Letters and Notes

Dear Julie,

I don't know if you remember me but my name is Gabe Guefen and I attended your academy this summer at the St. Mary's location. When I left for camp I was shy and not very outgoing. I was always afraid to go up to new people and introduce myself and I was often afraid to share my ideas with others. Well, the words shy, not very outgoing, and scared don't really describe me anymore. After attending your camp I learned so many life skills that normally would have taken me years to learn. Thank you so much. You changed my life. I learned about choosing to matter and I always loved doing community service but I never really understood the impact I had on others. Your camp taught me that. I had so much fun and I met so many new friends some of which I still keep in contact with. I learned many new skills from great coaches as well. On the second day of camp you were taking photographs while my team was playing a scrimmage. You took the time to come up to me and ask me how I was feeling and you told me that you thought that I was really brave for what I was going through. Those five minutes you took to talk to me meant the world to me. I couldn't believe that you actually knew who I was and the fact that you took the time to come talk to me was so special.. I could not have been happier or more excited. You gave me the confidence that I never knew I had and inspired me in ways that I could have never imagined. I have a really cool project that I am doing for my I am the change project that I am super excited about and I wanted to share it with you.. I am starting a soccer camp for kids with arthritis age 7-14. I am holding it at Rancho Park in Los Angeles California on December 20-21 from 9-12. I have secured sponsors like Fiji Water, Morry's Fine Foods, Internal Groove, Matt Gee and Associates, and Scholastic Books as well as many more to make donations to my camp. Scholastic is donating books. I want each child to leave the camp with a copy of the book "Oh the places you'll go!" By Dr. Seuss. Hopefully I can find someone special to sign them all. I am calling my camp Camp Courage Dare to Dream BIG!! in honor of the courage kids with arthritis must have everyday. One of the activities that we are planning on doing is like a shooting drill that I did at your camp with a little twist. Instead of knocking down cones the kids with have to knock down posters. Written on these posters are obstacles that kids with arthritis must face everyday such as "I can't carry my books at school", "Kids laugh at me because my joints are deformed or degenerated" or " I can't tie my shoes and I am 14 years old". Many of these also apply to me. The point of the exercise is to shoot down the obstacles that affect us everyday. I have worked so hard on my project and I am so proud of what I have accomplished and you have inspired me to change the world. Since you have inspired me so much I wanted to check and see if you were going to be in the LA area during my camp and would consider making an appearance (or if you can't do you know any players who you think might be interested?) Thank you for teaching me how to be an advocate for myself and my disease and how to Dare to Dream BIG!! and to choose to live a life that matters.

August 2008

Hi, my name is Maegan and this past summer I attended the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy in Chicago.
This camp was one of the most amazing experiences ever. Not only did I get to be taught soccer by some of the
best players, that I have ever met, but I gained leadership skills that will last a lifetime.

When we played soccer, it was in the morning and afternoon, that way the Chicago summer sun didn't melt us away. Training was truly amazing. Julie Foudy and Danielle Slaton would start by warming us up with some new foot
skill moves each morning. Did I mention Julie was four months pregnant during camp and still the first one on the field?

Then we would head out to practice with our designated teams, I was on Brazil. Our team's hands on training was with Jaime "Pags" Pagliarulo. I felt so comfortable there, I was never afraid to mess up or try new things.

The leadership stuff was fun, yes real fun!!! In individual classroom time, we would do different team building activities which helped us develop our service project ideas. We got to listen to so many great women speakers every evening at camp, they had so many great things to say and so many amazing stories as well.

The highlight would be our visit to the Ronald McDonald house, where we baked for the residences living there as a service project. The house is for families who have children in the hospital and cannot afford staying in hotels. You never really think about the families of sick kids while they are being cured. I found out about the pop can tab program, where they make
money to fund the house for these families. So every pop can top is now saved in our house and given to my younger brothers Cub Scout troop who also helps support the Ronald McDonald house.

I also met some international students. The girls who came from Morocco had lunch at our table with us one day. We were eating Tacos, and they had all the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and meat spread out on their plates. We showed them how to put a Taco together in the shell. They said they loved the new foods they had tried in the United States. We taught them about Tacos, they taught us how to say "Hello" in their language.

Not only was there all that, but I met some amazing friends. My roommate Robyn was from Cleveland, Ohio and "oh my gosh", she was funny and made me laugh. Sarah and Tara, our "next door neighbors" were some of the nicest
people I ever met. We would go hang in their room and eat snacks each night. I also had another friend which I met Dylan, which we had so many common interest, it seemed like I knew her my whole life.

All in all I had a pretty amazing time, while attending the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, trying new things, daring to be different, and having fun learning to find my voice. Always remember to "Choose to Matter".

October 2008

Dear Julie,

This was a great way to start the summer and now as my folks said I won't be
able to top this. I do personally want to thank you again and again for the
scholarship, I did tell you in person during the world cup but wanted you to
know that this will make a life time impact with me as a girl and a soccer
player. Hopefully I will be back next year to defend my gold medal.

Take care, I'll be watching you on TV and waiting for next year!

Kelsey A. Gomes
September 2008

Julie Foudy and All Staff at New Jersey Leadership Camp '08:

For the past several weeks, I've thought about how to put into words the
incredible sense of gratitude I feel toward you and your staff at the
Leadership Academy in New Jersey. The impact all of you made on my
daughter, Shay, is beyond words and has without a doubt put her on a path
toward success.

From a parent's perspective, I am so impressed with your presence at
your Leadership Academy. I often think about how easy it would be for you
to put your name on the camp, and actually never have to show up. The fact
that you are not only visible at the camp, but so involved in delivering the
message of leadership, is amazing, and so appreciated. I just hope you know
that your message of leadership is something that Shay "gets". She has told
me all about the different styles of leadership, both on and off the soccer
field. She told me how good it felt for her to step out of her comfort zone
to discover her style. For three weeks after the camp all she talked about
was how "camp sick" she was. When she hurt her ankle at the beginning of
camp, the trainer wrapped it. Shay told me that she later told him it
didn't hurt anymore, when in fact it did. I told her to take it easy. Her
response to me was, "Mom, this is a once in a lifetime experience for me.
I'm going to get everything out of this camp that I possibly can. I can
rest my ankle after camp." She was in Berly's group and she didn't want to
miss a thing!!

I know as a teacher, I often wonder if the life lessons that I try
to impart to my students, ever stick with them after they leave my
classroom. I want you to know that the lessons that you bring to these
girls at your camp, truly are solidified in Shay. She is passionate about
her volunteer commitments with Arizona Rescue. This was her project when
she left the 2007 camp. She came back from the 2008 camp, and picked up
right where she left off. She organized two lemonade stands and just this
past weekend had a very successful carwash, despite somewhat cloudy skies.
She has experienced some obstacles, which have been great learning
experiences for her. However, she keeps moving forward! Her tenacity and
commitment is something rarely seen in someone 14 years old. I say these things, not to
brag about Shay. Of course I'm so proud of her, but I attribute her drive
and sense of commitment to you and your incredible staff! She continually
says she has chosen to matter!

I think of people that are often referred to as heroes; police,
fireman, teachers, doctors, ...all well deserving of the title. But I hope
you know that you and your academy staff are in this category. All of you
are heroes to my daughter. I know she admires your accomplishments in
soccer, but it is your leadership ability that she has latched on to. At
her recent carwash, a woman that was very interested in the Rescue
organization was talking with Shay about Shay's volunteering as a dog
walker. She asked Shay how she got started in the volunteering. Shay gave
her quite a detailed response about attending your Leadership Academy the
past two years and the community service projects. She told the woman about
how she was required to come up with a project of her own. As I listened to
Shay tell her story, it occurred to me that throughout the entire story, she
never said the word "soccer". She called it the Julie Foudy Leadership
Academy. I realized that it was the leadership component that will stay
with Shay forever. As a parent, that is what I love. I know Shay will not
be a world class soccer player. She has an incredible love for the game,
but realistically will not be playing soccer past high school. But the
lessons that she has learned at your academy about leadership and having a
voice, will be with her forever. For that...I can not thank you enough.
Although I can not speak for every person that is fortunate enough
to attend your Leadership Academy, I can speak for Shay. Please know that
she "gets it". She heard every word that was said, she took in everything
that was modeled, and she left your camp a different person. Thank you from
the bottom of my heart for the voice that you have given to Shay. She is
using it!!

Eileen Conti
August 2008

To All Members of the JFSLA:

Hi! My name is Casey Carr, and I have just come back from my Julie Foudy experience in Chicago. Let me tell you, it was one amazing encounter I will never forget. The staff, accommodations, curriculum, and campers all made my experience phenomenal. Last year, I went to the camp in Sonoma, and I wasn’t really sure of who I was yet. Consequently, I was not a very good leader. When I returned to the camp this year, I felt like a completely different person, and I really saw the leader I have the potential to be and tried to bring her out during the camp. That is all thanks to my
incredible experience that all of you created for me. Through JFSLA, I feel like I have transformed myself, and now I feel like I am more than ready to transform other people’s lives. That is another thing I discovered at JFSLA, one of my passions, community service. I haven’t even been home a full day and I am already working on my own project I brought home from the camp.
Thank you all so much for making such a tremendous difference in my life. I feel so blessed that I was able to go through
such an amazing experience.

Sincerely,
Casey Carr

"Dear JFLSA staff,

My name is Megan Pelino and I attended the Chicago JFLSA just a few weeks ago. I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing week that truly changed my life. When I was at camp my project that I was going to follow up on was to make a teen group at my church to make rosaries for the army, but I have changed it and I would like to tell you how excited I am about?my new one. I was watching Larry King Live with my mom about a week ago and Jim MacLaren was on it. I recognized him from the Emmanuel's Gift video I saw at camp. He was talking about his life-changing experiences and his foundation called the "Choose Living Foundation". It?inspires and helps people who are in terrible health conditions. In his foundation he has "heroes". Jim mentioned one of his heroes on the Larry King Live show, her name is Alex Hermstad. Alex is a 13 (almost 14) year old girl who is dying and doctors don't exactly know why. Her family also doesn't have a lot?of money and they are practically homeless. Before she became sick she was a regular kid riding horses and playing softball and basketball. Her life has drastically changed. A few times she has been in the hospital and the doctors had told her that she was going to die but Alex has pulled through all those times. Why? Because she chose to live, she decided to fight. When I saw her story on Larry King I felt an immediate connection between us because I was her age and I saw an amazing opportunity to choose to matter. After the show I went on Jim's web site and?I found a way to donate to Alex and her family. I also sent her family a note saying I am praying for them and I will soon be sending more money due to help from friends and family and fundraising. I also gave her my e-mail so they could e-mail me back if they wanted to. The next day I got a pleasant surprise. Alex's twin sister, Jaci, sent me an e-mail back saying how much they appreciated my donation and my support. They also said they were truly touched by a girl my age wanting to help out like this. The feeling this gave me was indescribable, it felt so good. Jaci and I are e-mailing almost everyday know, and we are going to try our best to keep in touch. I just wanted to say that none of this would have happened without Julie and the staff. The experience has changed my life so much and I really think that I am a whole different person now. Thank you so much for giving me the support to "choose to matter" and to change someone's life. I can't tell you how grateful I am.

Sincerely,
Megan Pelino"

"Dear Ms. Foudy,

I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for giving my daughter such a great experience at camp. I did not get to speak much to Karlee the week she was gone because it was so full of activity, but, from the moment I picked her up at the airport I could not get a word in edge wise for the next two hours. She had tons of stories and photos to share and was so excited about being on team Brazil (who was number 1 according to her). To my surprise, her favorite part was volunteering at the nursing home. Karlee came home from your camp and volunteered the last three weeks of summer, and in that short time accumulated 100 service hours.
What I loved so much about your camp is that it was not just about soccer. That leadership aspect which is so important yet so lacking in most camps was the icing on the cupcake at your camp. You could not have picked better guest speakers, Robin Roberts is amazing and Self magazine is the only one I've ever subscribed to. In whole this camp was fantastic and was such a great influence on Karlee.
Well Thanks again for such a fantastic opportunity,"

Betsy Janigian

"Dear Julie Foudy,

I attended the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership academy in New Jersey a few months ago, and I really just wanted to say thank you for an amazing week
that I will remember my whole life. Thank you for giving me (and many other kids) the opportunity to meet and listen to amazing people. I learned so much about
leadership that I would never have understood if I hadn't gone to your camp. You encouraged me to choose to matter, and to make a difference in any positive
way I could. Because of you and your amazing staff, I am volunteering at a local animal hospital, and researching places where I can help. I also want to take CPR classes at the Red Cross, and as soon as I am old enough, I plan to take all the other classes the Red Cross suggested at the talk they gave us on community service day.

Anyway, pretty much all I am trying to say is thank you, and tell you how much of an influence your camp made on my life.

Thanks again!"

Sincerely,
Saskia Owens

PS- My best friend, Maggie and I wanted to collect old
soccer gear from our club and send it to Roiya and
Shamila's (I don't know if that is how you spell their
names??) soccer club in Afghanistan, and we were
wondering if you have an address of their club or
somewhere we can send the gear to. If you could write
me back either by email or mail that would be great!

Dear Julie, Ian and staff,

Recently, I attended the JFSLA in New Jersey and I have to say that it was the best experience of my life so far. Between soccer sessions with some of the greatest female soccer players today, to hearing inspirational stories, the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy helped be to become a better person/leader on and off the soccer field. I became friends with so many other girls and I cannot wait to see them in the future. Although I was very happy to see my family when I got home, I missed the other girls a great deal (now we've been instant messaging each other non-stop!!). As you can see, I have only good things to say about the academy. Once again, thank you for the great opportunity that you gave me this summer....I will never forget to CHOOSE TO MATTER!!!!!

Thank you,

Mackenzie Thomas

Dear Julie,

Thank you so much for the incredible week I had at your leadership camp in New Jersey. The week I spent there was one of the most valuable of my life, and I loved being around players such as yourself and the other coaches at the camp, especially Kendall Fletcher. I also wanted to thank you for the National Team jersey you gave me!!!!! My mom is having it framed, and I have already cleared a space for it on my wall, right next to my Carla Overbeck ball from Duke. Your jersey is one of the few things in my room that I can say without a doubt I will have forever.
Throughout this week, you frequently said that in ten or fifteen years, you wanted us to come back to you and tell you that this camp changed our lives. Mine has already changed. Even though I learned a lot everyday throughout the week, one of the most valuable days for me was the community service day. At our school, we are required to fulfill a 15 hour minimum for community service each year. Participating in your camp has inspired me to rise above that, and get others involved as well (Live, Lead, and Pass it on!!) As soon as I got back to Pittsburgh, I emailed my high school soccer coach and told her about Roya and Shamila, and their struggles in Afghanastan. Last year, we held a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. I asked her if it would be possible to do something for the girls in Afghanastan. She thought that it would be a great idea, but that I would need to talk to the team to get support. I talked to my school soccer team about the girls and their cause, especially how they need money for fields and equipment. My coach said we would need at least eight or nine girls to participate. I was suprised when the entire team of twenty-two girls volunteered! Through collaboration, we have decided to sponsor several activities throughout the rest of the summer to help a team in Afghanastan, starting with a car wash/ bake sale during our preseason. Together, we are going to make a difference.

Thanks again for the amazing week at your camp!!

Sincerley,

Caroline King

Dear Julie Foudy Team-

I want to commend all of you on the fabulous leadership camp that all of
you so professionally facilitate.
My daughter Rachel had a wonderful time and came back with many little
words of wisdom to help her through the day. Her coach noticed
immediately the difference in her approach towards her team and the
positive way she tries to approach them. Although she continues to be
frustrated with the lack of "team" her team has, she is trying to
encourage it in a much more positive way. I attribute the words of
wisdom and the approach used at camp for the change in her approach.
As a parent, the energy generate with in this group of girls was obvious
the minute we arrived to watch the "world cup" on Friday. It was
amazing to watch 165+ girls sing "Oh I feel so good, oh just like I knew
I could" and see the motivation it created for all of them.
Thank you again for such a wonderful experience. I have no doubt Rachel
will be back again for many years to come.

Mike and Lori Reich

Dear Staff of the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy (JFSLA),

I wanted to write you to thank you for the amazing camp (JFSLA). I learned so much in a week that otherwise would have taken years. At JFSLA, we learned what it takes to be a good leader, on and off of the field, as well as standing up and doing the right thing. Most importantly, however, you taught us how to “Live, Lead, and Pass It On”. I have been able to use this in my life already, in the form of a series of free soccer clinics, which I am offering to Latino girls in my community. With the assistance of the local high school coach and the Passback program at Eurosport I have been able to start this clinic to allow Latino girls to play soccer. However, after I arrived at home from your camp, I began to realize that the clinic (called Let the Girls Play, or Que Juegan las Niñas) could also give these girls confidence in themselves, and the ability to lead not only themsleves, but also others.

Thirteen girls from ages 7 to 13 participated in Que Juegan las Niñas, all of whom have never touched a soccer ball in their life. The closest that they had gotten to the sport was on the sidelines, when they would watch their fathers and uncles play, or when their brothers would kick a ball around while the local league games were held. Now, they are all smiles and shining eyes when they run around the field, participating in fun games and warm-ups, such as the Shadow Running that we did at JFSLA. Recently, all of the girls who participated have signed up for Rainbow Soccer, which is a local Rec league for younger kids. I know this is in part to the fact that many of the things we did during Que Juegan las Niñas are from your camp. For example, at the conclusion of each session, we all shouted “Que Juegan las Niñas!”, similar to the clapping and shouting of “CHOOSE TO MATTER!!!!!!” The girls just plain and simply loved it, and I have decided to offer the program for years to come.

So, all in all, I just wanted to say thank you. You have taught me a very valuable lesson, and the girls at Que Juegan las Niñas and I will keep trying to “Live, Lead, and Pass It On!” Spread the love!

Thank you so much,
Elicia Hyde-DeRuyscher, or Eli
(Team Brazil at JFSLA)

Hi,
My name is Sarah Thompson. I attended the west coast session of the JFSLA
this past summer. I had so much fun, and learned many valuable lessons, too!

This fall, I have been applying to high school. I live in San Francisco,
where the process for applying is a huge deal, and involves multiple essays,
standardized tests, and so on. For one of my main essays the prompt asked me
to describe an event that influenced my life. Immediately after reading the
prompt, I knew what I was going to write about- my week at the JFSLA. I
recently finished the essay, and wanted to thank everyone at the
camp for giving me such a great experience. It's one I'll never forget!

Can't wait until next year!
Sarah Thompson