Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Remains #unIted
9/25/2015 12:03:00 PM | Women's Soccer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It's written in Instagram captions and posted at the end of Tweets. It can be found on tank tops, promotional billboards, trading cards and posters.
If it pertains to IU Women's Soccer, the hashtag "#unIted" usually isn't far away.
"It's everything this team is about," senior midfielder Jessie Bujouves said. "It's what keeps us together."
The hashtag serves as the team's motto, its brand and something to rally around all in one. The capitalized "I" stands for both Indiana and the individual players. The letters surrounding the "I" spell out the rest of the word "united."
It's how the Hoosiers decided they'd play on the field and treat each other off of it.
"We needed an identity," head coach Amy Berbary said. "We needed something to define who we'd be and how we'd play. Once we came up with #unIted, it stuck."
The word developed through the "Our Brand" group of Indiana's recently-formed Leadership Initiative.
Berbary developed the Leadership Initiative in the offseason, breaking the team into five different departments—Academic, Health and Wellness, Social Media, Event Planning and Our Brand. Each group of five or so players was sponsored by one of the coaches and assigned various team duties.
The Academic team monitors players' academic progress. The Health and Wellness group ensures the team is staying fit and eating right. The Social Media players keep an eye on IU's social networks and the Event Planning group helps plan meals and other team activities. The final group, Our Brand, worked to build the team's public image.
"I wanted to teach them there's something bigger than soccer," Berbary said. "There's something bigger than themselves. There's something bigger than Indiana. This whole massive operation, we don't just roll out a soccer ball and poof, we're good. They've been a part of practically everything."
One of the Our Brand team's tasks was to create a social media hashtag for the program to use. After deliberating, they settled on #unIted and pitched it to the rest of the team.
"It really just clicked immediately," redshirt junior defender Marissa Borschke said. "It was something I think everyone understood and could relate to right away."
As circumstance would have it, #unIted proved to be a fitting motto for this year's program.
The Hoosiers have faced three season-ending injuries to starters and have grinded through five overtimes in 10 games. Berbary has been forced to dive deep with an already small roster to begin with, calling on practically every player to help out.
Behind senior goalkeeper Sarah Stone, Indiana has won its games largely because of a team defensive effort. Together, they've managed to push through every setback to date and put themselves in a position to contend in the Big Ten.
"I don't think our team could have ever known we were going to be in the position we're in with a couple of unfortunate things that have happened to our team," Bujouves said. "The hashtag couldn't be more fitting. I think we've seen throughout the season that we really are united."
Players describe playing #unIted as always playing with their teammates in mind.
They're expected to go after every ball and attack every opportunity. They're supposed to care for one another on and off the field while always acting with the team's best interest in mind, not the individual's.
When the team succeeds, they can celebrate. When it fails, they work to solve their problems together.
"On the field, you do your job and then anyone else's job that needs your help," junior defender Veronica Ellis said. "You don't even need to ask someone to drop or help you. They just do it. I think it shows our chemistry and just how close we are as a team."
Playing #unIted doesn't necessarily mean the exact same thing to every player. Each Hoosier has their own interpretation of the word. They share the same principles, but there's subtle differences in the way each player and coach uses it.
The common thread throughout the entire roster has been the embrace behind #unIted. It's only a word and a hashtag, but it's something Berbary said makes her team stronger.
Wherever the Hoosiers go and whatever the result, they'll stay #unIted. It's their only option.
"We have to stick together. We have no choice," Berbary said. "No one person can get us to where we want to go, which is the Big Ten Tournament, and ultimately, the NCAA Tournament by themselves.
"The word stands true. We have to stay #unIted to reach our goals."
If it pertains to IU Women's Soccer, the hashtag "#unIted" usually isn't far away.
"It's everything this team is about," senior midfielder Jessie Bujouves said. "It's what keeps us together."
The hashtag serves as the team's motto, its brand and something to rally around all in one. The capitalized "I" stands for both Indiana and the individual players. The letters surrounding the "I" spell out the rest of the word "united."
It's how the Hoosiers decided they'd play on the field and treat each other off of it.
"We needed an identity," head coach Amy Berbary said. "We needed something to define who we'd be and how we'd play. Once we came up with #unIted, it stuck."
The word developed through the "Our Brand" group of Indiana's recently-formed Leadership Initiative.
Berbary developed the Leadership Initiative in the offseason, breaking the team into five different departments—Academic, Health and Wellness, Social Media, Event Planning and Our Brand. Each group of five or so players was sponsored by one of the coaches and assigned various team duties.
The Academic team monitors players' academic progress. The Health and Wellness group ensures the team is staying fit and eating right. The Social Media players keep an eye on IU's social networks and the Event Planning group helps plan meals and other team activities. The final group, Our Brand, worked to build the team's public image.
"I wanted to teach them there's something bigger than soccer," Berbary said. "There's something bigger than themselves. There's something bigger than Indiana. This whole massive operation, we don't just roll out a soccer ball and poof, we're good. They've been a part of practically everything."
One of the Our Brand team's tasks was to create a social media hashtag for the program to use. After deliberating, they settled on #unIted and pitched it to the rest of the team.
"It really just clicked immediately," redshirt junior defender Marissa Borschke said. "It was something I think everyone understood and could relate to right away."
As circumstance would have it, #unIted proved to be a fitting motto for this year's program.
The Hoosiers have faced three season-ending injuries to starters and have grinded through five overtimes in 10 games. Berbary has been forced to dive deep with an already small roster to begin with, calling on practically every player to help out.
Behind senior goalkeeper Sarah Stone, Indiana has won its games largely because of a team defensive effort. Together, they've managed to push through every setback to date and put themselves in a position to contend in the Big Ten.
"I don't think our team could have ever known we were going to be in the position we're in with a couple of unfortunate things that have happened to our team," Bujouves said. "The hashtag couldn't be more fitting. I think we've seen throughout the season that we really are united."
Players describe playing #unIted as always playing with their teammates in mind.
They're expected to go after every ball and attack every opportunity. They're supposed to care for one another on and off the field while always acting with the team's best interest in mind, not the individual's.
When the team succeeds, they can celebrate. When it fails, they work to solve their problems together.
"On the field, you do your job and then anyone else's job that needs your help," junior defender Veronica Ellis said. "You don't even need to ask someone to drop or help you. They just do it. I think it shows our chemistry and just how close we are as a team."
Playing #unIted doesn't necessarily mean the exact same thing to every player. Each Hoosier has their own interpretation of the word. They share the same principles, but there's subtle differences in the way each player and coach uses it.
The common thread throughout the entire roster has been the embrace behind #unIted. It's only a word and a hashtag, but it's something Berbary said makes her team stronger.
Wherever the Hoosiers go and whatever the result, they'll stay #unIted. It's their only option.
"We have to stick together. We have no choice," Berbary said. "No one person can get us to where we want to go, which is the Big Ten Tournament, and ultimately, the NCAA Tournament by themselves.
"The word stands true. We have to stay #unIted to reach our goals."
Players Mentioned
Defender
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper
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