Yep...I have had so many opportunities to be impressed with these girls and young women who play--not just the ones who grew up with soccer, but also some of the ones who find the sport in their high school years and fall in love with it. I think the term "fiercely committed" would apply. So many examples I've seen...there was the defender (a former cheerleader who crossed over, no less) who played 2/3 of a game with a broken big toe on her primary kicking foot and managed to hide it from me to make sure I wouldn't take her out. The tears were flowing after the match, but she never showed a thing on the field. This was the same girl who, in August conditioning, veered off the track to a 55-gallon trash drum, continued to dance in a circle around the can while she emptied her lunch into it, wiped her mouth, and kept running--never missed a step.
I've had girls in high school and in club who would give their last ounce...come off the field near exhaustion, get some ice to cool down, and ask to go back in 5 minutes later. I've seen them play sick and injured, and had some tell me if they died on the pitch, it would be a good way to go.
When these young ladies commit, they are in all the way..."deadly serious" is a good way to put it, and I remain impressed with them.
