The Glory Days

Happy Saturday!

Last night I had the pleasure of being invited to New Jersey Institute of Technology's alumnae night during the women's soccer game.  I graduated from NJIT in 2007, and spent my junior and senior year there after I transferred from St. Peter's College.  All of the soccer alums were honored at halftime and afterwards there was a meet and greet at the Highlander Pub.  NJIT was playing against SPC, so for me this game was very nostalgic, as I spent two years playing for the soccer programs at both schools. 

Watching the game made me wish I was back playing soccer in college.  What I would give just to be able to be priveleged enough to play soccer every day again with games twice a week.  I remember doing the beep test and timed miles around the track.  I remember skinning my thighs and knees raw slidetackling on the turf.  I remember the joyous victories and the crushing defeats, the yellow cards and punishing sprints that made me the person I am today. 

Soccer in college shaped my character and taught me what it was like to persevere, to overcome adversity.  I remember coach running us so hard with the intention of making us throw up, and at all costs I would not, and did not, give her that satisfaction.  I could run through walls.  I wouldn't say I was the most skillful player, or the fastest, but I had the heart.  The intensity with which I played and the tenacity was unrivaled.  I played alongside players from different countries and with my best friends, and I was even lucky enough to play on the same team as my younger sister, (a year and a half my junior).

I remember the pains of August preseason, suffering through near heat exhaustion on the turf, (which gets 10 degrees hotter than grass) and 7:00am spring season practices.  The plane flights, the long car rides and the hotel stays.  Battling through 90 minutes of play, with sprained ankles, pulled muscles and concussions.  I miss the trash talking and the fierce competition.

And now I sit in the stands watching 22 girls lucky enough to play against each other on that very same field.  It's torture.  Was I ever that fast or in shape?  The rain is coming down hard now, and I am sitting next to my sister and her 20 month old baby girl, Kaylee.  Wow, who would have ever thought I would be an aunt watching NJIT play years later?  I guess it's true what they say, you don't really know what you have until it's gone.  If I could give any of those girls a piece of advice, from a former collegiate player to a younger, give everything you've got, because you'll never have this moment again.   You could be a freshmen with three more years on your NCAA clock or a senior playing your last game: you give everything you are.  There is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling then walking off that field knowing you played your absolute best, you played your heart out.  And if 10 other players walking off can say the same thing, than that team just created magic for 90 minutes. 

I miss being part of a team, I miss the comraderie.  Going to class wearing sweats because your just way too sore to dress up, and seeing girls walk the hallways decked out in makeup and heels and nice clothes.  Then you see a teammate dressed in similar fashion as yourself and you smile to one another, because you know you share something that the majority of the student population will never know.

I am happy that NJIT is working on keeping this family together through alumnae events such as this.  The new coaching staff, Amanda and Sergio, seem very dedicated to the program.  The AD's, Lenny and Bob, are wholeheartedly committed to keeping this soccer family together.

At halftime, drenched, Mandy, Kaylee, my boyfriend Frank and I all walked in the fitness center.  I wanted to see the locker room, is it how I remembered it?  Excited now, I walk anxiously with a few of the other girls who have since graduated to go see.  When we open the door, I see on the far wall all of the framed   action photos of previous years MVP's lining the tops of the lockers.  I see my best friend Katie, who won the award for 2004, then next to her  my sister Mandy, who won in 2005, me for 2006 and finally Sadie, one of the best goalkeepers I have never had the privelege of playing with (I graduated the year she came on board), who won for regular season 2007.  If seeing your influence on the NJIT soccer program still posted on the walls isn't adrenaline pumping, I don't know what is. 

Naturally then, my sister and I had to take pictures sitting in our own lockers, that are now unfamiliar to us as they have since taken up new residents....

Don't forget one with my precious niece!  I hope one day she will be playing here!

The following are some pictures of the alumns....these girls are simply MARVELOUS!!

These two ladies weren't here tonight, but were forces to be reckoned with when the played, Sarah and Erin....

Kaylee will be on this wall someday!

NJIT won 2-1.  The win was a tad bittersweet for me because of my history with both teams, but I am so happy for NJIT.  Winning on your hometurf is an indescribable feeling.  We went up to the pub and I was surprised to see pictures of the women's soccer team posted there as well!

The pictures below are bigger versions of the photos framed with the jerseys...this is my team sitting with assistant coach Tiffany for a post game pep talk, (or more like a, "hey you girls are going to be running tomorrow" talk)

This next picture is of me running with my teammate Aine from Ireland....

The picture below is us getting ready to play, our keeper was Bruna who hails from Brazil..I wonder what she's doing now...

This is DJ slapping everyone's hands pre-game, that's Mandy with her infamous headgear to the left, and half of Krista to her side.

Mandy schooling some chicks...(I hate to admit it but she's a more technically sound player than I will ever be)

And finally here's an action shot of me.  I wish I could be doing this everyday.

The administration at NJIT is looking to do a more formal soccer alumnae get together in December.  I can't wait!  The next best thing to actually playing is reliving the glory days and connecting with new players. I am happy to be a part of this team, even if it means just watching from the stands.