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RHIAN'S SOCCER JOURNALS:

DOWN TIME AS TORONTO EAGLES SOAR & RONA ROCKS 24 April 2008

As I have often mentioned in my journals, the National Women's team has not played at home for several years, (nor do we have home fixtures on the horizon), so, we often feel disconnected from our fan base.

For the past two weeks I and the team, have been on break from the National squad's residency camp, as we try to recover from the mental and physical tolls of the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifications Tournament. However, during this time I have been fortunate enough to have had two opportunities to meet National Women's Team's fans.

The first chance came with our sponsor RONA which held its first Eco-Responsible Day on Tuesday, April 22. To commemorate the day, the RONA How-To Team - made up of RONA employees - and Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, helped to work and help clean up nine selected Canadian cities.

In Montreal, athletes taking part included, Isabelle Rampling (Synchronized swimming athlete) Joannie Rochette (Figure skating) Francois-Louis Tremblay (Speed skating) Tara Campbell (Water polo) Marie-Pierre Gagne (Synchronized swimming ) Christine Robinson (Water polo) and of course, me from soccer.

Second, I was lucky enough to be invited to meet a Toronto-based Under 13 soccer team and their staff, the 95 Toronto Eagles Soccer team. I took the opportunity to drive to Toronto from Montreal with my father, (bonding time if you will), and to meet these Under 13 age-group players and their staff for a pre-season dinner and get together. I had a great time.

I had the chance to sit and talk with most players at the team table, and to hear about their ambitions, both in soccer and in life. I had a very good time talking with them and I loved hearing about all the activities they are into at the moment, their ambitions, and how many sports they manage to play at the same time. I wistfully remember the days of being involved in six different activities at the same time. Where did that energy come from?

Coach Maurizio Privitera, his assistants Ron and Serge, and his manager Afroula, obviously run a professional and interesting program. They had written to the Canadian Soccer Association and to the US Soccer Association for someone to speak at their event, and they heard back from Heather Mitts and me! The team chose the Canadian.

At the end of the meal, the Toronto Eagles generously gave me a huge bouquet of flowers and a soccer ball signed by the whole team, I was really touched. I had spent a wonderful evening with them and I always marvel when people are excited and interested in meeting me; I am sure I get way more out of these experiences than they do!

Maurizio Privitera, the Eagles coach, wrote that it was the "perfect" evening, and that "the Toronto Eagles wish the Canada team great success in China. We will be right there cheering you on to gold!!"

Good luck to the Toronto 95 Eagles in their upcoming season! Rhian

http://www.eteamz.com/TORONTOEAGLES95GIRLS/news/

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