North Carolina State University Athletics
PEELER: Widman Has Waited Patiently For His Success
10/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH, N.C. – Sometimes, Christopher Widman has learned in his five years as an economics student and goalkeeper on the NC State men's soccer team, it's best to take the Libertarian view: Don't just do something, stand around.
Widman, who has already earned an undergraduate degree and is one semester away from getting his masters degree, says it's an interesting time to be a student of macro and micro economics.
And, he says, the best solution is often the simplest.
"The number 1 thing with the economy is to give it time to work itself out," Widman said after watching the nation's financial sector try to recover from the brink of ruin.
The same could be said of Widman's five-year soccer career with the Wolfpack. He's endured some extremely rocky times, from arriving with a major knee injury that forced him to sit out his first season, to losing his starting job as goalie several times as a redshirt freshman and sophomore. He returned to the starting lineup three games into his junior year and is now a critical part of the No. 24 Wolfpack's success this season.
Heading into today's 7 p.m. game against ACC foe Boston College at the Dail Soccer Field, opponents have scored less than a goal per game against Widman and the Wolfpack defense. Widman is also tied for the ACC lead with three shutouts on the season.
The fifth-year senior from Greensboro understands that things do work themselves out, especially when you pay attention to the little things, like staying fit, working on footwork, staying focused on the task at hand.
In the end, it all comes down to having confidence in your own abilities and the effectiveness of the system. Just like with economics.
"Those first couple of years, it was difficult - and that's being nice," Widman said. "You see some freshman playing right away, and I have a lot of respect for that, because I remember how much I struggled my first two years on the field.
"I think what has improved for me the most has been my confidence, especially in a league that is as tough as the ACC. As a goalkeeper, you aren't called on that often in a game. But when you are, you can't make a mistake, or it turns into a goal. That mistake is magnified. You just have to have the confidence that a mistake in the past won't affect what you do in the future."
For Widman, that confidence waned at times. He considered just moving on, not coming back for his final year of eligibility. His options were to pursue more schooling elsewhere, look for a real job in a difficult job market or stay at NC State and play another year of soccer.
"He had other opportunities to move on," veteran head coach George Tarantini said. "We are fortunate that he decided to come back."
In hindsight, the choice was relatively easy. Widman to compete for a nationally ranked soccer team and gave himself some time to find something in a lousy job market. Recently, Widman accepted a job that starts next June with Bank of America.
Indeed, sometimes the best thing to do is wait for something good to happen.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
