Just three months ago Peter Wilt, the founding President and CEO of the Chicago Red Stars, publicly announced that he was leaving Chicago and returning home to Milwaukee to serve as President and CEO of the Milwaukee Wave.
I first met Peter in the winter of 05/06 through our mutual friend Brandon Kitchens at a Section 8 Chicago event. I instantly discovered how fun-loving, kind hearted, and charismatic Peter is by the enthusiasm he displayed for the people around him. He went out of his way to welcome, share drinks and laughs with my sister and I, as he naturally roamed the room as a best friend to everyone there.
In the months that followed, Peter found out how big of a role women's soccer had played in my life and what a huge fan I was of the women's game. In the summer of 2006 he asked me to be an intern for the yet to be named Chicago Red Stars. I was beyond excited for an opportunity to work with Peter on the upcoming WPS team in Chicago, but sadly after a few weeks of assisting Peter I wasn't able to continue due to a new job. But that didn't stop me from further developing a friendship with Peter.
Peter Wilt & I (2009)
As Peter's friend I have continued to learn about the world of soccer and about friendship. I will forever be grateful that I had Peter at my side during the wake of our dear friend, Brandon. He reminded me of what an important role I had played in Brandon's life. I also have experienced numerous exciting times with Peter, such as the time I drove with him and Emma Hayes to Indianapolis to catch a FC Indiana vs. Chicago Gaels game. These moments with Peter and many more in between have taught me the importance of wearing my heart on my sleeve, maintaining friendships with those around me, and possessing a passion and desire for whatever work that sits in front of me, whether it be blogging, running a supporters group, or my 9-5 desk job.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Sophie Reiser, a senior at Columbia University, who was in town to participate in the Chicago Red Stars combine. She was kind, out-going and easy to talk with. After seeing how enthusiastic she was about her experience in Chicago I asked if she'd be willing to answer a few questions about her participation in the combine. She was more than happy to share the details of her Red Stars' adventures with me.
I heard about the Red Stars combine from Coach Hayes. I expressed a great deal of interest in playing for the Red Stars throughout this past season, so Coach Hayes thought it would be a good idea for me to come out to Chicago and see if I have what it takes.
What made you want to come to Chicago to try out and/or participate in the combine?
I wanted to come try out for Chicago because I had heard great things about the coaching staff, and Coach Hayes in particular. I haven't spent much time in Chicago, but living in Seattle and New York, I think it would be a great fit for me. I think the team has a great spirit and a ton of potential and I would love to be a part of that.
For those of us not familiar with a combine- would you be able to give us a general description of what exactly a combine is?
This combine was pretty straightforward. There were six teams of about 10 players each and about 10 goalkeepers. The first day consisted of teams playing against each other and a bit of skill work with the ball. The second day we warmed up with the Red Stars' strength and conditioning coach, Coach Scott, and then got into some testing. They tested us on sprints, our vertical jump, and the 300-yd shuttle. In the afternoon we broke into the same teams and got to play again. The games were usually around 25 minutes.
There were about 10-15 coaches from around the area (various colleges and clubs) managing the teams, taking notes, and generally scouting the play. The players were a combination of college graduates and current college seniors from all over the country - probably about 75 players in all.
On Wednesday I received a Chicago Red Stars e-newsletter that wished their fans a happy holiday season. If you're signed up for the Red Stars newsletter, which you should be, it is likely that you've already seen this Red Stars snowman supporter. In any event, I couldn't resist sharing this cute little guy with the rest of you.
Red Stars look to regroup in 2010 - Red Stars GM Marcia McDermott reflects back on the ups and downs of the Red Stars inaugural season in an interview with Soccer Hype blogger Giovanni Albanese Jr. She also expresses hopefulness for the 2010 team with players like Katie Chapman and Kate Markgraf, who will likely join the starting eleven. [Soccer Hype]
Lindsay Tarpley
WPS Chicago Red Stars' Tarpley Is Female Soccer Player of the Decade - Lindsday Tarpley and Heather O'Reilly were finalists for the Girl Soccer Player of the Year award from ESPN Rise. Tarpley edged out O'Reilly not only because of her commitment and hard work on the field but because of her dedication to the game off the field. During her junior and senior seasons, she served three-game suspensions for violating a state association out-of-school participation rule while playing for the U.S. youth national team. She petitioned the state, which ultimately changed its stance on the issue for her and future players in her state. [Bleacher Report]
No down time for the Red Eleven: Team busy during offseason preparing for second summer at Benedictine - The Red Eleven, who are a part of the developemental W-league, hope to improve in the 2010 season after a disappointing loss in first round of the playoffs this year (the Red Eleven were 10-2-1 in 2009). They've already scored a new head coach David Nikolic and a new assistant coach Greg Muhr. [Naperville Sun]
2009 Chicago Red Stars Combine - Players from across the country will show off their skill for head coach Emma Hayes and the rest of the Red Stars coaching staff on Thursday, December 10th at Max McCook Indoor Facility in hopes of catching her eye and scoring a spot on the Red Stars 2010 roster. [Chicago Red Stars Facebook Page]
Andrighetto invited to Chicago Red Stars combine:Senior striker will tryout for WPS team on December 10th and 11th - University of Missouri standout Kristin Andrighetto scored 11 goals and accrued five assists in her senior year leading her to a third straight season on the All-Big 12 first team [Mizzou - The Official Athletic Site of the University of Missouri]
WPS Features Three Finalists for FIFA World Player of the Year Award - On December 7th FIFA announced the finalists for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award, which included three WPS players: Cristiane (Chicago Red Stars), Marta (LA Sol) and Kelly Smith (Boston Breakers). [Women's Professional Soccer]
life in the red stars annex - Want to know what a day in the life at the Red Stars office is like? Get a look on the inside from Red Stars staffer Alyse LaHue. [WPS Fan Corner - Alyse LaHue]
Yesterday the Chicago Red Stars announced the signing of England's Katie Chapman to their 2010 roster. Today rumors have started to spread about another international player signing that could be in the works for the Red Stars with Sweden's Kosovare Asllani.
Asllani made her debut for the Swedish national team in 2008 and was called up to play with them this summer during the UEFA Euro Cup. She has been with her current club, Linkopings FC, for two years and has tallied 18 goals in 37 appearances with them. This could be exactly what the Red Stars need now that Carli Lloyd has secured a position with Sky Blue FC, Lindsay Tarpley is still rehabbing her injury, and with the uncertainty of Cristiane returning next season.
Until official confirmation is published via the WPS, I guess we'll have to wait patiently to find out if Asllani will join the Stars in 2010.
Have a look at this fun video clip of Asllani below:
The Chicago Red Stars have signed Arsenal and England National Team midfielder Katie Chapman to their roster for the upcoming 2010 season. Chapman will bring leadership to the squad, as she has accumulated 73 international caps since joining the team in 2000. Read more about Chapman's signing with the Stars here.
Katie Chapman training for the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Women's 2009 Euro Cup. [Photo Credit: England Women's Team Facebook profile]
Ella Masar pictured training with the USWNT. Masar saw playing time in the 2nd half of the US's game against Germany yesterday. [Photo Credit: http://womentalksports.com/twitter]
Yesterday the US Women's National Team played in front of a crowd of 30,000 in Augsburg, Germany defeating the German National Team with a score of 1-0 with a goal from Abby Wambach in the first half.
Here are some thoughts from U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage on playing in a World Cup-like environment and looking towards the future:
"We had 30,000 watching this came and my communication with the players is very hard, but it's good to practice that going into the World Cup 2011. There are certain things in the midfield we need to improve. When we make the decisions, sometimes its really good, but sometimes not so good. Sometimes we kept possession and played some pretty nice soccer, however, we couldn't execute in the final third. It's not only about the final pass, but also decision-making as well and that's something we will go back and look at it because to be successful we have to do that better." [Post-Match Quote Sheet: USA 1, Germany 0 - US Soccer]
What's most excited for Red Stars fans is that forward, Ella Masar, received her first cap with the team yesterday. She subbed in for Amy Rodriguez of the Boston Breakers in the 73rd minute of play.
In a not so surprising move, Carli Lloyd agrees to terms with Sky Blue FC. Lloyd's from New Jersey and this makes for a nice move closer to home. A Rutgers grad, Lloyd also was on the 2008 Olympics team, bringing the US team a gold medal. However, Olympic gameplay didn't translate to Red Stars success.
To say that her time with the Red Stars was disappointing is an understatement. In 14 games, she scored two goals and had one assist. Her play seemed lethargic and disinterested. It was really disappointing as a fan to see the contrast of, say, fellow Olympian Lindsay Tarpley, who ran around the field and showed that she deserved being team captain. Only half joking, I suggested via Twitter that the Red Stars replace her with a wooden plank with a mean face on it and get the same level of offensive output and aggressiveness.
In my previous blog entry I stated that Ella Masar would be joining her Chicago Red Stars teammate, Megan Rapinoe, with the USWNT at the end of October in Germany. However, Rapinoe just recently had arthroscopic surgery on her knee, which will sideline her for a few weeks. Kacey White of Sky Blue FC will replace Rapinoe, while Masar steps in to fill the shoes of the recently retired Angela Hucles.
Chicago Red Stars player Ella Masar was recently called up to the USWNT. She'll join teammate, Megan Rapinoe, when the US take on the German Women's National Team in Augsburg, Germany on Octorber 29th.
Masar is a fan favorite at Toyota Park, as she's an Chicagoland native and a graduate of University of Illinois. She started five games for the Red Stars this past season and tallied two assists.
Jill Oakes wins a header in the center of the box.
Ever wonder what the Red Stars players are up to during the off season? Many of the Red Stars players and staff continuously update their Twitter accounts with updates on what the Red Stars players, coaches, and staff have been doing while preparing for the 2010 season. Marcia McDermott the GM of the Stars recently updated her Twitter account to update fans on what center back Jill Oakes has been up to.
@mmcd21 Jill Oakes has been writing some interesting blog posts for prettytough.com. The newest is up. http://tinyurl.com/yjxzczc
Oakes discusses what it's like to be a girlie girl and one of the guys at the same time, writes about life during the off season, and there's an even a look at the beginning of her WPS career last spring. To read more of her blog entries take a look at PrettyTough.com.
One of the reasons I'm disappointed to see Nikki go is because she was an incredibly kind individual. She even went out of her way to post a message on Chicago Local 134's Facebook page to thank the group for their support this year. (While we all know that kindness is not the quality that makes a soccer team great, it is always nice to know that a good-hearted athlete is wearing your club's jersey.)
I just wanted to thank you guys for all your support throughout our first year. You guys are awesome and I feel so blessed to have started my career off in a place with such supportive and enthusiastic fans. Even though I am starting a new chapter in my career I just wanted to thank all of you for your support throughout the season. Hope to see you guys when we come to Chicago. Thanks again for everything!!!
Nikki
On behalf of Chicago Local 134, I wish Nikki all the best in Philly. Let's cross our fingers for an MLS/WPS double-header next year!
