Born in Germany and raised on Long Island, I lived an ordinary life with my three sisters, mother, and father. As a child, I was never permitted to join school related sports. It was my job to help what my siblings while my mother did housework. When my own children were born, I was very eager to sign them up for school sports. As early as age four, my daughters played softball, basketball, and soccer. Soccer seemed to be the favorite. All through their school years my husband and I enjoyed watching our girls play. It was the one standard event that kept our family together.