New mom Hooper returns to training

[Chet]

From Canadian Press

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050307.whoop7/BNStory/Sports/

Seven weeks after giving birth to daughter Charlie, Canadian women's soccer captain Charmaine Hooper is back training. And Canadian coach Even Pellerud is stepping to the plate to smooth her return.

With Pellerud leading the way, the Canadian Soccer Association has agreed to pay to bring Hooper's mother to Europe next month with the team to look after the baby while the veteran defender-striker leads Canada against the Netherlands on April 19 and Germany on April 21 and 24.

The Canadians will then host France in Laval, Que., on April 28.

The CSA is not flush with money — for the second year in a row, Pellerud had to forgo the Algarve Cup in Portugal for budgetary reasons — but the coach felt strongly about helping Hooper back into the fold.

Hooper, 37, holds the Canadian record for caps (115) and goals (62) in an amazing international career that dates back to 1986. She was the only Canadian to receive votes for FIFA World Player of the year in 2004, when she was named to the FIFA all-star team to play world champion Germany last May in Paris

"Canadian women's football — currently on an awe-inspiring upswing — owes an enormous debt of gratitude to this classy, versatile footballer," FIFA wrote.

Pellerud agrees.

"I'm committed to doing it," the Norwegian native said of helping Hooper's dual role as mother and athlete. "It would be a really bad story, I think, if we said 'Good, you're a mother. But we can't support you."'

"It was very, very well-received. I was positively surprised by the level of support I got," he said of his request to the CSA for help with Hooper.

"I'm very happy with that and I'm very, very excited to have Charmaine back, both as a player and as a mother — and as an even stronger role model than ever."

For Hooper, the baby was part of her comeback package — "because there's no way I could leave her behind."

Hooper, a strong character on and off the field, put her request for help on the table. Pellerud backed her up. And the CSA eventually came around.

Hooper last played for Canada on Aug. 3 in a 2-1 win over a Japanese select team in Tokyo. She was four months pregnant at the time. No one knew, although Hooper reckons the staff may have figured it out. After the final game of the tour, she told the squad.

"I just didn't want people to be treating me any differently on the field because of it."

She ran up until her seventh month.

"Then the last three months I just did the bike."

Hooper, who had the baby Jan. 17, had expected a natural childbirth, with no epidural, but after 17 hours of labour, the baby was delivered via a C-section.

"Everything I expected was completely different, but all in all it went well. She's been a blessing," Hooper told The Canadian Press from her home in Chicago.

There were problems with the baby's breathing — when Hooper pushed, the baby's heart rate went to 60 from 150.

"They realised something was wrong and decided to do a C-section. After they realised, the cord was wrapped around her neck twice. I was pretty thankful they did the C-section, even though I didn't want to have a C-section. . . . it was the right thing for all of us."

Today baby Charlie — who weighed in at eight pounds four ounces — and mother are now happy and healthy.

"Things are going well," Hooper said. "Life's only changed in the sense that I've got to cater to her all the time. But other than that I pretty much get everything else done that I normally did."

Hooper is skipping a Canadian team camp in two weeks time, but that's so she can attend a FIFA meeting in Zurich. She is a member of the players' committee of soccer's world governing body.

She returned to training last week and even played in a practice game. Hooper's husband, Chuck Codd, coaches several teams in the Chicago area and Hooper joined in with a team of 15- to 18-year-olds at an indoor session.

"I felt fine. The bad thing was that I felt almost too good and very easily could have done way more than really I should have. I probably did more than I should have but I was just afraid that I'd push it too far so I was very conservative."

Baby or not, it appears Hooper has not missed a beat. By playing in Europe next month, it will mean she will not have missed a game for Canada.

The Canadian women's program was cut short last year after the team unexpectedly failed to qualify for the Athens Olympics.

Now Hooper is looking forward to seeing what the 2005 version of the team holds. With baby in tow.

[The Ref]

Congratulations Charmaine and Chuck.

[The Beaver]

Yes, with a Wee Beaver on its way in a few months, I can't help but praise Charmaine for everything in this regard. What a role model! Considerate mother and dedicated athlete--

Congrats to Charmaine and Chuck (and Charlie).

Big question: Will young Charlie play for Canada some day?

[The Ref]

Being both soccer parents I am sure their daughter will follow in her mother footsteps (pun intended).

[Richard]

For how much longer will 37 year old Charmaine be able to keep up the required level of commitment and play?

The Hoopers used to live a few houses down from us in Ottawa. Lyndon and his younger brother attended highschool with my eldest son. The younger brother and my son played on the school soccer team together.

[Richard]

For how much longer will 37 year old Charmaine be able to keep up the required level of commitment and play?

The Hoopers used to live a few houses down from us in Ottawa. Lyndon and his younger brother attended highschool with my eldest son. The younger brother and my son played on the school soccer team together.