September's Club Sport of the Month: Women's Club Soccer

Congratulations to September’s Club Sport of the Month, Women’s Club Soccer! These ladies have proven their dedication to the sport as they advance to the National Soccer Championships in Round Rock, Texas! The path to nationals hasn’t been easy, as these women stay busy on and off the field.

Women’s Club Soccer has been known for its service in the Greenville community, winning the Volunteering Award three years in a row. They volunteer on Friday nights for the Exceptional Community Football League, which hosts flag-football games for people with disabilities. They frequently assist the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge with baking and cleaning. They are no strangers to the ECU Food Bank, and you can spot them in the morning walking dogs.

Senior Kate Lochner found that staying busy helps her stay on top of everything else. “We’ve always grown up and been busy, so when you’re not busy, you get less done. We structure our days” Lochner says.

The dynamic of the team is part of what helps this structure thrive. “It’s holding each other accountable too,” says Junior Erica Johnston. “At practice, nine times out of ten, someone’s like ‘I’m going to the library tonight’ and then everyone’s like ‘oh I’m going too!’”

These young women can all agree that learning how to manage their time is an important skill they’ve learned since joining the team, but it’s not the only one. Team President, Sara Lochner says, “I think its organization too. Within Club Sports, we have paperwork that’s due on certain dates. What’s different between the due dates with our Club Sports paperwork and school is the due date for school is only going to affect us personally. If we miss a paperwork deadline, it’s affecting our entire club. Now and in the future.”

Not only are they able to improve their set of skills, but they are also creating friendships along the way too. “It’s nice because you get the athletic side of it, but you also get the social side of it, you get the best of both worlds,” says team Vice President Julia Mooney.

It’s clear the commitment these ladies present is unparalleled and serves as an amazing example of what a team can accomplish. Stay up to date with the team by following @ecuwomensclubsoccer on Instagram. You can also live stream their road to victory between November 21st and 23rd as they play in Texas. If you’d like to help with the cost of traveling to nationals, you can give to their GoFundMe with the following link.