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Health & Fitness

The A Team

"The A Team"....The finest two soccer players Bill Green and Jim Frain have ever seen.

We called them "The A Team."

They were the fastest girls on the Tony Glavin U13 Soccer Team.  And, from 1993 through 1995 few teams could catch them on the field or stop their perfect passes and rocket shots to the goal.  After all, when you are coached by Tony Glavin, the Pocket-Rocket of the St. Louis Steamers fame, and his fellow Scotsman Pete Gowran, you learn to control the ball, run fast and shoot hard.

The "A's" are my daughter, Alissa Frain (now Russell) and my friend Bill Green's daughter, Ashley Green. Alissa and Ashley were the best!

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As a Soccer Dad you better get along with the Soccer Mom's and Dad's, and Bill Green became my best Soccer Day Buddy.  Our girls were the focus of our attention at every practice, game and tournament but you get to know a person pretty well when your daughters play soccer.

Soccer allows you alot of time to talk, and we did.

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Life moves on quickly and so did our daughters and our weekly friendship at soccer events.  I saw Bill from time to time but like many friendships, hard work and lack of free time allowed us to drift apart.  I wondered from time to time how Bill was doing and I believe that the same thoughts went through his head.

I found out last week how Bill was doing.  He passed away on Wednesday, April 27th.  He was 62 years old when he lost the fight for life.  I knew nothing of his fight.

It was shocking news and I'm still not ready to talk much about it.  What is helping me now are the memories of Bill and me standing on those soccer field, watching our girls perform as the "A team."

I can hear his voice right now.  "Look at those girls run Jim, they've got it figured out".

Yes Bill, they figured it out.  They are now amazing young women.

I'm sorry that we drifted apart Bill.  It wasn't intentional, we just let it happen without even knowing that it was happening.

I wish that I could have been there at the end to remind you of Alissa and Ashley and that wonderful combination of speed, power, finess and beauty. The "A Team."

Keep an eye on the soccer fields Bill.  Alissa's daughter and my granddaughter Bayley can really score goals, and she's fast too.

There's no more pain now Bill.  Goodbye for now my friend.

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