An Open Letter to College Freshmen

Thanks for coming.

Have a seat.

So - You’re not going to play this year.

(I can see your heart break in slow motion. Your eyes dart to the ground. Your shoulders achingly slump just a fraction. It hurts because it’s true.)

How are you going to handle that?

I ask because you’ve probably been playing and starting every game since middle school. Even if you’re a midfielder with some specialist traits, you’re used to seeing the field a lot. The best goalies, FOGOs, attackmen and defenders were backups at some point - and you have all been recruited based on your play in actual games.

You know how to win. You know what you can do.

But you’re not going to get many chances to prove it this year.

You’re entitled to absolutely nothing at this level. You need to accept that. You also need to understand that coaches make adjustments based on practices as well as games. If you get discouraged now and let your practice form slip, you’re going to fall precipitously on the depth chart. You’ll plummet so hard and so fast that you’ll spend the next three years working to get back to your baseline.

You’re not really playing for now; you’re playing for later. You’re building; not built.

You have to keep pushing forward. You have to keep going to class. You have to go to team lifts, team breakfasts, and study hall. You have to do more than just show up. You have to work and you can’t stop working. This is a microcosm of the rest of your life and you don’t even know it yet.

But I do.

People say life is short. It’s not. Life is long. Your life here - that is short. Your time in this new uniform is limited. You don’t get a COVID year. You’re not redshirting. The transfer portal is a monkey’s paw that comes pre-cursed and if you’re already thinking about using it then you’re doomed.

You’ve got less than 120 days each season - at best - to work into the rotation.

Do you know how to be a good teammate? Do you know how each player on the team will respond to your outstretched hand? Do you know how they will respond to criticism from you? From the coaches?

You should always be asking yourself, “What can I do to help the team?” not, “What can I do to get onto the field?” Because the harsh reality is that you are not ready to be on that field.

Because, remember - you’re not going to play.

I need you to be a great teammate. I need you to be a great friend to your peers. I need you to stop worrying about the things you can’t control.

You’re here because you deserve to be here. You get to put the uniform on. You get to be on this team. Those are privileges; not rights.

I believe that you’re going to do great things here if you continue to grow.

Thanks for coming in, I know talks like this can be hard.

(You rise slowly from the chair and your gaze hardens. Your entire back follows suit, visibly stiffening. You close the door firmly. I can hear your heavy footsteps echo down the corridor.)

What are you going to do now?