91短视频

On the field, 91短视频鈥檚 women鈥檚 sits tied for seventh in the ODAC standings and will enter the postseason tournament seeded eighth. In the classroom, they stand above 3.0 鈥� their collective grade point average.

For each of the past four years, the team has earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America鈥檚 Team Academic Award, a recognition not received in the previous 10 years.

That honor is in large part thanks to the team鈥檚 10 seniors. Coach describes them as 鈥渆xtremely strong鈥� in the classroom.

The seniors include:

• Rachel Breidigan, a nursing major from Douglassville, Pennsylvania;
• Mary Deskins, special education, Winchester, Virginia;
• Sierra Martin, biology, Glenwood Springs, Colorado;
• Bailey McInnis, liberal arts and psychology, Henrico, Virginia;
• Sara Shenk Moreno, social work, Harrisonburg, Virginia;
• Marcy Smucker, biochemistry, Woodward, Pennsylvania;
• Rachel Sturm, nursing, Denton, Maryland;
• Hannah Walker, biology and environmental sustainability, Chesapeake, Virginia;
• Amanda Williams, biology and environmental sustainability, Millsboro, Delaware; and
• Mikaela Zook, physical education, Millersburg, Indiana.

Manage to arrange a time to sit down and talk with those seniors, and you鈥檒l note their excitement at their rigorous coursework at 91短视频. You also can鈥檛 miss their deep appreciation for 91短视频 鈥� and their team.

Take Sierra Martin, Marcy Smucker and Rachel Sturm, for three.

Three reflect: 鈥楨xcel with it鈥�

After graduating with a degree and psychology minor, Sturm hopes to pursue a doctorate in nursing and work in labor and delivery. She remembers her first experience in that field, the moment the baby was born. 鈥淚 was holding the woman鈥檚 leg and everyone started crying. I started crying. It was just a new experience of God.鈥�

Martin, a major in the program focusing on physical therapy 鈥� with minors in psychology and neuroscience 鈥� also has her sights on a doctorate, in neurological physical therapy working with Parkinson鈥檚 patients and victims of strokes and traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.

Smucker is a major in the pre-professional health program with a pre-med focus, and neuroscience and Spanish minors.

鈥淚鈥檓 not exactly sure what I鈥檒l specialize in,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just kind of go with it, figure it out when I get there. A lot of different things excite me.鈥�

They鈥檝e always known that the academic side of his team鈥檚 college life was the priority for Erickson, Sturm said.

鈥淭ed has definitely been supportive,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a student first, before you鈥檙e an athlete. Schoolwork is first, before soccer鈥� 鈥� even if it meant occasionally missing practice to study.

Older players shared their textbooks with first-years, and there was 鈥渁n atmosphere on the team where if you needed help with your studies, you can get that,鈥� Smucker said.

That culture taught its own lessons, too, Sturm said 鈥� to be supportive of teammates and to learn from mistakes.

鈥淚鈥檝e realized that the soccer roles that I鈥檝e been in will help me in nursing,鈥� she said. 鈥淟ike Ted says, when it鈥檚 time to be the star, or step into place, or show up on the field, that鈥檚 your time to take that experience and excel with it.鈥�

Pathways to 91短视频

Even though the rest of her Central Pennsylvania family went to 91短视频鈥檚 midwestern sister Goshen College, Smucker 鈥渨asn鈥檛 sure I could go somewhere that鈥檚 flat,鈥� she said; she loves having the option of trail running in the mountains during the off season. But there were other reasons, too, that she chose 91短视频.

鈥淚 enjoy 91短视频鈥檚 very worldly citizen drive for its students,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to soak up all that knowledge.鈥�

Martin grew up in Colorado. Like Smucker, she didn鈥檛 want to go somewhere flat, but chose 91短视频 because 鈥渋n two words: I鈥檓 Mennonite,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I wanted to play soccer, which I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to do at a bigger school.鈥�

Sturm, also a pole vaulter on the track and field team, is from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Before coming to 91短视频 she didn鈥檛 know how much she, too, loves the mountains 鈥� or what a Mennonite was.

鈥淲hen I got the free application, I was like, 鈥榃hy not? It鈥檚 free,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淪o I just did it 鈥� and I got accepted. When I came to visit 鈥� I was like, 鈥榃hy not? I鈥檒l just come visit鈥� 鈥� I actually fell in love with the campus. My mom and I weren鈥檛 expecting that, because I was already almost committed to a different college, to play soccer there.鈥�

What really clinched the deal for Sturm was that the soccer coach 鈥� then Sue Kolb 鈥� and the track coach stayed in touch with her. 鈥淚 really liked the personal relationship they had, and the personal relationship here 鈥� and the culture here, and the cultural diversity,鈥� she said.

The unexpected change of plans ended up 鈥渃hanging my whole path of life,鈥� she said.

Devotions and connections

Among teammates is a strong sense of connection, the three seniors said. Case in point: Before home games, team members take turns providing a devotional, with no coaches present.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good time to bond and get ready and come together,鈥� Sturm said, 鈥渁nd to be there for each other.鈥�

That environment has been growing since the start of their college soccer careers. Preseason practices provided a social home base from the first day of their first semester.

鈥淧reseason in general is something that I鈥檒l look back on with a combination of love and hate,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the mutual suffering that helps bond you.鈥�

(鈥淢arcy and I didn鈥檛 even think we were going to like each other, when we first met,鈥� Martin added. Smucker鈥檚 response? 鈥淲e鈥檙e roommates now鈥� 鈥� 鈥渁nd have been for three years,鈥� finished Martin.)

鈥淲e鈥檝e become family,鈥� said Sturm. 鈥淲e have a good communication base as a team.鈥�

They notice how much they have changed 鈥� and how much the team experience affects members.

Smucker said that she didn鈥檛 talk much as a freshman, and now counts among her 鈥渇ondest memories鈥� seeing 鈥渢he same thing that happened to me happen to other people, except in their own, very special ways. It鈥檚 really fun to see them finally come out of their shells and start to get comfortable with the team.鈥�

As team relationships developed over the last four years, the team grew to more than 30 players this year, which Martin counts as a success in itself.

鈥淓ven though we won鈥檛 be here to reap the benefits of that growth later on, it鈥檚 exciting to know that we were instrumental in making that happen,鈥� she said.

Nostalgia

With the season about to wrap up, the time has come for nostalgia.

鈥淭he emotional space that I have for soccer hasn鈥檛 changed. I still love it and enjoy it as much as I did,鈥� said Sierra Martin. 鈥淏ut the mental space that I have for it has been forced to decrease and be reallocated to other things that have moved into that space.鈥�

It was a sentiment mirrored by Smucker and Sturm. Since childhood, soccer has been a big part of their lives.

鈥淲e have a lot of memories growing up with that, attached to family and everything,鈥� Smucker said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big deal whenever parents come to games. Definitely going to miss that. But it鈥檚 also going to be time. I鈥檓 ready.鈥�

Sturm said that while she鈥檚 put herself wholeheartedly into her sports, she is 鈥渞ealizing that the 鈥榖est you can be鈥� can be in multiple, different paths.鈥�

During their time at 91短视频, these three and their seven fellow seniors have carried influence on the team, said Erickson. Though the team may be losing its ten seniors this year, their legacy will stick around.

Since their first year, he said, when they entered a program that had only seven returning players, they have 鈥減ushed through high times and low times. They reawakened an old tradition of academic excellence.鈥�

鈥淭his group has a special place in my heart,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hey are the reason this program has grown to its current level. Each of these young women will be able to leave knowing that they have left this program in a better place than what they walked into, and we will be able to see their success continue onto their next playing field, their professions and future families.鈥�