I would say the best way to describe being a Brynion is living game day in a whirlwind. And June 3, 2018 was no different. Matt and I were there early so we decided just to walk up to the concourse and help the interns who had already started doing our jobs. Its their jobs too, but we really like to do it. That's why we volunteer.
They already had all the stanchions out, and were roping off the fan zone line and setting out tables when we got there. Brynn and Santi were still up on that roof and the interns didn't know what to have us do so they sent us over to Brynn. "No! you cannot climb up the ladder. We don't let the interns climb up the ladder either. Only us. If one of the doors is open you can go out front and tell us if the sign looks straight." Brynn said. None of us wanted to climb up that ladder any way. That one is all yours Brynn.
The doors were locked, however. So that was a little frustrating. Wanting to be helpful and burn off excess nervous energy, Matt and I decided we would run down by the interns, go out the gates by them, and all the way back to the south entrance and tell Brynn how her sign looked.
"It's alright" I think one of us said, at some point. "By my standards?" Brynn asked us. The answer to that was no. So I got really specific. There was a wrinkle running through on both ends. NOT OK. First they tried tightening it, but that didn't help. Finally they loosened the right spots and the sign hung perfectly. "Ok, now run back around here and hold the ladder for us while we get down."
With glee we took off on a foot race we would probably regret the next day when our legs and feet were more sore than they ever should have been. But for a moment, we were sprinting and it was fun. We reached the ladder out of breath, and saw everyone safely off the roof, before gathering with the interns for instruction. "Santiago isn't going to be here next game. He will be at the World Cup in Russia" Brynn announced. Everyone was jealous, except me. I was already having the best day ever and I wanted everyone else to have the same. "Do you need a Russian phrase book? I lived in Eastern Europe for two years. I have one if you need it!" I offered. Poor Santiago was then subjected to me telling him random Russian phrases that may or may not ever be useful for his trip.
We headed down to good ol' locker room three to get the corner flags, sandwhich boards and because it was going to rain, the little bench cover awning things, just to be safe. Last game they didn't put them out to be safe and had to bring it out in the middle of the game, in the middle of a down pour. A logo ended up upside down, which is unacceptable. So that wasn't going to happen again.
I grabbed a bag with one of the covers. its kind of like a tent, polls and all that, and I noticed the largest medicine ball behind me in the locker room that I had ever seen in my life. And then went out to the field and started to set it up. One of the covers was short a poll. We had to put all four of them up before we found the missing piece.
When that was done we headed over to bring the goals out. We pick them up and set them on these rickety old carts and scoot them across the field to the spot. put them into place and then pull this chin thing out of the turf and hook it around the back post.
Next it was tarp time For some reason today, it didn't challenge me. At all. I had extra strength or something. I ran up the stairs, I grabbed my chunk of tarp, and alternated helping everyone around me, but I didn't have to set it down on the bleachers in between steps. I just carried it down the whole way. The field was put together now, and kids and their parents started to arrive and fill the stands and the field as a pre-game clinic began. At some point around 1 rain started to fall, but it was light and welcome and kept me from getting too hot while we worked.
I love this part of the day. It may be my favorite. but there isn't a lot to share thought wise. We work. We work hard. Its quiet. I think a little but mostly I just work. Its very rewarding. One of the last tasks I do is carry up match day programs from the locker room entrance to the stadium entrance. I fill the stands with all the programs. I noticed that McNabb was on the cover, and I have this thought "I wonder if she knows she's on the program this week. I wonder if she has one of these." and then I thought nothing more about it.
We started moving tables, putting out games, throwing on table clothes. My friend Susana was there now, and I joined her in raising the flags. The sun was in my eyes, and it was really more challenging than usual. I channeled male gymnasts on a steal rings routine as I tried to separate and untwist, and keep untwisted the cables that we hook the flags on. It took more strength and effort than usual as the wind picked up. I only had to chase off one wasp this time. I tried to be extra nice to it, so I didn't earn myself any bad karma. But he really couldn't stay in that flag poll. I warned everyone, before I chased him away, to watch out. Susana and I talked game predictions as we hoisted the flags. "0-0" I said "or if anything 2-0 Orlando. But I really think its going to be 0-0" Susana didn't think either of those scores were very likely. She wasn't the first. "Kop's going to have a night. I'm telling you. she's gonna have a night" I re-asserted. "Ok whatever." Susana said.
At this point everything was done that needed to be done and we got a half hour break. So Matt and I ran up to ticketing and he dropped off extra tickets for will call while I grabbed the pitch side table passes for me and my friends. Then we headed over to the Armory to get food. We met Matt's friend from Canada and her two dogs on the way, and went to Premier meat pies and grabbed some food. before we had to rush back. When we returned it was still raining, kind of. Very lightly. The clinic was over and it was time to get the small goals off the field and stashed away. It was difficult work, they kept getting tangled in the trees. When we were done my hands were dirty, and I was glad it was over.
Just as we finished Bev Yanez walked into the stadium and shouted a hello to me from twenty ish feet away as I stood chatting with my fellow volunteers. She said something about the headphones post, so I started to walk her way. We had a nice little chat, probably about our dogs, and I have no idea what else. I just know we talked for about three minutes about nothing important. And I will never ever probably get over the fact that Bev Yanez knows who I am, and always seems excited to see me. But why am I surprised about that? When you spend over an hour sitting around a table sharing your life story and all about your tattoo with another human, as just another human it kind of changes things.
And then suddenly you have a new friend to say hi to while you lift heavy things around a soccer field. And in that moment, I realized something. I was still really excited to see Kop play again. I still really wanted her to have an amazing night, and a clean sheet. And I was still really excited to hand her the canvas thing. But if all that went wrong, and didn't happen because the soccer gods are sometimes assholes, it would be ok. Because this day was already full of friends, and happy memories and good times. I have to say Matt, Brynn and Susana are some of my favorite people and I was so excited just that it was June 3rd and all the things were happening, that I extra loved being around them, and Santiago, and the interns. And Bev showing up and being her sunshiny self already made this the perfect day, and it wasn't even 5 pm yet.
Food showed up for the pitch side tables, and I really wanted to carry my own, but I ended up just grabbing two bags of whoevers and taking them to the station. My bag of food for my table was the very very last one to come over, and my good friend Matt carried it for me. And that made it more special. Dinner from a friend.
They already had all the stanchions out, and were roping off the fan zone line and setting out tables when we got there. Brynn and Santi were still up on that roof and the interns didn't know what to have us do so they sent us over to Brynn. "No! you cannot climb up the ladder. We don't let the interns climb up the ladder either. Only us. If one of the doors is open you can go out front and tell us if the sign looks straight." Brynn said. None of us wanted to climb up that ladder any way. That one is all yours Brynn.
The doors were locked, however. So that was a little frustrating. Wanting to be helpful and burn off excess nervous energy, Matt and I decided we would run down by the interns, go out the gates by them, and all the way back to the south entrance and tell Brynn how her sign looked.
"It's alright" I think one of us said, at some point. "By my standards?" Brynn asked us. The answer to that was no. So I got really specific. There was a wrinkle running through on both ends. NOT OK. First they tried tightening it, but that didn't help. Finally they loosened the right spots and the sign hung perfectly. "Ok, now run back around here and hold the ladder for us while we get down."
With glee we took off on a foot race we would probably regret the next day when our legs and feet were more sore than they ever should have been. But for a moment, we were sprinting and it was fun. We reached the ladder out of breath, and saw everyone safely off the roof, before gathering with the interns for instruction. "Santiago isn't going to be here next game. He will be at the World Cup in Russia" Brynn announced. Everyone was jealous, except me. I was already having the best day ever and I wanted everyone else to have the same. "Do you need a Russian phrase book? I lived in Eastern Europe for two years. I have one if you need it!" I offered. Poor Santiago was then subjected to me telling him random Russian phrases that may or may not ever be useful for his trip.
We headed down to good ol' locker room three to get the corner flags, sandwhich boards and because it was going to rain, the little bench cover awning things, just to be safe. Last game they didn't put them out to be safe and had to bring it out in the middle of the game, in the middle of a down pour. A logo ended up upside down, which is unacceptable. So that wasn't going to happen again.
I grabbed a bag with one of the covers. its kind of like a tent, polls and all that, and I noticed the largest medicine ball behind me in the locker room that I had ever seen in my life. And then went out to the field and started to set it up. One of the covers was short a poll. We had to put all four of them up before we found the missing piece.
When that was done we headed over to bring the goals out. We pick them up and set them on these rickety old carts and scoot them across the field to the spot. put them into place and then pull this chin thing out of the turf and hook it around the back post.
Next it was tarp time For some reason today, it didn't challenge me. At all. I had extra strength or something. I ran up the stairs, I grabbed my chunk of tarp, and alternated helping everyone around me, but I didn't have to set it down on the bleachers in between steps. I just carried it down the whole way. The field was put together now, and kids and their parents started to arrive and fill the stands and the field as a pre-game clinic began. At some point around 1 rain started to fall, but it was light and welcome and kept me from getting too hot while we worked.
I love this part of the day. It may be my favorite. but there isn't a lot to share thought wise. We work. We work hard. Its quiet. I think a little but mostly I just work. Its very rewarding. One of the last tasks I do is carry up match day programs from the locker room entrance to the stadium entrance. I fill the stands with all the programs. I noticed that McNabb was on the cover, and I have this thought "I wonder if she knows she's on the program this week. I wonder if she has one of these." and then I thought nothing more about it.
At this point everything was done that needed to be done and we got a half hour break. So Matt and I ran up to ticketing and he dropped off extra tickets for will call while I grabbed the pitch side table passes for me and my friends. Then we headed over to the Armory to get food. We met Matt's friend from Canada and her two dogs on the way, and went to Premier meat pies and grabbed some food. before we had to rush back. When we returned it was still raining, kind of. Very lightly. The clinic was over and it was time to get the small goals off the field and stashed away. It was difficult work, they kept getting tangled in the trees. When we were done my hands were dirty, and I was glad it was over.
Just as we finished Bev Yanez walked into the stadium and shouted a hello to me from twenty ish feet away as I stood chatting with my fellow volunteers. She said something about the headphones post, so I started to walk her way. We had a nice little chat, probably about our dogs, and I have no idea what else. I just know we talked for about three minutes about nothing important. And I will never ever probably get over the fact that Bev Yanez knows who I am, and always seems excited to see me. But why am I surprised about that? When you spend over an hour sitting around a table sharing your life story and all about your tattoo with another human, as just another human it kind of changes things.
And then suddenly you have a new friend to say hi to while you lift heavy things around a soccer field. And in that moment, I realized something. I was still really excited to see Kop play again. I still really wanted her to have an amazing night, and a clean sheet. And I was still really excited to hand her the canvas thing. But if all that went wrong, and didn't happen because the soccer gods are sometimes assholes, it would be ok. Because this day was already full of friends, and happy memories and good times. I have to say Matt, Brynn and Susana are some of my favorite people and I was so excited just that it was June 3rd and all the things were happening, that I extra loved being around them, and Santiago, and the interns. And Bev showing up and being her sunshiny self already made this the perfect day, and it wasn't even 5 pm yet.
Food showed up for the pitch side tables, and I really wanted to carry my own, but I ended up just grabbing two bags of whoevers and taking them to the station. My bag of food for my table was the very very last one to come over, and my good friend Matt carried it for me. And that made it more special. Dinner from a friend.
We had 30 mins, and one more thing to do before I left my volunteer duties and went to meet my friends and be extra at my fancy pitch side table, which I now knew was going to be near a goal. I must say I was extremely excited about that. I may have started to happy cry again.
Brynn had girl scouts bringing out the NWSL and Reign flags tonight. Which meant she needed all of her volunteers to be the adults holding up the back corners of the flag. I was extremely excited to get to have flag duty for this game, and for the second week in a row. Its a lot of fun. I was less freaked out this time, and more prepared- I did not wear a hat while I worked. My hair was still perfect despite the rain.
I got a little frustrated during rehearsal. With the young girls in front it I had to learn to let go of a few things. For one, they kept dragging it on the ground and not lifting it high enough. so it was wet and covered in turf. I tried to get them to follow the 30/35 yard lines. But walking in a straight line was also more difficult than I thought. by the end of our second of three rehearsals, I let go of my perfectionism, and just enjoyed carrying the flag.
When it ended we got times to be back on the field. And for the first time ever, we got field passes, not just our volunteer bands. And I cried about it. Happy cried. So hard. I was official, and this was my freaking day!
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