Friday, July 26, 2013

Closing the Chapter to My Career at Carolina


Photo cred: ncaa.com

Hello again!!

So I know I’m supposed to have already moved on… I began my new chapter playing with FC Bayern München in January, but having left a semester early, I never felt like I really got the chance to turn the page on the Carolina chapter of my life…so pardon the length, but here is my heartfelt farewell…

My last two weeks at UNC were an absolute whirlwind. After winning the National Championship on December 2, we flew a redeye home from San Diego, I attended my last in-class lectures, and naturally, the nightly celebratory parties commenced. In between what I refer to as “experiencing four years of college in two weeks,” I took several final exams, finishing my grueling 19-credit fall semester, played some pickup soccer, and of course, celebrated some more. Teammates finished their semesters and everyday I was forced to give reluctant goodbyes as they departed home for Christmas break…With my four-years eligibility officially expired, I began talks with Bayern Munich, but was still undecided if I wanted to play overseas or in the newly organized NWSL. I had to pack up my room at the infamous “Yellow House,” aka the “Taj McCaul” and doll myself up for “the graduation party of all graduation parties” at the Carolina Inn (thanks Mrs. Jones) with fellow graduating seniors, Maria, Courtney, and Adelaide. And don’t forget Dino’s Christmas party and a few more nights at the Thrill. My last days as a student-athlete at UNC were winding down, everyone seemed to be leaving me (at least that’s how I rationalize my actual leaving), and I had big decisions to make about my soon-to-be job as a professional soccer player…AHHH!! December 16 came too fast, and after piling into my “baby” Lincoln Aviator immediately after commencement in the Dean Dome, it took all of two minutes into our drive on I-85 North for tears to swell up in my eyes…I wasn’t just driving home for Christmas break, I was leaving the southern part of heaven for the foreseeable future…

I couldn’t have chosen a better school than UNC to attend college. I had always dreamed of going to UNC (I think every little soccer girl does), and although I initially had doubts on my first recruiting visit, now I think back on my verbal commitment to Anson on October 22, 2007, and absolutely, without-a-doubt, know it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my young life. Of course the success I had on the field, winning two National Championships, the positive learning experience I had in the classroom, and the year-round beauty of Chapel Hill are obvious reasons I enjoyed my 3.5 years at Carolina. But what I really experienced, a sense of family and love, I cannot describe in words, and honestly can only be felt by those who dawned the infamous Carolina Blue jersey or were involved with the program in some capacity. I said it in my senior speech, but what I learned most during my experience at Carolina is the amazing things a team can accomplish when its feels like a family and the players share an unconditional, underlying love for one another...now let's rewind a bit...

I’ve rarely admitted it, but I showed up at preseason freshman year just hoping that I wouldn’t have an emotional breakdown and have to return home. Just a few months before I lost my father to suicide and my “soccer mom,” Charlotte Moran, to pancreatic cancer. Up until this point, my life was fairytale-esque...ranked the number one recruit, signing my NLI to play for one of the greatest dynasties, about to graduate summa cum laude, supportive parents and big brothers, a great group of “lunch-table” girl-friends…I had it all and the slope of my life was rising…and then I came home from school one night and all that I knew about my life in the past, present, and future, suddenly didn’t seem so perfect…

As you can guess, it was not exactly how I imagined my senior year ending or an occurrence I ever expected to have to deal with in my life…psychologists talk about the five stages of grief, and I think I experienced them all at once, and then again when Charlotte passed three weeks later… I was virtually numb to any and all emotions and I personified a “rock” … couple the death's of two significant people in your life with the change of leaving your family and friends to start college and play for the reigning National Champions, and you can bet I was off the charts on the Holmes and Rahe stress scale (knowledge courtesy of my favorite PSYC 101 course)…still I trained through the summer, not surprisingly finding soccer was my outlet, safe haven, and the only time my mind was distracted from the millions of unanswered questions running through it…

August 1st, 2009 rolled around and while I thought I was physically prepared, I didn’t know if I was mentally prepared to enter the “Competitive Cauldron” without my dad’s infamous leadership and motivational talks to turn to…Fortunately, those who know my mama, Jean Brooks, know she is one-heck of an amazing woman, and as she had along, would see to it that I continued to reach my goals and know nothing but love and support along the way…she promised to attend as many games as she could (she made it to 91/93 of my games btw) but I no longer had the support system by my side that I had been accustomed to for 18 years…I’m not sure who was more upset or worried when all my junk was moved into the Castle locker room and we said our goodbyes…my mom or me…there was also Megan Brigman who appeared so frightened she was a mute, but that’s certainly not the Briggy we know now!!

I managed to get through preseason with the help of a special group of seniors (Tobin Heath, Nikki Washington, Casey Noguiera, Kristi Eveland, Whitney Engen, Ashlyn Harris, Caroline Boneparth, Ashley Moore, and Sterling Smith) who set the standard for what it meant to be a Tarheel and established the theme of “TFLF,” which stands for “Team, Fun, Love, Family” and is still a motto of the team today. The coaching and support staff also helped me adjust to life in Chapel Hill, and of course there were parents such as the Eveland’s and the Jones’ who were always lending a hug and offering words of advice. It was perfect timing really…when my sense of family was shaken to the core, I inherited a family of thirty-some girls, their parents, and a handful of coaches and staff who became my Carolina family. This family continued to grow and grow over the course of my career, and ironically, it was because of my Carolina family that I had such a difficult time adjusting to my new life as a pro in Germany this past spring without them. The culmination of winning the National Championship and going out on top as a senior was the cherry on top of an unforgettable four year journey that featured a whole lot of hard work, late nights, ass kicking, and most importantly, feelings of love and family. 

Outsiders won’t be able to comprehend my indebtedness to Carolina and there will always be haters of the program…winning inevitably results in jealousy and ignorance on behalf of the foes that fall to our high-pressure system. Even in today’s age of parity, the fact that our practices and formula for winning are published in Anson’s books, and with the growth of the women’s game and talent in the US, the Tarheels have still managed to collect six of the last twelve National Championships, and 22 of the last 32 overall…the blueprint is out there, so why do we keep winning?! Well, of course it’s hard to emulate our coaching and support staff…there is the one-and-only Anson, who, regardless of your opinion, is undeniably one of the greatest motivators with an uncanny knowledge of the female psyche… Dino, who balances Anson out and keeps our defense in shape…Ducar, who is always good for finding the “born Tarheel” recruits…Tom, who ask anyone, keeps the program functioning…Nicole, who plays the thankless role of “mom away from home” to thirty teenagers…and you can’t forget our dedicated team managers, who ensure we don’t have to pick up a cone and provide comic relief on the days they have to jump in goal for 3vs3 (to read their complaints follow them @UNCManagerProbz)…

But beyond the ultra-competitive practices, the infamous 120s and cones fitness, and the statistics which never fail to illustrate “Where you’re at…” the secret lies in the players’ ability to get after one another at practice and then pile into a car and bump out to Kesha’s “Die Young” without ever having to verbally apologize for being aggressive (some would say borderline mean) because it is implied that you were only trying to “make me better…”

The secret lies in the seniors trying to incorporate and initiate the underclassman into the program, and come NCAA tournament time, underclassmen returning the favor by giving up their roster spot or sprinting 60 yards and diving on the goal line (aka The Brooke Elby) to ensure the senior’s get one more game in a Carolina jersey...

The secret lies, as Hannah Daly so eloquently wrote in her Thanksgiving note to the team, in the “self-sacrificial demonstration of love.” And this my friend, as cliché as it sounds, is the secret to the continued success of the UNC Women’s Soccer Team…we might be some super-competitive bitches, but at the end of the day, we love each other and are “family”…luckily for me, just because I won't take Fetzer Field again, doesn't mean that I am not a part of the Carolina "family" anymore...

The start of preseason and the 2013 season is around the corner and I have to keep reminding myself that my services are no longer needed…a new crop of stellar freshman will soon be moving into the Castle…dreading the first day’s Athletic testing and tweeting feelings of homesickness…but after the upperclassman are done pushing them through 120s and certainly after the beach trip…the freshies will realize that their “family” is thirty-strong and they are not so far away from home…

My undergraduate diploma in hand, I can now adequately close the chapter to my career at Carolina….what a storybook ending it was and I have my “family” to thank for that…of course I will be envious of all the Instagram photos and stalk the team Twitter account (@UNCwomensSoccer), but I do so now as an Alum…for my place this fall is in Munich…


“It is rare, indeed, when you are doing exactly what you want to do, with exactly the people you want to do it with, in exactly the place you want to be…In life, most people are happy when they just get one right, and two is like Heaven…(And getting all three right could only happen in Chapel Hill)."- John Gay (Adi's dad) 

EVERY DAY is a Good Day To Be A Tarheel,

Ber



P.S. If you don’t believe my words and want to visually see the “family” and “love” and absolute craziness I’m wrote about, check out Brittani Bartok’s YouTube masterpiece entitled Team. Fun. Love. Family: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsJFZ4jDNDM

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Let's give this blogging thing a try...





Follow me on Twitter: @abrooks22
Photo credit: framba.de


















Hey Y'all,

Two weeks ago I ventured back over the Atlantic to begin my preseason training with FC Bayern München for the 2013-2014 Frauen-Bundesliga Season...After a great seven weeks break which was spent in Canada, Hawaii, Chapel Hill, and my good  ole' hometown, New Hope, Pennsylvania, it was time to say the tearful goodbyes and reluctantly board the plane back to Germany where I will be until mid-December...I know, a long time, right?! But as my mom keeps reminding me, playing over here is my job, and it is pretty unprecedented to have a job that allows for seven weeks paid vacation time in your first year of employment...I think it is finally starting to sink in that playing soccer is my "job" and that I need to embrace the unique opportunity I have to be playing professionally for one of the greatest clubs in the world, in one of the richest "football" cultures in the world! Missing and being so far away from family and friends is an obvious downside of my job, but I have a feeling I will look back at my time with Bayern and be able to say that it was a once in a lifetime experience which helped me grow as a person and player...

So I've already been in Germany for five months, why am I starting to blog now? Well, as I think most know, I left UNC a semester early with nine credits to graduate. I took one online class this past spring and am currently enrolled in two summer online classes. Thus, I've been a bit busy typing assignments for those classes...but, get excited because as of this next Thursday, July 25, 2013, I will officially be a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill!!! As sad as it is that I will be an official Tarheel Alum, I am pretty dang proud that I was able to leave school early, be in classes while having a full-time job, and essentially teach myself these past six months so that I could say I still graduated in four years time (I wouldn't want my older brother's to beat me in something!)

With that being said, I realized with my formal education days behind me, I would need to find something to occupy my spare time in between eating, training, eating, napping, training, eating, and sleeping...especially since none of my favorite TV shows run during the summer...and since I enjoy writing, I decided to give blogging a shot...I have written pieces for soccer websites but never been consistent about it and considering my degree is in Interpersonal and Organizational Communications, I figured this would be a good way to better update my family, friends, and fans on what exactly I'm doing over here in Munich...it's not quite all schnitzel and soccer

To begin with, I'm just going to run through some facts/favorites that may or not be known about me...I would say I'm a pretty straight forward person and creature of habit, but I do have a few quirks...

Age: 22 (*Interesting fact: My mom and I share the same birthday- January 23- but a "few" years apart)

Nickname: The Ber or simply Ber (originated in high school at Pennington, has caught on with a majority of college teammates, friends, and family)

Favorite color: Orange and "Carolina" Blue (*notice there is no such thing as "Duke" blue or "State" Red)

Favorite TV Shows: Scandal, Revenge, Criminal Minds

I have two tattoos (with plans to get more...sorry mom)... "you'll never walk alone" in cursive on the outside of my right foot. No, I am not a Liverpool fan, just love the quote in memory of my dad and Charlotte Moran who passed away in 2009, as well as a reminder of my family and friends who are always supporting me on my journey... Also have a Carolina blue number 22 in block numbers on my left hip...22 has always been my family's number, I re-retired it at UNC, and the 2012 NCAA National Championship was the program's 22nd overall #deucedeuceforlife

I enjoy collecting quotes...I attempt to write down ones that inspire or resonate with me in my quote book that my good friend and role model, Yael Averbuch, gave me as a present for my high school graduation...I'm sure I will be posting some of my favorites on this blog...get excited!

I am a relatively superstitious person...I used to be much more superstitious to a point that was borderline unreasonable but have since realized it's much more about preparation and routine than "luck"...some superstitions that remain are...1) Anytime I set an alarm or timer on microwave, etc., it has to be one of the following i.e. 7:02, 7:12, 7:22, 7:33, or 7:44...I cannot simply wake up at 7:45... for some reason I have slight OCD with numbers and it isn't even an even or odd type of obsession 2) I have worn the same pair of shinguards since I was 14 3) I can't go a day without talking to my mom...ok not sure if that's a superstition or me just being "mommy's little girl"...big thanks to Facetime for making it possible to communicate face-to-face with my family and friends on the other side of the world!

Goals in life: Where to start?! Short term goals are to have a successful season with FC Bayern München and finish top of the table as well as be invited to another US Women's National Team training camp in the fall. Long term goals are to make the 2015 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic rosters and play professionally as long as my body allows me to and my heart is in it. Super long term goals are to open a one-of-a-kind soccer academy with fellow Tarheels Maria Lubrano and Yael Averbuch in the Chapel Hill/Raleigh/Durham area and/or start a foundation...sounds like I might have to go back to school for an MBA, but hopefully I have plenty more years to spend kicking a ball before I have to hang up my boots and put my formal education to use!

I think that's a good amount of information for my first entry... I have a busy weekend with training later tonight and futsal tomorrow so perhaps this time spent blogging would have been better spent  writing my final book report...but if you know me at all, you know that procrastination is my friend as I tend to perform better under pressure...

Ciao und bis später (Bye and Until Later),

Ber

P.S. Here's a preview of the 2013 Brooks Family Christmas card...featuring the newly wed Aaron and Kara Brooks..it was a joyous occasion on June 15, 2013 at Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii, but I also now realize I am the only single 'Brooks'...German boys holla atcha girl!