Indiana University Athletics
Farewell to a Senior: Lauren Fabbro
4/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Graduating Senior Lauren Fabbro (Goalkeeper)
I can't believe it has been four months since the end of the 2005 women's soccer season and the end of my soccer career. I suppose the saying, "Time flies when you're having fun," has even more meaning now. I know the most enjoyable times I have ever had at IU were with my teammates at Yeagley Field.
Since the end of the season, I have picked up several extra activities cannot believe I even had spare time to play a Division I varsity sport. I am currently interning with IU's marketing department to learn some valuable skills and knowledge in order to prepare myself for a `real' job in the `real' world. It has been great so far, and I look forward to working with the softball and baseball teams this semester. It is a great way to continue to support my fellow student-athletes.
I am also still a part of SAAC and SAB which are two organizations that strongly encourage and work with the student-athletes. Over the last month or so, I also joined IUSA and the Hoosier ticket to campaign with friends and peers to bring a group of passionate, experienced and encouraging group of people into the student government office. Two teammates, Ali Brown and Shannon Vnoucek were voted into Congress, and a long-time friend from high school is now IU's student-body president.
It was very rewarding to be a part of something that required a lot of time and energy, and I now I fully appreciate the efforts national political campaigns go through.
On a more leisurely note, I have been working out in order to avoid the very probable "senior 15", and have found that I actually enjoy running. Yes coach, I'm speaking the truth. Of course, I would never be able to run 3 miles in 19 minutes like Molly Beckwith (nor would I try for fear of falling off the back of the treadmill), but I do eventually get there.
I'm thinking about competing in triathlons this spring and summer because I greatly miss competing and proving to myself what I can accomplish. I also have been participating in some intramural sports and look forward to my first Intramural championship this spring.
Above all, however, the most exciting thing that has happened since the end of soccer occurred over Thanksgiving when I became engaged to the greatest man I have ever known--my high school sweetheart, Brian Kersey. We are enjoying the promises, excitement and ardor that come along with being engaged and are currently planning on getting married in the summer of 2008.
As for school, I will graduate in December with a Bachelor of Science degree in sport marketing and management, and a minor in business. I would love to work with collegiate sports at the NCAA after I graduate. The college sports world is my passion, and I cannot wait to positively affect those who follow me in this wonderful journey of athletics. I pray those who come to IU will have an even better experience than I have had. The best part about graduating a semester late is that it allows me just one more season with my team.
Thinking about the last soccer season definitely makes me smile. Remembering the games, the practices and time on the buses and planes brings back memories that cannot be replaced.
My favorite game was the Senior Night game against Purdue when stands were packed with nearly 2,000 fans! I loved the way the lights cast shadows on Yeagley Field and how the dew collects on the field just before halftime. It brought an aura around that stadium each night. Competition brings a delight to me that cannot be matched. The Purdue game was the ultimate fight against our greatest rival. The post-game feeling was a sense of relief, happiness and pride. And in my mind, we own that Golden Boot this year!
Practices also brought a unique joy to my life. That is where friendships and relationships were formed. Time spent struggling, learning and giving your best effort with 20 similar student-athletes forms a bond that cannot be matched. I have seen what a team can do. It happens in those moments at practice when you think you cannot go on and your teammate pushes you another step by her efforts or words of encouragement. I appreciate those moments from my teammates and I thank them for helping me find my limits.
Finally, my favorite moments occurred on away trips. The bus and plane rides were the best. Like when we went star searching in LA and then I cannot forget when we made one of the greatest documentary videos on bus rides across the Midwest. I am truly blessed to have worn the Indiana soccer jersey with this group of student-athletes. In the end, it is the relationships we have built, and not the games, that will make a difference in our lives.
I know I will never be able to be a part of soccer the way I once was, and that experience will always have a special place in my heart. It is a deep part of my soul that will continue to remind me of the best memories of my life.
The girls who remain are my closest friends and I wish nothing more than for them to achieve the success they are capable of next season. They should believe in something bigger than themselves, and use their talent for the good of something greater than individual accomplishments. Without a team to have grown up with through my college years, I would not be the person I am today. Without each other, the individual is no one. Look for next year's team to accomplish astonishing things in the fall. Then, take a glance at the sideline and see their biggest fan cheering them on and wishing them nothing less than the absolute best.
