Overview: You might say that Gotham FC veteran defender Mandy Freeman has been around the block. Mandy Freeman: “Being able to go from renting to now kind of owning our own facility, I think is going to go a long way when it comes to development.” (Photo courtesy of Gotham FC) You might say that Gotham FC veteran defender Mandy Freeman has been around the block. She has seen and lived the good, the bad, and the ugly of the National Women’s Soccer League team, even when it was named Sky Blue FC. On Tuesday, she was beaming about the team’s new training facility in Hanover, N.J. Gotham FC took over the New York Red Bulls’ facility after the MLS moved to its new RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township, N.J. It was Gotham FC’s first day of training at the facility. “I’m really excited for the future of this club and where we’re headed,” she said. “I feel like for me, I’m the go-to for my tenure here. I’ve seen it all. And so being able to go from renting to now kind of owning our own facility, I think is going to go a long way when it comes to development. We can stay out on the field and get better for as long as we can. We can work on our own schedules, and I think having something again that we can put the Gotham stamp on is going to be great for the environment.” Freeman, who has played her entire career with the team, wasn’t the only Gotham player who loved what she saw. Just ask midfielder Aryn Torres. “It’s really exciting,” she said. “This is my fifth season with the club, and when we started out, we had a very small space and a shared space. To have something to call our own that’s top-quality facilities, it’s amazing and I think it’s what we deserve. So I’m just really happy to have something that we can have our own and to build and continue to go forward.” Gotham Governor Carolyn Tisch Blodgett was beaming about the venue. “It’s really special,” she said. “It’s a moment we’ve dreamed of, we’ve talked about, we’ve planned for. Really, pretty much since we bought this team, we have been thinking about how do we elevate this club. “We came in, and we said, we want this to be one of the best clubs in the world. We want to grow the women’s game, elevate the standards of what it means to be a women’s soccer team. Having your own dedicated space is an essential part of that. It’s kind of ground zero of that. While we didn’t know exactly what this day was going to look like, we knew that this day was going to come.” It was business as usual for Gotham FC players. “Honestly, I think we’re pretty professional, and it’s been all business today,” Torres said. “But obviously, the pitch, the surface, it’s top. So to be able to train on that and to know that going forward this is going to be our new normal, it’s really exciting. I know the girls are just really excited to keep going and get to call this ours now.” Gotham is atop the NWSL standings. But training in a first-class venue can’t hurt one iota – on and off the field. “I think investment from the ownership, top down, we really feel that as players,” Torres said. “Knowing that we’re growing, Gotham has investment, we’re getting amazing facilities, it’s something that does boost us and I think we can come together. We come out to training and we look around and we’re like, ‘Hey, look where we are now.’ “Especially me looking where I came from, it’s really awesome, and I feel really grateful for that. So I think now, coming towards the end of the season, we’re at the top. Obviously every three points matter. So going forward, I think it’s just business, but we’re really happy to have that.” Asked what she was looking forward to most at the facility, Freeman replied, “Definitely the coffee. We’re big coffee lovers around here. “And I think just having, we call it our zero-gravity lounge, where we just have couches for us to hang out. But I think having it to where it’s all in one space, where we can grab our food and sit down, I think it’s going to be a huge part again of growing the team chemistry, getting to know each other off the field to help build those relationships on the field. And so looking forward to eating lunch with everyone.” Tagged: Carolyn Tisch Blodgett , Gotham FC , Mandy Freeman , National Women's Soccer LEague , NWSL , Sky Blue FC , Taryn Torres Michael Lewis Editor facebook x linkedin Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 28 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com . More by Michael Lewis
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.frontrowsoccer.com