blue lollipop road reunion soccer weekend!
I have planned a weekend for female soccer alumni of my high school in Vermont to come together to reconnect and reminisce, play soccer, honor our past teammates, and give back to the community we grew up in. I’ve been working on things for months. Some of the biggest pieces are now set in place, so I wanted to finally share!
The Blue Lollipop Road Reunion Soccer Weekend will take place the weekend of August 18, 2012 in Shaftsbury and Bennington, VT.
Part of the festivities will include the STRONG MOJO summit- which will be  an opportunity for current female athletes to meet with former soccer  players. (That’s us!) We will share our life experiences since leaving high school through a leadership/mentor forum. There will be a memorial dedication to Maria Greene and Brandy Brown (our lost friends who inspired me to start BLR), an alumni soccer tournament, and of course, social gatherings.
There is no doubt that if I hadn’t been a part of soccer teams every year growing up, and if I hadn’t participated in the student exchange program through Mount Anthony High School like I did in 1994, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today and this site would not exist.
Through sport and having coaches who were incredible mentors (thanks Traci!)- I learned about teamwork, and confidence. I learned that by taking care of my body and exercising, that I would take care of my mind and soul too. When our team had all hands in before each game chanting: One…two…three…”STRONG MOJO!” we each knew we had the power together or alone- to go, be, and do anything. As I stood in Germany during my student exchange month abroad never having been out of the state of Vermont before, my eyes flew open to see there was a whole big world out there to discover. Since then, I’ve spent time in all 50 states and 13 countries. I’ve learned how to be resourceful, savvy, flexible, independent, and open. I’ve met people I would have never otherwise met, tried foods I never imagined I’d try, and seen sights that have taken my breath away. What I’ve learned most from athletics and travel is that I can do anything I set my mind to.
These are the messages I want to bring back to the place where I came from and share with the younger generation. It’s a pay back/pay forward for what has been a huge part of shaping my life. It brings Blue lollipop Road full circle after all these years.
Stay tuned for a fundraising campaign we will be launching for this event and get ready to spread the word!
With this announcement I will also share that this is a big shift time for BLR. There will be many site changes you will see here soon and a super exciting bit of fame news I’ll dish to you this week!
Here’s to running towards life and never forgetting where you came from.
Abbie O'Neill
April 14, 2012 at 2:40 pmI have played for MAU the last four years and will be graduating in June. I was also the most recent recipient of the Maria Greene and Brandy Brown Memorial Award at out banquet this past November. I would love to be involved in this event and help out if you need/want me to.
This sounds like a lot of fun and with the annual alumni game being eliminated from the last two seasons I know a lot of people would be willing to come back and play.
Diane
April 16, 2012 at 6:55 pmHi Abbie!
I am so happy you wrote here and even more happy to know that the Maria and Brandy memorial award is still going strong. I’d love to have you involved in the 8/18 event for sure. Sending you an email now. Please keep spreading the word to the other gals you know and feel free to pass on my information to other alumni.
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to meet you!
Diane 🙂