Aug. 15, 2002

Maryland senior Valerie Lawrence will be writing this year's column, What's Up With Women's Soccer. Here's her first entry from the team's first day at preseason training camp.

By Valerie Lawrence

The first day was filled with appointments and meetings. Select players were required to see the doctor briefly, mainly to make sure their eyes and ears are in the appropriate places. Once that was taken care of, the rules for eligibility and those specific to our team were made clear. Hours later, the nerves settled slightly. The newcomers became a little more comfortable with their new territory.

The next thing on the agenda was team dinner at a friendly local Italian restaurant. This year's roster is so deep that our team took over an entire side of the restaurant.

The remainder of our first week in training will consist of various speed, agility, and strength tests. The real test comes on the second day when the team is divided in half. The injured hold the honorable role of cheerleader for this year's notorious red versus white game.

This women's soccer team is often discussed as having exceptional team chemistry off the field. Once we step on the field, anyone not wearing our jersey is a "nameless, faceless..." to quote the coach. We are all looking forward to a solid season. It all starts now.