This entry was written by Brittany Lohman a soccer student-athlete at Felician College.

I never expected my four years of college to go by so quickly. It seems like only yesterday I was an incoming freshman, scared to death participating in my first preseason. Now, graduation is less than a month away and I will no longer be a player participating in preseason practices. My four years playing at Felician have been filled with endless memories and learning experiences. Many of these experiences have helped me transition into life off the field.

I am currently student teaching and I believe having been a collegiate athlete has helped me tremendously in the teaching world. Being a part of a team, I have learned patience, leadership skills, and the ability to work cooperatively with others. In the realm of education, the teachers and staff are a team. We work together to provide the best for our students as well as to assist and encourage one another. Having been a part of a variety of teams throughout my life, it is only natural for me to be a part of the team within my school. The expectations of the team are clear and we strive for continual success. My transition from college athlete to pre-service teacher has been incredibly smooth and I attribute this ease to my involvement with the women's soccer team.

Being in the "real world," although somewhat intimidating, is not much different from being a collegiate athlete. Punctuality, organization, dedication, and leadership are vital to being successful both on and off the playing field. Through sports, I was able to obtain these various traits that have only grown stronger as I've gotten older. These four characteristics specifically, are vital to my teaching success. If it weren't for soccer, I do not know if these characteristics would be as strong as they are. My love and devotion of the game is comparable to my teaching career. I truly love playing yet I love teaching just as much. I believe that my desire to be successful on the soccer field as well as my loyalty to the game has transferred into my teaching career. The same drive and commitment I developed through playing soccer has been transmitted into my classroom. I have stepped into the leadership role within my classroom much like I did on the soccer field and my students look up to me as well as respect me.

Through playing and coaching soccer, my organizational skills grew in order to develop well balanced and structured practices. This organization and structure is also evident within my classroom. I am able to develop similar lesson plans that are well balanced and structured without becoming overwhelmed. I believe the strongest comparison between my collegiate career and my new teaching career is my ability to withstand constructive criticism. Coaches often tell their players weaknesses or what needs improvement; it is the same in the teaching world as well. My cooperating teacher is my coach; informing me of my strengths and weaknesses along with tips on how to improve upon certain things. Fortunately, in the career path I have chosen, my time as a collegiate athlete has molded me perfectly to fit into the teaching world.

Many things are changing for me as I near graduation. Although I am no longer playing, I am still apart of team; I am still striving for success and others continue to depend on me.

Being a collegiate athlete has truly helped me advance my development towards my teaching career. I have been able to share many of my soccer experiences with my students and they too, have learned valuable lessons. I am extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to play college soccer and I am forever grateful for the past four years. I look forward to my future working with students both in the classroom and on the field.