On the day of the USA vs Germany WWC quarterfinal match I was so excited. I had prepared half a year for this day and I was ready. Faces painted, signs completed, hair sprayed, and Beanie Babies ready to go. Beanies Babies? I knew I had to do something unique to get the team�s attention. Anyway I wanted to thank them for everything they have done for the sport I love and I wanted to wish them luck in their pursuit of the World Cup. I knew I wouldn�t be able to get them to the team personally so I got to the game early and made my way behind their bench. A guy from USA Today took my picture and couldn�t believe I was giving over $120 worth of my beloved collection to the team. While the team was warming up Brandi walked over to the bench to sit something down. I got her attention and she had one of the coaches take the big Abercrombie & Fitch bag to the bench for me. I took a picture of it sitting there then the security guard made me go back to my seat. I got the gifts to the team and I got 100+ pictures of them warming up... Mission Accomplished. Oh yeah, one more thing, ESPN opened up to the game with my beautifully painted red, white, & blue face. At that point, July 1, 1999 was the BEST day of my entire life EVER!!!!
Many of the members of the team kept World Cup journals at various websites. It was wonderful to read about what they did in between games and what their feelings were about the games. After reading Mac's, Lilly's, Akers's, and Tracy�s journals, I think I really know every little detail about their 3 week bonanza. I was more than ecstatic when I read Tracy�s 2nd to last paragraph in July 8 journal entry about the quarter-final game:
"Then we showered, ate, and waited around for all the interviews. We watched some of the Brazil / Nigeria game and I traded jerseys with the German goalkeeper. On the bus ride home we were treated to a nice gift from a random fan. We all received different beanie babies with our names and a poem attached ... cute."
I have never been more thrilled being referred to as a "random fan" as I was when I read that!
I was so pumped for the final, but I wasn�t ready for it. The past 3 weeks had been a dream come true for me and every soccer playing girl in America: non-stop women�s soccer and awesome media coverage. I loved watching David Letterman everynight waiting for him to talk about "his" team, knowing that "our girls" were more than likely watching it too. Anyway, as I was sitting down in my decorated living room to watch the final game my dad brought in the mail. How many fans can say they received an autographed pic and letter from a member of the USWNT on the day of the 99 WWC final? I can. Tracy Ducar is as awesome as they come. It�s hard for me to believe that she took time out of the busiest week of her life to write me a letter and mail me an autographed picture. It�s definitely my prized possession... it means more to me than any other autograph I�ve received.
I wanted to thank her but I didn�t know how. A couple weeks after the final I found a website where I could "e-mail" members of the World Cup Team. Actually they said they would forward the mail to US Soccer and they would forward it to the members of the team. My first thought: "yeah, right!" But it was worth a try and to my surprise I checked my e-mail a couple days later and I had mail from "Tracy Noonan Ducar"!!!! Really, Tracy Ducar e-mailed me!!! Unbelievable. Since then we have kept in touch through e-mail.
I convinced my mom to take my sisters and I to the Raleigh Victory Tour game. I had to do a whole lot of pleading since Raleigh is 8 hours away from my home in Georgia, but luckily my mom loves the team too. The day before I left a friend from that area e-mailed me and informed me that Mia would be signing autographs at 12 noon on Sunday before the game at Toys �r Us. Luckily I was able to convince my mom to find a hotel in the area of Toys �r Us so we could go over there early Sunday morning. I had heard about these Mia autograph sessions so I was prepared, I figured if she would be there at noon, I better get there at 6am. We were so scared that a line was already forming so we arrived at 5:30am instead. My sisters and I were the first ones there and we waited patiently for 6 hours outside. We kept taking turns walking into the parking lot to look at how long the line was, I could not believe I was first in line! I brought two gifts bags, 1 full of candy for the entire team and one for Tracy (I was hoping Mia could get it to her). Anyway, right before Mia came out a security guard informed me that someone was with Mia, but he had no clue who. What a dork! We were all making predictions and saying who we hoped it was.
There is no way to describe the emotion I felt when Tracy Ducar walked through the doors with Mia. It was as if it was a surprise birthday party or something for me! I don�t know, I couldn't contain myself, I just started screaming Tracy's name as loud as possible. I had her sign my arm. After we were done with Mia & Tracy we stood off to the side for more pictures and then a Toys �r Us employee asked my sisters & I if we had tickets to the game and we said yeah so he said "I bet you would rather have these?" They were four passes to the team�s post game reception!!!!!! How awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! It was like a dream come true, I say that all the time but really I had dreams about this - I just couldn't believe it.
The game was great, Tracy saluted to me and waved to me when she saw me! She is the best! I kept thinking "Wait till she sees me at the reception, she will be so surprised!" I was so excited and looking forward to the reception that I dont even remember the game.
The reception was the most awesome experience of my life! The highlight though was when I bumped into Tracy. She had to take a second look at me and then was like "Yvonne? What are you doing here?" It was so great and she talked to me and everything and I was like in heaven that entire night. Oh, and I met Chris Ducar and had a picture taken with him. It was an awesome night - you can read about the whole thing here.
A couple months later in March I received an e-mail from a friend of Tracy's that Tracy had been called into the March training camp in Orlando, FL at the last minute. To make a really long story short I went down there for the weekend. It was so last minute that it wasn't even funny, my parents still have yet to know that I went. Saturday afternoon's practice was just a goalkeeper practice, so I got to see a bunch of Tracy and I talked to her briefly before the practice. And Sunday morning the team scrimmaged the U-17 men�s national team and I got to see more of Tracy in action. After the game I got the chance to talk to Tracy even more! As if I haven't said it enough already, she is sooooooooo nice! I really enjoyed the weekend, but when I got home I was really bummed to see that Tracy wasn't going to the Algarve Cup or to the Olympic Training Camp. It was still a weekend I will never forget.
In July 2000 I went to the UNC soccer camp where I got to see Tracy for an entire week! It was so awesome! Before the camp started I found Tracy and talked to her for while. When I first saw her I was like "Tracy?" and she "Yeah? Oh! You made it!" I could not believe that she remember/ recognized me!!!!! I was so excited that I had to prop myself up against a trash can while I talked to her so I wouldn't fall down - she must've thought I was retarded. During the evening session of the first day Tracy & her hubby Chris came over and talked to me which was way too cool. And after they left Jamie (a UNC gk) was like "How do you know Tracy & 'Bird?'" I was like "Oh, we go way back." hahahaha
A couple days after I got back from camp Tracy hosted a chat which was the BEST chat I have ever been to in my life! She stayed there for over 2 hours! I was kinda bummed that she wouldn't adopt me but I did get all 3 Tracy Trivia questions right. :-) Proof yet again that Tracy is the coolest, most awesomest person in the world!
I went to my first Boston Breakers game to on August 1, 2001 when they played in Atlanta. My friend Maria and I screamed and cheered on the Tracy & Breakers throughout the entire game and in the end Boston beat the Beat 1-0 - we were thrilled. And as soon as the final whistle was blown I was on a mission - have my picture taken with Tracy. So we went and stood near the locker room because we knew the players had to walk through there. It was a loooooooooong wait because they were signing autographs around the field but Tracy finally came and we talked for several minutes (10-15) and I finally had my picture taken with my hero. I think I'll move to Boston next summer.
On October 20, 2001 my friend Christine and I went to Chapel Hill to see the 20th anniversary alumni game (in hopes of seeing my girl). It became obvious she wasn't playing and I didn't see her so I figured she wasn't there. But then after the game I talked to Chris for awhile and then I saw another kids autographed UNC picture and Tracy's autograph was on it. I was like "Christine! She's here, I've gotta find her." So I walked down the fance a little and sure enough, there she was. I got her attention and she came over and talked to for awhile. Can I not stress enough how nice she is. I probably won't see her again until next summer but I'm already getting all excited about it.
