Every season comes with many highs and lows. I’ll be honest with you, we have dug ourselves into a bit of a hole. It isn’t anyone’s dream to start the season with a 1-4 record, but it also does not mean the season will end on that same trajectory either. Our team is learning and growing with every game. Every mistake made out on that field becomes a lesson engrained in our minds that we hold onto. For anyone who knows about the game of soccer, you know that the smallest errors can cost you results and spiral into a loss of confidence. Fortunately for us, you can surmount adversity with the right attitude and a little thing I call belief.
Last year the Huskies started off the season like a powerhouse. Going on a seven game winning streak, we felt it was our year to leave a lasting legacy at the University of Washington. Unfortunately, we hit the Pac12 season and our streak ended. Despite some losses, we made enough of an impact to get a bid for the NCAA tournament. Facing Auburn in the first round, we put up a strong fight in front of our home fans on our home field, but left the rainy night feeling confused and distraught. Knowing we did not play up to our potential, we looked in the mirror and knew there was more to give.
Our alarms sounded at 5:00am. Day after day, we bundled up in sweatpants, packed ourselves into cars and made our way down to the locker room. Hardly awake, we threw on our cleats, managed to stuff down a Luna bar and walked out into the cold, dark, winter morning. Our morning workouts ranged from pushing sleds, holding 5-minute planks, bear crawling in the frost until our hands went raw and ultimately achieving a mental toughness most could never understand. With the feeling of Auburn fresh on our minds, we turned the loss into motivation.
Last year the Huskies started off the season like a powerhouse. Going on a seven game winning streak, we felt it was our year to leave a lasting legacy at the University of Washington. Unfortunately, we hit the Pac12 season and our streak ended. Despite some losses, we made enough of an impact to get a bid for the NCAA tournament. Facing Auburn in the first round, we put up a strong fight in front of our home fans on our home field, but left the rainy night feeling confused and distraught. Knowing we did not play up to our potential, we looked in the mirror and knew there was more to give.
Our alarms sounded at 5:00am. Day after day, we bundled up in sweatpants, packed ourselves into cars and made our way down to the locker room. Hardly awake, we threw on our cleats, managed to stuff down a Luna bar and walked out into the cold, dark, winter morning. Our morning workouts ranged from pushing sleds, holding 5-minute planks, bear crawling in the frost until our hands went raw and ultimately achieving a mental toughness most could never understand. With the feeling of Auburn fresh on our minds, we turned the loss into motivation.
With the effort we put in during winter and the regret of losing to Auburn, we want it more than ever. It was disheartening to come away with a loss right out of the gate. Especially when it was our own fault for wanting it so badly that we could hardly remember how to play the game we’ve grown up playing. Regardless of what our record shows, the season is far from over and we’re just starting to touch the surface of our potential.
The media can think what they want and onlookers can question us, but I know my team and I know that it’s only a matter of time until we click and the tides turn for us. Personally, I would rather get the kinks out early on in the season and show up big to the Pac12 when it truly matters. These losses are hard to swallow, but they have been crucial to our development and are telling a story. We are slowly piecing together the small gaps that will result in a unified, complete team. How we face the bumps in the road will determine how long we will travel.
A former coach of mine used to say, “You have to let the tea boil at the right time.” Let me be the first to say, the Dawgs are starting to heat up.
The media can think what they want and onlookers can question us, but I know my team and I know that it’s only a matter of time until we click and the tides turn for us. Personally, I would rather get the kinks out early on in the season and show up big to the Pac12 when it truly matters. These losses are hard to swallow, but they have been crucial to our development and are telling a story. We are slowly piecing together the small gaps that will result in a unified, complete team. How we face the bumps in the road will determine how long we will travel.
A former coach of mine used to say, “You have to let the tea boil at the right time.” Let me be the first to say, the Dawgs are starting to heat up.
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