Going into that first game is nerve wracking - to say the least. Preseason helps prepare you by laying the technical and tactical groundwork. However, implementing and executing everything in a game, especially one with meaning, is easier said than done. One of the biggest differences between college and high school or club, is the prep work we do for each individual game.,,it is a lot of effort!
Our first game was away, introducing me, and my fellow freshmen, to the art of traveling by bus. I now know to make sure my iPod is fully charged because it can get really boring when it dies halfway through the 3 hour ride. It is also good to know that there is wifi on the bus, connecting us all to the internet and thankfully when school starts, allowing us to do some course-work. Something completely new to me is the luxury of always having a locker room before and after a game. I got a taste of this in my high school basketball days, but never to this extent. Perhaps most importantly it means that we can shower and change before we get back on the bus, something I think everyone (but especially the coaches) is grateful for.
For me personally, this game wasn't just my first college match, but also my first start. I’ve always been told to worry less about who starts and more about who finishes a game, and that makes sense, but there is always something really exciting about hearing your name announced and running that gauntlet of players onto the field. It is even more exhilarating to be standing in the middle of the field, holding your teammates hands, and listening to the national anthem. I was of course anxious and nervous, but I tried to remember that it was just another match. I thought about what I'd be doing if I wasn’t about to actually play in my first college game. And I realized that I honestly couldn't think of anywhere I'd rather be.
Our first game was away, introducing me, and my fellow freshmen, to the art of traveling by bus. I now know to make sure my iPod is fully charged because it can get really boring when it dies halfway through the 3 hour ride. It is also good to know that there is wifi on the bus, connecting us all to the internet and thankfully when school starts, allowing us to do some course-work. Something completely new to me is the luxury of always having a locker room before and after a game. I got a taste of this in my high school basketball days, but never to this extent. Perhaps most importantly it means that we can shower and change before we get back on the bus, something I think everyone (but especially the coaches) is grateful for.
For me personally, this game wasn't just my first college match, but also my first start. I’ve always been told to worry less about who starts and more about who finishes a game, and that makes sense, but there is always something really exciting about hearing your name announced and running that gauntlet of players onto the field. It is even more exhilarating to be standing in the middle of the field, holding your teammates hands, and listening to the national anthem. I was of course anxious and nervous, but I tried to remember that it was just another match. I thought about what I'd be doing if I wasn’t about to actually play in my first college game. And I realized that I honestly couldn't think of anywhere I'd rather be.
I'll admit that the routine had started to get a little tedious leading up to the opener at UNH. Classes haven’t started and no other students have arrived on campus yet. With only one session a day (and lifting) we have more down time, and I mean… how many different versions of possession can one team play at each practice? Not to mention what my fellow teammates and I in the dorms had resorted to for entertainment. There are only so many times you can paint your nails and still consider it enjoyable. However, now that the season is here and the start of school is right around the corner, everything again has that new feel to it. Preseason is over and we have the first game (and first win!) under our belts. The team continues to feel more comfortable with each other, on and off the field, and next week we will all move into our permanent dorms. So there are some changes on the horizon and that will be fun.
There are so many advantages to being an athlete and having the opportunity to be here a month before classes even begin. It's crazy to think that we have already played our first game and that we will have played 3 more before school starts. The first weeks of missing home, family and friends are basically over. I'm getting used to dorm life and I have a decent understanding of a very large and sometimes intimidating campus. My older teammates have shared some tips that will make the first weeks of classes easier. That is a monster sized help!! Without soccer, I would be just preparing to leave like the rest of my freshman friends and I would be pretty clueless about what I was doing – and what to expect. Instead, I'm already comfortable with my new life and see myself as a kind of quasi-upperclassman. At least compared to my confused and overwhelmed classmates that will be here next week!
There are so many advantages to being an athlete and having the opportunity to be here a month before classes even begin. It's crazy to think that we have already played our first game and that we will have played 3 more before school starts. The first weeks of missing home, family and friends are basically over. I'm getting used to dorm life and I have a decent understanding of a very large and sometimes intimidating campus. My older teammates have shared some tips that will make the first weeks of classes easier. That is a monster sized help!! Without soccer, I would be just preparing to leave like the rest of my freshman friends and I would be pretty clueless about what I was doing – and what to expect. Instead, I'm already comfortable with my new life and see myself as a kind of quasi-upperclassman. At least compared to my confused and overwhelmed classmates that will be here next week!
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