September 20, 2005

Question from Robin: Hey Ang!! I meet you at Abby's camp last year in Rochester. I was just wondering what it is like to have so many new faces on the team with all the vets retiring. I mean was it hard at first to keep everyones name straight?? And do you feel like you guys will be ok with out the Mia Hamms or Julie Foudy's... Whos the loud mouth with out Foudy on the team now??

Hi Robin, thanks so much for writing in. It's been a great year to get to know some new people on the US National Team, but at the same time, many of us already know each other. Even though some of these "new faces" are new to a lot of the fans, many of us have either played against or with some of these players. We will miss all of the women who have recently retired from the team, but at the same time the growth of soccer and women's soccer in particular has been tremendous in this country so there are a lot of talented players waiting and willing to step up and help fill in for the players who have left.

Question from Olivia: Angela,
Do you get nervous before games?

Hi Olivia, I always get nervous before games. Sometimes more than others, but if you get nervous that's a good thing! Being nervous before a game means that it is something important to you and you want to do well.

Question from Olivia: Angela,
You are awsome! What are some of your favorite things about soccer

I have a lot of things that I love about being involved in soccer. That's probably why i've been playing for over 20 years. I've loved being able to travel to different countries and meet so many different people. I've made a lot of friends because of playing soccer and I will be friends with them forever. I also like that soccer is unique from other sports that constantly have time outs that coaches call. The game of soccer is truly a player's game that the players on the field have to figure out without the coaches calling time-outs and telling you what to do. I've also always enjoyed having a team to play with and working together to achieve a common goal!

Question from Emma: How old were you when you knew that you wanted to play soccer professionally?

Hi Emma. I was probably 12 or 13 when I knew I wanted to play for the women's national team. That was my biggest soccer goal when I was younger because there wasn't a professional soccer league in existence growing up. It wasn't until my last year in college that there was talk of creating a women's professional soccer league in the United States.

Question from Sandra: Hi Angela! I just found your site and I wanted to congratulate you. Last year was amazing. I had the opportunity to go see you ladies win in Athens. I met your mom and dad in Greece. They were kind enough to let me sit with them for most of the games. Your mom is awesome girl! It was wonderful to be able to share those moments with her and the rest of those rowdy USA fans. It made the experience complete. Please thank Janis again for her kindness. Take care and keep up the good work!

Hey Sandra. Thanks so much for writing in and letting me know about your experiences! First of all that's great that you were able to make the trek over to Greece for the Olympics. Did you have a blast?? I know my family had so much fun and they still talk about it and all the people they met over there. Funny enough it doesn't surprise me that you met my mother She's definitely a bit more outgoing than other people, and I'm glad you were able to help cheer us on to victory! Thanks for all of your support and maybe you'll see the Hucles Clan out in full force soon!!