Megan Rapinoe

Here is an email that I sent to the University earlier this summer:
I want you to pass on a thank you to Megan Rapinoe. A few weeks ago, my 16 year old niece, Katie, was visiting Oregon from Massachuetts. I wanted to show her Merlo Field since she and I are both avid soccer players and I am working on making her a UP fan.

Well the field was locked - as it should be. We were disappointed. As we walked back to my car, a player who was kicking the ball on the new turf field had noticed us. She asked if she could help. Once I explained our story, she welcomingly told us she could make it happen.

It wasn't that Megan showed us how to get in. She came with us and we shared our stories of soccer with her. She didn't just endure this 50 year old soccer player's stories and the story of my 16 year old niece's goaltending career. Megan came across as genuinely happy to be spending this 10 minutes with us.

Please thank her for me.

We spoke with Megan about the UP community of soccer and Clive Charles. I shared how I played against UP at UP in 1980 (or was it '81?) when I played for Evergreen State (we tied 2-2) before women were part of the NCAA. My niece shared stories of her high school team.

I could say that I am a UP fan because I love soccer, because I live near Portland and because the Pilots are great teams, but it also because of the humanity and community that Clive Charles cultivated. Megan Rapinoe is another example of that.

Nice letter...and a nice story.

By the way, did you happen to receive a response? (I'm assuming you sent the letter to the athletic department?)

Thanks

I did not get a reply. I sent it to the university president with my name and address. If he replied via email, it is possible that my email screener put it in junk.

Great story, wyeast! Not surprising at all, given what we know about the character of the players on the team, but still... it's through things like this that their reputation is built.

You should send that to Larry Williams, the athletic director. I remember when I was working for the athletic department a few years ago a similar type of story was sent in. I can't remember the exact details, but basically it involved the women's soccer team being very gracious and welcoming to some young girls while on a road trip in Arizona. I think it was a dad who wrote it and he was very eloquent in his praise of the UP women's team, and Larry forwarded the email to all of the employees and said that it's stories like this that make our program here so special.

So, wyeast, sending in stories like the one you did definitely does have an impact on people. Thanks for sharing it!

What better place to enter a thought I had last night in thinking over the Pilots' game against Kennesaw State? From what I've seen so far this year, the Pilots are a different team than last year. Not to diminish last year's team, but this year's team seems stronger willed, more determined. The will to win, the refusal to lose is there in way that at least was not as apparent last year. As I pondered this, the person who jumped to the forefront of my mind was Megan Rapinoe. Already this year, we've seen her exhibit a determination to win every ball that is awesome. It sets the standard for the team and they seem to be picking up on it. She is a true leader.

PS - Who else saw the six frosh immediately following the USC game. During the initial team melee/hug at the sideline, they all got together for their own frosh hug. They are an amazing group.

I've never seen that, UPSF. That is really cool.

And Megan definitely is a most determined leader who is the type of player who has the "Killer Instinct" I always look for in a team, and a will to win that is quite amazing.

UPSF

I saw that frosh huddle too. Saw the same thing last year with Keeelin, Elli and their cohort. UP has had two remarkable recruiting classes: six players in each class - and both including several national level players.

Last year it was Keelin and Elli; and Jessica, Hailee, Sara, Kristen. This year it's Michelle O, Danielle and Charney; and Kassi, Halley, and Emma.

5 national stars and a very strong group of other players who can make a substantial contribution. You can make a strong D1 team just from this 12:

DeYoung; Nelson, Olivier, McCluskie, Tsao; Burk, Winters, Jackman, Reed; Foxhoven, Kreminski.

I'd take that team to win the WCC!

And that does not include Megan Sweeney and Sophie Schmidt who are Sophs via redshirt. Add those two into that team and you can see how good this team can be for the years to come.

Great observation, Martin. I agree we've had two tremendous classes in a row.

If you look at our roster, 14 of 21 players are Freshmen or Sophomores. That means only 7 upperclassmen. And 2 seniors. One, (Rachael), has been lost for the season.

Bottom line, the Pilots are a very, very YOUNG team. I feel better about the UCLA loss just thinking of this one point!

Going back to the original topic of this thread, which is Megan rapinoe. I think that she has made a great start to the season. There are two things still not there yet, in my opinion. She hasn't scored many goals yet. I think her timing on shots is still coming back. And her first touch on the ball and on her passes is not quite right either. I think that this is all a matter of timing and match practice. If she gets sharp on those factors she will be very very good.

Megan has been friendly and gracious to my Pilots-obsessed teen daughter over the course of several years, so much so that my daughter picked her as her favorite Pilot and insisted we buy a used game jersey #3 when the Pilots sold off their outdated uniforms. Megan autographed it for her later.

Megan helps the Pilots every game whether or not she scores. Ask yourself one question: would you rather play with her or against her? No contest.

I may be wrong, but from what I've observed so far, I don't think Megan really is looking to score or has been given the primary assignment to score. She seems more in a "beat the *** out of the opposing midfielders" and then be a playmaker role. In Enyeart and Foxhoven, the Pilots already have two premier scorers, and I know the coaching staff asks players to fill different roles, so perhaps some of her lack of shooting is intentional. But, she is the first to say that she still needs to get some of the "nuances" back.

UPSF

Fair point about MR looking to score, but from that attacking mid position she gets chances to shoot from the edge of the area and has taken some shots. Two years ago she was dangerous from that range with either foot. I don't think she's that sharp yet.

I bet it will come by the time WCC games start.

There is no doubt that this weekend she really didn't look to shoot. She was more focussed on winning the midfield, which she certainly did.

She also left the game at the three or four goal mark each time. and only did a short stint otherwise.