DGK in Action: December 2016

2017 DYNASTY WINTER CAMPS

The winter months in between club and high school seasons are the ideal time to focus on individual development and add goalkeeper specific training into your schedule.  This is a time of the year when we typically have more time to address our position specific needs that we may not get as much attention during season in the team environment.

CLICK ON THE BANNERS TO REGISTER NOW!

We are excited to announce that Dynasty is now offering a new YOUNG GK Winter Camp for male and female goalkeepers ages 10-14 in Raleigh, NC on January 14-15, 2017.  This camp will be a fun and competitive environment focused on developing a sound technical foundation for young developing goalkeepers while fostering a passion for the position.  It will consist of two training session a day with a lunch/lecture in between to discuss tactical aspects of the position and cover the essentials of sound nutrition for athletes.

In addition the 9th Annual Winter Camp in Sparks, NV is just around the corner, and only a few spots remain in the YOUTH GK Clinic for goalkeepers under 14 and in the older ELITE GK Camp, so don’t delay registering if you are considering attending. Camp is limited in size to 12 students to guarantee plenty of training for each goalkeeper. It is a day camp structure open to BOTH male and female gks. The YOUNG GK Clinic will train twice over the weekend for 2 hours (once each day), while the ELITE GK Camp will include 2 lectures and four 2 hour+ training sessions, for a weekend of fun and intense training at the Golden Eagle Sports Complex in Sparks, NV. If you are interested in registering please click on the banner above and/or call Tracy at 919-942-2903 if you have any questions.

2016 COMMUNITY OUTREACH CHALLENGE

In addition to the Camp Homework I assign students every year, I also challenge my camp students to become involved in their community to raise their awareness of the global community around them.  It is far too easy to get swept up into our busy lives, the daily grind, and our own microscopic circle of influence.  I am certainly a culprit of that.  Hence the Dynasty Goalkeeping Community Outreach Challenge was developed to get all of us to broaden our circles of influence!

Initially the program began with students donating gear for children in need around the world and has grown from there. Thus far Dynasty has been involved with the following organizations Carolina For Kibera, Coaches Across Continents, They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO), Equipment Across Continents (a branch of Coaches Across Continents), the U.S. State Department (cultural exchange and female empowerment programs), Sports United (a cultural exchange program organized through the U.S. State Department.

In 2010 the Dynasty Goalkeeping Community Outreach Challenge took our generosity one step further. I challenged students to ACT BEYOND THEMSELVES and get involved with a project that meant something to them and to ‘donate’ some of their TIME to help others. The feedback I received from the students and parents was tremendous, so giving back to your community has become a core value of the Dynasty family of goalkeepers.

It is in acting that we have our most profound effect, because there simply is nothing more valuable than your time. So to set aside some of your precious time to help another human being (animal or the planet) speaks volumes. The recipient will certainly be tremendously grateful for any help you can give, but the effect it will have on your own life will be were the most value lies. The gratitude and love you receive back from the people you help is addicting and powerful. Try it and you will see what I mean.

Here is the list of the volunteer work that Dynasty staff and students (listed by the camp week they attended) reported in 2016! This is GREAT STUFF! I am proud of all of you — you guys inspire me to do more!!!

If you were a 2016 student/staff that did volunteer this year and your name isn’t on this list it is because you didn’t email me! I can’t report on something I don’t know! 

STAFF

MEGAN KINNEMAN – May 2016 – Houston, TX

  

 

Raised money & awareness for Lupus by participating in Walk for Lupus with her mother.

 

 

CARLY McCABE – Chicago, IL

  

Carly has continued her service oriented work with a 501(c)3 organization called Back on My Feet. This is her second year with the organization.

 

TRACY NOONAN – April 2016 – Nepal

My latest volunteer work with the U.S. State Department program Sports United brought me to Asia – Kathmandu, Nepal to be exact! This was my fifth trip as a sports envoy (Guatemala, Ukraine/Poland, Costa Rica, Fiji/Tonga) and I think my furthest yet! On this adventure I was excited to be partnered with my 1999 Women’s World Cup teammate, and fellow UNC alumnae, Lorrie Fair.

Our week was packed solid with clinics, panel discussions, speeches, and video shoots all around Kathmandu as well as a quick flight (day trip) out to the Far West of Nepal in Dhangadhi along the border with India. Lorrie and I were fortunate to be able to interact and connect with girls and boys ages 3-22 from various socio-economic groups. The main purpose of the trip was to empower girls through sport with the help of boys and men. Our clinic and talks sought to integrate the girls with the boys on the field in some settings and in others it was girls only, providing opportunities for the girls to play where they usually are discouraged from participation.

The conditions in Nepal, especially since the devastating earthquake in April 2015, are extremely challenging for all, but especially young girls. Life in Nepal as a young girl is hard. Obstacles include malnourishment, lack of access to clean water, inconsistent access to school (earthquake damage, distance to school is too great, having to help tend livestock, being considered “dirty” and shunned when menstruating, and having to care for younger siblings are just some of the reasons), no facilities to play, very little equipment, cultural pressure to marry at an early age (as a teenager), lack of infrastructure, and little to no support from family and elders in their community. Young girls, especially in the more rural areas, are a vital part of the work force in the household that determines if they family has food to eat, shelter, and water to drink.

NONE of these are issues for girls in our country. We take all of these things for granted and complain when coach doesn’t play us, when we get cut from a team, when our equipment is a few months old, when the field isn’t green enough, etc, etc.   We live in a completely different world; one in which we have been granted every opportunity for success if we just simply chose to apply ourselves. And this is simply all by the mere chance of where we were born. Quite literally, as a female, we won the birth lottery by being born in the United States. Life here isn’t about survival, in our culture it revolves (for good and bad) around success (and how you choose to measure it).

Life is clearly different in Nepal. Kathmandu is a densely populated city with a major pollution problem. There is a solid haze of pollution that sits in the valley and we didn’t have a single clear day the entire 2 week period I was in Nepal. Severe poverty, sanitation, and infrastructure are very real issues that are apparent everywhere you travel. Yet despite their environment there is hope and a willingness to work to overcome the challenges. The young men (players, student, coaches, and community leaders) we crossed paths with all understood the importance of the role of women in society and were supportive of creating opportunity for marginalized girls to have access to education, sport, and leadership opportunities. We worked with some incredibly motivated male leaders that are making a BIG difference in the lives of girls in Nepal. They understand that for their society to improve women play an equally important role. Having men in leadership roles that respect women and are supportive of girls and women is such a key ingredient to change and that is happening. All the children we worked with were respectful, engaged, and excited to have the opportunity to play. Especially the ones living in the worst conditions, a squatter village right that bordered on the city trash dump. The ones that should have the least hope had the biggest smiles of pure joy. The youth of the country are pushing to become more involved politically, they are more inspired to stay in school with parents who understand the value in their education (boys AND girls), and are fighting for their voices to be heard.

It is not about changing the culture or abandoning their history. It is not about westernizing their society. There are values and traditions that should not be lost. We are not right and they are not wrong. It is about sharing ideas and learning from each other. It is about broadening horizons, creating access to education and opportunities, and empowering young girls by giving them a voice and showing them that they have choices in their lives. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities I have for cultural exchange through Sports United. I always gain such perspective from the tremendous people I meet wherever I travel.

STUDENTS

WEEK 1

STEPHANIE HEBER – March 5-12, 2016 – Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

Steph has a long track record of service over her years as a Dynasty student (and before!). This year she took a mission trip to Jarabacoa in the Dominican Republic. The trip was organized through Fellowship of Christian athletes and partnered with Crosswinds. Crosswinds is “Dedicated to preventing and reducing juvenile delinquency by providing innovative programs through which adolescents can become responsible and productive.” They have a boarding school in the Dominican Republic that allows teens an escape and helps them get back on their feet. Throughout the week the volunteers were able to gain perspective and insight into the life of the locals through interactions with the students that were a part of Crosswinds.  The service part of their trip was geared towards helping the community of Jarabacoa. While many groups come down and help, Steph said that their group was unique because the majority of the volunteers were athletes and consequently were more prepared physically to handle harder manual labor. Throughout the week they worked in the valley of one of the villages. On a typical day they hiked up and down the mountain (which was 1 mile one way) transporting materials up and down as well as traveling through the valley to send materials to and from the river.  The major project for the week was to build a basketball court from scratch for the kids in the community. This entailed digging sand out of the river to make concrete, watching local donkeys haul it to the site, constructing a backboard, and finished with pouring the concrete. In addition another smaller project was to put a fence on a bridge over the river to make it safer to walk over.  Steph shared that, “It was incredible to see the projects transform and see our hard work come together throughout the week.”

WEEK 2

EMILY HULL – Summer 2016 – Asheville, NC

Emily committed over 60 hours of her time this past summer volunteering for OpenDoors of Asheville and has continuing with them this winter during her holiday break.  OpenDoors is a local non-profit organization that provides support for children of multigenerational impoverished families. They raise money to send these children to summer camps, private schools, tutors, etc. Emily’s main role was to file and organize personal information and data the organization recorded for each of the children and their families that they were helping.  She also catalogued the media information they collected concerning research on children of poverty.  Emily did have a few opportunities to interact directly with the recipients of OpenDoors assistance and that is when she felt that the experience had its biggest impact on her.  On occasion she was able to go out into the neighborhoods of the people they help, meet the families, see their homes, and how they lived. It was then that she realized the importance of the mission of OpenDoors; that these children do need help to break free from the cycle of poverty and that OpenDoors is changing these kids’ lives.  Emily also shared that she hopes to volunteer again this coming summer of 2017.

AMANDA KESLER – Fall 2016 – Winchester, VA

This fall, Amanda organized through her school Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) a religious concert featuring Colton Dixon (American Idol Finalist), Finding Favour, and Building 429 which was hosted at her school, John Handley High School . All the profits went to local charities and churches in her town. Amanda is an officer in FCA and was in charge of the organization team. It took about 2 months of weekly morning meetings to organize. The concert was a huge success and helped many members of her community.  Amanda shared that, “The entire process taught me more about thinking of new and exciting ways to engage the local community with helping others. ”  A portion of the money raised was used to participate in a Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox Drive. The club went to Wal-Mart and Target to get small toys and hygiene products for kids who are less fortunate around the holidays. “Knowing that we (FCA) were able to help those kids wake up to an exciting Christmas morning made the whole process of purchasing and stuffing extremely heart-warming.”

KAYLIN SLATTERY – April 14, 2016 – Cornelius, NC

This was the third year that Kaylin volunteered at the Cabarrus County Special Olympics Spring Games. She spent 5 hours on April 14th along with a group from school helping the event run smoothly for the athletes and make it a memorable day for them.  This year, Kaylin’s group was in charge of part of the Olympic Village where the athletes would play games and do fun activities when they weren’t competing.  She assisted athletes in creating their own medals using stickers, markers, stamps, or cutouts to decorate and make their medals special. Kaylin said it was a wonderful experience and that helping all of the athletes throughout the day was inspiring because she witnessed up close how each athlete was unique, but more importantly she saw how much fun they were all having. Overall, Kaylin felt this was a fantastic opportunity and a great way to help others. 

WEEK 3

EMMIE ALLEN – High Point, NC

 

Emmie volunteered for 3 hours along with her brother for an organization call Kayak for Warriors.  They assisted at the event by laying out the trophies, carrying kayaks to and from the water for participants, and running times from the dock to the computer.

 

 

FELICITY BAKER – Raleigh, NC

Felicity (aka “Flick”) was very active in her community this year!!

1. Hope Community Church (2 hours) – At Hope Community Church, they were hosting homeless people in our community; providing them with meals and shelter. Flick set up rooms for families staying the night and cleaned the rooms for the next guest. “This opened my eyes to how so many people in our community are in need. We are surrounded by them so often that it should be easier to give. I also found their gratitude very impressive.”
2. CAYA Cup at CASL (5 hours) – CASL (Capitol Area Soccer League) hosted a tournament for 7, 8, and 9 year old children. At this event, Flick helped coach a team, and spent time with the kids.  “I enjoyed volunteering at this event because the kids had so much fun playing soccer; it reminded how much I enjoy the game.”
3. Shepherd Youth Ranch (4 hours) – Shepherd Youth Ranch’s mission statement is “To provide restoration and hope for children and their families who have suffered trauma through the unconditional love of Christ and a unique relationship with horses.” At this event, Flick help set up and clean up a fundraiser in which people from the community came to enjoy games and talk to the occupational therapists and horse trainers. We also helped manage the activities. “I really enjoyed visiting this ranch; the owner gave a speech at my school, so we have become good friends. I also really love animals, so I admire what their ranch is doing.
4. Child Sponsorship through Hope Community Church (annual participation) – Through her church Felicity has the opportunity to sponsor a child, and provide their family with gifts for the holiday season. “The children and their families are so grateful; it teaches me to be grateful for what I have and to find happiness in giving to others.”

MADISON BANKS – Queenstown, MD

Through an organization called Families In Need Madi helped support over 30 families in need from West Virginia where 70% of the population lives at or below poverty level.  She brought health and beauty supplies to the coordinator at the local middle school, who as you can see from the photo was so grateful for the donations!

CAROLINE DOSS – June 2, 2016 – Greensboro, NC

Caroline volunteered with her father for 2 hours at the Greensboro Urban Ministry’s Potter House. Potter’s House is a part of Greensboro Urban Ministry, which provides daily meals, housing, and support to people in need of help.  Every day, Potter’s House serves between 300-400 people breakfast, lunch, and dinner!  Sadly and shockingly, as Caroline learned, North Carolina is ranked 5th in the nation in hunger.  Caroline arrived about an hour before dinner was going to be served and her tasks before dinner included wiping down the tables, setting the tables, putting out desert, and filling cups with water and tea. However, she said she enjoyed the work during dinner the most.  At dinner she poured refills of drinks, served meals, and assisted with any requests from the guests.  Caroline shared that, “I really felt I was able to make a difference in the lives of so many people by volunteering.  It was amazing noticing how polite, gracious, and kind these people were. Even with so much adversity going on in their own lives, they still said “Thank you”, and smiled at me. They were truly amazing to be around.  I remember one man that really stood out to me. After dinner, I was putting the chairs on top of the tables. The man had come in late and was eating by himself. As I put the chairs on top of the table next to him, he got from his chair and said, “Here, let me get these.” and smiled. That was truly an experience I will never forget.  Working at the Potter’s House made me realize just how lucky I am to have food on the table at every meal.  I am SO glad I volunteered here and would love to do it again soon!!”

GEORGIA HENKEL – July 2016 – Houston, TX

Georgia volunteered as a camp counselor this summer for 25 hours at the VBS Camp Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church Summer Celebration.  Her main roles were to lead bible study and play games with kids during the week.  In addition she also volunteer as part of T-shirt crew at the Wendall Family Fireworks 4th of July Celebration for 8 hours.

GABI MIKELL – Cary, NC

Gabi participates with two local organizations throughout the year on an ongoing basis.  The first is the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.  She assisted them for a total of 6 hours this year packaging different food like rice, potatoes, pasta, and peppers. After packaging, the Food Bank sends them out to different sponsors so that they can prepare the food for consumption.  Gabi learned while completing the service that the food they were packaging was deemed ‘unsellable’ by retail stores. She said, “It struck me as odd, especially when most of the food didn’t look inedible. It showed my how wasteful we are with food and made me feel very grateful for what I have.”  

The second organization Gabi volunteered with was Project Unify. This is a club through her high school in which students spend time with the special needs students doing arts and crafts with them for two hours. This is a good opportunity for special needs students to interact with other students, especially since they are in the same classroom all day. Gabi was able to participate in 4 meetings and she shared that, “I really, really love going to these meetings. It’s so much fun and I love to interact with them. Two of my best friends have younger siblings with special needs so going to these meetings holds a place in my heart and I love to brighten their day. I thoroughly enjoy going to see these kids. “

PAIGE NURKIN – July 2016 – Charlotte, NC

For two weeks this summer (roughly 50+ hours) Paige volunteered at a soccer camp run by their local minor league soccer team, the Charlotte Eagles. The Charlotte Eagles are a Christian organization that aims to not only to teach kids the basics of soccer, but also teach them positive life character traits such as humility and patience, and expose them to the love and grace of God. Paige explained that one of the biggest things that was stressed amongst the coaches was that they didn’t know all the campers backgrounds or home life, but it didn’t matter. Their job was to show all the kids that they were loved, no matter how hyperactive or difficult they were. Paige wrote, “It was tiring work, but after a long week of taking kids on bathroom runs, piggy backing them between the fields and our lunch spot, encouraging them as they struggled with the new skills, and attempting to comfort them when they burst into tears every time they got knocked over, nothing beat the last day. After the closing ceremony, the campers were given camp balls and t-shirts and were told they could get the coaches to sign them. Having kids run up to hug me and ask for my signature made me truly realize what an impact I had on these kids. This experience was truly incredible and I can’t wait until next summer to do it all again.”

WEEK 4

LEAH BETH RADOW– Los Angeles, CA

During her freshman year at Brentwood, Leah Beth joined several other classmates to serve dinner to mentally ill veterans at the Veterans Association in Los Angeles for several hours.  LB stated, “I enjoyed being able to give back to these veterans who risked their lives for our freedom. It was a great experience because it allowed me to put myself in their shoes, and realize how lucky I was.”

MOLLY SWIGER – Johns Creek, GA

Molly started a club at her school called Voices for Veterans. The motto is “Raising support and awareness for our veterans.” They have roughly 20 members and Molly serves as President of the club. This year, they put together a 9/11 ceremony, Veteran’s Day Ceremony, and are currently working on holiday care packages to send to troops overseas. These will include snacks, candy, toiletries, and other goodies to say thank you to our troops.

 

In addition they have partnered with a local elementary school to have 3rd graders write letters to be included in our packages. Closer to the holidays they plan to go volunteer at homeless Veteran’s shelters and go caroling. Molly shared that, “This club means a lot to me and I am extremely proud and humbled by the work we have done.”

WEEK 5

GRAYSON CAMERON – Fall 2015/Spring 2016 – Hickory, NC

Grayson logged a whopping 48 community service hours in her senior year of high school through a service oriented group called the “Juniorettes” volunteering for various organizations in her community!!! I love her commitment to give back and that she was able to impact such diverse groups.  Here is the list of service she did:

• Donated clothes & assisted with household projects at local women’s shelter (4 hours)
• Donated to the humane society (4 hours)
• Brought used toys to local kids shelter (4 hours)
• Made Christmas boxes & mailed to children (6 hours)
• Wrote letters (pen pal) to deployed troops, veterans, and wounded soldiers (2 hours)
• Volunteered at soup kitchen (4 hours)
• Volunteered to play music at local nursing home (2 hours)
• Yard work for the elderly (4 hours)
• Tutored English as a second language children after school (4 hours)
• Volunteered at local animal hospital (10 hours)
• Planted trees, flowers, and bushes plus picked up trash outside high school (4 hours)

ASHLEY ORKUS– May 2016 – Birmingham, AL

Ashley volunteered with two organizations in her local area this past May.  The first was Vestavia Hills Elementary at Liberty Park.  She invested 10 hours over two days on May 25th and 26th running two stations at an end of year celebration as well as organizing books in the school’s library.  The second volunteer work she did was at the Country Club of Birmingham on May 30th.  She committed 7 hours of service assisting the lifeguards and running games in the pool for children ages 2-13 years old.

KENDALL THOMAS – Cornelius, NC

Kendall volunteers every Saturday morning for an hour with Davidson College’s Buddy Club. The Buddy Club partners college students with local special needs students ranging in age from lower to high school. The goal is to form a relationship with one child who becomes your buddy for at least the year (but hopefully until you graduate). Students meet with their “buddy” weekly at Buddy Club to hang out, talk, play sports or games, or do arts and crafts. Kendall was paired with a high school freshmen named Natia and since Kendall grew up close to Davidson and worked with special needs students throughout high school, she actually has known Natia for several years before coming to Davidson. They’ve always bonded over sports as she enjoys basketball and football and through playing sports together they’ve been able to develop a close relationship. They even hang out outside of Buddy Club sometimes to go out to eat or play basketball. Kendall said she has become good friends with her family and always looks forward to spending time with Natia. “I greatly enjoy being a part of Buddy Club because you can see the immediate impact you’re making in their lives. All the special needs students leave with smiles on their faces and the joy they have is always contagious. I find it an incredible way to start my Saturday mornings and something I look forward to every week.”

SYDNEY WOOTTEN – Summer 2016 – San Diego, CA

Over the summer Sydney volunteered to be an intern for her church youth group at the Peuasquitos Lutheran Church.  She volunteered 6 days a week for 5 weeks, for 30 days total.  Syd, along with four other interns her age worked with teens between the ages of 14-18 to help them find their way closer to Jesus.  They hosted youth group sessions, “lock-ins”, “all-nighters” at the church, and took beach outings after mass on Sunday mornings.  In addition they made weekly trips to the local homeless shelter to serve food.  Syd said her favorite part about the experience, “was helping the teens grow in their relationship with Christ.”

WEEK 6

JONELLE BARRON – Wellington, FL

This year Jonelle joined the Pre-Med Club at her high school to help create a holiday party for pediatric cancer patients in the Delray Medical Center. She personally raised around $150 dollars for the Pre-Med club to put towards the purchase of gifts for the pediatric patients. Jonelle volunteered roughly 8 hours in total, which included preparation for the party (wrapping the gifts) and the actual party.  At the party they played games with the kids, threw a mini concert/karaoke and helped the kids open their presents along with Santa! Jonelle wrote, “I don’t have any pictures because of patient confidentiality rules, but I can tell you the looks on the children’s faces were priceless.”
In addition Jonelle joined another school club this year called Green Team which focuses on recycling around the school. Every week, she spends about an hour collecting all of the recycling around the school with her friends who are also in the club. They have even gone paddle boarding with Green Team to pick up trash along the intercoastal!

JESSICA BERLIN – May 21, 2016 – Burke, VA

Jess volunteered for The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) for roughly 6 hours during their 14th Annual 5K Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer on Saturday, May 21, 2016 at National Harbor. She assisted with setting up the silent auction tent, handing out T shirts, and checking in and assigning other Volunteers. She also handed out bananas and water to the runners and walkers as they finished the race to replenish and refuel them.  At the end of the event she helped clean and pack up some tents, chairs and tables.  Jess shared that, “I enjoyed seeing the people I helped after their run be so thankful for the event taking place and raising awareness.  I would say I got a new sense of appreciation for all the work that goes into hosting an event like a 5k.”

 

EMMA HILL– June-August 2016 – Centreville, MD

Emma started a non-profit organization with her father this past summer.  Emma comes from a small town on the eastern shore of Maryland and very few girls in her town play soccer.  And as you can imagine very few play goalkeeper. Typically goalkeepers like Emma have to drive 45-60 minutes (one way) to get a proper training session and once school starts it becomes increasingly difficult to have the time to squeeze that into an already full day.  So Emma asked the girls in her area if they wanted to come out to the fields and train with her.  She said the excitement in the responses she received was overwhelming.  Emma said, “These goalkeepers want to learn and want to be the best they can be.  Who would I be to deny anyone the opportunity to be better?”  So with the knowledge and experience Emma has gained from her years at Dynasty, college camps, and her own private training sessions she hopes to help guide her local group of girls to becoming better goalkeepers with a better chance of advancing on to playing collegiately as Emma will be soon.

ELIZABETH KELLY – Fall 2016 – Charlotte, NC

This fall as part of her college living learning community Sed Min at Queens University in Charlotte, Liz was required to have 5 hours of community service per month.  She chose to become involved with an organization called Heaven for Life.  They organize fun hangout events for children in low income areas. Heaven for Life provides transportation to and from the events with help from the volunteers and the events have a DJ, food and plenty of games and activities. Liz, along with some of her college friends help drive the kids to/from events and join them in the games at the event. It is typically a 5 hour hangout once a month and Liz has participated for 3 months now. Liz shared that, “Being able to help these kids get to a place where they can all come together and have fun has had a huge impact on me. It is a good reminder that you don’t need all the fancy technology gadgets and things like that to be able to have fun. It also reminds me to remember that its the simplest things in life that bring happiness and joy; for example, hanging with friends, laughing, having a conversation with someone else, etc. I plan to keep working with this organization and find more ways to get involved!”