Soccer….Family Style

We made it to Grand Junction, Colorado, well within shooting distance of our planned game at Salt Lake City Friday evening. The kids and I have driven about 950 miles, 283 to go and we get to cross off Real Salt Lake on our list of MLS venues, our first game on our MLS Roadtrip schedule.

Today I was sure that we wouldn’t make it. Kid 2 was doing an excellent impression of an appendicitis, and was doing his “I’m a 4 year old determined to break a bone” routine. (Kids, what did I tell you about no injuries or illnesses until after the Timbers game?) But we survived. Then I thought my car was dying, but it turns out that cars have just as much trouble “breathing” in the Rockies as we do. The Rockies, by the way, may be one of the most beautiful things America has to offer…you really should drive them sometime.

So…hopefully, we’ll be able to get to Salt Lake City in time to tailgate (they tailgate…..right?) Planning’s been a little on the light side, but I’m assuming I can google where the stadium is, correct? Hey, I’m raising a couple soccer supporters here….help a mama out!

Once I figure that out, I just have to work on our invite to Kyle Beckerman’s for post-game Shabbat. Then we’ll be set. At least, if he plays, I’ll be able to explain to the kids why it’s OK to miss Temple this week.

Time for blogging will be short this weekend, but look for updates at Twitter.com/TanyaKeith.

A couple things blew me away about our experiences at Chicago Fire. First of all, a huge thanks to Section 8, who saw a tweet about my son coming to the game with us and not only had a gift for him at the merch table, but allowed him to help hold the player banners before the game. As you can see from the photo, he was pretty stoked about it. (This was the Fire vs Crew game…if anyone has photos of the kids from field side, please send them!)

Second, just yesterday, my husband got a call from the Fire, saying they knew he’d been to a game recently and wanted to encourage him to come to another match. In the “it’s nice to feel wanted” department, Chicago Fire and their supporters have blown us away. It may be a long 5 hour drive to get there, but we will be back! Thanks for the love, Fire. Right back atcha.

Life got away from me for a while there, so in the “Better Late Than Never” department, I’m updating from our Chicago Fire Trip. I’ve been working on the trip planning and on my book, and kinda forgot to blog all this up! As the kids and I prepare for our own #MLSRoadtrip, I thought I’d give a shout out to one of my big influences for taking this trip. The stories from www.mlsroadtrip.com are really fantastic (that will link to the one that tells one of our family soccer stories).  Hopefully we’ll have some equally great stories, even if they aren’t updated as fast as Evan’s. But then, his travel buddies get their own breakfast!

This was one of my favorite photos from our trip to Chicago. Ever wonder where all the drums and tifo come from? There’s a huge network of supporters the create, store, carry in, set up, and tear down all that stuff. We do it because we love our team so passionately that we have to express it. It disappoints me that so many front offices don’t get that these days. Seeing two trailers of tifo at the Chicago Fire tailgate just made my day. Keep up the good work, all you soccer supporters.

Ever have one of those days? We got a slow start out of the hotel this morning, and the Shedd Aquarium was packed. Our friend Jimmy wanted to see it, so we agreed to meet him later at the tailgate and headed to the Globe Bar. We got there and the bouncer said no minors because of the Euro game crowd. This pisses me off to no end, having taken my kids through World Cup and German bier gartens which are designed with playgrounds so kids can play while parents relax and have a drink. Our bar culture is one of my biggest frustrations as an American soccer fan. But I digress.

I was actually able to get us in referencing meeting the owner on our last Chicago trip, only to find out that the #MLSRoadtrip guys also couldn’t get in thanks to a member of their crew being DAYS from 21. Ugh. America…why must you torture us? We went on to the bar with them, but lost our meetup with Peter Wilt in the process.

The Spain game was as I retweeted Spain’s best argument for internationalizing the siesta, but talking to Evan Ream about their project was fantastic. It’s renewed my desire to try to get to all the MLS stadiums. But more on that later….now, we tailgate!

The past few weeks I’ve been in soccer heaven. USMNT World Cup qualifying kicked off and Euro 2012 has been a steady IV drip of delicious soccer (did anyone else get a little depressed on the one day break?) Plus, I’ve been reliving the daily 10 year anniversaries of the 2002 World Cup, which was the best World Cup trip ever for me. It’s been an opportunity to reconnect with some of my travel buddies from that trip, both in Tampa and via social media.

Last week, Jimmy LaRoue posted to Facebook that he’d be in Chicago for a conference, and was looking for things to do. I commented asking if the Fire was playing, since we’d been trying to line up a family road trip to some MLS games. As luck would have it, the Fire is in town, and playing our family favorite opponent, the Columbus Crew (aka the Yellow BEEPing Team to my kids, because y’know, you can’t curse if you’re not at a soccer stadium). Sounded like the perfect thing for the boys and I to do while our daughter’s away at camp.

Jimmy, aka Uncle Jimmy, was one of my favorite people that I met in Korea for the simple fact that we met the first day at the US vs Portugal match, and as a virtual stranger, was completely tolerant of my 4.5 month pregnant needs. Going to a World Cup halfway through a pregnancy is no easy task, and after the wonderfully emotional game, I was totally exhausted as we wandered endlessly looking for shuttle buses. When we finally found the line, it was so long, I thought I’d lose my mind. But while Doug and the guys went and held our place on line, Jimmy kept me company and did not flinch when I told him that even though we’d just met, I desperately needed to put my feet up, and if he was sitting next to me, they were going up on him. He was so completely accommodating, we’ve been friends ever since.

Through the magic of Twitter, this road trip has now snowballed to include plans to meetup with Peter Wilt at the tailgate, and I finally get to meet @EvanReam, who’s on the far more epic #MLSRoadTrip, 51 days, 12 cities. Who’s stoked to hear about how he planned that whole thing? This girl. I”ve been trying to figure out how I can get games with about 2-3 day in between at (in order) Kansas City, Colorado, Real Salt Lake, LA, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver. Schedule that for me, will ya, MLS? Still, I remember my pre-kid days when MLS first started and I was going to see every team at home…until Tampa Bay folded before I got to them and I gave it up. Maybe it’s time to start revisiting the #MLSRoadTrip ideas….or it will be, after a good night’s sleep.

Until later today….

Twitter is the high school cafeteria of adulthood. There’s all sorts of gossip and information being passed, and every once in a while, someone says something that sounds just interesting enough to send you off on the next great adventure.

Such was the case as @Backseatgaffer, Scott Viar, and I discussing Midwest soccer over the past few months, culminating in a discussion last weekend of him scoping out the Menace Soccer team, who would be playing a team local to him in the first round of the Lamar Hunt Open Cup. I didn’t even realize the Menace were playing so close, since it’s not listed on their schedule. With one kid on intercession break, I could go to a Tuesday night game with only my preschooler missing a couple hours of school, which in our house is too good an opportunity to miss.

So thanks to a little recon from Twitter, the family and I are off to Milwaukee, to my first away Menace game. We’ll see how this goes….with our supporters section of three against the Bavarians! At least they’re not Barbarians….right? Frankly, I’m more concerned about the grilling I’m about to get about the Menace’s Womens Team being in the WLS instead of the WPSL. Here we go…Menace fans!

It’s May, and that means the soccer season is in full swing, and it’s time to get ready for the Menace Soccer season! The Red Army, the supporters group that sits behind the goal at games, has some fun things planned for the season, and you won’t want to miss it! Plus, this season there will be several double headers with the Menace’s WLS team, so your daughters will have some players to look up to this year! The home opener is THIS FRIDAY!! So get your season passes pronto!

Yes…Season passes! There’s a significant discount if you buy season tickets instead of individual game tickets. With season passes you get:

1.     Access to all home games including Open Cup (which we are in and hopefully host) as well as playoffs.

2.     Red Army lanyard that gets you through the main gate as well as shows our VIP person who you are so you don’t get hassled every time you walk through.

3. The undying appreciation of the team we support!

Use the code REDARMY or RED ARMY to order your passes online, or contact Todd Meiners, Menace GM ( tcm@menacesoccer.com) for help with your season passes!

We look forward to having your help supporting our local Menace and taking the Red Army Supporters section to the next level this year! See you Friday and Saturday at Valley Stadium for home opener weekend!