It’s that time of the year again! All of the students who have expressed interest in joining our Gladiators family are currently doing tryouts, which have started this past week and will end on Thursday, September 14th! Tonight will be the last night of all of the soccer teams tryouts as well as volleyball, and tomorrow will be the final night of the basketball tryouts.
We interviewed three Gladiators from our women’s soccer team!
Let’s meet Andrea: she was born in Venezuela but she lives in Miami. She is a 20-year-old degree seeker planning to major in International Relations and she is trying out for the Lady Gladiators for the first time
Have you ever played soccer before? I played soccer back when I was in middle school, but then I stopped when I started high school and haven’t played until now!
Favorite team? I don’t really have a favorite team, but because my family is a big fan of AC Milan and Juventus I favor them.
How are tryouts going? I was super scared to attend tryouts, especially since I hadn’t played soccer in such a long time, but it has been so much fun. I’ve met the soccer players from the previous semesters and they’ve been super supportive and helpful in reminding me the little things about soccer that I’ve forgotten.
Have you heard about the other activities offered by JCU Athletics?
Yes! I recently went on the Sapri weekend trip and it was more than amazing. We stayed at a beautiful B&B that overlooked the town and did so many activities that I’ve never done in my life. We jumped off a rock into crystal clear waters and swam inside grottos, as well as hiked and learned about the regional geology. Thanks to JCU Athletics it was an incredible experience and I got to meet some really great people, I will definitely take part in more of their trips and activities in the future.
From last semester, Kat, a 21-year-old senior from San Francisco, wants to play this year again!
Favorite team? Orlando Pride.
How long have you been playing soccer? How long have you been playing with JCU? I have been playing soccer for 17 years and this is my second year at JCU.
How it feels like to have been one of the top scoring players of the season last year? Being one of the top scorers last season was an amazing accomplishment, especially because I have always been more of a defensive player, stopping more goals than scoring them. But several of us last season were able to score upwards of 10 goals each and I think that says a lot about how we work together as a team to set one another up for success.
How are tryouts going? Tryouts this year are going really well! We have a lot of new girls who will be strong on defense and others who can help us become more dynamic on offense. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a second championship!
Do you have any suggestions for the new girls? Suggestions for new players: try your best and give it your all and have fun!
Last but not least, we asked a few questions to Paolo, our coach of the Lady Gladiators team from Olbia, Italy!
Favorite team? Juventus.
How long have you been playing soccer? I play soccer since I was 5 years old.
How long have you been coaching the JCU Women’s Soccer team? It’s been quite a long time now, since Fall 2013!
How does it feels like getting ready for the new season after having won the Championship last year? Thanks to the victory from last semester, the Lady Gladiators have definitely entered the Championship Hall of Fame. I am personally very proud of coaching the team of such a prestigious university and I will do my best to defend the title we achieved last year.
How are tryouts going? Tryouts are going great! A lot of new girls have signed up this semester! Deciding who will make the team and who will not gets harder and harder every year, especially because everyone really wants to be part of a winning team like ours!
Good luck everyone! #GoGladiators
