Enemy Lines (completed)

7

We get to our room and change. I put on running shorts and a stringer as well as a knee brace while my kids put on shorts and a t-shirt. I made sure to pack their cleats and grab one of the balls out of the equipment staff's room before exiting the hotel and walking towards the pitch that the team would be using for the next 5 months. I set an alarm on my phone so we had enough time to get back to the hotel and shower before dinner since I would be introducing myself to the player that had arrived today.

We show up at the fresh pitch a couple of minutes later. Me and the kids put on our studs and stretched before playing a simple game of one touch.  After a bit we get into triangle drills as all of soccer is made up of triangles.

With thirty minutes left until we head back to get ready for dinner, I challenge my kids to a 2v1. I cut the field in half so we don't have to run as far. I start out with the ball and do a quick pullback before chipping it over Brett as I run towards the ball I see Ansley getting closer to me so I do one step over to a scissor step and push it through her legs with my left foot. After my daughter has been "megged" They both run after me I shoot but ended up giving it a little too much curve as it barely dings the back post and goes out. 

The kids restart and man their dad must've been a D1 track star because these kids got some wheels. I catch up to Brett and put a little pressure on him. He instead of trying to meg me he passes it back to his sister who is off to the races as I'm just trying to catch up. And before you say well you let your kids win, No! Everything is earned so yeah will I body slam them, definitely not but will put pressure on them and put them in a pickle yes. 

The score is 2-1 the kids are up. We have 5 minutes left till my alarm rings and I sure as shit wasn't going to lose to my kids. I start the ball off and push it sideways before running at a slant and rolling the ball over in a pull-back motion. I get about 5 years from goal but I can't shoot because my daughter is right in front of me so I try to do this weird trick where you pick it with one foot and sorta volley it to your other side but instead of taking a shot, you let it drop and hit the opposite side of the net. Well, that isn't what I did it turned into pain real quick as I dropped my knee to trap the ball I ended up pushing my luck and my knee gave out.

The kids celebrate as they won. I was in a lot of pain but I couldn't let my kids see or else they would feel bad and I'm not trying to stay up till 2 in the morning consoling crying kids I would most definitely but if I could avoid the situation entirely then I would. So I dust myself on hop-up trying to keep as little weight on my right knee as possible. 

We all take off our cleats and start the four-block walk back to the hotel. We were a lot slower on the walk back than the walk there.

We get to our room and shower quickly as my presence was needed in the meal room in 10 minutes. I put back on my clothes from earlier in the day and put my brace on over the slacks as my pants were a little snug already and wouldn't accommodate for the sheer size of the brace. 

Both of my kids were in jeans and nice-ish shirt, basically a shirt that fit them and didn't have dirt stains. We walk out of the room with 4 minutes to spare and make it to the meal room- a ballroom the USSF had rented out for the duration of our stay.

I make sure my kids have food as do I before sitting down with some of the coaches. All of them waving and introducing themselves to my kids before going back to their own conversations or engaging my kids into one.

Once the girls started pilling into the room it got louder as most of the staff finished eating quickly. The Majority of the accessory staff (Equipment, Atheltic trainers, etc. . .) Left the room as soon as their plates were cleaned. I made sure all the girls were accounted for before walking towards the front of the room. 

The room gets silent. "I just wanted to say hello and Welcome to camp this camp is going to be a lot different than what you are used to, Normally camp is one to two weeks long never something as long as this. But yes you have read the email correctly this camp will last 5 months to get everyone focused on the world cup and only that. Room assignments will change every two weeks so that everyone will have the chance to bond with everyone. I will go over tomorrow's schedule and then tell you how I came to be in this position. Tommorow Breakfast is from 7-9, After that, you are free as we wanted to give everyone time to get into Denver and sleep off the Jet-lag before we started training. Dinner will be served from6:30-8. Check your emails tomorrow before breakfast to I will pull you during breakfast to give you your times to meet with me as I have some questions and adjustments. Nothing too serious mostly to understand your style of play. Now onto the juicy stuff as you would say. I did not ask for this job as it fell into my lap. I have already talked to Jill and she has given me the go-ahead to really this information to you. Jill's wife's Mom is really sick, Doctors are saying she only has 6 months at the latest to live. Jill didn't want to leave her wife's side in this time of need so she has decided to step back and spend it with her loved ones before she passes. Jill called me I don't know why but something told her I would be a good fit for the job I still owe Jill after what she did for me after I had gotten injured. So I took the job because of a promise but don't get it twisted, I don't lose! We will take home gold and show the world what a group of badass women can do!" They all start cheering. "SIMMER DOWN!" All of them shut up and pay attention to me again. "My name is Bryn Woodly I have two kids. Brett and Ansley. Come here, you guys." I wave them over."These are my kids you guys can come  meet them before I send them off to bed so we can have a team meeting." All the girls come up and interact with Ansley and Brett after 15 minutes of them joking around together they all find their way back to their seats. I lean down next to my kids. "Can you guys go ask Mrs. Wambach if she can take you back to the room.I promise this meeting won't go long and then we will cuddle until bedtime okay?" They both nod as they walk towards Abby. I see her nod as Ansley hands her our key card.

After the kids leave the room as well as the rest of the staff I start talking again. "So here's a little about myself. "I'm 27, before Jill called me I was a sales rep for a clothing brand startup in Winston Salem north Carlon, Go Dec's. When I was 17 I shredded my knee, All four tendons were torn and I wasn't able to return to sports. Ansley and Brett are not my real kids they are my Ex-wife's, she has had to step out of the picture and that is all I will say on that front. I have no professional coaching record, much less I haven't watched soccer in the last 10 years. But I am confident in my ability to teach. Now if you have any questions feel free to ask them now and if they cross a lien I will tell you that I don't feel comfortable answering that and you get another question. Now questions?" All the girl's hands fly up. "We will go from front to back starting with Christen."

====

opps. 

Also I'm going up to see my family in like 2 days and I'll be up there for like 3 weeks so If I don't update I'm sorry.