Sports

So is summer ever going to get here for real? That question must have been going through the minds of all athletes presently in season. Even more so for the soccer players who have their official season during the fall. While they were still training indoors, eagerly awaiting getting back outside on the grass, softball and baseball games were being cancelled because of weather. That’s okay. Now that they were finally back outside, the rain came. Not okay. The temperature stayed low, and the fact that soccer practices at 7am (Yes, seven in the morning) didn’t help. There were waterlogged training grounds and fog. There was beach practice in the fog (Yes, running in the sand). After one downpour the previous night there was jogging in the fog past our official game field and looking at the birds swimming around in the six-inch deep water there. Now we know for sure why men’s soccer regularly chose to train on the high ground of the circle across from Seeley Hall.
So what happened in games? Well hmm…did I say before that UB soccer struggles during the spring? It’s as if they can’t get everything together for a game; “we were better than them you know…” But everyone is planning now for summer and envisioning the upcoming magnificently stellar fall season in which both teams make it to the NCAA tournament. What formation do we want to play, who will be in which position, how many goals will each forward score, will the incoming Swedish players really be good (Swedes? There are going to be Swedes?)? On that note, will the English perform as expected? The Canadian? How about the Trinidadian(s)…or the Icelandics for that matter? We expect the Americans to perform as usual…however that may be. The fact that they are from all over the country should work in their favor: I hope that means we picked the best available.
So now that both men’s and women’s spring soccer season is finally over, the baseball season rages on, and the softball season hangs in the balance, our minds turn to the Athletic Banquet taking place tonight. It will be one of the few times that the athletes from different teams mix outside of the usual Thursday night hotspots and I’m sure everyone is looking forward to it: a great chance to dress, mingle, socialize, you know the usual Thursday night stuff.
So here’s to UB Athletics! And though soccer is obviously closest to my heart, I want to say best of luck in their seasons to all the other awesome teams here, and best wishes to those athletes that will be leaving us and moving on to their six-figure-income earning jobs.