by Kendra Simmons '13 (pre-med from Medina, Ohio)
Where has the time gone!!? It seems like it was just yesterday that I wrote the “pre-season” blog for the team. It’s hard to believe that it is now April, and in just a short month, we will all be taking the dreaded final exams and heading home for the summer. This spring, I feel even busier than I did during the soccer season! Most people either have a lot of challenging classes or are filling their schedules with jobs and other activities. Personally, my science classes (Bio, Chem, Bio lab, and Chem lab) are taking over, but I’m trying to balance my time by volunteering at University Hospital in the Emergency Room and working out as often as possible. Along with work and volunteering, I’m currently trying to secure my first main research position in the Cleveland Clinic for the summer. Case’s pre-med curriculum sure keeps people busy, but I know it will be worth it in the end!
On top of all the focus on school and experiences in the medical field, I now get to play soccer three to four times a week! We recently started our spring season which consists of full-team practices on Tuesdays and Sundays and a “small group” training on another day during the week. The small-group training consists of about four or five people working with Tiff on mostly the technical parts of the game. From passing, to volleys, to shooting, to footwork, to simply getting touches on the ball, Tiff keeps us moving for a good, successful hour. The Tuesday and Sunday practices focus more on drills pertaining to possession but still aim to improve our individual skills. Also, on Fridays, we play pick-up soccer in Veale with whoever can make it (usually a mix between some of the soccer girls and boys). It feels great to be back on the field (gaining fitness through playing definitely beats running on a treadmill during the winter!!). I really look forward to preseason in the fall so, as a team, we can improve and hopefully achieve our many goals.
Overall, I could not be happier with my decision to come to Case. This school year (even though it’s not quite over) has been more than I expected. I have made amazing friends, I have gained a lot of knowledge from my difficult coursework, and I had great times being part of the soccer team. I came to Case to gain a lot of experience in the medical field through volunteering and research and to learn as much as possible in order to prepare me for medical school. Just from this freshman year, I can tell I am going right down that path. Also, I came here because of the comfortable mix between athletics and academics. It is nice to know that you are on a team full of girls who are committed to doing well in school and working hard to achieve goals for their future. I feel like Case is the perfect environment to achieve the goals I have planned, so I am very glad to be a student-athlete here!
