LITTLE CANDY CORN'S RAINIER CHALLENGE EXPERIENCE

First I want to tell all of you a little history about the rainier challenge and me.

I have been to the rainier challenge 3 years in a row..The first time I went because I was invited to go watch by the U18 Royals coach, he also told me I should try out for their team (I was 7 at the time); My mom thought it was cool! My dad said No Way! But my dad agreed I could go watch them. I was going to go watch the U11 White team play..I was so excited! I didnt know much about select soccer levels so this invitation for me was very important..The teams asst coach said they had aspot open and asked if I would like to start playing on their team after the rainier challenge! I asked my parents and they were not sure that it would be a good idea..But I pleaded with them for 3 weeks..And they finally gave in..When I went to the fields to watch them I was out of breath because their team was so concentrated that it was all or nothing..I have never seen a whole team play as if it were there
last game ever..I knew then that this was what i wanted to do.....SELECT SOCCER..I have always loved it when there was a lot of pressure in all of my games..I wanted to be in a level where I can be able to play soccer all year long. I was so happy that I was able to watch a wonderful game played in front of my eyes..(I was 8 years old then)..I started playing in my first select soccer team. But, it was AFTER the rainier challenge.

At the last rainier challenge I again went to go and only WATCH the games played upclose (I played on a different select team last year that was closer to my home).. again I was astounded to see how much the kids love playing soccer..I didnt realize how much soccer meant to these kids, but watching them play with such high level of skills and speed it just took my breath away..I was mesmerised by the way their feet were moving up and down the field..I was on the sidelines once again watching a friend of mine coach his team..He was the coach of U11 boys team..I got to see a lot of teams play that weekend, I wished to myself that I would get to play in it someday......FINALLY, My 3rd rainier challenge was no longer on the sidelines but on the pitch..I knew it would be so much different to be involved then to be on the sidelines.

I was beyond excitement.. The week before my first game i went to school and thought of nothing but the tournament..I practiced, practiced and practiced at home and with my team that whole week.. Then friday came and I had to go to school..Well my mom got me out early that day because it was my first game of the tournament..And plus my mom had to make sure we didnt get stuck in traffic too bad..One of my best friends who also trains me sometimes came and watched my first game..I was loving the pressure and sweating before I even played..I started juggling right when we got to the FC United fields..and took some shots at the net..I was so ready to play.. I was in my zone where no one can touch me..My teammates were very excited too.. I was
very proud of them after the game..We gave it everything we had! I was also happy to score with my friend watching. I couldnt ask my teammates for anything but to give it their all.. I felt that if we had lost, it somehow would had been my fault, because i was not good or strong enough to get us the scores we needed.. I have always had that pressure on myself at any games i play.. I was not satisfied if I didnt play my hardest at all times.. And with this tournament I just couldnt give any less.. So with all said we won our first game.. :)

Saturday we played 2 games and it was starting to get more and more exciting for me.. Our first game of the day we played hard and we won again!..I knew then that my team is going to go further ahead and i just couldnt wait for the semifinals on sunday.. Boy talking about under pressure.. We won our 2nd game saturday and even had time to watch our "big sisters" play afterwards.

Well sunday came, and guess what? We made it to the semifinals.. I was so happy that we would get to play Eastside.. I was ready for anything that day.. I played my heart out, (I wished my idol Christiano Ranoldo was there ..haha) .. I was so proud of my team, they were fighting hard and giving their all to this game.. We really played as a team should..I could not tell you how much my team-mates mean to me.. We worked so hard in such a little time to prepare for the tournament.. We won the
semifinals and headed on to the finals.. I remember coming away from my team after the handshakes with the refs, I went straight to my mom and jumped on her with tears.. I was so happy .. I held on to my mom for awhile because I could feel her heart beat , and it was beating hard just like mine was.. I couldnt ask for anything Here it came. The game of the day... The Championship!...I was ready for this, my team was ready for this...so here we go ...we played Timbers, it turned out to be a
very hard fighting game... and I did not want it any other way...they were aggressive and so were we... we battled hard in the 1st half and the score at halftime was 0-0... i was proud to play a team that was not afraid to give it there all... i also thought that the ref did a great job... in 2nd half timbers scored 1-0 and so the pressure became CRAZY!!! I was on the sidelines for most of the 2nd half and I was chewing my nails and yelling for my team... All my teams parents on the sidelines were very nervous too I bet. Well, right after I came back in the game we got a PK because of a foul inside the box. I remember the coach saying "B! take it". I don't remember too much after that, everything got very quite as I locked my eyes on the goalie and stared at her as hard as I could....the ref blew the whistle and i took the shot... I don't remember where the ball went but when I looked up the ball was in the back of the net!!! I started crying on the way back to the middle of the field......I was so happy for my team, I knew we would win it all now. The game was tied 1-1 when the ref blew the final whistle. The game went on for 2 overtimes...and neither team scored, and so the outcome of a great game was decided over shootouts... I have to admit though I love that kind of pressure... I know that it was hard on both team to have to go through this... and so did our parents... the girls for both teams that didnt make their PK goal cried while they walked back to the middle of the field..girls from both teams were in tears... but in the end, the Timbers walked away with their tears turned into smiles...but my team didn't ... we did still have our PRIDE ...or coach talked to us after the game but I don't remember what he said...my mom and dad hugged me but I don't remember what they said either. I do remember going up on the stage to get the 2nd place medal....as soon as i got off the stage I took it off.... I wanted the championship medal... there is nothing wrong with being a finalist, it is just that my team and I wanted more and
we WILL accomplish that... if i hold on to those beliefs, my team and I can accomplish all our goals someday

I am striving to be the best player ever so my hard work and efforts and strength is all for that goal and nothing else... I live and breathe soccer... i even sleep soccer.... I train myself everyday to make sure that my goal is reached... I am so glad that my experience can be told and shared.......I am so proud of our coach because he was amazing out there! He was calm and he showed us just how much confidence he had in us...our assistant coach was amazing as well, she did such a great job in helping out with our positions...I dont know what would happen if my coach was not the coach he is...I will continue to play my hardest for him and make him proud at every game....I am looking forward to the PORTLAND CUP...I am so excited to play again in this level of tournament.... I also want to win the state championship someday and I am ready to run run and run and sweat sweat and sweat to help my team reach that goal! PRACTICE TRAIN PRACTICE TRAIN nothing less.

Thank you WPS for letting me tell my story....these are my thoughts and feelings, all in this story.

My Name is BEAUTIFUL (aka Little Candy Corn)
GU11

WPS Soccer would like to thank Lil' as I know her from the forum. When she mentioned doing it, I just thought it was just some 10 or 11 year old talking. After reading it, I think even duffer would be proud of you, and I'm positive many of our younger players and older will enjoy reading your story and your words.