The women’s soccer team would not be where it is now without its talented graduate midfielder, Bobbi O’Guin. O’Guin has five great years of collegiate soccer under her belt, and she has learned a lot during that time. Not everyone gets the opportunity to play an extra year, so O’Guin spent as much time with the team as possible this year. Through this, O’Guin has learned valuable lessons from her coaches and teammates.
“As a graduate student I was able to balance my school and athletics perfectly,” O’Guin said.
It can be hard for college athletes to maintain success in the classroom while also playing a sport. O’Guin fortunately never fell into this category. O’Guin’s classes were all online, which gave her more time to dedicate to the team. O’Guin considers the soccer team family, so it makes sense for her to want to pass on her knowledge to the younger girls on the team.
During her career, O’Guin has learned a lot about the game of soccer and how to succeed. One of these lessons was to have discipline.
“To have discipline helps build your character and helps you be a better leader and teammate.”
O’Guin always kept a disciplined mindset to help herself and her team succeed when it came time to compete. Being able to do what is asked of you by your coaches and teammates is vital to success. Being a captain comes with many responsibilities, one of which is being able to put your team first.
With more and more games played, O’Guin realized that there is nothing more important than those you’re on the pitch with. Not every athlete has the selfless gene, the ability to put oneself second in favor of the team. Seeing how far O’Guin has come and how far she has pushed the soccer team along is a perfect display of the selfless gene.
While O’Guin has seen plenty of success, those moments would mean nothing without challenges to come along with them. From having the occasional bad game to losing two championships back-to-back, O’Guin has seen it all. To work so hard during the season only to feel like it doesn’t matter is a tough pill for anyone to swallow.
Looking back at her, it would seem that these challenges were only a bump in the road on the way to greatness. O’Guin worked extremely hard during the offseason to present the best soccer player she knew she could be. Coach Vito also helped O’Guin to get through challenges and become better.
“He was always there for me and the team. Whenever I felt stuck or wasn’t playing like myself he would be there to talk to me and push me through it.”
Many around O’Guin noticed her professional and leadership qualities right away. Her teammates, coaches, and family all know what she brings to the table. O’Guin has been a driving force for the team for years, and it will be tough to see her leave. Knowing this, it will be delightful to see where these lessons and successes take O’Guin next.