[THE PITCH] Christen Press was the 2010 Soccer America College Women’s Player of the Year at NCAA Division I finalistStanford and won 2011 WPS Rookie of the Year honors at magicJack. When WPS suspended plans for the 2012 season, she signed with Kopparbergs/Gothenburg FC of the Swedish Damallsvenskan. In the firstentry of what will be […]
Christen Press
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The Chicago Daily News
[THE PITCH] Growing up, one of my dad’s favorite expressions was the compliment, “She always brings her lunch pail.” The phrase, with roots inAmerican football, tips its hat to the blue-collar workers who were so hard working that they barely took time for lunch. So, “On Any Given Sunday” right before I took the field, […]
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The Swan Song
[THE PITCH] Now wakes the Owl … Now sleeps the swan … Behold the dream … The dream is gone.” — Pink Floyd I have never been less excited to write a blog post. After two and a half years sharing stories about my journey through Sweden as a professional footballer, how could I possibly […]
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Win Or Go Home
[THE PITCH] A wise man once noted… “Again and again, I am reminded that soccer is, simply-put, ‘the game of life.’” Oh wait,that wasn’t a wise man … that was me. Two years ago, when I started this blog, a thread relaying many of the experiences I’ve chanced upon in my football adventure and the […]
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My Blog Blog
“Now is the winter of our discontent …” – William Shakespeare [THE PITCH] In the midstof what I can only describe as a winter whirlwind, six months ago I huddled up and headed North without the benefit of seeing too far forward nor the security of looking back. Immediately, I decidedto write a blog. I […]
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My Story Blog
[THE PITCH] To Torbjörn Nilsson, who is both my head coach and my Swedish liaison/mentor, soccer is a game of numbers. He explains the field in geometricterms. He talks of decision-making based on probabilities. In meetings he demonstrates how to break each situation down to a solvable equation. As I scribble down his lessons in […]
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My Fresh Perspective Blog
[THE PITCH] I am a world traveler. I like the sound of that, and more importantly, I like the truth in it. I think it implies not only that I have visited manyplaces, but also, I am on a course, a processof discovery; one that soccer has afforded me. While I am not a negative […]
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My Olympic Blog: What Dreams May Come
[THE PITCH] It was all a dream … 80,000 enthusiastic fans filling up Wembley, English soccer’s hallowed grounds… Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt floating around a mythical village … cameras flashing … Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony stopping by for congratulations … parties …press conferences … presents … and still more parties …Yes, it was […]
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Blog 21: The Red Zone
[THE PITCH] There’s a shirt in my closet that reads “The Red Zone.” That’s the nickname for the Stanford students cheering section. Inspired byAmerican football’s phrase denoting the critical area between the 20-yard line and the end zone, for me, this term evokes images of friends dressed head-to-toe in Cardinal red standing,screaming, and cheering for […]
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Blog 20: Opportunity
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference.”- Serenity Prayer [THE PITCH] I am learning a lot this year, as I stumble down my life path: realizing my power as both an athlete and human being. My experiences […]