Soccer team grew up, became family

Meeting over pizza and soda this weekend, eight of U M Boy Blue's members reunited with coach Rich Davidson and others to reminisce on their perfect season which saw them go undefeated in league play and ultimately take the championship in a challenging match against an equally tough Redwood City team.

"The most memorable moment for me was when we won the championship," said senior Kristen Ferraro. "We were so elated and hyper when we ran out to the field to celebrate."

For Ferraro, who hopes to attend a college in the east come this fall, playing soccer with her friends was more then just about winning games and collecting trophies. It was about the friendship and camaraderie which she has built over the three years she played.

"Since most of us have played together for awhile," said Ferraro, "we share a lot of inside stories and jokes."

Junior Katie Oliver echoed Ferraro's sentiments about their unique bond.

"I'm going to miss the girls who are going on to college this year," said Oliver. "It was a big sisterhood."

Oliver, who has been with some of her teammates on and off since she was 5, said since the girls of U M Boy Blue had known each other for such a long time, they all had trust in knowing that they would back each other up on the field and have fun while they did it.

Ashley Davidson, who is also a senior, joined AYSO in 1992 and played in the league for 12 years. She said she will miss the team and her friends as she prepares to head off for school. She recalled trips she took together with the others to places like Prunedale for games.

"We would talk about all sorts of stuff," said Davidson. "School, girl stuff, boys - all of it."

Oliver, sitting behind Davidson, chimed in with a memory of her own.

"There was the time when Al Banis gave me a bloody nose in the third grade with a soccer ball," Oliver joked. "We always laughed a lot about things like this, whether it was funny or not."

Rich Davidson, a person many of the girls considered a second father, was proud of what his team had accomplished and also sad to see many of them go.

"That was the last time many of them will play together," said Rich Davidson. "It was an exciting run and something they all worked very hard to make happen."

Rich Davidson, who does not plan to coach next year, said winning the championship and coaching such a great group of girls was one of the most exciting times of his life.

After the interviews and the pizza, the girls settled in to watch a DVD prepared by one of the parents as a special going away gift. The DVD recounted the final game U M Boy Blue played together. As they watched, they laughed at times, quietly smiled at others.

"It's something we will always remember," said Rich Davidson. "Win or lose, it was a lot of fun. It doesn't get any better than this."