Diary

Kevin
McCarthy

Past Entries

October 4, 2004

Sometimes it's difficult to pinpoint what makes up a team's collective personality. A team is made up of a combination of personalities each with different effects on the team.

There are 22-year-old seniors and 18-year-old freshmen. Somehow the various personalities and attitudes merge into a team character. This year's Emory soccer team is unlike any other in Emory soccer in that we have people from all over the country who have come into the season with varying levels of experience and expectations.

However, this Emory soccer team has been remarkable in that we have developed a fairly professional, level-headed attitude. It is true that our professionalism began to emerge last year when we started getting the results that we knew we were capable of. But with this knowledge of what it takes to be successful, the returning players have been more focused on our goals. As a result, the new players have quickly bought into our system of teamwork.

This is evident in the way an upperclassman picks up the spirit of younger players who are struggling on the field. It can also be seen in the willingness of players to accept their roles and contribute in new ways on a team that has more depth than any other in my four years at Emory. Freshmen are even showing their awareness of the team concept by showing craftiness at our campus pre-game meals.

The ups and downs of a season are inevitable. The big question is how will the team respond to each of these. Whether it's moving towards the top of the national rankings or losing a heartbreaker at home, this Emory soccer team keeps things in perspective. We look ahead to the next game and focus on our training because we know what it takes to succeed and we have the collective team character to achieve it.

This week is a crucial mid-season week of training as we are without weekday games. Beginning with a team run through Lullwater Park on Monday, we will increase our fitness and clean up our game.

The week of training will be capped off with a trip to my hometown of St. Louis where we'll play Washington University. The rivalry between the two programs goes back long before this year's seniors came to Emory, but we all understand the significance of this UAA matchup..

Kevin McCarthy is a senior from St. Louis, Mo. He would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.