Women?s Soccer Team Brings G.R.I.T. To Each Game
10/24/2014 10:15:00 AM | Women's Soccer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – This year, the women's soccer practice jerseys have two words on them that define the team – Maryland and G.R.I.T.
An acronym for gusty, responsible, integrated and true, the four letters embody what the team strives to be at practice, in games and off the field, captain Alex Doody said.
“We kind of fell in love with it and felt these words really apply to us and who we are,” she said.
Gutsy stands for a player who is willing to push herselft to the limit and do whatever it takes to win the moment for the team, Doody said.
Responsible players take care of their job on the field and hold their teammates accountable for their jobs as well.
Integrated represents the bond between teammates and that, on the field or off, no player should feel left out of the team.
True means that no player should change their style of play or who they are for the team. It can also remind players to stay true to their goals throughout the season and to make choices that will lead them to success.
Head coach Jonathan Morgan presented the idea to the team at the beginning of the season as a way to connect the players to each other and to their internal passion for the game.
The team bought into the idea immediately, according to Captain Sarah Fitchner.
“G.R.I.T. holds us to a certain standard,” she said. “When we walk off the field we know we left it all out there and are pleased with our effort.”
While the letters are emblazoned on every piece of the group's practice gear, it was a beginning-of-the-season training session that truly engrained them as part of the team.
For the first time ever, players participated in a two-day Navy Seal training course, which pushed them to their physical and mental limits while bringing them closer in the process.
“That word G.R.I.T. really dug deep into our hearts,” Doody said. “That's when we became that word as a team.”
More recently, the values inherent in G.R.I.T. have buoyed the team through a series of frustrating ties.
“Our performance has only gotten better,” Fitchner said. “It would have been really easy for us to get frustrated with tying and forget about our goals and our want to be better, but that wasn't the case.”
As the team plays Minnesota and Wisconsin this weekend, the principles of GRIT will help them to dig deep and fight to the end of each match to break the team's streak of four straight ties.
“We're always working to achieve greatness,” Fitchner said. “And I believe we're so close to being great.”
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Catherine Sheffo, a junior journalism major at the University of Maryland, is a contributing writer to umterps.com. |
