my experience as a college student athlete

I never really thought I was good enough to play soccer beyond high school.

But, here's a picture of me in my college soccer jersey. God has a funny way of making things happen like that.

I never really considered that I would even be interested in playing college soccer until soccer was temporarily taken away from me my senior year of high school. I broke my wrist and tore my labrum in my hip my junior year of high school and played a full season on my hip without knowing the extent of the injury. I decided to have surgery the fall semester of my senior year of high school in hopes of making a comeback for my senior season- what I thought would be my last season of soccer.

I had to sit on the sidelines for the first few weeks of my senior soccer season. Watch my teammates play without me. Attend every practice even though I could not participate quite yet. It was during this time that I realized I did not want to be done with soccer; I couldn't be done.

through God's provision, Brewton-Parker became an option for me. It was never on my radar until March of 2018... two months before I graduated high school. I went on a visit, received an offer to be on the women's soccer team, and knew I couldn't pass it up. I committed to BPC just three short weeks after getting cleared from a major hip surgery. My college coaches took a chance giving me an opportunity to play for them, and I am so grateful that they saw enough potential in me to give me a shot.

to be transparent, my feelings used to get hurt every time I would tell someone that I played soccer for Brewton-Parker College, and they would respond "what's that?" or "where's that?" or "Brewton- what?" But, I learned to get past that. While I might not have played on a D1 NCAA soccer team, I still had the opportunity to play my favorite sport at a higher level all while receiving a great education. I shouldn't be embarrassed of that; I should be proud that God made a way for me.

college soccer was HARD, y'all. The summer workouts, two weeks of preseason in the south Georgia heat in August, 6 AM workouts, weights, and practices after class, having to work to prove and better myself at every practice to earn or maintain a spot... it was a lot to handle. Going from having a starting position in high school to being on a team where everyone else was the best of whatever school or team they came from was a very challenging and humbling experience.

however, I learned so much about the beautiful game and about myself. I know so many more drills, techniques, skills, and have a better understanding of soccer as a whole now. College soccer taught me discipline and perseverance. It taught me to work hard for what I want, to depend on God when I need the strength to keep going, and to push myself further even when my body wants to quit.

unfortunately, my college soccer career was cut short by another injury. After playing for a full year and surviving yet another preseason, I tore my meniscus somehow, and surgery was necessary. But before I could have surgery, I decided to play in one final game and broke my wrist (go figure). Although my playing time ended prematurely, I still attended practice and games every day.

do not get me wrong- it was agonizing to be in the same position I found myself in two years prior. I had a hard time understanding God's purpose behind the pain and injuries. I wanted to be out there playing with my teammates so bad that some days, I would just rather skip practice all together. Watching everyone play the game I loved without me was taunting.

as they say, hindsight is 20/20. Because of the time I sat and watched everyone else play, I have such a deeper understanding of the game. I had the opportunity to sit with my coaches and watch them critique and teach. I had a much different perspective than what I had while I was a player on the field. I could watch my teammates who excelled at my position and learn from them.

just as He always is and does, God was working behind the scenes. My injuries allowed me to learn and grow as a player just as much as if I would have been on the field. They allowed me to see that I STILL wanted to be involved in soccer somehow, someway. So, with my knowledge and experience I gained from being a student athlete at Brewton-Parker, I have been able to help coach at the high school I graduated from; it couldn't be more rewarding.

if you ask me, all of the hardships that come along with participating in a college sport are 100% worth it. College sports at ANY level require dedication and passion. If you're interested, in 2019, I wrote a blog post that provides a little more information about my insight as a student athlete. Go check it out!

https://www.bpc.edu/2019/10/02/insight-as-a-student-athlete/

and thanks for reading :)