Thursday, February 05, 2009
Sport Up Date Aja !!!!!!!
Feb. 5, 2009 Journal Entry from Aja Scheuber The countdown is at 48 hours until the first-ever women's lacrosse game will be played at Fresno State. I never imagined myself playing women's lacrosse, let alone, at the collegiate level. Having played softball my entire life and for the last two years here at Fresno State, I am very fortunate to be one of the few student-athletes able to play two sports in college. It's been a great challenge picking up a new sport. I can tell you that I never thought I would say it was easier to hit a 70 mph rise ball. There is similarities skill wise that have helped me transfer over from softball to lacrosse. Hand-eye coordination is a big key in catching and throwing and I've learned my lesson to either catch the ball or get out of the way when the ball is coming. It takes a lot of patience to take 23 athletes, most of which who had never picked up a lacrosse stick before, and teach them a brand new sport from scratch in less than six months. Every day at practice, we train with intensity and pride to prepare ourselves to compete at the level of teams that have more experience under their belts. It's amazing to see how far we have come as individuals and as a team in such little time. I'm looking forward to running out on the field this Saturday at 1:00 pm in Bulldog Stadium and seeing the support from friends, family, and the community. I don't exactly know what it is like to get pumped up for a lacrosse game as I do for a softball game because I've never played one before. But, starting this Saturday, I hope to carry on and create new rituals to get me excited for games. For example, I don't usually talk to anyone before games; I have to wear my gloves a certain way, and I stay calm until I have to change my mindset before stepping onto the field. I can imagine myself now, sitting in the locker room before each game, visualizing our team working hard every minute of every game. These are the things that I will never forget about playing sports, whether it is softball or lacrosse.
Because I am a fifth year senior, I am only able to play one year of women's lacrosse at Fresno State. I'm privileged to be a part of history in the making and building a foundation for this program. I am excited to see how the underclassmen and future student-athletes will build onto a new tradition here at Fresno State. In years to come, I can look back with pride and say "I was a part of the first ever women's lacrosse team at Fresno State. Go Bulldogs! |
