Week two of preseason is starting and yet again it is tiring, but rewarding.
With a little more free time we find ourselves really starting to bond as a team. After the day of white water rafting, the freshman had to work on their "assignment." Our task was to find a song and make up dance moves, little did we know we would be performing that dance in front of the president and male soccer team at the president's dinner. Needless to say, my lack of rhythm and our twenty minutes of practice showed. Even though our dance did not turn out quite so smoothly, it was still a fun experience that allowed all the freshman to really bond and have a great time.
With the second week of preseason beginning, the team is starting to branch off on to other activities. On Tuesday, we had our first pool session. The pool session was a warm up that really released the tension in my sore aching muscles.
But the highlight of the day on Tuesday was our meeting with sports psychologist Dr. Gano-Overway. Dr. Gano-Overway had a huge impact on the way I see the game. The topic of Tuesday’s meeting was "Focus." Her techniques and scenarios really showed me how much a small thing on the field could make me lose my focus. Anything from including a wrong call from the referee or an injury on the field really can play on a player's mind. I learned simple things to make my focus stay on the field and not be affected by any distracting force.
With two more sessions focusing on "Imagery" and "Pre-competition," I am confident that we are going to be a mentally stable team on the field.
The team is preparing for our very first scrimmage of the season on Wednesday night against SYC Patriots. Wish us luck!
Megan Ryan
