Senior Weekly Update

Posted by Kari Foreman, Senior Captain

The spring continues to move along quickly, approaching the final two weeks of the season. This past week went by exceptionally fast. After two days of practice, we were given Wednesday through Sunday off for Easter break, which is a time for relaxation and much earned recuperation. Most of the team stayed in Billings to spend time with friends and local families.

Some of us, however, were fortunate enough to make it home to see our families, a rare occurrence in the busy life of an out of state college athlete. I drove back to my hometown of Denver, Colorado accompanied by three teammates and close friends, Carly Valentine, Jordan Fenwick and Lauren Anderson (fellow seniors and blog writers). The four of us hit the city for a little shopping and sightseeing; but we mostly spent some quality time in my hometown with some of my old friends and a large family who have become diehard Yellowjacket fans.

This past weekend I brought my two worlds together. I’ve lived in Billings for almost three years now and have slowly built a new life with people I now consider as close to me as my own family back home. When I first moved to Billings in the fall of 2007, I was suddenly ripped away from everything I had ever known and was spending every waking moment with people who did not know anything about me, I felt alone. It was uncomfortable and scary and for my first week in the Magic City, I wondered if I had made the right decision. But, slowly I started learning more about Carly, Jordan and Lauren and the rest of the team and I knew that if anything else, I was a part of a great group of people and whatever I encountered I would not have to do it alone.

When I became a part of the MSUB women’s soccer program, I was not only another soccer player but a member of a tight family. The thing about it is, this isn’t what we do, this is who we are. We rely on each other for everything on and off the field. I have been able to endure all that I have throughout my college career, not because of what I had within me, but who I had beside me. At the end of the day, soccer is just a game, but what I will take away from being a part of this soccer program runs much deeper than that.

One day, when I look back of this experience I may not remember my w-l-t record, but I will remember the bonds that I have formed here. Because in the end, it really isn’t about winning or losing, stats or record books, it’s about what you were able to accomplish, not only just for yourself, but also for the people who you relied on and who relied on you. That is why I will always remember the pride I’ve felt when I’ve led my family to victory and the hurt in my heart when I’ve let them down.

Next fall, when I’m in the 88th minute of a tie game, I will remember those feelings and that is what will determine how I react; those feelings will also help me determine what I should do in my everyday life. Next fall, there will be a lot of elements that lead to our overall success, but in my opinion being there for each other will ultimately be the most important. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll pack a car full of people and drive from wherever I am to Billings, Montana, just so they can see where I came from.