The Fan Zone

Ask Lori

I want to hear from you.  Got a question?  Send it to me at asklori@lorichalupny.com  Your question may be posted here.

Q: What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you always want to be a soccer player or did you want to be something else??

- Maggie - age 9 - Sep 2007

Lori: Thanks for the question Maggie. I had a passion for soccer since the first time I stepped onto the field. Even though there was no professional league and I didn't know much about the National Team, I always saw soccer in my future. I never really thought about doing anything else. I still don't really know what I want to do after I am finished playing. Hopefully I won't have to make that decision for a while.

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Q: Do you think you learned most at your soccer at practices, or did you work a lot by yourself at home? (My dad wants to know too.)

- Nikki - u13 - Kansas City - Sep 2007

Lori: Nikki, what a great question! In my opinion, playing soccer for just a few hours a week at practice is not enough to get to the highest levels. However, playing should ALWAYS be fun and should only be done if it is something you want to do. I was fortunate that I had a great coach growing up so our practices were centered around learning skills like one-touch, two-touch, dribbling and moves. I was also very lucky that my dad spent time educating himself about the game and we had some great sessions in the backyard to improve my skills and work on things that we didn't have time for in practice, like serving long balls using backspin and bending balls. I want to emphasize that having fun is the most important thing so the extra sessions are only good if they make you happy. Use the extra time to work on things that you need to improve upon or to work on things that you are already great at so it becomes something that sets you apart.

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Q: Can you tell us how good the food is? And what is the weirdest food you have seen eaten?

- Alyssa - u17 - Louisville, KY - Sep 2007

Lori: Hi Alyssa! The food this trip has actually been very good. In past trips to China we have been forced to eat a lot out of the snack trunks that the team brings. We fill them with tuna, macaroni & cheese and other snack foods. This time though we have been able to fill ourselves up mainly with the food the hotel has provided. As far as the weirdest food I have seen eaten, I would have to say snake kabobs, scorpion, and fried grasshoppers. I have to say, I haven't been too adventurous with those foods. I stick to what I know.

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Q: I was wondering what you do to get psyched up for your matches? Do you have a special routine or listen to music etc. to get ready? Thanks for your time, Good Luck, and GO USA!!!

- Kenzie - Rush Pikes Peak U-11 Swoosh Team - Sep 2007

Lori: Well that is a great question because we spend a lot of time talking about and figuring out what pre-game routine works best for each of us. It is important to establish a routine so there is some similarity from game to game. You want to feel like you prepared the same way for a friendly as you would for a World Cup game and vice versa. You don't want your emotions to get too high or too low. Since we usually play games in the evening I go for a walk with Tasha Kai and some other teammates before lunch, I take a shower, and then relax and do some imagery to visualize what I want to do on the field. My concern is usually not to get psyched up for a game but to train myself to relax and calm my excitement.

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Q: I read your website and found out that you get motion sickness too. Will you and Lindsay Tarpley give me some tips for not getting sick in the car as much? I could really use all the help I can get. (You should know exactly what I'm talking about.) I hope you don't get sick on the bus during the world cup. Good-luck!

- Anna - Sep 2007

Lori: Anna, I'm glad you have found my website. Hope you are enjoying reading my journal entries. Lindsay Tarpley and I do have some difficulty on long bus rides. If we are having trouble we usually move to the front seat of the bus and try to avoid looking out of the side windows. Reading books or magazines is out of the question. We usually talk or listen to music to pass the time. Hope this helps!

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Q: Lori, playing your youth soccer in St. Louis, did you have a favorite team or player that you enjoyed going up against?

- JB Marine U-15 - Sep 2007

Lori: Great question! I really miss the days of playing club soccer in St. Louis for JB Marine. I used to love going up against our rival Busch Soccer Club when I was growing up. It's always fun to play against the other great teams so you can truly measure your improvement. I played against many of those girls my whole life. I played with and against some of them in high school and even in college.