From Virginia to the Pro's: Three Former Cavalier Women's Soccer Players Looking Forward to the NWSL3/15/2017 Brittany Ratcliffe, Kristen McNabb, and Meghan Cox are all products of the University of Virginia women’s soccer programs – a top ten nationally ranked Division 1 women’s soccer program in the NCAA. All three women have experienced various levels of success at the collegiate level, and have all gone on to different levels of professional success. Ratcliffe, a 2016 graduate from Virginia, was drafted 17th overall in the 2016 NWSL draft to the Boston Breakers. McNabb, a 2016 graduate, was drafted 37th overall in the 2017 NWSL draft by the Seattle Reign, and Cox, an expected 2017 graduate, was not drafted in the 2017 NWSL draft, but will be trying out for the Portland Thorns as an uncontracted free-agent. I conducted an interview with all three to gain some insight from about their different experiences with their draft process, as well as their thoughts about the NWSL draft. Ryne Sieracki (in bold): To start with, can you give us a brief background of your past soccer experiences and accomplishments? Kristen McNabb (KM): I started playing when I was three years old with my dad and older sister. I played on two different club teams when I was younger and lived in California. When I moved to New Jersey I played for the Player’s Development Academy from 7th grade until the time I went to college. We were the Region 1 [Northeast] Champions and the [New Jersey] State Cup champions 4 times. We lost in the [Elite Clubs National League] national championship game two years in a row my sophomore and junior year of high school. I attended three National iD2 camps in middle school and high school, which is basically like a camp where they pick the top players from across the United States and they train together for a few days and get exposure to college and the national team scouts. I also attended various national team camps for the for the u14, u17, u18, and u23 age groups. In college I was on the ACC all-tournament team, second team NSCAA All-Southeast Region team, the ACC Player of the Week multiple times, as well as second team All-ACC and second team NSCAA All-Southeast Region. Meghan Cox (MC): I began playing soccer when I was 3 ½ years old with Gunston Soccer Club. From there I played for SYC (Springfield Youth Club), NVSC (Northern Virginia Soccer Club), and VSA (Virginia Soccer Club, Haymarket). With VSA, my team and I competed in three consecutive National Championships and claimed two of the three titles. My former co-captain and I received the golden glove and golden ball at the end of each tournament, along with three years honored to the tournaments Best XI team. In high school I was a three-year varsity starter, not playing my senior year. After claiming district, region, and state honors my freshman and sophomore seasons, I claimed the honors of first team All-District, Region, State, and All-Metro my junior year.
Brittany Ratcliffe (BR): I started playing soccer when I was 4 years old for Franklin Township, NJ until I was about 7 years old. After that I played travel soccer for a club based out of Baltimore, Maryland, specifically the Baltimore Bays Soccer Club and also played varsity soccer during my 4 years of high school. I received All-Conference, All-State, and All-American honors during my high school career and attended several tournaments as a member of the New Jersey State Team and the Northeastern Regional Team. I was also a member of the United States Youth National Team for the U14, U15, and U17 age groups. What made you specifically choose the University of Virginia as your college program? KM: I chose UVA because it was the perfect balance between great academics and great athletics. The coaches were also a big part of my decision because they seemed like great coaches and even greater people. Every time that I visited UVA I was extremely impressed with the [style of] soccer that the team played and how tight knit the team seemed. MC: I felt as though the Virginia Women's Soccer team would give me the ability to achieve my life goals, becoming the best soccer player I could be and becoming a professional athlete. The coaching staff and teammates I worked with on a daily basis created a competitive environment and it pushed me to be my best. The team culture though was the selling point of the program. A lot of program preach family but it is quite opposite of that. I know because I transferred and saw what a broken team looks like. The University of Virginia women's soccer team is unique and has created an incredible team culture that should be the poster child for collegiate athletic teams. BR: I committed to the University of Virginia in December of my junior year of high school for three main reasons. For starters, I found that UVA is a school that prides itself on a solid academic foundation and gives its students great learning environments in which to succeed. Secondly, UVA is a very competitive school in terms of Varsity athletics and always sees its teams finish in the top spots within the ACC Conference and in the NCAA tournament. In addition, the student body is very supportive of Varsity athletics, which makes the atmosphere of games very enjoyable. The final, and most important reason I chose the University of Virginia was because of the people. I had visited several schools during the recruitment process, but after I visited the UVA campus and met the coaches and members of the women’s soccer team, I was blown away with the kindness they showed me. The people I met at UVA treated me like one of their own and they had merely just met me. They are truly one of a kind and choosing to attend the University of Virginia was one the best decisions I have ever made. How do you think your experiences at the University of Virginia prepared you for the professional ranks? KM: I think it has prepared me very well because we train with the best coaches in the country and play in the best conference for women’s college soccer. Obviously the speed of play is going to be faster in the pros but I think the training we have received has prepared us to be the best of abilities. MC: Our head coach is an assistant for the US Women’s national team so he held us to the highest standards. We were in a very professional environment and even scrimmaged a pro team the past 3 spring seasons. Our style of play also translates into the pro ranks because we focus on playing a lot of possession, whereas a lot of college teams stick to a kick and run style. BR: Having played in the NWSL this past season, I can speak to how well my time at the University of Virginia prepared me for the professional league. In terms of everyday practices, our coaching staff really emphasized the technical aspect of the game and made sure we were constantly improving our fundamentals (passing, trapping, shooting, etc.). Our practices were also geared towards maintaining possession of the ball at all times whether that was through quick passes amongst teammates or individually dribbling away from the opposition. In terms of game day environments, Virginia is a member of the ACC (Atlantic Coastal Conference), which in my opinion is one of the best conferences for women’s soccer. Every team in the conference is a top tier team. And because of the high level of play, it was important that my teammates and I execute the skills we learned in practice that much better. The NWSL is a very competitive league and because of my high-level training environment and competition at Virginia, I was that much more prepared for the NWSL. After the completion of your collegiate season, what exactly goes on in terms of training to prepare yourself for the [NWSL] draft? KM: I’m currently at school [in Charlottesville] training with the UVA team. We play pick-up games twice a week and run three times a week. Also, we train every day in the afternoon with Steve [Swanson] to work on our fitness and skills. There are five players currently at school training for NWSL preseason so we are always running, lifting, and playing together. MC: At the moment I am in Florida training with a u17 boys team, they're certainly pushing me to become a well-rounded player. It's a bit different because we do not have a team to train with for structured work outs so it's all inner driven, you're either putting the work in or you're not. BR: In terms of preparing for the draft and the NWSL, it is important that players work on their fitness in terms of aerobic fitness and strength training. I ran daily to improve my conditioning and lifted weights as well. In terms of the soccer aspect, it is important to improve your technical ability and also work on decision-making within game environments (i.e. practicing with a team and/or playing scrimmages against other teams). How were you feeling leading up to the draft, and even the day of the draft? KM: I was super nervous and anxious leading up to, and even during, the draft. I was trying not to have too many expectations so I wouldn’t be disappointed in the end. MC: I was excited, nervous, scared I mean only 40 women get chosen and unfortunately my name wasn't one of them. Though I somewhat had a cool opportunity with 4 camp invites I got to choose which preseason camp I wanted to attend. In the end I chose Portland, I've never been west coast and the team is certainly going to push me to a new level. BR: I wasn’t nervous for the draft itself, but I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect after my college career was over. I knew that whether I was drafted or not, my life as a college soccer player was over and it was time to start a new adventure. The day of the draft was very exciting because you see all these names getting called of girls you have played against before, and you hope your name gets called, but you never really know what is going to happen. I wasn’t that nervous because I did not think any team would want to draft me. Only 40 girls get drafted out of hundreds and hundreds of college soccer players, so it truly would be an honor to be chosen at the draft. To my very fortunate surprise though, I was drafted in the second round, 17th overall, to the Boston Breakers and I couldn’t have been happier. I had never been so happy before in my life and I actually cried when I found out because I was so thrilled. So where are you at, particularly, in the professional process? Where do you go from here? KM: I was drafted by the Seattle Reign so right now I’m just trying to prepare myself for preseason come March. MC: Right now I am just trying to prepare myself as best as I can for preseason, get a lot of touches on the ball and play a lot. I was injured for half of the fall so strengthening my right quad has been a huge focus this past month. I then go into a [tryout] camp and play my best to hopefully earn a spot on the team and get contracted. BR: As of now I am still a member of the Boston Breakers. I am currently preparing for preseason, which starts in March, and I hope to have another year with the team. What do you feel you bring to the table at the respective team that you are heading to? KM: I would definitely say that I’m a calming presence in the back that distributes the ball well, and I’m a god defender and I am also very good in the air, which helps me not only defensively, but offensively as well. MC: I am a diverse player, I can play center back [defender] (right and left), outside back, outside midfielder, holding midfielder, even forward if need be. So I consider myself a hybrid player. I also have a great presence in the air for attacking and defending set pieces. I'm just looking to help make the team better and learn from the veteran players currently on the team. BR: I think the most important thing that I bring to the Boston Breakers, and every team that I have ever been on, is that I am a very hard worker. I work as hard as I can for as long as I can every minute that I am on the field, whether it is in practice or a game. I am also very team oriented and put the team’s needs before my own. In terms of on the field abilities, I feel that I am quick player and can move well with and without the ball. Were you given any advice from teammates of yours’ that went through the process of turning pro? What did they have to say to you? KM: They just told me to play my game and not think too much about impressing anybody and that I was talented enough if I just kept it simple and played the way I know how. MC: Well it’s not always easy, there’s a lot of politics that go into it, but don’t give up. Keep pursuing your dream – there is a home and opportunity for everyone who wants to play. BR: I spoke with some girls who went through the professional process and while they said trying out was a stressful time, it was a very rewarding process. What are some pros and cons to the current draft system? Do you think there should be some sort of NWSL combine, similar to that of the MLS or the NFL? KM: I think it’s crazy how a team can draft a player but then that team may not have any room on the team for them. They are essentially drafting them with no chance of actually making or even playing for the team. I think that is a little crazy but I’m also not entirely sure how you could change that. MC: I think there should absolutely be a combine. I think before coaches draft players they need to see them on the field working. Not having a combine really puts a lot of stress on word of mouth. BR: Although I believe the combine is good for leagues like the NFL, I don’t believe a combine for the NWSL would be very beneficial. Each team in the NWSL holds open tryouts every year for players who were undrafted or are interested in a professional career. Coaches attend these tryouts and are able to see players who they may not have noticed prior to the draft and can bring them into preseason camp. I believe this is better than a combine, because instead of performing generalized sprinting drills or cone work, a player can specifically choose a team they want to play for and can meet and perform in front of the coaching staff first hand. Are there any thoughts you have about how the draft can be changed? KM: I think that having a draft combine wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. It would give coaches a way to experience players first-hand and not just from watching film or seeing a few games here and there. MC: I think it’s incredible on how the draft has changed over the last 5 years. It has certainly grown a lot and I’m excited to see the new heights the league will reach in the upcoming years. BR: I think the NWSL draft is great for women’s soccer because it shows how far the league has come in its journey to be like other professional leagues like the NFL and MLB. The NWSL does a good job of marketing the draft on social media and making sure the public is aware of it. As the league continues to rise in popularity, I think it would be good for the NWSL to cultivate a television presence, specifically in terms of creating TV commercials for events like the draft, in order to increase the exposure of the NWSL to a larger audience. What advice would you give younger generations of players that are future draft hopefuls? KM: I would tell them to just have fun and play their game and to not focus on all of the things that are out of their control. There are always going to be some politics involved in any sport and it’s not worth a player’s energy to focus on that when there are other things that are in their control that they should be focusing on. MC: Just play, enjoy the game, and don’t take a second for granted. Everything will fall into place if you’re willing to put in the work. Never let anyone tell you that you cannot do something and if they do, prove them wrong. BR: The best advice that I can give younger players is to keep working hard, because even if they are having a bad day, you can always control how hard you work.
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Ryne SierackiSenior at the University of Michigan studying Kinesiology and Movement Science CategoriesArchives |