AngelaMacInnes

Autobiography

MynameisAngelaLeighMacInnes.IwasborninRenton,Washingtonon
August11,1983.IamtheyoungestdaughterofSteveandKariMacInnes.Mydadisthe
directoroftrainingforKaplanUniversityinChicago,ILandmymom isthereceptionist
forKaplanUniversity.IhavetwooldersistersnamedKimandCourtney.Ialsohavea
halfbrothernamedScott.Kimistwentyeightandmarried.Theyhavetwodaughters
BrittanywhoiseightandKellywhoisfour.ScottwasborninthePhilippinesandis
married.TheyhaveanineyearolddaughternamedGeraldine.Ididnotfindoutabout
mybrotheruntilthesummerbeforeeighthgrade.
AlthoughIwasborninRenton,welivedinSeattle,Washington.AsababyIhad
ammoniaalot.ThenwhenIwasaboutoneandhalfyearsoldIhadablooddisorder
diseasecalledITP.ItiswhenthebodyhasalowplateletcountandifIstartedtobleedor
ifIjustbumpedmyheadIwouldhavebledeternallybeforetheambulancegotthere.I
washospitalizedforawhile.IusedtohavebloodtestseverydayandasIgotbetterthe
bloodtestsdecreaseduntilfinallyIdidnothavetohavethemanymorebecausemy
plateletcountwaswhereitwassupposedtobe.
WhenIwasfour,wemovedtoNaperville,Illinois.Weonlylivedthereforabout
ayearandthenwemovedtoKnoxville,Tennessee.InTennesseeIwenttothree
elementaryschools.ThefirstonewasFarragutPrimary,anditwasgradesK2.Infirst
gradeIlovedschoolsomuchandmyteacherlikedmetoo.Irememberonetimeina
reportcardshewrote,IhopetheEasterbunnybringsmeanAngela.Howeverinfirst
gradeIwasbyfarandawaytheyoungestinmyclass.Withthatinmindmyteacherand

parentsdecideditwouldbebestformetobeheldbackandrepeatfirstgrade.Itwasnot
thatIwasnotsmartenoughforsecondgradeitwasjustthatIwastooyoung.Also
duringmyfirstyearoffirstgradeIstartedsomethingthatchangedmylife.Itoldmydad
IwantedtostartplayingsoccerandIdid.ThenmysecondyearoffirstgradeIstarted
playingbasketballandsoftball.MysecondelementaryschoolIwenttowasFarragut
Elementary,anditwasgrades35.FormyfourthgradeyearIwenttomythird
elementaryschoolcalledA.L.Lots.AlsoduringfourthgradeIquiteplayingsoftballand
joinedatravelingsoccerteamcalledtheLadyStars.Thesummerbeforemyfifthgrade
yearwemovedtoCrystalLake,Illinois.ThereIwenttomyfourthelementaryschool,
Canterbury,formyfifthgradeyear.
ThenIwasfinallydonewithelementaryandreadytostartmiddleschool.Iwent
toLundahlMiddleSchool.Itwassixthgradeyearwhenmysoccerlevelwentup.My
dad,whohascoachedandreferredsoccerformanyyears,madeaclubcalledtheforce.It
wasaclubfordifferentagesofgirlstoplaytravelsoccer,sincetheydidnothaveonein
CrystalLakeatthetime.AlsoinsixthgradeIhadthenicknameTombecauseIdressed
andactedlikeaboyandIwastheonlyfemaleathleteinmyclass.Iwasdefinitelya
tomboy.UpuntilsixthgradeIhadneverbrokenaboneoranything.Wellatasixthgrade
fieldtriptoarollerrink,Ifelldown,broke,anddislocatedmyrightshoulder.Ihadto
havesurgeryandatthetimeitwastheworstthingthathadeverhappenedtome.Itwas
alsothefirsttimeIhadtositoutandcouldnotplaysoccerorbasketball.Inowhavea
hugescarwheremyrightarmconnectswithmybody.InseventhgradeIgrewoutofmy
tomboystageandstartedtodressandactlikeagirl.Therewasnotanythingreallybig

thathappenedtomeinMiddleSchool.Icanhonestlysaythatitwasdefinitelytheworst
stageofmylife.
ThenfinallyIwasinhighschoolwhereeverythingchangedforme.Allofmy
friends,whoIwasreallyclosetoinmiddleschool,haddriftedaway.Ihadawholenew
setoffriendsandprettymuchawholenewlife.Somewherebetweensophomoreyear
andjunioryearmygradesreallyimproved.Iwasalwaysagoodstudent,butallofa
suddenIwasgettingallAsinsteadofAsandBs.FreshmanyearIwasMVPofmy
schoolssoccerteamandsophomoreyearIwasvotedbestmidfielderontheteam.
AnotherchangeImadewastostopplayingbasketball.Iplayedfreshmanyearandhada
horribleexperiencethatmademethinkmaybeIshouldjustplaysoccer.Afternineyears
ofplayingbasketballIstoppedanddecidedtoworkatmydadsindoorsoccercomplex
andconcentrateonlyonsoccer.Atthecomplex,Ididthreedifferenttypesofjobs.The
firstonewasItaughtlittlekids,ages35,howtoplaysoccer.ThesecondwasIworked
atthedesk,answeredquestions,andansweredthephone.ThethirdwasmyfavoriteIgot
tocoachthehouseteamsatkicks.DuringmyjunioryearIcoachedatleastsixdifferent
teamsandIlovedeveryminuteofit.InthebeginningofmyjunioryearIwasaccepted
intotheNationalHonorSocietyatmyschool.IwasonNHSfortheremainingperiodof
highschool.AlongwithworkingatKicks,mydadscomplex,Ialsodidvolunteerwork
attheholidaytournaments.OneofthetournamentswasAndysChapterofHopetoraise
moneyforleukemia.TheotherwastheGrantHartungHolidayClassictoraisemoneyto
giveoutscholarshipstohighschoolstudentswhoplaysoccer.Thesummerbeforemy
senioryearIstartedworkingasadaycampcounselorfortheCrystalLakeParkDistrict.I
alsoworkedExtendedTimeduringtheschoolyearofmysenioryear.Igraduatedfrom

highschoolwithhonorsandIwasnumberfortyeightoutofthreehundredandthreein
myclass.
IamnotcurrentlyastudentatManchesterCollege.Iaminthefirstsemesterof
myfifthyear.IplayedsoccerhereatManchesterCollegefortwoseasonsandInow
volunteerasanassistcoachfortheWomensSoccerteam.Istartedandplayedinevery
gameasamidfieldermyfreshmanyear.Unfortunatelymyyearsofplayingsoccerwith
weakanklescaughtuptome.Iendeduphavingsurgeryonbothanklesandredshirted
mysophomoreyear.Iwasabletoplaymyjunioryear,butIwasnotquitetheplayerI
wasbeforemysurgery.Then,duringnontraditionalspringseasonIhurtmykneeand
endeduphavingtohavesurgeryagainandretirefromplayingcollegesoccer.
UnfortunatelyitdidnothealcorrectlyandIendeduphavingsurgeryonitagainduring
thewinterofmysenioryear.
WhenIfirstcamehere,Ihadplannedtobeahighschoolmathteacherandcoach
highschoolsoccer.Ihavealwayslovedmathandhadanunderstandingofit.Inallofmy
highschoolmathclassesItutoredalotofmyclassmates.Ihadfourmathteacherstellme
thatIshouldteachmath.Ithoughtaboutitanddecidedteachinghighschoolmathand
coachingiswhatIwanttodoinmylife.However,duringmysophomoreyear,Idecided
tochangemymajorfromsecondaryeducationinmathtoelementaryeducation.Iplanned
onattendingschoolforfiveyears.DuringthespringofmyjunioryearIdecidedtoadd
specialeducationtomymajor.Istillplantocoach,butinsteadofcoachinghighschool
soccerIdecidedIwouldrathercoachatravelteamonceIgetmylicense.
EversinceIcanremember,Ihavewantedtobeateacher.Ihavealwaysliked
school.IrememberwhenIwasyoungerIwouldalwayspretendtobeateacherwhether

itwasbymyselforwithfriends.AnotherthingIrememberwaswhenIlivedin
TennesseeIhadadogandallofmyneighborshaddogstoo.Iremembertheneighbors
dogswouldcomeovertoourhouseandinthegarageIwouldhavethembemystudents
andpretendIwastheirteacher.Iwasthetypeof studentwhodidmyhomeworkassoon
asIgothomefromschool.Myparentsneverhadtotellmetodoit.Myfriendsallmake
funofmebecausetheycouldneverunderstandwhyIlikedschoolormath.Ijusttell
themitiswhoandhowIam.IamateacherandacoachandthatiswhatIamgoingtodo
fortherestofmylife.