North Carolina State University Athletics
Paige Dugal Blog: Playing with Intensity and Passion
8/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
What a great way to start the season! We have four wins under our belts (including our exhibition game vs. VMI), but we continue to become a tighter knit family each and every day.
It was a lot of work to get to this point as we near the beginning of September. After the first few days of preseason (which felt like weeks) we went on a beach trip and had a great time just hanging out, playing our favorite game catchphrase (even Dena and Leah joined in).
We watched Chanty, Gia and Kara Baldy freak out because they thought they were tipping over in a canoe. (even to the point of tears haha .. Oh Gia)
But not only did we get to know each other better and have tons of laughs, we also talked about what we want to accomplish this year on and off the field. We worked so hard during preseason, and I think if you ask any of the girls they will admit that we ran longer and worked harder than we ever had in our lives.
And if you can run the Dena Fartlek, you can do anything. (There is constant debate between the players and coaches of how long we actually ran with our only rest being a “slow” jog. The coaches say that it was only an hour, but we all claim that it was at least an hour and a half. However, we are a really dramatic team and are the worst at over exaggerating and making up rumors, so the coaches are most likely right. Either way, it was crazy.)
Editors note: According to Wikipedia - A fartlek is a form of conditioning which puts stress mainly on the aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of the exercise. The difference between this type of training and continuous training is that the intensity or speed of the exercise varies, meaning that aerobic and anaerobic systems can be put under stress. Most fartlek sessions last a minimum of 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise.
After the preseason training was over, we were ready for game action to show all the work we put in. To get pumped up for games, we do different things every time. Before the Old Dominion game, we had the music blaring like always and Kendall was busting her moves like Michael Jackson, showing us how to do the moonwalk.
When we went to Campbell, we didn’t have a stereo, so we had to find something else to pump us up and kill time before we had to go on the field. In the beginning it was Tanya who gave us a show this time with a variety of dance moves, including the single ladies dance and the stanky leg!
But the rest of us still wanted to do something instead of sit and look at each other across the locker room in silence. And the solution to that was simple: one touch juggling! It’s something many of us always do before practices and games, but this time we got basically the entire team involved this time. So we split into two groups and had a competition. Things got really intense and people started dropping out because they must not have been able to take the pressure. It was a close competition and it went back and forth, but the other group won with a record-setting 41 straight touches.
Even though we made huge deals out of the running we had to do and all the work we had to put in during preseason, it is exactly what we needed and we know that that kind of work is going to make us so much better. Steve, Chris, and Dena have worked us in every single drill that we do whether it’s running suicides or passing drills. But not only have they pushed us physically, but also mentally. We have learned so much this preseason about our positioning on the field and even little tips to make us better at defending, shooting, crossing and goal keeping. You name it this coaching staff has touched on it.
They have also been phenomenal at improving our mentality and attitudes towards practice and games. We are more focused and more positive in everything we do. They pushed us past our limits when they made us run, but what was great about it was that we pushed each other despite our own pain. We are all coming together and encouraging each other to accomplish our goals as a team.
And all our hard work and teamwork is paying off so far this season. We have won three games, and it was a team effort with seven different people scoring goals, and the defense and goalies shutting down everything to get us shutouts. The number of fans that came out and supported us and just showed enthusiasm for our team played a major roll too. It means so much to us to hear them get excited about our games.
As we move forward in the season, we want to continue to win obviously, but what’s most important to us (especially right now before we go into ACC games) is to continue to improve each game and to play with intensity and passion. We want to make a statement after every game that the NC State Women’s soccer team is a force to be reckoned with.
That we fight the whole ninety minutes no matter what the scoreboard says and no matter what circumstances come our way. We want to leave every game with the knowledge that we did all we could and played with all we physically, emotionally, and mentally had without giving up. We want to turn this program around, make our mark, and become relevant.
