Monday, March 8, 2010

Jen- LA GALAXY!!!!!!!



Talk about your blog, how it started, what was your inspiration to blog?
I’ve been a Los Angeles Galaxy fan since the league’s inception in 2006. At the time I was a grad student living in Pasadena and playing lower level club soccer (I had played in college as well). I lived just a mile and a half from the Rose Bowl and I bought season tickets with“leftover” money from my student loans. (shhhh.)
When the team moved to the Home Depot Center I continued to catch the occasional game in person, but my husband and I decided to move our family back East to Virginia in 2003. I made sure we had the right satellite sports packages and continued to follow the team closely. The Galaxy blog originated with Laurie, who now writes the Seattle Sounders blog as well as others for theoffside.com. I became a reader and frequent commenter in early 2007. Laurie asked me to fill in for her from time to time and eventually asked me to take over the blog with the help ofNathanHJ. He and I share writing responsibilities, although he has been unable to post during the offseason.

2)Talk about the misconceptions people have about blogs/bloggers.
Bloggers are not given enough credit as journalists. No, we aren’t (usually) paid, or in a big building with the usual trappings of the journalistic world. But we are, for the most part, extremely knowledgeable about our subject matter, passionate about our subject matter, and we have the freedom to write about it in a more casual and humorous tone that your local paper wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.




3)What are the stereotypes about blogs/bloggers that you dislike the most?
Hmm. The stereotype that bothers me the most is that as a female, I can’t possibly have the knowledge required to write about the LA Galaxy, or soccer in general. Surprisingly, I don’t encounter those attitudes very often on my Galaxy page – even when I first began writing. It’s the people I meet in real life who are more incredulous, or who assume that I’m just a big David Beckham fan who would prefer he play shirtless. I’ve met several people who, after talking about the game for a while, turn to me and say with surprise something akin to, “Hey, you really know your stuff.”

4)Why do you blog? Is it therapy? A release?
I blog because I get tired of talking to my tv. By blogging I get to share team triumphs, failures, analysis, love, and humor with a world of other Galaxy fans.
I live in rural Virginia, near Charlottesville, and there are no Galaxy fans here. (You may occasional find the rare DC United fan though.) My laptop is my gateway to the camaraderie I share with other Galaxy lovers, and I get to do that while being snowed under in February, or while listening to a cicada symphony in August.
One funny aspect to my blogging – since I live in the Eastern time zone I often struggle to stay awake during the second half of Galaxy home games. There have been a few times when I’ve been commenting on a live game with some other readers and just dropped out with no explanation. Ha ha! So for those who have wondered what happened to me mid-game, my couch was just too comfortable at 12:30 am.And don’t forget the advantages to blogging. Apart from the friends I’ve made and the laughs I’ve shared, I LOVE that I get to sit in my nightshirt with no make-up, hair everywhere, and a diet coke next to me on the windowsill.

5)Do you have a day job? What are your hobbies outside of your blog?
Ah, do I have a day job? Yes. I am primarily a stay at home mom to my two girls who are 5 and 8. I taught sixth grade in LAUSD before my oldest was born, and my husband currently teaches high school English. Just this year I have begun substitute teaching on occasion, but most of my time is spent running the household and parenting – both of which I share with my husband.
My hobbies outside of my blog . . . Well, I was just asked to join the team of incredible writers over attheoffside.com’s sister site, worldcupblog.org. I contribute to the USA blog, which you can find at usa.worldcupblog.org.
I also play soccer, coach adults on occasion, andcoordinate the women’s soccer league in my area. Hobbies unrelated to soccer include exercise, DIY home improvements (love me some power tools!), photography,and growing jalapenos. I actually attempt a full garden each year, but I’ve discovered that jalapenos grow incredibly well in the hot and humid Virginia summers. Who knew?

6)What advice would you give to someone starting their own blog?
If you want writing your blog to be fulfilling write as if a thousand people are reading along and nodding their heads in agreement. You may have only a few readers at the start. You will likely receive few, if any, comments in the beginning. But don’t let those statistics dictate your success. Write for yourself – write in the style that is uniquely you – don’t be afraid to appear human (we all are) – and know that is someone who is happy you are writing. That someone will grow into many in time.

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