Getting 50-ish players, their coaches and the groupies through ticketing, security and to the gate is quite a challenge. I think there are 86 passengers in total.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Packing. Departure in 3...2...1...
Packing.
Elli is off to school so I won't see her for over a week. She's going to have a great time with Maria's parents though, including a trip to see "Annie" on Broadway.
My jaw hurts, I must have forgotten something. Off to figure out what it was.
Elli is off to school so I won't see her for over a week. She's going to have a great time with Maria's parents though, including a trip to see "Annie" on Broadway.
My jaw hurts, I must have forgotten something. Off to figure out what it was.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Passenger F
We picked up Passenger F (my dad, Fred) today, so the whole crew is assembled for the trip beginning on Friday. In the mean time, Dad is visiting with Maria and Elli and we might take a short ski trip Wednesday afternoon. I'm surprised at how quickly the time has passed and that we will be heading to Logan Friday morning.
When I was 9 (at least, I think I was 9), I went backpacking with my Dad and Grandfather to the Three Sisters Wilderness in Central Oregon. I was a little young to remember the details of the trip, but I think we spent five days hiking and camped four times. I have a couple of vivid memories, including cutting between the Middle and South Sisters to trim a day off the trip when we realized we hadn't taken enough food along. That felt like a *real* adventure. Even 34 years later that trip is one of the highlights of my childhood. I had a copy of the Star Wars novelization that I read by the fire each night (it was 1978!). The blue, external frame backpack I carried had terrible shoulder straps. Dad taped some faux-sheepskin to the top of the straps to keep them from digging in to my bony shoulders. Being outside for what felt like an extended period opened my eyes a little to the wider world. I will try to track down a picture from that trip to post.
The poetry (or symmetry?) of a three-generation vacation stuck with me, so I'm glad Dad was able to come along to Portugal. It won't be quite the same, as we won't spend a ton of time with Jonah (he's traveling separately with the players, and has a room with a player). But in a lot of ways, this trip feels the same. I hope it stands out later to Jonah. Honestly, I hope it lives up to the expectations he's built up around it. From what others have told me, it should.
When I was 9 (at least, I think I was 9), I went backpacking with my Dad and Grandfather to the Three Sisters Wilderness in Central Oregon. I was a little young to remember the details of the trip, but I think we spent five days hiking and camped four times. I have a couple of vivid memories, including cutting between the Middle and South Sisters to trim a day off the trip when we realized we hadn't taken enough food along. That felt like a *real* adventure. Even 34 years later that trip is one of the highlights of my childhood. I had a copy of the Star Wars novelization that I read by the fire each night (it was 1978!). The blue, external frame backpack I carried had terrible shoulder straps. Dad taped some faux-sheepskin to the top of the straps to keep them from digging in to my bony shoulders. Being outside for what felt like an extended period opened my eyes a little to the wider world. I will try to track down a picture from that trip to post.
The poetry (or symmetry?) of a three-generation vacation stuck with me, so I'm glad Dad was able to come along to Portugal. It won't be quite the same, as we won't spend a ton of time with Jonah (he's traveling separately with the players, and has a room with a player). But in a lot of ways, this trip feels the same. I hope it stands out later to Jonah. Honestly, I hope it lives up to the expectations he's built up around it. From what others have told me, it should.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Pre Trip
Pre Trip, a set on Flickr.
Jonah, Fred and I are off to Portugal in a little over a week. For those of you that don't know, Jonah participates in the Mass Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program ("ODP"). As a member of the U13 ODP Pool, he's eligible to travel to Portugal to train and compete during February school vacation. He's been longing for this trip since he started ODP in 2011. Fourteen members of his pool (all born in 2000) and 33 overall boys up to U17 age are taking the trip. We'll be in the Lisbon area to start and end the trip, but will travel to the Algarve for the bulk of the time. The Algarve is along the southern coast of Portugal and features beaches and warm weather. We are expecting a bunch of snow starting tonight, so sunny beaches will be a nice change.
ODP was started by US Soccer in 1977 as a way to identify and train talented soccer players in each state. The country is divided into four regions, and each state association has an ODP program. In Massachusetts (and, I think, most states), players try out annually for the pool and then train with their age group in the Fall, Winter and Spring (totaling about 25 sessions). Toward the end of the spring and in to the summer, pool players begin to scrimmage other state association teams and attend events in their region to identify the top talent. In this way kids are exposed to other top players, college coaches, regional and national coaches, etc. It's the beginning of a vary long path to national recognition that only a few players will complete. It's also only one of several paths to elite recognition. Either way, Maria and I are very proud of Jonah for putting himself out there and testing himself against the top 12 and 13 year olds in Massachusetts.
Foreign travel is an option for players in the Massachusetts pool. It's not cheap (especially when parents tag along), but from what I've seen, it will be a great experience for Jonah. I plan to post updates here each day, and of course tons of photos.
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