Today was our last training day with the Ajax trainers. we had a double session, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 hour break, and then another 1 hour 30 minutes. After training we took a bus back to the hotel and had lunch with the team. At 3:00 we got on the bus and went into Downtown Amsterdam. Since I already went to the Anne Frank house earlier this week, I went to the Rijks museum. Later in the day we got dinner at a pizza and pasta place. After an hour it was time to go. We got on the bus back to the hotel. - Lauryn
Today was our last training day with the Ajax trainers. we had a double session, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 hour break, and then another 1 hour 30 minutes. After training we took a bus back to the hotel and had lunch with the team. At 3:00 we got on the bus and went into Downtown Amsterdam. Since I already went to the Anne Frank house earlier this week, I went to the Rijks museum. Later in the day we got dinner at a pizza and pasta place. After an hour it was time to go. We got on the bus back to the hotel. - Lauryn
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Today was the third day here in Amsterdam. I'm still recovering from jet lag, but I'm so excited to finally be settling in to our trip and to play our first match today. We started off the day by leaving for a tour of the AFC Ajax stadium right after breakfast. The tour showed us many interesting parts of the stadium that we would not have been able to see if we were just visitors, which was one of the highlights of the tour. We also learned a lot about the history of the teams and got to see many of the trophies from past victories. Another part of the tour consisted of looking at the locker room, the security room, the pitch, and the hall of fame. After the tour, we went to the team store where I bought an Ajax jersey and then went to lunch. Once lunch was over, the girls went straight to their first match which although we played very hard, we sadly ended up losing. Once that was over, the girls came back to the hotel and had dinner while the boys were playing in their first match. Overall, this was a very fun and active day!
To start off the day we went on a canal boat ride. The boat had clear walls so everyone could see. The boat ride was really pretty and we saw a lot of popular attractions such as the Anne Frank house and the Nemo museum. The ride was about an hour and a half, and everyone had a good time enjoying the view. After the boat ride we came back to the hotel and ate lunch and had resting time for our 2nd game in Amsterdam. When we left for our game it was about an hour bus ride to the field. When it was time for the game to start both teams created a semi-circle and a speaker played the national anthem for both teams. When the game finally started we had an unfortunate loss of 1-0. After the game was over we drove back to the hotel for dinner then went to bed. It was a fun day overall except for the disappointing loss.
The day started off with breakfast from the hotel, that was followed by a short bus ride to the field. When we got there it already felt hot! We all dropped our stuff off in the locker room and headed out to the field. Today's training was slightly different then the first training, today we were joined by boys from New Jersey. We started off with warm ups, but soon after we began our skills, passing and speed training. For speed training, you warmed up with a small change of direction game, then stretched. For skills, there were two cones and you would receive the ball between them. For passing, we worked on movement and finishing, the drill is difficult to explain so I will just say it was fun!!! After all out training was over we played little scrimmages on the fields.
Once we were all cleaned up we headed to Volendam, know for there harbor and fishing. After Volendam we drove to Zaanse Schans, which had windmills, crafts and a " swimming pond" cough* cough* boys cough* cough*. Back at the hotel everyone ate dinner and celebrated Wouter birthday. All in all it was a terrific day! Sydney Rousseau Today was an adventure! We started off the day with our last training with Ronaldo and Sonny. We spent our practice doing passing & finishing, agility, and one-on-ones & two-on-twos. We continued the day by touring the Ajax Training Facility. It was incredible, it seems so hard to even become part of one of the teams, but so much harder to keep your position. There, the players train using hard agility and strength techniques on fields meant specifically for it. Every single field we saw was designed for a different use, and only that use. All of the girls left the training facility to go to Dam Square. Once we got there, we split into small groups. My group went to eat at a sandwich shop, and then we got to go shopping. We stopped in lots of stores but only got a few items. There, we saw things that you wouldn't be able to find in Seattle. As we left to go back to the hotel we played games on the bus to pass time. Once we got back, the girls ended off the day by taking pictures with our slogs (slipper clogs). It ended up being a fun way to end an eventful day!
- Kaija Today's highlights: We started the day by training with Ajax coaches working on finishing, technical skills, speed & agility, passing, receiving & turns. We ended with scrimmaging a boys academy from New Jersey! Learned a lot!
After training, we took a quick shower and headed to the seaside town of Volendam. We ate lunch and ice cream and bought soccer pins. Next, we went to the famous windmill town of Zaanse Schans where toured a clog musuem, ate shaved ice and saw lots of local culture. At dinner, we celebrated our guide Wouter's birthday. Kelly taught us all how to say Congratulations in Dutch "Gefeliciteerd!" which is a very common birthday greeting. Ella Hwang
Today we went on a tour through Ajax stadium. We learned about the history of the teams awards (what awards, what years, how many of them). We watched a video showing how hard they work on the fields to keep them looking nice, especially when they have 3 weeks to set up a concert then switch back to a soccer field. We toured the stands learning where the visitors versus the most excitable fans sat and we got a chance look in the control room. Then before our game against Telstar we ate sandwiches at a restaurant. Sadly we lost our game, but played quite well for our first time playing as a team. All in all a good very active day.
Luckily for me I have not had jet lag. I woke up early, got breakfast, excited to visit the stadium. The stadium is Amsterdam Arena, home to AFC Ajax. This is where we watched AFC Ajax play Willem II. You can see the pitch we practiced on yesterday in the photo above. Today the roof was closed. We learned that the roof is closed to help keep the grass in tiptop condition. But, with the roof closed they water the grass with sprinklers, cover the field with lights, and have lots of fans to simulate the wind. The field is beautiful. We saw how much work it is to keep a professional field in shape. We also learned how they can transform the field to a concert floor, and then back again. There is also a road that runs directly below the pitch. Crazy. The first stop on our tour was the visitor's locker room. It was plain and boring. But of course this was done on purpose. However, the home locker room was very nice. Getting to see the locker room of a professional football team was my highlight of the tour. I have never seen a professional locker room. It was interesting to see how and where the players prepare for a game. The lockers seemed to be organized by player position. There was one empty locker. The locker of Jasper Cillissen. After the locker room we went to a new part of the stadium. The Hall of Fame. This is a museum for AFC Ajax with many of the cups won. Finally, we went to the pro shop to buy some souvenirs. I think for some of the group this was the highlight. I would love to keep writing this blog about my day, but right now I need to get ready for our first game tonight.
Today is the first day we met and trained with the Ajax coaches at the Ajax training complex outside on beautiful grass fields. It rained very hard. We are going to the science museum for the afternoon.
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