Soccer is a staple of the Lynchburg College Women’s Soccer team, but it definitely is not the only one. Community and service are not simply side activities that we try to incorporate every once in awhile into our program. They embody who we are at the core.
On Saturday, April 21st we hosted our annual Spring Play Day at two locations: Liberty University and Lynchburg College. The Virginia Military Institute women’s team traveled down from Lexington, Virginia, to participate with both the Lynchburg College and Liberty University women’s teams. The day started off with beautiful weather as Liberty faced VMI followed by Lynchburg facing VMI in two hard fought battles.
What happened next was a beautiful picture of soccer, service, and community wrapped up in one. The three teams gathered in Wake Field House for a brief lunch before packing 4,000 meals of millet, rice, vitamins, and vegetables to be shipped to the Philippines. Each of these meals feeds a family of 4-6 people. A meager twenty-five cents covers the cost of one of these meals for a family of six. The experience was ever more powerful because all three teams, VMI, Liberty, and Lynchburg, each raised the money used to purchase these meals.
After packing the meals, our Lynchburg team played Liberty in a tough, sloppy match in the pouring rain.
Statistics and scores are fleeting, but sharing the experience of making a difference in people’s lives is unforgettable. The whole day was a glimpse into the power of the soccer ball and how a simple ball has the ability to transcend rivalries and bring people together. This is the real beauty of the game that we love. (To see more photos, visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynchburg-College-Womens-Soccer/167822523326052?ref=ts
This past Sunday, April 15th, the Lynchburg College women’s soccer players, both young and old, gathered for the annual spring Alumni game. The game proved to be quite an even contest, ending in a 1-1 tie. Michelle Stevens, a current sophomore on the team and transfer from Grove City, slotted a goal at around the fifteen minute mark in the first half. Siobhan Budine, class of 2006, answered shortly after with a shot 25 yards out that just dipped over the keeper’s head.
The Alumni team consisted of more than fifteen members from the class of 2001 all the way thru the soon-to-be 2012 graduates. Some brought their children and husbands along for the day, and it was an awesome time to catch up and have fellowship with former teammates. Following the game, all the players, parents, and alumni headed down to Beaver Point and enjoyed a picnic. It was and IS a great day to be a Hornet!
Senior Katie Gebhard of Wyckoff, N.J., had the adventure of a lifetime over winter break as she traveled with more than 20 LC students to Vietnam to explore this fascinating country in Asia. Over her three-week study abroad experience, Katie was introduced to Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage, while experiencing hands-on the reality of present-day Vietnam through lectures, visits, and interactions with the Vietnamese people.
“Everything about Vietnam was beautiful and pure,” Katie said. While the major focus of the course was literature, centered around the American war and its impact on contemporary Vietnamese culture, the group was able to have a wide variety of experiences.
Katie’s favorite part of the trip was the opportunity she had to play “Pelada” on the streets of Vietnam. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, Pelada was LCWS’s theme for this past season. It is a Portuguese word used to describe pick-up soccer. The literal meaning of the word is naked. We chose this as our theme because we see Pelada as soccer stripped down to its core.
“Away from the stadiums and bright lights, there is another side of soccer. It is found in the muddy side streets, atop the mountains, and in the dusty alleys. And it is played for no other reason than for the love of the game.”* Katie’s memories of playing in the alleyways of Vietnam will forever remind her of why we play this beautiful game.
*Quote from the documentary Pelada ( http://www.pelada-movie.com/). I encourage each of you to check out this awesome film that follows two American soccer players to 25 countries to uncover the mysterious beauty of the game of soccer!
The mixture of rain, sleet , and cold this past weekend was not enough to keep 230+ female high
school soccer players away from the 2012 Lynchburg College 7’s Women’s Soccer Showcase. Teams
and individuals from up and down the east coast traveled to play on Shellenberger Field in our 4th
annual 7v7 tournament. With 20 games taking place on Saturday, and 10 more on Sunday, LC was abuzz
with young ladies eager to showcase their athletic talent to various college coaches in attendance.
On Saturday afternoon, a College Coaches Panel was held in Schewel Auditorium where players were
given the opportunity to ask DI, DII, and DIII coaches about the ins and outs of college athletics. Overall,
the weekend was a tremendous success! A huge thank you to the current Lynchburg College women’s
soccer team for their hard work, enthusiasm, and tremendous hosting skills throughout the weekend! It
was (and is) a great day to be a Hornet!
Success on the field is a staple of the Lynchburg College women’s soccer team. But more important than success is family. This fall the team launched a weekly Life Group that focused on taking relationships deeper than just on the soccer field. It also served as an investigative platform to discover who Jesus Christ is, what He did for us, and how this changes our lives. The Life Group met every Sunday evening throughout the semester and was open to any member of the team wanting to take part. The overwhelming participation from the team, the desire to learn and grow, and the intimate friendships formed on a greater level were absolutely remarkable. Our team is not just a group of soccer players. They take it to a much more holistic level. They are a group of confidants, accountability partners, teachers, and family members.
This summer Coach Olsen and Coach Adams, along with four of our LC women’s soccer players traveled to Gulu, Uganda, to work side by side with Sports Outreach Institute and the people of Gulu. One of our primary projects was to dedicate a well in honor of Anna Wright, a former LC player killed in a car accident. The team helped raise nearly $25,000 to fund the project. The well will serve more than 4,000 people as it provides clean, safe drinking water. In addition to the well, we dedicated a Hornet Well in honor of the support Lynchburg College has given to Sports Outreach and the people of Gulu. Coach Olsen and group members taught a Community Public Health class to the local Sports Outreach staff who then taught the class to members of local villages. The team was also able to play several exciting soccer matches in the Gulu Community. The team played in a local tournament against a predominantly male team, winning the game 4-0 with three goals by Lynchburg College soccer players. A second game was played in a freshly machete-cut field against former male child soldiers; the team was defeated 2-1 as the Gulu team had an assist from a local cow. To learn more about Sports Outreach Institute and how you can become a partner please visit www.sportsoutreach.net.
Spotlight on Beverly Hoath: Taking her Passion to the Farmland
Captain, senior, and anchor for the LC defense the past four years, Beverly Hoath (Alexandria, Va.) is as passionate off the field as she is on. Her passion for the Earth and our natural environment led her to the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Alexandria, Va., this past summer. For three months Beverly worked as a farm intern transforming grassland into farmland, as well as digging, planting, watering, weeding, harvesting, and selling vegetables. “Ever since my first day of environmental science at Lynchburg College, I knew I chose the right major,” says Beverly. Witnessing and taking part of the ins and outs of sustainable small scale farming was the experience of a lifetime for Bev. Finishing up her studies a semester early, Beverly will go on to pursue a full-time position with a sustainable farm after graduating this December. For more information on Arcadia visit http://arcadiafood.org/.
Senior midfielder, Jess Mader (Red Bank, N.J.), is always thinking outside of the box.
Her originality and desire to learn took her to the Samiria River in the Peruvian Amazon this past summer.
Jess aided in biodiversity research with Operation Wallacea, helping with population surveys of various species including macaws, primates, pink river dolphins, amphibians, and caiman. All the data collected is currently being used in the conservation efforts of the area’s species and resources.
Living on a boat throughout her stint in Peru, she truly got to experience firsthand life in a rainforest!
The Lynchburg College Women’s Soccer team began the 2011 season ranked 18th in the country prepared to defend their Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship from 2010. The Hornets successfully defended their title and won the program’s 10th ODAC Championship. It is the team’s 4th ODAC title in the last 5 years. With the ODAC title, the team earned its 5th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and their 12th overall. The Hornets finished with a 19-2-2 record. Read More »
