In Which I Let My Inner Soccer Mom Out

Curt and Cole played soccer all through high school, Craig coached youth soccer, and I follow both the men and women's USA teams. Truth be told, I am a HUGE soccer fan. 

So, when Breyer posted a photo of Torlinie, I popped his name onto the list of horses that I wanted to bring home from BreyerFest.

Torlinie is going to be named after my all time favorite soccer player, Ella Masar. 

Ella and Local Son Curt have been close friends since middle school. In high school they both made the boys and girls soccer teams and then as seniors, were captains of those two teams. They spent a lot of time on and off the pitch together and continue to be good friends to this day.

 

After playing soccer at the University of Illinois, Ella went professional and played for several US teams including the Chicago Red Stars.

Ella scoring on Olympic and World Cup champion Hope Solo during a Red Stars game.

Megan Rapinoe and Ella

During her time with the Red Stars, Ella invited Curt, Craig and me to Chicago to watch her play. She brought us back to the locker rooms where I was in soccer heaven -  Megan Rapinoe! Abby Wambach! It was so exciting to be around some of the top soccer players in the USA.

Brazilian National Team member Christiane was also playing for Chicago. Curt is fluent in Portuguese (he served as a missionary in Brazil), so they conversed a while in Portuguese after the game.

Ella was then called up to the Women's National Team with Rapinoe, Wambach, and Solo, and I was lucky enough to get to watch her play in a game against Germany. (Ella is in navy; I don't recall who #10 is for Germany.)

Ella (second from left) then went on to play on several teams in Europe - Paris Saint-Germain (France), FC Rosengard (Sweden), and VFL Wolfsburg (Germany).

Ella is married now to German futballer Babett Peter and they have an 18th month old son. She has retired from play and heads up Doyenne Sport. (If you click that link, that's Ella in the video.)

Ella with me and Michael Murphy, another of my kids' friends, at Cole and Emily's wedding reception.

So! Now you have seen a side of me you probably did not realize was there. I don't show that side much, but  it was fun to write about Ella, someone I love, admire, and respect.

It is very fitting that Torlinie's name is going to be Masar.