Staff Training 2015

Hello everyone!! Did you miss me?

As a lot of you know, I have spent the last eight summers at a wonderful place called Camp Bishopswood, and part of being at camp means that I have very limited time to do much else than be really immersed in camp, so unfortunately writing blog posts has been one of the things to fall through the cracks.  Here at camp, we have spent the last couple of weeks on "magic time," which means that we set our camp clocks a half hour ahead so that we can maximize our time with daylight in the evenings. Unfortunately for most, it also means we are waking up a half hour before the "real world" people do.  On weekends, we roll the clocks back, so long story short, my body is stuck on "magic time" and I am up and ready to go!  While there are many things that I want to write about when I finish camp, I can't help but put down a few words about this summer and the things that have been happening here at camp!

Winter Camp

Unlike many of my seasons at Camp, this one started long before the campers were bustling around here. Mike, our director invited a group of the leadership staff up to the Gate House in early February for "winter camp."  We had a great time catching up and getting the ball rolling, brainstorming about things that we would do this summer to keep things fresh and fun for the campers.  As part of the weekend, we took a hike down to center camp to check it out.  This turned out to be way more work than any of us thought it would be!  A walk that takes about 8 minutes in the summer took at least 25, as we trudged through waist-deep snow towards camp.  When we finally got down there, it was as beautiful as always, but SOO snowy (as illustrated in the photo on the left.)  As we talked about camp, we agreed that the throughout the past couple of summers we have definitely made steps in the right direction as far as programming is concerned, and that we didn't want to make any wholesale changes to our scheduling.  We began to brainstorm fresh new ideas for All Camp Activities and one that stuck (and I'm happy that it did) was to have our first annual Color Wars (more on that later).

I will admit that in past years after the camp season ends, my attention has often turned quickly towards other things (college, friends, work, etc.), which makes it difficult to stay in a mentality that allows me to do productive tasks in the off-season for camp.  This year, however, I had a job that didn't require too much preparation or attention away from the job, so that opened up a lot time for me to do camp things remotely from my apartment (which was truly great!).

Enough about me though, I want to talk about the summer now!

Summer Camp!

I have enjoyed camp this summer immensely (one of my favorite summers for sure).  Like any summer, there have been challenges and unexpected events that can be stressful, but having incredibly creative cabin counselors, leadership staff that is super cohesive, and many memorably wonderful campers it makes all of these things afterthoughts.  This being the first summer that I spend at camp without Amy, I came in with plenty of apprehensions, not sure how this adjustment would manifest itself (especially after having lived with her for the past year).  POOP week and the beginning of Staff Training week were particularly difficult for me.  I still had some close friends on staff with me but it was just a little different than having my girlfriend of eight years and my little brother/best friend with me.  In transition times or during down time when I would spend them with Amy and Isaiah, I found myself feeling a little bit lost.  As the week progressed, I began to realize (through the help of some amazing people) that rather than dwell on the things that I was missing, I should try my best to live in the moment and get to know those who were around me. 

Such a Wholesome Group

On Wednesday night of Staff Training week, we decided that we were going to do a full campout experience so that those who hadn't done one through the perspective of a counselor would have the opportunity to do so.  To be honest, I was not looking forward to it.  As a counselor, I enjoyed cooking out and spending time away with my cabins, but there has always been something about sleeping in the great outdoors that I have trouble coming to love.  However, I knew that as a program director, it was important for me to put my program face on and enjoy it as much as possible.  As the evening progressed, I found that I was enjoying myself and my company far more than I had anticipated.  I was learning knew things about those that were in my group and really feeling more connected than I had for the previous few days. 

Our Campfire

As the evening was coming to a close, I began to settle down in the tent, getting ready to read before I went to sleep.  As I was doing so, Jake (a former camper of mine and first year counselor) came to settle in as well.  I read for a few minutes in silence and then suddenly he asked "what is your biggest piece of advice for me as a first year counselor?"  I answered the question the best way that I could, and ended up having a really lengthy, meaningful conversation, something that I had not expected at all.  It was a real turning point for me as far as feeling connected and part of a community that I had been in for so long.  I woke up the next morning looking forward to the summer to come and really feeling positively about the strides not only I had made, but that the rest of the staff was making as well!
Thursday of Staff Training week was our mandatory fun time, and boy was it a doozy (yep, I said doozy).  We began our mandatory fun by gathering at Lauren's camp and just spending some quality low-key time together.  Katherine and I split the counselors up and we were able to pair some counselors with their "Friends for Life."  After that, we made the big reveal of cabin pairings.  This has been a stressful process in past years, as some personalities just don't necessarily work well together.  This year, thankfully, that was not the case.  As the leadership group discussed the pairings there were really no red flags that were rising.  As we announced the pairs, there was some outward excitement as well as some inward enthusiasm about the people each person would be working so closely with all summer.  We breathed a quick sigh of relief... no drama in the announcement this year (Phew).  The afternoon continued with some grilling, going to Belfast for Ice Cream, and culminated with some candle pin bowling to end the evening.  Earlier in the day, each group was given the assignment to pick out costumes for the last event (which at the time was a mystery).  Once we got to the alley, we costumed up (my team was Hawaiian themed).  I never thought I would ever laugh or dance as hard as I did while we bowled.  It became clear to me as we were bowling, singing, and dancing together that this year's staff was in it for the right reasons, and it was going to be an absolutely amazing summer.  At one point towards the end of the night, Mike pulled me aside and said "Look at this Noah and remember it when you are feeling exhausted and frustrated in the middle of the summer."  It was really valuable advice.
Bowling ended, we climbed back on the bus, and traveled back to camp, visibly drained for the activities of the day.  As we filed off the bus, I could feel the positive energy from the staff and felt very confident that we were about to have one of the best summers ever!

Best Staff Ever?

More to come about the later weeks soon!
Until Next Time!    

Happy Father's Day (Yes, It's Late)

Hello blog world!  I am finally out of the woods after a stellar summer (more to come on that at a later date) and am excited to be back in the blogosphere.  As much as I want to tell you all how much fun I had at camp this summer, I missed a very important day on here and need to rewind back Father's Day to give a little airtime to a living legend and my wonderful father!

Meeting Dan Spofford is an experience that few people would ever forget.  His constant smile, enthusiasm, and occasional toilet humor attract people to him.  Whether I am in church, visiting him at work, or meet someone in passing who knows Dad, the response to me telling them that I am his son is always the same.  The person's face lights up with a smile and they say "Oh you're Dan's son!"  I haven't met too many people in my life that are able to leave that sort of impact on people.  One day I went to visit dad at the hospital he works at and wasn't quite sure where his office was, because he had just relocated.  I went to the front desk and asked where I might find him.  The woman at the front desk didn't know him by name, but once I told him that he is in charge of patient care satisfaction, it came back to her and she said "Ohh yeahh, he's the one that's always smiling, he must be great to have as a dad!!"  It's true, it really is.

In my post about my Mom, I talked a lot about how she lives with a quiet calm demeanor.  Dad does not.  Although he shares many traits with my mother, (i.e., thoughtfulness, kindness, compassion, zeal for family, love of God, many others...) quietness is not one of them.  When the boys come home from being away, Dad is always there to greet us in excitement (often jumping up and down calling us one of many of our nicknames, mine is Noodie).  He whoops and hollers, as we squirm through his excitement.  While we pretend to hate this ritual, it is one that deep down inside we all know we look forward to as we enter the house.

One thing that I have definitely inherited from my Dad is the love of singing (and doing it constantly).  When we are home and wake up on the weekends or holidays there are two things that we can bet on. 1) There will be a delicious breakfast prepared.  2) Dad will be singing as he greets us in the morning.  He is certainly a morning person and there have been more than a few mornings that his energy has been met with chagrin from one or more of us boys.  After a little while though, the energy he shares with us (the coffee helps too) finally kicks in, and we have a great day.

Dad is a man of many emotions and wears all of them on his sleeves.  We always know if Dad is happy, sad, exhausted, or upset, because he (or his behaviors) will tell us.  On occasion Dad has been known to lack a filter and often says exactly what's on his mind.  This is a trait that most of us boys share within the house and with those closest to us, but hide it well otherwise.  The first time I ever brought Amy home to meet my parents, my Dad immediately began to dance with our dog Sam and started sing "once in love with Amy," I almost died.  Fortunately, he didn't scare her away, and she has stayed around for a while.

Due to Dad's outspoken nature, there is never any questions about where his priorities in life lay.  Family is definitely within the top two for him.  He constantly reminds us boys how much he loves us and provides praise, advice, and support at times when we need it.  Sometimes, when it is necessary, he gives us the hard truths, and tells us the things we don't want to hear when we need it the most.  There is no doubt that he puts our needs before his own, and always has.  For years, he and Mom provided an amazing taxi service to us as they carted us all around the state to play soccer, nearly every single weekend.  I am sure there are things that they would have rather done, but they dropped their plans in order for us to be successful doing the things that we loved.  On occasion, Mom and Dad planned day trips and gracefully took things in stride, as we complained incessantly about having to wake up so early.  Instead of turning the car around, Dad spent the car rides singing and pointing out how beautiful the scenery was around us.  Looking back, I am grateful to have had these opportunities and I often find myself admiring views and scenery and think of my younger years.  I often find myself striving to live my life with the same selflessness that my parents modeled for me!

I still share recliners with Dad! (It's much less comfortable)

 If I had to pick the biggest similarity between me and my dad, I would definitely say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with our sense of humors.  When I go home and see Dad, it does not take long before we can get each other laughing.  Part of Dad's sense of humor that I value most is his ability to laugh at himself (something that I think not enough people are able to do).  When he makes a mistake or misspeaks, he does not beat himself up over it.  Instead, he laughs it off.  When he does, he often causes others around him to laugh too.  I am so happy that I have inherited this quality (as well as the propensity for toilet humor). 
Something that I admire about my Dad that I would love to be better at is the ability to provide compliments and let people know how he is feeling.  Dad provides a never ending chain of compliments to me and constantly builds me up, even during hard times.  I think that I can attribute my self confidence to his praise of me when I was younger.  I often notice when people do great things, but I hold it inside rather than praising them for what they've done, and I want to get better at saying "Great Job!"
Anyways, if you all can't tell, my Dad is awesome, in fact, I think he's the best Dad in the World!  I know that many people feel strongly about their own and that's okay (but I know who the real best is...)  He is kind, compassionate, God-fearing, silly, and all-around wonderful!  Sorry this is late, but thanks for being an excellent Dad!!

(He's still a world famous napper)

Until Next Time!!

My Favorites: Soccer Player Edition

As I have previously written, I was a child who was obsessed with soccer.  I can't even begin to calculate the hours that I have spent devoted to some form of enjoyment of the sport.  I played it, watched it live, watched it on TV, and lived it virtually through many different editions of FIFA.  When I was I entered junior high school, my love for the game was at an all time high.  I was playing on a travel team, watching my brothers play for the high school, and U.S. sports networks were finally giving soccer the slightest bit of air time.  For most of my younger years, we never had premium cable, so when there were games on TV (usually Champion's League games) I would get a ride over to my Mimi and Papa's house to watch the games with them!  (I haven't had a chance to write about what remarkable people they are, but will certainly dive into that soon.)  However, due to my busy schedule, I wasn't always able to make it over there to watch the games.  Fortunately for me, someone who helped feed my addiction to soccer fell into my life: his name was Mr. Jones.  Mr. Jones was my math teacher (which I wasn't very good at) as well as the high school soccer coach.  He coached my older brothers and was keenly aware of how much I loved the game (he was the one who asked if I wanted to be a ball boy).  He loved the game of soccer and frequently taped the latest games so that he could study them to learn more to contribute to his professional development as a coach.  Knowing how much I loved soccer, he would often bring in stacks of tapes for me to bring home so that I could watch as much as possible!  I would often bring the tapes back to him, but I definitely still have some of them hanging around my house in Waterville.  I began to watch all the time, whether it was at home after school or in our van (see road trip blog) on the way to soccer games.  Through watching the games, I was able to be exposed to so many different styles of play and use them to help make me see the field differently.  I have since continued to watch soccer on TV whenever possible (which is much more frequently thanks to growing popularity!).  In this time, these are my favorite players that I have watched (bear in mind they may not be the best players ever, but some arguably are).

1. Zinedine Zidane

  Zinedine Zidane is without a doubt my all time favorite player (and arguably one of the best ever).  My first memories of Zidane came in the '98 World Cup finals when he scored two beautiful goals to lead France to a 3-0 victory over Brazil in front of their home crowd.  I was struck by the fluidity in which he played.  He was always in control and never seemed to lose possession.  He also had a knack for scoring massive goals at critical moments in big games.  Although he is most famous for his two goals in the '98 World cup, my favorite of his goals came in the 2002 Champion's league final, when he did this:

I remember seeing this live and going absolutely crazy.  For those of you that play soccer, you know how hard it is to time up a volley as it floats toward you.  Usually, my eyes widen at the chance and I kick it 20 yards over the net.  Not Zidane though, he took a deep breath, and with his weaker foot, fired a bullet right into the back to the net it was incredible.  However, he didn't stop there.  Although he was growing older, he made one more run at the World Cup in 2006, where he nearly willed his team to victory.  As one of the older players in the Cup, he was still one of the best players on the field, constantly making world-class players look silly.  He scored France's only goal in the World Cup final by fooling one of the world's best goalkeepers, Gigi Buffon, by chipping his penalty kick perfectly off the crossbar and in (just barely).  He may be the only player ever to have the courage to take a shot like that anywhere other than the practice field, let alone the biggest stage in all of sports!  Unfortunately, most people will remember him in this game for the infamous headbutt that flattened Materazzi during extra time (not the first time Zidane headbutted someone) and forget that he nearly scored the go ahead goal for France just minutes before.  Although he may have had some fiery moments in his career, he was and will likely always be my favorite player ever!

2. Ruud Van Nistelrooy

Great Jersey too!

 The Dutch have famously produced outstanding goal scorers (see Cruyff, Van Basten, Bergkamp, Van Persie, and Robben), but of these, Van Nistelrooy has always been my favorite.  I would probably attribute this to my dominance with him on FIFA '04, but he was without a doubt a fantastic player in real life too!  In the mid-2000's Manchester United was one of the few teams that could regularly be seen on American television, therefore, there was a lot of exposure to van Nistelrooy in my youth.  The thing that I have always admired about great scorers is their ability to seemingly always be in the right place at the right time.  Part of being a world class striker is to clean up the trash, but in order to do that players have to have the presence of mind to put themselves in the proper position to do so.  In this sense, Van Nistelrooy was one of the best in the early-2000's.  He always appeared in that space that no one else filled, knowing exactly where the ball was going, and burying it.  During his time on Manchester United, he was constantly near the top of the league in scoring, winning the Golden Boot once.  I always admired his abilities and tried to mirror the way that he finished near the goal.  He was also in some fantastic commericals, which of course always helps: (note young Tim Howard)

3. Phillipp Lahm

 Lahm is a defender by trade, and as such does not get nearly as much press as he deserves.  Before he retired from international play after he led the Germans to their World Cup victory in 2015, he had been their captain 5 years (replacing the legendary Michael Ballack).  This in itself is quite remarkable, considering the level of talent on that particular team.  Whichever team Lahm has played for, he has made an incredible impact, whether it is winning the Bundesliga, Champion's League, or the World Cup, he has done it all.  It is amazing to watch him, because he is so smart and steady and is really a master at his craft.  He is only 5'7", hardly the typical build for a defender (especially a German one), but uses his brains and speed to keep himself in the right positions around the field.  Few players in the world in the past 10 years have made as large of an impact on their teams as Philipp Lahm does (and even fewer receive as little attention).  I vividly remember the first time I ever heard of Lahm was in the 2006 World Cup, where he wasted very little time getting his name on the map with this strike:

Even though his goals are few and far between, this one cemented my fandom.  Through three World Cups (06, 10, and 14) he played nearly every minute for the Germans, who made it to at least the Semi-Finals in each of those tournaments.  Although fans will always celebrate the goalscorers more, I will always have a soft spot for the players (like Lahm) who make a profound impact on games without reaping the glory associated with scoring.

4. Brad Friedel
This list would be incomplete without my favorite goalie of all time.  Friedel is arguably the best goalie in American history, and for a time was in the conversation as one of the best in the entire world.  If there is one thing that Americans are successful when it comes to soccer, that would be producing outstanding goalies (Friedel, Keller, Howard, Guzan, etc...).  Although the list is long, Friedel takes the cake for me, because of what he did in the 2002 World Cup, when he saved not one, but two penalties to ensure USA's passage into the round of 16: (Saves are 57 seconds in)

Little did we know, he would continue his world class form for the next twelve years, starting at Tottenham for much of that time (and even outplaying Hugo Lloris for one of those seasons to earn the starting spot.)  Although I know that there are probably better goalies, he anchored a USA team that was right in the midst of my soccer filled childhood, and I will always respect him immensely for that!
5. Lionel Messi

What can I say about the Little Magician that hasn't already been said before?  In my opinion, he is the best player in this decade by a wide margin.  Standing at just 5'6", he makes impossible plays look easy on a regular basis.  There is no one in the entire world that plays as fluid or intelligently as Messi does.  I am going to stop writing and just put up a highlight reel, because enough words have already been published around the world:

6. Gareth Bale
Even though Messi is the best player in the world, Gareth Bale is my favorite current player (although I wish he wasn't on Real).  I admittedly have a soft spot for players that are from areas that typically do not fare well in World Cup qualifying (i.e, Ryan Giggs and Dimitar Berbatov), but just because Wales probably won't qualify for a World Cup anytime soon doesn't mean that Bale is to blame.  When he was at Tottenham he improved steadily, becoming one of its best players in the 2012-13 campaign and stacking up 26 goals.  He was swiftly bought by the money pit Real Madrid and inserted into a key role on a team that won the Champion's League last year thanks to this goal.  This year, he has received more criticism from the Spanish media, as he was put in a new role and put up less than stellar scoring numbers (he still scored 17 goals).  At just 25 years old, I assume that he will continue to improve and grow as player, and saw rumours that Madrid's new coach, Benitez will be moving Bale back to his preferred position of Left wing.  He is a famed free kick specialist, (as documented by this 4:00 video) a skill that I worked very hard on when I was in high school.  In last year's Copa Del Rey he scored this beauty:


7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic 
Finally we come to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.  For over a decade, I have had the absolute pleasure to watch Zlatan score goals.  Zlatan became one of my favorites after showing off some sweet moves in this amazing Joga Bonito ad with Cristiano Ronaldo.  Zlatan is famed for scoring some pretty whacky and incredible goals.  Every time I look at a Sweden box score, it seems as though he scores all of their goals (which of course isn't true).  Regardless, his bicycle kick goal against England is one of my all time favorite finishes:

When it came to scoring, there are few players that I tried to emulate more than Ibrahimovic (he has some obvious physical advantages).  He has found success on every team that he played for, and has an absolute knack for finding the back of the net.  I will leave this video of Zlatan being a savage versus Moldova:

Honorable Mention: Thierry Henry, Olivier Giroud, Samir Nasri, Patrice Evra (I guess I like the French), Gabriel Batistuta, Freddie Ljunberg, Clint Dempsey, Eden Hazard

Until Next Time!

P.S.
I am sure many of you will read this and think "WHAT, NO RONALDO (Cristiano that is)!?" I didn't include him, because he is not one of my favorites.  I obviously recognize his talents, but my feelings for Cristiano Ronaldo mirror my feelings for LeBron James.  I know that they are good, but everything they do feels too calculated for me (and I'm not a huge fan of whiners.)

An open letter to graduates.

An open letter to graduates: 

Dear graduate, 

You made it!  For some, I'm sure it was a very difficult ride, filled with all-nighters, hours in the library, copious classroom notes, and lots and lots of coffee. For others (the kind of people that most people don't like), you were able to rely on your natural gifts to skate through, baffling your classmates at the ease in which you could recall information or make astute connections.   I am sure that most of you were able to strike a balance between work and play that allowed you to make some great memories and walk across the stage to receive your diploma.  In the long run, it matters little how you got here, but that you got here, so Congratulations!

First of all, take time the time to say thank you!  I think this applies to all aspects of life, but there isn't a better time to do it than after finishing such an important milestone.  Thank your parents for putting up with you, supporting you, and pushing you so that you could get to this point.  If you are currently sitting at home on the couch, unemployed, wondering "where do I go from here?" while your parents are constantly nagging you to look for jobs, it is only because they can't stand having you around the house.  JUST KIDDING!  It is because they love you, have seen you work so hard to get to this point, and want to urge you to continue moving forward.   Thank your teachers for spending countless years educating themselves and planning so that they can teach you tools to success in your future (and of course, vital knowledge).  Thank your friends for putting up with you during college and sticking by your side no matter what (we all know that the best, healthiest decisions aren't always made).  A sincere thank you can go such a long way, and sadly it is something that is not said enough, so say it!   

Secondly, please make sure to give yourself a minute to reflect on your job well done over the last four (or more for some) years.  Make sure that you take time (in your own way) to decompress and process the fact that this chapter of your life is coming to a close and a new page is about to be written.  Take a minute or two to think about all the great times you had during your journey, because college is truly unlike any other time in your life.  Pretty soon, you will be in the working world, paying bills, starting families, buying homes, and doing adult things.  It is certainly a scary reality, but college is a stepping stone to get to this place, so embrace the excitement of new opportunities.

Along the journey, make sure to maintain contact with former teachers, professors, and employers.  We are living in a hyper competitive time where who you know could make the difference between a job and sitting in the living room watching TV.  If I could go back in time to change one thing about my college experience, I would have spent more time trying to develop a more professional relationship with my professors.  For those of you that were able to make these connections, make sure to use them to your advantage!  Speaking from experience, there are few things that make a teacher prouder than watching their former students go on and have success in their fields.  Take time in the future to visit your school, not only to see your underclassmen friends, but also to say hello to your teacher, coaches, and college employers: they will be super interested to hear how you are doing, and to help any way that they can.  If you are out of range for a visit, send a quick e-mail or write a letter to check in on their year.  Don't only contact them when you need something (a recommendation for example), but because you are genuinely interested in how they are doing!

While you travel through life, there are few things more important than having companions to accompany you as you go.  Therefore, make space in your busy lives to spend time with your friends and family.  Since I have gotten out of college, I have had the good fortune of having an amazing core of friends from both college and high school, that I have been able to visit with on a pretty regular basis.  Although we have all taken different paths, we have made it a priority to stay in touch and remain close.  It is always a treat to relive old memories while creating new ones.  While I have many amazing friends, I have also regretfully lost some through the cracks, because I didn't take the time to reach out to them or respond to a message that they sent.  If there is someone like that in your lives, take a minute to reconnect, you won't be sorry. 

Maintain a hunger for learning.  There will never be a time in your life when learning isn't vital.  In all fields of work, there are always going to be advancements and opportunities for professional development.  TAKE THEM!  Not only do these chances make you more marketable in the job world, but also help you to be better at your job.  Away from your job, take the time to read some books.  Not only are they exciting ways to using your imagination, but they will help expand your vocabulary (and if you read some of the classics, you can sound smart in book conversations).  If you think that maybe, someday you want to pursue a Master's Degree, don't wait!  Your brain is in the perfect place to continue to take classes.

Stay resilient!  We are living in a time filled with recent college graduates.  While it is wonderful that so many of us now have the opportunities to fulfill that dream, it definitely creates a nightmare when it comes down to finding a job (especially with a history degree).  You will likely apply to hundreds of jobs and many of them may never give your application a second look, and that's okay.  Just make sure to know that something will fall into place and that as long as you stay positive and continue to work hard, you will end up where you are supposed to be.  Its these challenges that shape us into the people that we will become and going through them with your head held high will only make you stronger!

Enjoy the little things and if you don't notice the little things, take time to do so.  There are so many parts of life to enjoy, whether its the annoying little birds that wake you up in the morning or the way the sun paints the sky as it sets in the evening, so stop what you are doing, take a deep breath, and enjoy those moments.  I know that you've heard all of this before, but seriously, if you are having a down day just take a moment to appreciate the blessings that you have and the beautiful things that are around you, and I bet things will look just a little bit brighter.

Finally, live life in a manner that you are comfortable and happy with!  If you aren't, don't be afraid to make a change so that you can be.  Obviously, there will be times where you will feel completely run down and overworked, but make sure that this is because you are setting yourself up to have a long fruitful career doing something you love.  There is nothing worst than being stuck in a rut and just letting the tires spin.  If you aren't getting that traction, don't be afraid to try new things to maintain a happier lifestyle.

In summary, be happy, resilient, thankful, driven, and follow good values.  I know its a tall order, but strive to make the best of every situation that you end up in!  I know you will all work hard to make great decisions, nuture friendships, and have successful careers in whatever it is you are doing!

Enjoy adulthood!

Until next time,

Noah

Happy Mother's Day!

I may be biased in saying this, but I strongly believe that I have the best mother in the world!  She has been a mother since she was twenty-four (crazy to think she was younger than me) and it has always been clear that she loves her boys to no end!  Through the years, she has provided us with strong guidance, a calming presence, and has really and truly helped shape us into the men we are today.  So with that said, this Mother's Day post is all about Mom!

For many of the years prior to starting school, Mom did not work, but instead stayed home with Isaiah and me.  While she stayed at home with us, we did so many fun things.  Our days were filled with board games (a lot of Candy Land), going for walks around our neighborhoods, and most importantly, learning.  We started simply with letters and the sounds they made, then when I was good at that, we moved on to words and what they look and side like.  While I was learning words she taught me how to write the letters and words.  I learned quickly from such an outstanding teacher, and moved on to math.  Mom made flash cards with simple math problems that I would excitedly answer.  Thanks to Mom taking an active role in my learning, I entered Kindergarten with a very solid educational foundation.  This foundation became apparent when I was invited to join my school's gifted and talented program in first grade.  Mom could have very easily chose to find a job and make more money for our family, but made that sacrifice to make sure that her kids were well cared for and off to a great start in life.  One of the many sacrifices that she has made to make sure that we have had all the opportunities to find success.
My Mom's desire to help us learn however, definitely did not stop once we got into school.  I can remember her volunteering regularly in our classrooms to read to the class or lend a hand where she was needed.  It was clear in those times that she not only wanted us to have a great education, but that she aimed for the success of all of the students in the class.  On one very stormy, scary day in Mississippi, she came in to read to the class and as she left, I begged her to let me go home early with her so I could be in the comfort of my own home during the projected storm, but she insisted on me staying in school.  Later in the day, I had to suffer through several tornado drills, one of which occurred as we were boarding the buses.  As we went inside, I made sure that I was near Isaiah (who was in Kindergarten) and comforted him while we waited for the swell to pass.  When we got home, Mom apologized for not letting us come home, and let us build a pillow fort as we listened to radio updates on the storm.  She was obviously concerned for our safety, but also didn't want us to miss important learning!

 I think both of my parents played a really large role in my upbringing (and continuing practice) in the Catholic church, but being home with Mom meant that I was also likely going to go to daily mass at the local retirement community (St. Catherine's Village).  I fondly remember attending mass and then afterwards going out back to the kitchen so I could have a coca cola with the priest and the old folks.  I wasn't as shy then as I am now, so I would ham it up for the residents, while Mom chatted with them.  Afterwards, we would spend time looking around the parking lot to find the largest pine cones around (they were huge!)  Usually, when we got out of church, we would stop by the library so that Isaiah and I could pick out new books to read at home.  As children, we devoured books. 

On Vacation In Maine!

Another major sacrifice that my Mom made, was to move down to Mississippi when my Dad took a job offer down there.  She had been away from Maine before, but with her family all living in New England, I am sure it was difficult to make the move away from them again to go down to Mississippi.  She has always been extremely close to her family, so it was always a very great experience for her when we got to come up north and spend time with them.  We would come up for weeks at a time and spend countless hours with our cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.  Mom's devotion to family and family values has provided such a great model for us to follow as we have gotten older.  As her parents have gotten older, she (and her siblings) have spent more and more time making sure that they are being properly cared for and have everything they need to live a comfortable life at home.  She is truly one of the most caring people I know.
I definitely have some qualities of my father, but if someone were to compare me to either one of my parents, I think they would find that I share many more qualities with Mom.  Mom is quiet and even keeled, but confident in the things she does.  She has a burning love for God and all the people around her.  Since we have grown up, she has gone back to work and currently educates people who were recently diagnosed with diabetes how to diet and manage their new disorder.  I have never witnessed her in this practice, but I imagine she does so with patience and enthusiasm.  Like me, she holds her feelings close to the chest, choosing to internalize concerns rather than sharing them with others.  There have been very few days when I ask her how work was when she doesn't respond "work was work," or "it was okay."  I was usually hard to tell if it was a bad day or good day unless I questioned her further.  She has a propensity to put forth quality work, but on occasion is known to push her work to the last minute (that's where I get it from) so that she can go for long walks, cross-country ski, or work in the garden.
Mom is definitely an outdoors fanatic.  As she has gotten older, she has stuck mostly to walking, hiking, xc skiing, or working around the yard.  When she was younger however, she was an avid downhill skiier.  Our love of skiing definitely stemmed from Mom dragging us out of bed early on the weekends so that we could get first runs on the mountain.  The rides up were always a groggy blur, but once we got on the mountain, we would only take breaks to eat lunch.  She still skis alpine now and then, but now that we aren't around, she has lost her skiing companions.  She was also quite the tennis player.  She has never been super competitive throughout her life, but in playing tennis with her you could see glimpses of frustration or joy after a good or bad shot.  On the court, she has always been the most consistent player, using her experience to keep the ball in play and being in a great position to send the ball back at me.  I'm not sure that I ever beat her (for the record, my serve has since improved greatly).

She's smiling even after going through childbirth with Isaiah!

There are so many more things that I could write in this blog, but I will save them for future post.  But for now I will just say that I speak for all the boys in saying that my family has been blessed to have such a wonderful, loving mother.  Her natural goodness and zeal for life has pushed us to aspire to live like her and be the best people that we can be.  If there was a better combination of genes than Mom and Dad's I would be surprise (I am biased).  So with all that said, Happy Mother's Day Mom!  Thank you for always being there with a word of advice or a strong guiding hand!  I am the person I am today because of you and Dad!  I'm glad that I can continue to absorb your kindness and share it with others!

Mom's always the centerpiece to an amazing family!

 Until Next Time!

Happy Birthday Joe!

Not only is today National Star Wars Day, it is also the birthday of my oldest brother Joe!  If you know anything about Joe, it is very clear that he is the oldest in a house of four boys.  When we are all together as a family or need to make a decision among the brothers, Joe always takes the lead role, deciding what we are going to do and when we are going to do it.  As the third, this is fine with me, because I am a roll with the punches type of guy, but for Josh and Isaiah, this can sometimes be difficult. 

Guarantee he's singing "What It's Like" by Everlast

Joe is about five and a half years older than me, which isn't a huge age gap, but he was far enough ahead of me in school (he graduated high school when I was in seventh grade) that our social lives never really intersected.  I think having two older brothers became a huge advantage to me as I went through life experiences that I had seen Joe and Josh go through years before.  Joe has never been one to struggle in a social atmosphere, as he is friendly, outgoing, athletic, and very goal-driven.  There has never been anything that Joe has done that he does not strive to be the very best at.  I have always envied the success that he has had in all walks of life, and really look up to him (there is something about all the brothers that I strive to emulate).
When I was very young, there was nothing that I wanted to do more than to be able to play soccer like Joe.  He was never the biggest or strongest kid on the soccer field, but he always found a way to make his impact on the game felt, whether it was by scoring goals or beating defenders one on one.  In Mississippi, I watched from the sidelines for years with a ball on my feet, practicing moves that he was using against kids his age, knowing that someday I would have the chance to use the same moves.  I watched with glee as his teams won state championships and out-of state tournaments and in agony when they would lose closely contested shootouts that seemed to end at midnight.  Once we got to Maine, I got to watch with pride as Joe was one of only a few underclassmen to get playing time on an undefeated state championship winning team (which had to have been one of the most talented teams ever in Maine).  Due to my love of the sport, the head coach of that team asked me to one of the ball boys for the varsity games.  As a fifth grader, I was on top of the world.  I held the post for the next few years.

Joe's High School Soccer Days

 It was from this vantage point that I got to watch Joe score 27 goals in the season following the state championship, to lead another talented team in scoring.  There was one thing that could be said about Joe, and that was that he lacked no confidence.  He has always thought highly of himself and it reflects not only on the soccer field, but in school, as well as his job now.  I remember one game, they were playing Brunswick, and Joe was facing a defender one on one and someone in the crowd yelled "go by him Joe!" Joe probably could have passed the ball and beat the defender, but always a showman, he nut-megged the defender and basked in the cheers coming from the sideline.

URI Celebrating one of their A-10 championships (Joe is slightly hidden in the back)

He was so good, that he was able to continue his career at the University of Rhode Island, where he played alongside a handful of future MLS players and Geoff Cameron who represented the United States in the previous World Cup.  It was a real pleasure to get the opportunity to watch these games live, as the skill and the atmosphere was unmatched.  At the time, soccer was one of the two biggest sports at URI and it was apparent based on the size of the crowds.  I was so happy to have been able to attend the game in which Joe scored his first (and almost second if not for an offsides call) collegiate goal.  His college career was obviously met with more success, as they won their conference championships three of the four years he was at school.  He takes pride in being one of the "locker room guys" during this stretch.  

How could the ladies resist?

Beyond the soccer field, I admire Joe for being a great brother.  He has always been there with advice and a guiding hand to help me prevent making the same mistakes he did when he was younger.  I remember when I had my first girlfriend, the first question he asked was "does she laugh a lot?"  Now that may seem like a silly question, but there is something so important to finding a girl with a great sense of humor (fortunately, I have found exactly that).  I also envied Joe for his constant success with the ladies.  His confidence seemed to help him in this department as well.  I won't dig in too deep because I don't want to embarrass him, but I always wanted to have whatever mojo Joe had in the girl department.  Unfortunately, I have not met his current girlfriend, but I have heard that she is wonderful and I look forward to meeting her soon!
Joe's swagger even existed when we would play pick-up sports around the house, particularly basketball.  We would play two on two: me and Josh against Isaiah and Joe, and for years, Joe carried their team to the closest games with us.  Isaiah was not super talented at any sport until he got older, so his goal was to not turn the ball over to me and to pass it to Joe, and Joe would do the rest.  Nothing made Josh more angry than playing driveway basketball with Joe.  It lead to many a scuffle in the driveway (or a punted basketball).  When Joe was little, he broke over 30 windows playing baseball in the side yard.  When he was around, he was always trying to get us to play sports (which I loved).  Even though we are growing up fast, he still pushes us to play driveway sports when we are all home (Josh and Isaiah have grown progressively more resistant.) 
It is no wonder that Joe has found success in everything he has put his mind to.  He has come from great stock and has made solid choices to put himself where he is now.  He is currently working in sales of promotional products and like everything he does, he treats it like a competition and wins over his clientele.  We only see each other a couple times a year since he is in DC and I am in Boston, but it is always a pleasure.  He also makes sure to try to call at least once a week to stay updated on my life (something that I am really thankful for).  He is an outstanding brother and I wish him the happiest of birthdays today!

Happy 31st Birthday Joe!!

Until next time!!

My life in youth sports!

 

See the kid up above in the pink, taking a goal kick?  Yeah, you guessed it, that was me!  For as long as I can remember, I have loved playing sports (particularly soccer) and have been fortunate to be athletic enough to participate in several organized sports through the years.  I think a lot of this yearning for sports was spurred on by older brothers who also loved sports, and as I covered a few blog posts back, I really wanted to be one of the guys.  Outside of organized sports, I have spent countless hours practicing all kinds of sport from tennis to soccer to golf (I have a good story about golf that I will share some other time).  All of the time spent playing with my brothers or by myself paid off, as I have been able to have a diverse, exciting career in organized sports.

The Mississippi Years: "One Sport Only!"

Living in Mississippi definitely gets a lot of the credit for my later prowess on the soccer field.  In the town we lived in, we received a lot of quality training from semi-pro players, and were exposed to a basically never ending soccer season.  The weather in Mississippi, as anyone who has visited it can tell you, is very hot all year long!  This heat allowed us to play year-round athletics, whereas New England has very clear obstacles that one must get around in order to play an outdoor sport all year.  

Due to the nature of a year-round season, it made sense that my parents implemented a one sport only rule during our time in Mississippi.  Athletics were expensive and they just didn't have the time to tote four kids to different sports all around Mississippi.  At the time, I was too young to play travel soccer, so I did rec, where we had a couple of games and practices per week (those specifics I don't really remember).  For one season, however, I was able to play baseball, and that is where I will begin.

The Yellow Team (Baseball):  

I can honestly say that I do not remember much from my very short-lived baseball career.  I do know that I was on the yellow team and that there is photo evidence that I played baseball.  I also remember that the specific league that I was in was a coach pitch league.  I vaguely remember running the bases as well as making some plays in the field, so I was at least able to hold my own (I think).  I also know for a fact that I was not a fun person to be around if we ever lost (and that went with every sport).  My most vivid memory of my one season of baseball, however, came not on the field, but at the year-end team party.  At the party (a pool party, in a gated community, if my memory serves me correctly) each player received a participation trophy for a job well-done in our games.  I got my trophy, looked down at the name, and read Noah Spoffaro.  I guess that they thought I was Italian.  My family all got a kick out of the misspelling (coincidentally not the only time my last name has been misspelled).

The Yellow Team (Soccer):  

The first soccer team that I played on was "the yellow team."  I have very little recollection of playing on this team, but I do know that for some reason, I ended up playing on a lot of yellow teams throughout my soccer career.  I also remember that I wore white cleats (what a boss).

Blimpie (The Pink Team):

As I aged up in Mississippi, I entered a league in which each team was sponsored by a local business. The first team sponsor that I played for was Blimpie.  I don't think I have ever eaten at a Blimpie, but I do know that it is quite similar to Subway or Amato's.  It was in the league that I really started to stand out for my play.  Prior to and while playing in this league, I spent a lot of time practicing my own skills on the sidelines of my older brothers games.  I spent hours juggling, and was rarely spotted without a soccer ball.  I was also fortunate enough to be able to play with my older brothers in the yard, which helped me stay fearless against kids who were the same size as I was.  One valuable skill that I learned when I was playing on Blimpie was the slide tackle (taught to me by Joe).  In the specific league that I was playing in, goalies were not yet allowed to use their hands, so therefore had to make saves with their feet.  The new found slide tackling skill became priceless.  In the game I played directly after I learned this new skill, I immediately put it into practice.  The coach put me in at goalie (see me above taking a goal kick) and I was a brick wall.  Anytime any the other team came close with the ball, I ran out of the net and slide tackled the ball away (A pretty impressive skill set for a first grader).  I was also one of the few kids at that age that had a brief idea of positions and didn't spend the entire game swarming around the ball like a pack of bees.  If I was outside the pack and the ball got to me, I would be all by myself with the goalie!

Check out those cars in the background!

Baptist Hospital (The Red Team):

This team was cool for a couple of reasons: 1. My Mom and another family friend were the coach and 2. my Dad worked at Baptist Hospital, so I was pretty proud of our sponsor.  I don't really remember what it was like having my mother as a coach, but I'm sure I didn't mind it.  She wasn't really the type to be an overbearing coach, more like the kill them with kindness type.  While I was playing on Baptist, I also learned a new move from my older brothers that would stay in my arsenal for the rest of my life: the pass to myself around the defender move.  For a second grader to be pulling out those kind of moves, was advanced to say the least.  Since I was one of the older kids in my grade, I was placed in the league that consisted mostly of kids from the grade above mine.  Since I grew up playing with my older brothers and their friends, this was a welcome challenge.  Even as a second grader, when I stepped onto the field, I had the confidence that I could compete with any of my opponents, older or younger.  The only game that I have ever been filmed by my family occurred while I was playing on Baptist.  My aunt and uncle (who had a video camera) came down to Mississippi to visit us and video taped it.  Watching it back, it was clear that I was one of the better players and that I loved the pass the ball to myself move.  It was definitely my signature move for a while.  It was great that they filmed the game, but they arrived to the game a little bit late, and missed my game winning goal.

Pizza Hut (The Yellow Team)(THE RAGE):

When I entered third grade I was picked up by a team that was sponsored by Pizza Hut (which made for a really great end of the season party).  We were called the rage.  I'm not sure how that name originated, but we liked it!  This team was by far the most skilled team I had played on to date.  Most of the kids on the team were a year older and thus a year more developed.  Playing on this team challenged me to step my game up, and that I did.  Most of the clear memories I have of my early days of soccer came while I was playing on this team.  I am going to digress for a moment to say that playing soccer in Mississippi was so special to me, because the league I was in and the teams I played on were so concerned with skill building.  The adults in the system weren't obsessed with winning (I was) and allowed players to get playing time to help them grow in confidence on the field.  The emphasis on fundamentals really helped as I got older.  Anyways, back to THE RAGE.  There was no trophy or reward for record in this league (just a trophy for participation), but I did not ever want to lose.  I remember losing one game during my time on this team and boy was I upset.  My parents had to console me while I bawled on the sidelines following the game.  As I remember, we played that team again later in the season and beat them (just for good measure).  At one point in that season, we won a 10-7 offensive battle: I scored 7 of our team's goals.  It was during my time on this team that I made my first all-star game and got to participate in a competition against other town's best players.  Down in Mississippi, this was a really cool process, as they had an opening ceremony the night before the tournament.  Unfortunately our team did not have a great amount of success, but it was a really cool experience.

The move to Maine:

WYSA (A collective memory):

We moved to Maine when I was going into fourth grade.  Needless to say, my love of soccer did not die with the move.  In fact, soccer was the only non-school sport that I played in an organized fashion in Maine.  My first exposure to soccer in Maine came not too long after our move, as my parents signed me up for an age group league.  One benefit of living in Waterville was that unlike a lot of towns in Maine, there was actually a reasonably strong feeder program for soccer.  My time playing in WYSA definitely helped me learn to become a much more gracious loser.  Due to the nature of the league, there was a variety of skill levels on each time and a very equal amount of playing time.  In my first game ever, we lost 6-4 (I scored three).  The team we consisted had some really good players (Jochem, Juice, and Teddy) and it really forced me to step my game up.  Following the game, a couple of the parents approached my parents and asked if I would be interested in playing on the local travel team, The Maine Novas.  Obviously, I was thrilled and told my parents that of course I wanted to play!  Luckily, my parents were supportive and I was able to get a spot on the team.  The only catch was that they had already given out all their uniforms, so I had to come up with a yellow jersey.  This wouldn't be a problem, since I got to keep my Pizza Hut jersey!

Maine Novas (Yes, another yellow team):

Playing on the Novas was such an important part of my life for the next eight or so years.  I met most of my closest friends and generated bonds with longtime teammates by playing with this team.  It definitely took me a little bit of time to get used to the styles of play of my teammates, but shortly after starting, I got the knack of things really quickly.  We had a really good team and competed very closely with the best teams throughout the state of Maine.  Our closest competition always came during the regional finals, when we would face Bangor or Ellsworth/Black Bear United (a collection of players from the Ellsworth/Belfast/Bar Harbor area).  For whatever reason, we always seemed to get stuck and lose a painfully close one to Black Bear (I think most of our players were already thinking about hockey season).  During my time playing with the Novas, we won one state championship, and boy was it a memorable one.  We were playing Scarborough and were down 1-0 going into halftime.  We had already played the semi-final earlier that day, so we were pretty exhausted, but we got our oranges and re-energized for the second half.  The Scarborough team had a really big for his age sweeper that we were having trouble getting around.  Finally with about 15 minutes left, Matt broke through and scored the goal that tied the game.  We finally had life!  With about 10 minutes left, I received a pass near the top of the eighteen yard box, beat one defender and shot the ball as hard as I could.  I watched the ball, as it sailed towards the goal.  It felt good off my foot, I just hoped it was on target.  The ball struck the post (thankfully it was round), and deflected into the goal.  The team went CRAZY! We were playing in Winslow, so many of the parents and siblings were able to come out to watch.  The crowd cheered loudly and I celebrated so hard that I nearly had to be substituted out of the game.  We survived the last 10 minutes to escape with a thrilling 2-1 victory!  As seventh graders, we were elated.  The team naturally changed throughout my time on it, but the core stayed the same.  When we weren't playing, we spent a lot of time carpooling together and hanging out (especially when I moved to Mathews Ave).  Unfortunately, the team was composed of players from several towns in the area, so as we went to Middle and High School, we were competing against many of our teammates.  This made victories against them so much sweeter and defeat was bitter, but we remained friends and teammates in travel soccer.  We played in a golden age of the Maine Novas and had a great amount of success for the program, including wins in the Coastal Challenge and the Falmouth Fall Classic. (If anyone reading this has a picture of any of the Novas teams, I would love to post it on this! Share it with me!)

Maine Terriers:

This was the last team that I played on that wasn't associated with school.  As I got older, many of my friends were focusing on other sports (mostly hockey) and didn't have as much time to devote to playing travel soccer.  I had played against many of my teammates, but there was definitely a longer adjustment period learning how to play with them.  We were competitive in our games, but I never felt as cohesive with this group as I had playing with the Novas.  Playing on the Terriers did present the opportunity to travel out of state to play in tournaments as well as competing in the state Snicker's Cup to have the opportunity to play in the Atlantic Regionals.  Unfortunately, we never made it that far, because there was one team that pulled ODP players from all over the state and was regularly one of the strongest competitors at regionals.  They often walked all over their Maine opponents (they beat us 6-0 on the dreariest of days).

Soon, I will talk about my jr. high and high school career, which was met with a lot of successes and growing experiences!

Until next time!