Community Logs
Bailey Plummer
10/10/13
This weekend we experienced our first UAA, University Athletic Association, loss. I had no idea how detrimental to our post-season this loss was. The team was destroyed after the final whistle blew. Going into the game, our head coach warned us how brutal and competitive this team was and she challenged us to bring our hearts to the field. The pre-game was beyond what had previously been performed in the locker room. There was a shift from our humorous pre-game to a more intense one than I had ever seen. I knew this alone made this game different. This game needed to be won. Once the game ended in a 1-0 loss everyone was crushed. It makes it very hard for us to make it to post-season without being number 1 in the UAA. I wanted to make the team feel better and reassure them that we still had a chance. I was no longer sure. I had lost my faith and confidence in the team after seeing their reaction to this loss. They acted like the season had ended and not like we have seven more games to prove ourselves. I know we will make it to post-season but I need to be the difference maker who reminds the team of our goal to be National Champions.
10/3/13
I was officially a varsity college athlete. I played in a game. I had watched on the bench for 8 games, now it was my turn. The coach told me to warm up, I was beyond nervous. I got on the sideline and called one of my teammates out of the game. The bench went wild when they saw me go in. They knew that it was my first time playing and that i needed encouragement. At that moment, I felt so supported. I did not have a family member or a friend in the stands but my team is my family and they showed so much support for me. I usually play defense so that is what I played when I went in for the first time. I did not feel too confident, I did not play my best. But when the game ended the girls complimented me and made me feel important. The next day we had another game. Our first double header. Everyone was exhausted. The game is tied 1-1 when the coach asked me to play forward. I played in the past but never for this team. I lined up and called a girl out of the game. When everyone realized I was going in as a forward and not as a defender, no one knew what to do. The bench went crazy! Everyone wanted to see what I could do up top and no one thought I would ruin the game for us. I was ready. I made a difference. I mattered. I was a college athlete.
9/26/13
The bus rides. These began as grueling and uneventful. I sat in the back and did my homework and listened to music. I did not talk to the team or try to get closer to anyone. This weekend that all changed. I started to see myself as part of the team. I sat more towards the middle next to two juniors. They were making me laugh and keeping me in the conversation. By the end we were joking and having a great time. Then it was game time. We won 2-0. Back on the bus. This time we decided to dance. The music was blasted and the team was pumped. I got into the middle. I did a couple of my signature moves. The girls loved it and I did not feel judged or singled out. Something had changed with the team. I am no longer a freshman, I am a teammate. I feel free to be myself and not hold back. This moment was liberating and completely new. I only hope it continues in practice and future games.
9/20/13
The locker room pre game. Sunday we had our first home game. The crowd was filled with parents but the student fans were no where to be found. As game time approached, we were asked to meet in the locker room 10 minutes before we started our warm up. I was 5 minutes early. With exactly 10 minutes till warm up, the locker room turned into a stage. There were performances such as skits and rewritten songs. It was no longer a place for serious team discussions. The locker room became a place of freedom and laughter. The team transformed from hard workers to relaxed and goofy teenagers. I knew that one day it would be my job to entertain the team and get their mind off of the game ahead. This is something I was made to do. As I am watching the different performances, my mind is filling with skits and songs that I can remake. My mind is anywhere but on the field and the game. Initially I pictured this team as very determined and serious, but the 10 minutes of performances I saw convinced me that this is someplace I belong. The team became more human and transparent. They are no longer intimidating upperclass men, they are my peers and allies.
9/13/13
Being a part of the Women's soccer team at Emory began as a strategic move to be guaranteed acceptance to the university. It was never something I strived to be a part of but manipulated to reach a higher goal. Over the past couple of weeks, I have realized that being part of the team is something that I am proud of and want to continue to be a part of. My teammates are encouraging and inspiring. Most of them have stuck with soccer even though it is a lot to handle with the academic demand at Emory. This team is more of a family than a team. Not one girl thinks she is better than anyone else, everyone is treated with the same level of respect. I find it shocking that the team has been so open and caring, a lot of times I have found teams to be overly competitive with one another and that is not the case with the Emory team. I definitely will continue to be a part of this community for at least the rest of the semester. I am interested to see how my social life and school work will be affected by my large time commitment to soccer. When the team travels, I have noticed that during every free moment everyone is studying or doing homework which keeps me on top of my work. It has only been a couple of weeks but I think my relationship with the team is just starting to grow.
Bailey Plummer
10/10/13
This weekend we experienced our first UAA, University Athletic Association, loss. I had no idea how detrimental to our post-season this loss was. The team was destroyed after the final whistle blew. Going into the game, our head coach warned us how brutal and competitive this team was and she challenged us to bring our hearts to the field. The pre-game was beyond what had previously been performed in the locker room. There was a shift from our humorous pre-game to a more intense one than I had ever seen. I knew this alone made this game different. This game needed to be won. Once the game ended in a 1-0 loss everyone was crushed. It makes it very hard for us to make it to post-season without being number 1 in the UAA. I wanted to make the team feel better and reassure them that we still had a chance. I was no longer sure. I had lost my faith and confidence in the team after seeing their reaction to this loss. They acted like the season had ended and not like we have seven more games to prove ourselves. I know we will make it to post-season but I need to be the difference maker who reminds the team of our goal to be National Champions.
10/3/13
I was officially a varsity college athlete. I played in a game. I had watched on the bench for 8 games, now it was my turn. The coach told me to warm up, I was beyond nervous. I got on the sideline and called one of my teammates out of the game. The bench went wild when they saw me go in. They knew that it was my first time playing and that i needed encouragement. At that moment, I felt so supported. I did not have a family member or a friend in the stands but my team is my family and they showed so much support for me. I usually play defense so that is what I played when I went in for the first time. I did not feel too confident, I did not play my best. But when the game ended the girls complimented me and made me feel important. The next day we had another game. Our first double header. Everyone was exhausted. The game is tied 1-1 when the coach asked me to play forward. I played in the past but never for this team. I lined up and called a girl out of the game. When everyone realized I was going in as a forward and not as a defender, no one knew what to do. The bench went crazy! Everyone wanted to see what I could do up top and no one thought I would ruin the game for us. I was ready. I made a difference. I mattered. I was a college athlete.
9/26/13
The bus rides. These began as grueling and uneventful. I sat in the back and did my homework and listened to music. I did not talk to the team or try to get closer to anyone. This weekend that all changed. I started to see myself as part of the team. I sat more towards the middle next to two juniors. They were making me laugh and keeping me in the conversation. By the end we were joking and having a great time. Then it was game time. We won 2-0. Back on the bus. This time we decided to dance. The music was blasted and the team was pumped. I got into the middle. I did a couple of my signature moves. The girls loved it and I did not feel judged or singled out. Something had changed with the team. I am no longer a freshman, I am a teammate. I feel free to be myself and not hold back. This moment was liberating and completely new. I only hope it continues in practice and future games.
9/20/13
The locker room pre game. Sunday we had our first home game. The crowd was filled with parents but the student fans were no where to be found. As game time approached, we were asked to meet in the locker room 10 minutes before we started our warm up. I was 5 minutes early. With exactly 10 minutes till warm up, the locker room turned into a stage. There were performances such as skits and rewritten songs. It was no longer a place for serious team discussions. The locker room became a place of freedom and laughter. The team transformed from hard workers to relaxed and goofy teenagers. I knew that one day it would be my job to entertain the team and get their mind off of the game ahead. This is something I was made to do. As I am watching the different performances, my mind is filling with skits and songs that I can remake. My mind is anywhere but on the field and the game. Initially I pictured this team as very determined and serious, but the 10 minutes of performances I saw convinced me that this is someplace I belong. The team became more human and transparent. They are no longer intimidating upperclass men, they are my peers and allies.
9/13/13
Being a part of the Women's soccer team at Emory began as a strategic move to be guaranteed acceptance to the university. It was never something I strived to be a part of but manipulated to reach a higher goal. Over the past couple of weeks, I have realized that being part of the team is something that I am proud of and want to continue to be a part of. My teammates are encouraging and inspiring. Most of them have stuck with soccer even though it is a lot to handle with the academic demand at Emory. This team is more of a family than a team. Not one girl thinks she is better than anyone else, everyone is treated with the same level of respect. I find it shocking that the team has been so open and caring, a lot of times I have found teams to be overly competitive with one another and that is not the case with the Emory team. I definitely will continue to be a part of this community for at least the rest of the semester. I am interested to see how my social life and school work will be affected by my large time commitment to soccer. When the team travels, I have noticed that during every free moment everyone is studying or doing homework which keeps me on top of my work. It has only been a couple of weeks but I think my relationship with the team is just starting to grow.