98 days and counting…

It’s been a long road to get to this point but it’s final- the team has been chosen and we have one goal in mind-  Bring Back The Cup!!  It was only a couple of weeks ago when we were first introduced as the 2009 World Cup Team.  It was probably one of the most proud moments of my life.  I’m sure my teammates felt the same way.  We were playing in the South of the Border tournament in North Carolina.  That weekend was filled with great competition against collegiate teams Duke, UNC, JMU and some international competition against England and Wales.

We took the field on Friday night at Koskinen Stadium on Duke’s campus to face our first international match against England as the 2009 World Cup Team.  As we took the field to start our warm up there was an overwhelming feeling of pride.  If you look at this team from the stands there is no way that you can’t notice the love of this tight knit group.   We put everything out there for each other every second of every play.  As we were warming up I remember looking at the scoreboard-  USA v ENGLAND  and I thought to myself- Wow!  That is US, we are the national team, we are representing this great country.  It was and always will be one of the greatest moments for me.  I feel so fortunate to be a part of this team and to play with the 17 other greatest teammates in the world.  We are ONE!

T Minus 8 Days

Now that the holiday season is behind us, we are only a week or so away from our next event for US -The Champion Challenge in Florida. This is a huge event that US Lacrosse has put together for the past couple of years. Knowing that this event was sneaking up on us we are all working out and preparing ourselves for an exciting, competitive weekend. The great thing about this team is that we are all so supportive of one another.

As you may now, training on your own is a hard thing to do. We are constantly on email or calling each other with new ideas that will keep us motivated and help push us to the limit. Some days you may just get a one liner that just makes your day. I don’t think that there is a day that goes by where we don’t think of each other. As a group we are so united. We all want to see each other succeed. I think that we have a bond that sets us a part from most teams. It’s like a family reunion when we see each other. Our family time is taken very seriously and since we are limited in the amount of times that we are able to get together we don’t want to waste a second.

We are six months away from the World Cup and the fun is just beginning…..

Michele DeJuliis

If you take a walk down memory lane to the year 1994, you may remember when South Africa held its first interracial nation presidential election, in which Nelson Mandela was elected President.  Or, you may remember being one of the 95 million viewers glued to your TV watching OJ Simpson’s exciting low speed chase along LA’s highways.  Does Tanya Harding’s bitterness turned violent on Nancy Kerrigan, in a physical attack on her legs prior to the Olympics ring a bell?  You may also remember the US sending troops to the Persian Gulf, or perhaps even Major League Baseball players striking.   Friends aired on national television for the first time, The Shawshank Redemption was released, and Tom Hanks won his second consecutive Best Actor Oscar for his role in Forrest Gump.  Dallas Cowboys won the Super bowl, the World Series was not held, Martinez defeated Navratilova at Wimbledon, and Brazil defeated Italy in the World Cup.  While all of these events have impacted culture and society in both the US, and throughout the World, a significant even occurred in my own personal life- the beginning of my career on the US National Lacrosse Team.

You may be thinking, really? Or you may be like, wow, I wasn’t even born yet! Most of you are probably thinking, umm… I was only 2, but yes it’s true, it was that long ago when I began my career playing for team USA. I can remember arriving at Germantown Academy in Pennsylvania for tryouts. I was 18 and eager to represent the greatest country in the world. I remember walking up to the check in and seeing all of the amazing players that I had worshiped during my lacrosse career, and being amazed that I now actually had the opportunity to take the field with them! The fun thing about being young is that you don’t know any better than to just go out and play hard. The competition was top notch and I was determined to make my mark within the National Teams program. I will never forget the players that made a difference in my life as a young player. The players that embraced me and guided me will certainly not go unnoticed. Fast forward to fourteen years later, now I am the older player that has this amazing opportunity to share, support, and guide these young players to be the future of the National Teams program. I am so fortunate and honored to be in a position to make a difference in their lives like that past players have done for me. In looking back and reflecting on my entire lacrosse career thus far, I realize the extreme importance of setting personal goals for yourself as a young player. Your own talent and abilities, coupled with hard work and determination, are essential ingredients necessary for reaching your goals. When you reach your goals, don’t become complacent. Rather, I challenge you to set bigger and better goals, work harder, with more determination and dedication, and you will truly become the best that you can be!