constantly pushing past their limits and training hard and never give up! And of course to all the women I did the Navy Seal Boot Camp with! You girls Rock!
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, present The GREATEST Show on Earth!
It definitely was the greatest show on earth! Let me tell you just what this Nike Field Reporter did. Here are some of the things I did that I recommend for others to put on their bucket list. Oh and mind you, this was my first time at a circus…
One- I rode a small clown bicycle.
Two- I was pulled up into the air by a woman's hair. Hard to believe? Yes, I know. Just check the photos below.
Three- I rode a trapeze ring 25 ft in the air that had a motorcycle on the top, where a man did a handstand. I conquered my fear of heights...scariest ride I've done is the Pirates of Caribbean. So this was HUGE for me.
Four- I stood in between two brothers juggling bowl pins to each other.
Five- I stood on a Russian Bar that was about five feet off the ground.
Everyone was so proud to show off their unique talent and all of their dedication to their craft and their public was very uplifting. All of them incorporate a very disciplined training regiment into their craft. One of the acrobats, mentioned, "I need to love what I do, because it can kill me." They all are well aware of how dangerous their jobs are but they do it because they love it and they love making people smile. I on the other hand was not smiling too much. I was sweating profusely, nervous that one of them was going to mess up and fall or hurt themselves.
These athletes are very artistic and make their craft look so easy. In reality, they are always training even behind the scenes. I learned that lots of times, some of these athletic performers have been born into the circus. Meaning the circus life has been part of their family for generations! Wow! And there I was at my first show ever marveling over how strong, mentally and physically, they all were.
The show is a definite must see. I had never been to a circus before so the feeling was overwhelming. The closest thing to experiencing a circus for me was watching Disney's Dumbo. I totally got the VIP treatment in terms of all the stuff I got to see and do. After the show, each individual act came out and allowed me to be part of their daily routine.
Another cool part about this particular experience was that before the interviews took place their PR mentioned that they all didn't speak English very well, but that most if not all felt more comfortable speaking in a certain language. Guess what most of them spoke? Spanish! Yes, a lot of the interviews were done in Spanish because some of them did not speak English at all. Even the brothers from China spoke Spanish! Good thing I got my bases covered.
All in all, I had a FANTASTIC time at the circus and I loved how I was able to admire a myriad of athletic performances that are viewed in a more artistic light.
Parkour is hardcore! What is it exactly? To state it simply, you can say it's a form of workout that makes you aware of your surroundings. As I approached the young group of Parkour practitioners, I began to notice that all of them were very relaxed while doing stunts and tricks. Back flips and front flips were just a few tricks that these men could do. I didn't understand at first how they were not scared of getting a serious injury from doing back flips off of a park bench.
I quickly learned that they all admitted to knowing their bodies' limitations. Enrique, a Parkour expert, mentioned that through Parkour he has found a new appreciation and awareness for the different objects that he encounters in his daily life. He then went on and translated that to a bigger picture, "the obstacles that I overcome here, has taught me that I can overcome anything else in life, nothing is impossible."
The phrase, 'I can't' is unheard of in Parkour terminology. Parkour attracts all people of all ages, and instills in them the power of positivism. The activity enhances one's perception of both the physicality of daily life as well as the mindset of every individual who practices. Having confidence and a positive state of mind is pivotal in achieving satisfying results and clean performances. There is no rush in pursuing the proper technique to jump off of 10-foot walls or doing back flips off of stairs. One can simply start by warming up and doing exercises that build up a strong core, back, arms and legs.
Once you have gained the strength both mentally and physically, you can start off by hopping over benches, or jumping off one-foot ledges, etc. Slowly, you will then be able to do more advanced tricks with the aid of a Parkour expert. They offer classes in different park locations and encourage everyone to try it. It was great to see how passionate these young men were about something they love. They all want to see Parkour evolve into a sport that is both appreciated and respected.
Parkour was a humbling experience because 'no' or 'I can't' is never an option. The fact that a workout can be applied to your personal life makes that type of sport/training much more unique and inspiring. I have started to go about my day by observing my surroundings, thinking, how do I get over this? I’ve also translated what I learned from the Parkour experts into my personal training regiment by never saying "I can't" because I can and I will.
If you're looking for something edgy, risky, and eye opening...Parkour gives you just that kind of a workout and more.
Can you imagine performing in front of so many spectators? Well Mr. Pacquiao did just that.
Before the fight, I didn’t really understand boxing or even know why so many people loved it. I definitely did not comprehend why people would want to throw a jab at another person. Yes, call me a sissy, but I know I would start to duck and cover if I was ever put in a ring. I guess my career is not in boxing. Growing up however, my dad was a huge boxing fan and of course is now a total fan of Manny Pacquiao a.k.a PACMAN. While I tried to change the TV channel from boxing to something like basketball when my dad wasn’t looking, there was always a part of me that was curious about the sport.
It was when I interviewed female lightweight amateur boxer Marlen Esparza that I realized that I was never interested in boxing before because:
a. I never gave it a chance b. I judged it immediately c. Simply never took the opportunity to learn about it d. I was intimidated by it
Here my fellow readers is where most of us can relate. Many times we choose to neglect a sport that we don’t understand or know anything about. It’s such a cop out to say, “Oh I don’t really like,” than admit “I’ve never heard about it,” or “can you explain it to me cause I just don’t get it.”
I of all people should know better considering I was on the rowing team and my other friends would bluntly say, “rowing is boring, what’s the point?” I would then think to myself and come to the conclusion that they didn’t like rowing cause they had never tried it or knew enough about it. So, when I spoke to Marlen, we instantly bonded because we were both young female athletes in sports that sometimes get over looked because of how intimidating it is.
Let’s be honest, boxing is not just a “little” intimidating—it’s extremely intimidating. Marlen made me see how much boxing has given to her. Not only is she a strong girl both mentally and physically but also she has more than one goal in mind. That is what sport does, it unties people and gives people opportunities. Marlen made me realize that you should always give something or someone a chance and not be intimidated of something just because you don’t know about it.
With that in mind, I decided to talk to my dad more about his passion and asked him to give me the 411 on boxing and he did. The best part was when I called him and told him I was going to interview his favorite athlete Manny Pacquiao before the fight. Let me just say that his daily phone call multiplied by 10.
Papa Seferaj was hilarious. He called me about 10 times a day a week prior to the interview with suggestions on what kind of questions to ask Manny. They were all corny but being able to talk about a sport with my dad that he liked was incredible. It actually brought a “bunny tear” to my eye (yes I said bunny tear, feel free to use it). I got teary because my dad has gone to watch Pacquiao fight the last seven years and this was the first fight since then that my dad was unable to attend. Ironically I did AND got to interview him.
Manny Pacquiao has a special presence about him that no words can describe. He is gentle, kind, humble and appreciative. Today fame, money, and power can sometimes steer people on the wrong path, but not for Manny. The PACMAN has stayed true to his family, fans and country. The most captivating thing for me during our interview was when I asked him how he stays true to so many people? He answered, “I have what I have because of God and I am very grateful. All I want to do is serve people and make them happy.”
I walked away from that interview with a warm spot in my hurt. Manny Pacquiao made an impact on me. He is so appreciative of what he has. I look up to him and understand why he is so respected and loved around the world. Mr. Pacquiao is so devoted to his people that before I interviewed him in his hotel room he had around a 100 people in there. From friends to family, to fans to even fellow congressmen, Manny was sharing his time to be with them. Let’s put it this way, the night before I fight, I’m going to want a massage and space; Manny prefers to be surrounded by loved ones and praying with them.
Every morning before a fight, Manny attends mass and invites whoever wants to attend. I was invited and indeed went to mass. This was another surreal experience to see an important, and successful athlete take time out for his faith. He truly lives a life of example.
After the mass it was show time ladies and gents. What better why to start it off then to sit next to female boxer Marlen and No.1 U.S. ranked male heavyweight boxer Steve Geffrard. We were Team Nike; two Nike boxers and a Nike Field Reporter charged with great confidence that our beloved Manny was going to win his eighth straight world championship. We had VIP seats and this tour trio definitely put the V-I-P in VIP :D
Nelly actually kicked it off by performing a couple songs, and the three of us were singing along and dancing. Soon after, the most anticipated fight of the year began. I asked Steve “what do you love about boxing?” I guess I wanted someone to answer the question that everyone in my past had failed to answer (with the exception of my dad of course) Steve answered, “I love it. It’s my passion because it gives me discipline, keeps me out of trouble, and I love it because it’s like my family.”
So as I turned back to look at the ring, I saw a man from the Philippines who loves boxing and what it has given him and his people—an opportunity. Pacquiao won his eighth title and completely dominated the ring but, most importantly he continues to teach us all to stay true to our families, our friends, our faith and ourselves.
