Preseason - Day One

by Alex Litofsky '12...centermidfielder from Columbia, Missouri

When she stepped onto the field this morning, Coach Taylor declared with her cheery inflection that she could cut the tension on the turf with a knife. Jumping in place, nervously murmuring, doing a few last-minute sprints on the sideline, or silently focusing, each of the players on the Women’s Soccer team prepared for the much-anticipated Beep Test in her own way. This grueling fitness test serves as the annual opener for Fall Preseason.

Upon completion of the test, the nervous energy of the group began to dissipate. 1 v 1 contests immediately followed, much to the chagrin of my tired legs. However, I fully recovered in time for some fast-paced 2 v 2 and 3 v 3 that involved shooting on goal. To my delight—especially so early into preseason—I discovered that the eagerly-awaited freshman class was indeed a promising bunch. Also, over the summer, returning players had found even more energy and focus to bring to practice, charging the air with enthusiasm and determination.

After lunch and a few hours of rest, the afternoon session gave every aspiring Spartan a second opportunity to show off her skills. On the grass of Van Horn field, Coach Taylor led us through a new warm-up, followed by Coach Tiff’s drill, Windows, which hones our touches. The remainder of practice was dedicated to the pursuit of possession, one of the three pillars of our team identity, as proclaimed by Coach Tiff: 1) defense, 2) possession, and 3) transition. As practice drew to a close, the Relay for Life dragon paid a visit to the field in a futile search for more peasants to eat. He only managed to get a hold of Kristina, who poked him in the eye with a trident and effectively scared him away…if only for today.

The only disappointment of the day was the absence of our beloved goalkeeper coach, Buddy. He will be noticeably missing from practice for the next few weeks because of a serious injury. We send him all the positive thoughts we can, and look forward to his recovery so he can help us through training again.

Finally comfortable and clean this evening, enjoying a few hours of relaxation in the suite that I share with five fellow sophomores, I can breathe a sigh of relief; we have now all survived the first day of preseason. Though we have plenty work to do this week—and in the coming months—there is also much to be excited about. This first day may have begun with anxiety, but it ended with eager anticipation of what the season would bring.

I’m already looking forward to a soccer-filled second day….