Football as a Language

“Football is my life. The day football leaves me, I will leave football — but football will never leave my heart.” — Eusebio

As our yearly tour to Europe comes to a close, I always like to share a few reflections.

First of all — thank you for coming. I hope you had a blast. I truly believe there is immense value in a club where travel and exposure to the world game are part of the journey.

From a football perspective, the tour offered real insight. The reality is that the USA is no longer clearly leading at grassroots, academy, youth, or professional levels in the women’s game. Europe is moving quickly, and even university programs are catching up with impressive facilities.

Playing at Valadares showed the importance of community connection — something we should always strive for in our own club. Matches against Braga and Porto also gave us a look at the level young players are reaching here.

Every stop offered a different glimpse into football culture — from incredible stadiums to simple concrete grounds.

Training with Boost Academy and hearing different coaching perspectives was also valuable. Those conversations always lead to reflection and improvement.

Trips like this always make me think about how to make the Bluebonnets better.

I hope the tour gave everyone a deeper perspective on the world game.