Indiana University Athletics
Preseason Diary - Ian Rickerby
8/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 16, 2006
Throughout the 2006 preseason, IUHOOSIERS.com will be taking an insider's look at the women's soccer team. Each day from Aug. 8-23, a different member of the team will be keeping a diary of the day's events. The entry for Wednesday, Aug. 16 is by assistant coach Ian Rickerby:
Coach's Blog, Stardate Wednesday, Aug. 16. The year: 2006.
Refreshed after an evening practice off, the athletes of the women's soccer team arrived at 6:30 a.m. running bright-eyed and full of spunk. Minor knocks forced two freshies indoors to train on the bike; while senior experience also cajoled a couple of elliptical workouts instead of the infinitely more difficult running ones.
But still, there were 22 players, strong, proud fast and sleek, like Cheetahs in the morning sun, and ran they did - as per Coach Andrew Campbell's precisely barked orders. Coach Lyon watched with pride, draining his seventh coffee of the session - for him this is mid-day. Meanwhile coaches Rickerby and Flanders yawned and offered pithily encouraging remarks.
Breakfast ensued, and a fine repast of good ol' biscuits and gravy replaced some of the bodyweight recently perspired away, and the team re-prepared itself for the next training session. Not remarkably, this came rather abruptly at 9 a.m., as the cream and crimson clad warriors took to the field to learn more about this great game of ours. And learn they did, with some possession work, a bit o' defending and lastly a super-terrific zonal game which got better as the morning wore on. Sixty-seven degrees, sunny and cool - what more could a pre-season offer? We're luckier than Lucky McLuckings.
And though `twas merely lunch time, the team felt like they had accomplished a fine days' work. Little do they know what we have in store for them at 5 p.m. But, like all good college-aged women, they know how to use their time wisely and will spend the afternoon poring over playbooks, watching re-runs of high-level soccer and sketching out moves and plays to emulate later. It's also possible that one or two may utterly zonk out for the afternoon, however, and saw logs till the 4:15 bell wakes them for more. A bit of both perhaps?
So, pre-season marches on and, like all things, will eventually end - and as it dies, it will transform itself from the cocoon of two- and three-a-days into the beautiful butterfly of the regular season, full of games and results; ups and downs; laughter and tears; wins and losses. The job now: minimize the latter.
As the great philosopher, Alfie Noakes once said: "Do your job and tell the truth."
The rest is easy.
-Ian Rickerby
