Behind The Scenes

Over the past few posts, I've given you all a pretty good sense of Jaimie's personality. Today, I am focusing on how that personality has affected our team.

Off the field, we're like sisters to Jaimie. We enjoy her company, are there whenever she needs us, share plenty of inside jokes, and just smile at the sight of her. And to her, we are her inspiration.

She is also ours. 

But, how does that translate to us on the field? 

To our captain Marissa Mertens, it's Jaimie's strength. Not many people undergo in a lifetime what Jaimie has underwent in only eleven years. It's a wonder to us all how she manages to get out of bed every morning, let alone go to school, have a social life, and just be a kid. Her strength is what has inspired Marissa and made her into one of the most feared players in our conference. Not because she is a bully, but because she is strong. She knows how to never give up and always keep fighting, and we have Jaimie to thank for that.

To our freshmen, it's her courage. What Jaimie has been through has left her with the one character trait that we all want to develop: fearlessness. Being the newcomers this past season, the freshmen were thrust into an uncomfortable environment not knowing what to expect. Through Jaimie, they were able to be brave. Seeing how Jaimie can stare adversity in the face and walk right into it inspired them to do the same. 

To me, it's her happiness. It's how innocent and carefree Jaimie is, despite what troubles she is facing. It literally baffles me how she can always show up more jolly and excited each time we see her. Even on her worst days, she faces the world with a smile. That's how I try to play. Soccer is a competition of course, but really, it's just a game. It's not a tumor. Why let something so menial as one game, practice, or moment on the field ruin your joy? For that reason, I don't take anything too seriously (which my coach doesn't always approve of.) But, it keeps the team together. In tough moments, things heat up, but I'm able to keep us cool. Whether it's through a joke, a laugh, or a smile, if Jaimie can show up with a smile - so can we.

And to the team as a whole, it's just her. She's Jaimie, and that's enough for all of us. Watch the following video to see why we play for her. Coach says it best:

Live in the moment, play in the moment.

#TBT: Jaimie Edition

In honor of Throwback Thursday, I would like to give you all a little glimpse into the most torturous, yet exciting part of any college soccer player's life: preseason. This is the time when division one women's soccer players across the nation return to campus in early August to train for their season. And by train, we mean participate in at least two, multiple hour practices per day for about three weeks straight. It's extremely enjoyable, yet dreadful at the same time, if I didn't make that clear.

Sorry Coach, but this throwback is the best part of every college soccer player's life: THE OFF DAY. This is the glorious 24 hour period where the NCAA requires athletes to take a break - I know, I barely knew how to spell the word. Usually, coaches try to squeeze in some sort of team bonding activity that most people hate. Last year, however, it was different.

Coach said we were taking a surprise trip.

Hiking? We guessed, and groaned.
Ugh, maybe it was another "Color Run," also known as "fitness in disguise."

No.

JAIMIE'S HOUSE.

Ecstatic doesn't even begin to cover it. We were like little kids who were just given a snowday. We put on our bathing suits, baked some cookies, and embarked on the hour trip to Westchester to finally see our little girl after a summer apart. We jumped into a caravan of vehicles and finally pulled into Jaimie's driveway honking up a storm. The usual hug-line felt like it was hours long. I've never seen Jaimie so excited.

Instead of being her usual, shy self, she ran up and hugged each and every one of the freshmen - who she had never met before. Our "off day" was probably the least relaxing one we've ever had, but no one dared complain. We loved every second of it. After sitting down for approximately two minutes, feasting away on all the unhealthy snacks, Jaimie chose her first victim. She grabbed our captain by the hand and dragged her, literally, into the pool. The fun began.

Jaimie was permitted to swim while wearing a cap over her scar, so that's exactly what she did. She didn't show any shame, nor should she have. Of course, every time her parents turned around she took the swim cap off, but what else would you expect?

There was volleyball, tag, and Jaimie's own game - Bubble Butt. I would include a video of Jaimie terrorizing our coach up while playing the game, but at the risk of never seeing the field again, I opted for our assistant coach instead... Enjoy!!

So, at the end of the day, after our hot-tub recovery, barbecue, baked goods, roasted marshmallows, and Jaimie's favorite, colored ice-pops, we sadly returned back to Marist leaving Jaimie behind.

It was by far the best off day I have ever had.
I will never settle for a Color Run ever again.

Live in the moment, play in the moment.

Marist Women's Basketball Annual Friends Of Jaclyn Game

On Wednesday, January 29th, The Marist Women's Basketball team hosted Rider University on their "Friends of Jaclyn" night. For two years now, the Marist Women's Basketball team utilized their last home game to honor Jaclyn Murphy, founder, and all of the Marist College Teams who have adopted a child through the foundation. Even though Jaimie was feeling a little under the weather on this day, she refused to miss out on an opportunity to see her team. 

The entire Marist Women's Soccer team arrived to the game early, anxiously awaiting Jaimie's arrival. Finally, we saw a little girl in the distance sprinting through the crowd.

Jaimie.

We all ran over and lined up for our usual chain of hugs. We directed Jaimie to the highest bleacher seat available in the crowd (her favorite because no one's head was blocking her view) and we watched the first half of the game in smiles. And by watch the game, we mean pretend to watch the game and really just stare at Jaimie the whole time and fight for her attention. We could tell she was a little sick as she was a little less peppy than usual, but she still brought a unique spark to the game. We heard all about her new teacher, how boys still have cooties, how she climbs trees all the time, and how she loves her mom's new iPad. 

Before we knew it, the buzzer sounded and it was halftime. That meant it was time for the FOJ ceremony. Jaimie was nervous, of course. Being the center of attention in front of a 500 person crowd isn't even easy for me. But, once she was offered a piggy back ride, she took the fame with no problem. Jaclyn's dad spoke for a while about how supportive Marist has been to the foundation, and then proceeded to welcome a few new adoptees. Jaimie was the star of the event, and led to me instagramming this super cute picture, captioned "our adoptee > yours."

Because she truly is.

Stay tuned for more updates! Remember, live in the moment. Play in the moment.

I'm Back!

Hi everyone,

     I know it's been a while, but Play In The Moment is back in action! Unfortunately, Rycke has moved on from the blog since our class together ended, but I'm now continuing to write for my English class. When I saw the assignment sheet and "experiential blog" was a topic, I knew instantly that I wanted to finish telling Jaimie's story. There's still a lot left to tell, and I'm excited to fill you in on what you've all been missing out on, and keep you all posted about what's to come! This time though, I intend to make this blog spread even further. So, if you're reading this, tell everyone you know - Jaimie deserves it!

Here's a little photo preview of what's to come:

Live in the moment, play in the moment.