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EWING – The importance of building strong bonds amongst teammates is stressed at all levels of athletics. Teams win games not only because of talent, but also because individual players work well together to achieve a common goal.
The College of New Jersey Women’s soccer team, prides itself not only on its success as a high caliber soccer program, but also on creating strong relationships both on and off the field.
On game day, the Lions enter their locker room in Packer Hall over an hour early. They change into their white and blue Adidas jerseys and they lace up their cleats. Popular and upbeat songs blare from a portable speaker as the players dance around.
They are filled with excitement and anticipation as they prepare to take the field against their upcoming opponent. The routine sounds similar to most pre-game locker room settings, but the way that the Lions spend the 30 minutes leading up to the game is quite unique.
“We do a ‘psych’ before every game,” said forward Christine Levering. “A couple people are chosen and they have to think of a creative idea to get the team pumped up, whether it be a video, a game (like teams vs teams), whatever it is just gets us pumped up for the game.”
The girls have many traditions and make numerous efforts throughout the season to continue strengthening their connection as a team.
“Before the first game we get together and we have certain rituals we do and traditions,” Levering said. We always have pasta parties before the important games and we always focus on team bonding to improve our team chemistry. I think that always helps throughout the season; we do different things—we go bowling, laser tag, just random things to connect the team more.”
Despite all the different bonding activities the team participates in throughout the season, “psych” seams to be one of the most important traditions.
“For the Penn State-Harrisburg game, we made two teams and within the two teams, we gave each person numbers,” said midfielder Sarah Marion. “Whoever had numbers that matched up came to the center and I played a random song and whoever got it first, they got a point for their team. But they didn’t know the song to start.”
“So the team has to help them out,” added Levering.
“I feel like this year with all the team bonding and connecting as a group, I feel like that’s helping us on the field because we know that if someone comes in the game they will fit in fine and they know what our plan is and what we are trying to do,” said Levering. “I feel like anyone that comes on this field definitely feels like they’re part of this team, even if you’re sitting on the bench or playing 90 minutes, everyone’s part of it.”
The idea of “knowing” your team is crucial—an individual should know how his or her teammates are wired and what it takes to motivate them. The girls’ idea of having different players present a new “psych” before every game is a creative way to not only pump each other up, but to subtly strengthen bonds between players.
Make no mistake, the women’s soccer team is good—they finished last season 18-3-1, advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament, and were selected as the 2015 preseason women’s soccer favorite in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
What many don’t see is the effort and time that the players take to make sure their team is unified, the effort that allows for this Lions’ team to compete against solid teams.
It’s led to a 2-0-2 record so far in the 2015.
“I think with any team you go to, the people change the way that your college experience is, especially with soccer. I mean some of my best friends are on the soccer team, that I know that ill keep forever,” Levering said. “So I feel like, TCNJ, the traditions we have and everything we do to keep it going is how we uphold the TCNJ traditions from when we first started the program.”
So far these traditions seem to serving the Lions quite well.
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