If there is no rest for the weary, there’s even less for the well-off.

The U17 So Cal Blues girls proved as much this summer, walking a tightrope schedule to pull off one of the most remarkable seasons in U.S. Youth Soccer history – winning the National Championship and the Surf Cup title in the same year.

Their incredible journey started at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship in July. After fighting tooth and nail to win the national title, coach Randy Dodge gave his team a chance to get some well-deserved rest.

But less than one week later, the Blues were back at work.

Harsh as it might seem, it was all Dodge could do. A mere six days after the confetti fell in Kansas City, the Blues had a date at the Surf Cup in San Diego, one of the most coveted invites in the club circuit.

So instead of celebrating and allowing the catharsis of victory set in, the Blues charged into San Diego, won the Surf Cup, and completed a season for the ages.

After becoming just the third team ever to win a national title and Surf Cup the same year, Dodge credited chemistry and continuity for the Blues’ summer success.

“This group has been together for a long time,” he said, “and it’s our fantastic chemistry that sets us apart. After Nationals the girls needed some rest, so we gave them the week off and then hit the ground running a few days later when the Surf Cup began. That’s impossible to do without chemistry. That’s why we were able to accomplish something pretty special this summer.”

Star midfielder and Stanford-commit Haley Rosen, agreed.

“The chemistry on the team really pulled us through in the end,” she said. “There were times this season when each of us had our individual struggles, but we never collapsed as a team, and we were always able to pull each other back up. We had success this year because we came together – and together, we’re stronger than anything.”

While the Blues are no strangers to the Surf Cup – 2010 marked their fourth straight Surf Cup championship – the national title was uncharted territory.

“Nationals was a huge deal for us,” said Rosen. “We’d been there three times – our first time, we lost in the finals [to Dallas Texans] – so we had a taste, but we were hungry for more. Winning Nationals this year was, I think, the biggest accomplishment in all of our lives. And then to come back and win Surf Cup on tired legs, it showed our character as a team. Winning a tournament is always a great accomplishment, but winning Nationals and Surf Cup in succession was obviously incredibly sweet.”

Now, the Blues face the only task tougher than winning a national championship: defending it.

But with players like Rosen, Lauren Bohaboy (Notre Dame), Kimberly Marshall (Wake Forest), Kaitlin Dickmann (California) and Kaylie Davidson running the show, coach Dodge knows his team is up for the challenge.

“This group has great veteran leadership, and they don’t get the luxury of cruising,” he said. “They know every practice, every game we expect the best out of them They’re a humble, hard-working, extremely competitive group.

“As far as the pressure of defending a title, we already had a bull’s eye on our back, so we’re used to the pressure. Our mindset won’t change at all. If the ball rolls our way, it rolls our way – and this year we’ll work to make sure it does more than it doesn’t.”
 
And maybe even get a day or two of rest along the way.