I’m a part of the Baruch Soccer Team. Now, I haven’t logged a single minute of game time. Hell, I don’t even have a jersey. But I’m a part of the team. I’ve put in the hours. I’ve been there. The 7 AM practices in which I get only 5 hours of sleep. The long rides in a cramped van with 12 people only meant for 8. The time spent sitting in the office, breaking down game tape. I’ve done it. I’ve stuck through it. It’s now a part of me. It’s what I do and love. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
The normalcy it brings has to feel weird, so to say. I’ve spent many lunches with the Baruch player of the month, sitting and talking about anything. He’s had a few people recognize him out of nowhere. We laugh about it. You need to find other freshman to connect with. Otherwise, you might as well be as alone as a cheeseburger in a kosher restaurant. Or maybe it’s sitting in the coach’s office, watching as the 3 time Coach of the Year listens to reggae music while the team takes a nap on the nearby coach. There’s only a select few who get these chances. I’m incredibly thankful I get to do this on a daily basis.
It’s a process to assimilate into college. I have many friends now, many of which I see constantly while hanging out in The Cove, the hangout for the players and soccer coaches. I have mentors and guides who have gone down the same path. Their mistakes will soon be my trials and hopefully, I’ll learn from them.
I’m a part of the team. Though my jacket may be a different color and my jersey may not exist at all, I am another cog in the machine that is the Baruch soccer team. My title may be Assistant Team Manager, but I am so much more than that. When the jerseys come off and the street clothes are put on, I’m just like them. The off-field stuff matter too. So maybe I haven’t played a minute, but I’ve put so much more than just playing.
