Tough times never last, but tough people do…..
Never in my mind did I prepare myself the last game of my college career but just like that, everything has to come to an end at some point. Now that I have had a little bit of time to collect myself after losing in the quarter final last week in double overtime, the competative athlete in me has settled down and I have been able to take the last few days to think about all the wonderful memories I have experienced with these teammates/classmates/sisters/bestfriends for the last 4 years.
Words can’t descibe how lucky and blessed I feel to have known and played the sport I love with these girls at Lynn. We weren’t 13 short this year, we were 13 strong and surpassed peoples expectations by a long shot. Sure, maybe we didn’t win a conference title or a National Championship like some of my old teammates from high school, and club ball can brag about from their colleges, but I’ll tell you…none of those materialistic things can come close to matching up with the memories and friendships that will be with me for the rest of my life.
It’s hard to find a school in college where everything goes perfect in sports. I realized that when you get to this level, no team is easy to beat, and there’s definitely not an easy championship to win, but what makes everything worth while is what happens before and after the whistle blows. My life revolved around 1pm every afternoon when everything had to be cleared from my head to perform at practice. I knew that all my school work had to be done by the afternoon of most Thursdays because I knew it would be hard to get it done on the road during games. Traveling with the team were some of the best memories of my life and I will never forget all the funny and crazy things that would happen to us on the road and days before home games.
As all of these things go through my head and I think, what do I do now? I just closed a chapter in my life that was 17 years long. As time goes on I find more and more positive aspects coming out of the closing of the season but the inner athlete voice in me still wants to fight one more time on that field. I’m sure I will feel that way for a long time but for now, I will concentrate on enjoying the last few months with my team and doing all the fun things off the field now.
What’s it going to be like being a regular college student?! Actually, once a student-athlete, ALWAYS a student-athlete. You will always be looked to as a role model to young children and even some adults. We will be admired for the hard work and dedication we brought to Lynn University’s athletic program. Now we have grades and degrees to receive, that will hopefully, make a positive impact in the world around us. So as I start my new journey, I encourage you to follow along and maybe even help me though some bumps and turns…..after all…we’re all a family at LU!
ps..hey mom! I love you! 
Best wishes,
#22
Back on tour..
So I woke up this morning at 6am….maybe because of the time change but probably because of all the excitement of getting on the bus to play one of the most important games of our season thus far. We leave for Fl.Southern this evening for our game at 7pm tomorrow. Everyone can listen on the Lynn athletic site to the battle for the conference quarter final. Although we had a tough outcome last game against Southern we’re bringing back a full healthy team with a winning mentality like you wouldn’t believe!
We have had one of the best weeks of practice (not to mention a 7am practice the morning after Halloween) and all we have had on our minds is a BIG “W” on the score sheet! Life isn’t so bad on the bus…I’m on my way now to pack my bags, and a must…..charge my ipod! LET THE POST SEASON TOUR BEGIN!……….
Now let’s see how much focus my Statistics professor can grab from me for an hour and 15 min :/ haha
Follow the team tomorrow night at 7!!
Nat
‘Luck is in the air’
So since I have last posted is has been a crazy road the Lynn Women’s soccer team has been traveling on. We put ourselves in a tough position falling short to a couple conference team wins but were able to come back with a two wins to finish the regular season. With those wins, other teams in our conference had to come out with certain wins and loses for us to go through to the post season….and luck went our way!
In sports you never want to rely on other teams to place your seat in the conference tournament but we worked so hard to capture wins against Eckerd College and Barry University. With that said WE’RE GOING ON!!! We play the winner of Fl. Southern and Rollins on Tuesday. The time and place will be determined later this week when they go head to head.
Other then soccer I have been completing my hours for student teaching. What an AMAZING experience, I LOVE MY MAJOR!!! I just finished about 8 weeks in a 5th grade classroom and just yesterday I started kindergarten. I absolutely love my students. Teaching is such a rewarding job and I wouldn’t have wanted to pick any other major at Lynn. Lynn student teachers are well known in the elementary schools around Palm Beach county which is great when we start looking for jobs after graduation. Thanks to all the hard work the teachers in the education program do to get us ready for the classroom, we’re able to express an share our teaching skills that will help better education to students in any classroom we walk into.
That’s all for now, I have to run to my duty of being the ball girl at the Men’s soccer game! They have to win this game to go on to post season as well so see you on the field!
Life in the fast lane….
Hey everyone! It has been a little while since I have written but I’ve been on the road quite a bit for soccer. When I’m home I’m catching up on all my school work and most of all, SLEEP! It’s tough being on the road and keeping up with work but I have been SO lucky that my professors have been more then helpful with make-up work!
As for a team update, we beat Nova which we hadn’t done in a couple years about a week ago. We also took a great win against a big rival Barry last week. Over the weekend we fell short to Tampa, but we’re looking to get back on a winning streak this week at St.Leo. I’ve spend more time on a bus then one would like but the team and I are having a lot of fun bonding and making memories.
I had a great opportunity to meet our new Sunshine State Conference Commissioner during his visit on campus last week. I’m lucky enough to work with him as I prepare for my November meeting for National SAAC in Indy next month. Commissioner Jones has many great ideas to help lead our conference in the up coming years so we are all very excited to welcome him into our SSC family.
Our Lynn SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) is continuing to do service projects throughout the community and will be preparing for our “Senior Prom” at the nursing home in early December. The retirement home looks forward to this night to relive their high school days with our athletes. It’s a great time!
That’s all for now but I will be back at the end of the week for updates!
Nat
Back on track….
……With a win! Feels great to be back home and playing on our home turf with Knight fans!! Thanks for everyone who came out. It’s so great to see blue and white all over the stands 
Watch us again Saturday at home when we open conference play against Nova Southeastern University…it’s going to be a battlefield! See you at 3…..
Nat
Life on the road
It feels SOOO good to be back home!! The team and I have had a crazy couple weeks traveling the East Coast for games in Alabama and Georgia where we participated in a “Little Feet” tournament. Little Feet is an organization that funds children who can’t afford to play the game of soccer with equipment and a chance to play the game they love. For every Little Feet soccer ball that is purchased, one is donated to a child. This was an amazing event and Lynn plans on hosting the Little Feet Invitational next year!!
We have our 2nd home game of the season today at 3 so I must run and start my pre game routine. I have a little chip on my shoulder from our last game so it’s time to get those headphones booming in my ears…getting focused…until the whistle blows at 3pm…see you at the field Knight fans!
Let’s get the ball rolling….
It’s that time again….the start of a new and exciting year for students all over the world! No more sleeping in, going to the beach and vacationing with family and friends for the summer but here at Lynn there are friends to be made, time to spend in the sun, Fighting Knights games to attend, areas to be explored and degrees to accomplish! We have so many amazing things coming up on and around campus. I can’t believe all the new buildings and sports complexs that are about to start going up on campus! They look like they’re going to be beautiful and should add tremendous depth to our community.
I was walking through campus from the north parking lot into the gym this past weekend and saw all the new freshman getting settled into their dorms and doing registration. I can remember coming here for the first time too 3 years ago and NEVER did I think I would be starting me senior year SO SOON! It’s always hard saying goodbye to your old ways, old friends, and family for a few months but I can honestly say it was the most exciting time of my life! So many new goals and dreams are being made and built from these experieces so it’s so important to take everything from this exciting time in!
As for soccer the Lynn Women’s team just defeated their first team of the year 2-1 vs Northwood University in West Palm beach. It was a hot one, playing at 11am in the middle of an August afternoon in Florida, but the team played so well together and we’re excited for our home opener this Tuesday Septemeber 1 at 3pm!!!! Everyone come out and support your Fighting Knights this season!
As for now good luck to everyone during their first week of school!! Remember that Lynn is filled with helpful administration and Professors that are ALWAYS willing to help you with any problems. Don’t go through the semester with questions or unhappy…there are people everywhere who want to help you!! Good luck and see you on campus… GO KNIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nat
Meet the author…
Hi everyone! Before I started blogging this year I thought I would first take this opportunity to introduce myself so you know a little bit about my background and what you can expect to hear about on my page….actually there will be plenty of fun, exciting, and random things coming up I’m sure because that’s just how my life is but I figured I’d give you a little heads up
I’m 21 years old and originally from Cocoa Beach Florida. I love Florida and growing up here I was so spoiled with beautiful weather year round that I decided I wouldn’t even leave it for college! Lynn was a perfect location and the weather is probably even better then where I grew up just a few hours north of here in Boca Raton. On my free time I’m always on the water whether it’s in the boat wakeboarding or fishing, or on the beach surfing or catching rays. Even though I’m terrible, I also love to play volleyball on the beach with friends. It’s a good workout in the sand plus you get tan! I have two puppies who I LOVE TO DEATH! Hammy and Benji are the two maltese babies in my life and they are the cutest things you’ve even seen. (I’m sure you’d say that about your dogs too but trust me, Mine are very cute! ) My mom is my best friend and I have the best family ever. I have a brother who’s going to be in 8th grade and is a football star already! Too bad Lynn doesn’t have a football team so he’ll probably go to our other family alumni, Penn State where my step dad ran track. All my friends love my dad too because even though he’s a guy..he’ll bake the meanest cookies and pies you’ve ever had! I try to tell him he needs to quit his engineering job at the Space center and become the new MALE baker “Bobby Crocker”!!! haha Soooo on to college life..
I never thought this statement would come out of my mouth after high school so soon but….. I’M A SENIOR!!! I thought it felt so good to say that almost 4 years ago but I must admit that it feels even better to say it again now! I’m an Elementary Education major and I couldn’t be happier graduating with such a rewarding degree. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I first came to Lynn but after one education class I right away fell in love with the curriculum, professors, and classmates. It’s important to really like your major here because with the small class sizes, you really get a lot of one on one guidance with the proffs as well as your classmates (who you’ll see over and over again as you go through your years here). I have made some great friends here at Lynn and have had great experiences on and off campus with them.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my life here at Lynn is being able to represent my school in athletics as a Women’s Soccer player. I will be going into my 4th year as a Lynn Fighting Knight and every year seems to top the last! I live with 4 of my teammates and it’s a blast!! Someone’s always trying to burn the house down by keeping their curling iron on for 7 hours at a time or trying to surprise the rest of us with breakfast in the morning by putting bagel’s in the oven at 500 degrees for 25 minutes. haha I won’t mention any names but something like this happens every day!
From representing women’s soccer and being a student athlete at Lynn, I’m also lucky enough to be a part of our SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee). This is a group on campus compiled of 2 selected athletes from each sport to meet every couple weeks and talk about community service projects that may be coming up for the athletes to participate in and also to be the voice of the student athlete body as a whole. If there are ever concerns going on with the athletes, these SAAC leaders have the opportunity to bring them to the attention of our administrators to help fix. It’s a great way to keep communication between athletic personnel and athletes. I have realized during my years at Lynn that we are VERY lucky to have an athletic department that really does listen and take care of their student athletes to the fullest! SAAC does a lot of things on campus to promote sportsmanship and keeping a positive game time environment. All of Lynn’s athletic programs are well known around the country so it’s important that we have a strong student athlete base to keep the tradition going for years to come!
I hope that all of you enjoy reading my blog this year and if you ever have comments or questions please feel free to write me. Whether it be about Lynn academics, campus life, or anything with athletics, I’d love to hear from you! As for now I’m off to bed. I’m still trying to catch up on rest from pre season the past few weeks but I will be writing again very soon!!!!
Best wishes,
Natalie aka Nat