North Carolina State University Athletics
Spring is in Session
4/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
April 13, 2005
To some, spring training means the beginning of baseball season. To NC State women's soccer, spring training means spending some extra time on the pitch preparing for a regular fall season that is still four months away. The off season begins with practice sessions after the Christmas holiday break and from February until April the team will play its matches on five competition dates. Truly though, the spring season is more than suiting up for a game, it is about rebuilding from a season past and looking ahead towards the future.
"Spring is a time where the team improves the most," said co-captain Michelle Crocker. "Spring gives players the opportunity to work on their technical skills and their fitness. The team also gets a chance to play together more, hence getting used to how your teammates play. It gives everyone the opportunity to step up and have an impact in the spring games."
Fellow co-captain Mandela Schumacher-Hodge shared Crocker's sentiments.
"Spring training is a great opportunity for our team to focus on fundamental skills and spend more time on individual improvement," said Schumacher-Hodge. "In spring training, we play fewer games and have more time to devote to specific areas of the game that the team was struggling with in the fall."
As with all teams, cohesiveness on the field plays a major roll in the outcome of a match. After losing three seniors to graduation after the fall campaign, the Wolfpack is left without three full-time starters in Erin Griswold, Anna Helenius and Katherine Warman. But even more, the trio combined for 17 of the Pack's 29 goals last season. Not to worry said Crocker, NC State will be just fine.
"The seniors will definitely be missed and they did score a lot of goals for us, but I believe that we have the players that can step up and fill their shoes," said Crocker. "This spring has shown a lot of promise. Our forwards and midfielders have stepped up the attacking game, which has been our focus this spring, so I feel very confident that players will step up in the fall as scoring threats."
With her confidence in the attacking side of the ball, Crocker as a defender, must have her own expectations of what the Wolfpack's defensive line has in store for next season and what it does during the spring training to get there. Both sides of the ball have to work together to reach the main goal of winning. In order to do that, NC State sets a regimented schedule, combing both weight training and skill workouts as well as off the field meetings and social gatherings. Crocker took some time to water down a typical schedule for the team. Take under consideration this is only the time with the team on the field or in the gym. It does not account for gatherings away from school.
• A typical week of spring training begins with weight lifting on Monday at around 2:30 p.m. for 30 minutes with our strength coach, Wright Wayne.
• Practice then begins at 3 p.m. and continues until 4:45 p.m. After practice we host kids clinics that we do for free until 6 p.m.
• On Tuesday, we practice in the morning from 8-9:45 a.m.
• Wednesday we go from 2-3:45 p.m., which is followed by 30 minutes of agilities/weight training.
• Thursdays schedule also has us on the field from 8-9:45 a.m.
• Friday's skill session begins at 2:30 p.m.
• If we have a spring match on Saturday, we take off the following Tuesday
• On Sundays we're off!
 Co-captain Mandela Schumacher-Hodge  |
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NC State uses practice to not only hone its skills, but also have some fun while working hard. There are inter-practice scrimmages and special games, such as the transition game in which a set team competes against another team. The teams work to outscore one another. The same teams have remained in place for more than eight years with freshmen being drafted each season. And according to Crocker, Team K is the best!
It's obvious that even a little spirited competition keeps the players in check. Everyone gives 100 percent in practice so that when game time rolls around, they are ready to take the field competing together.
"In my experience, playing in spring games allows me to learn more about my teammates and the way they play," said Crocker. "A lot of people are playing different positions, so it helps me get to know how they play. It also serves as a marker, letting me know how well I am doing and how well the team is doing on the things that we have been working on."
With the 2005 season on the horizon and just one remaining match date, NC State will have just one more opportunity to play together before the real season rolls around next fall. The Wolfpack hosts the spring ACC Tournament this Saturday, April 16, at SAS Soccer Park in Cary. This event is not just spring matches, but is also a chance to play against its ACC opponents, including North Carolina. The Wolfpack and Tar Heels will meet on the pitch at 9 a.m. NC State may also face Clemson, Duke, Florida State, and Wake Forest.
"I am looking forward to playing against the other teams in the ACC this weekend," said Crocker. "We have a new mentality that sets this team apart from the team that we were in the fall, so I am very excited to see what the fall brings us."
"Next year, I am looking forward to a winning season!" said Schumacher-Hodge. "We are determined to improve and build on what we've done this spring. We've made numerous variations to a lot of aspects of our program that I believe will help us reach our goals."
Crocker, Schumacher-Hodge and NC State will have that chance soon enough.
By Chennelle Miller, NC State Media Relations
