{"id":5699,"date":"2017-06-13T11:38:14","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T16:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/?p=5699"},"modified":"2017-09-11T16:34:20","modified_gmt":"2017-09-11T21:34:20","slug":"women-soccer-players-highlight-clubs-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/women-soccer-players-highlight-clubs-history\/","title":{"rendered":"A Story of Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"

One through 11. Each number represents a position from goalkeeper to striker on a soccer team. <\/p>\n

Current members of the women\u2019s soccer program<\/a> at Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPP are trying to shine a light on a different set of numbers – the digits on the back of jerseys – to highlight the history of the club. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe realized we didn’t know any history about the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPSaints soccer program and wanted that to change,\u201d says Kaley Ruff, who will be a junior midfielder for the Saints during the 2017 campaign. \u201cWe thought there was no one better to ask than the girls who had previously been in our shoes. We knew their stories would give meaning to our jerseys and inspire us to be the best versions of ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

These accounts are being compiled into a book which will highlight each player who played for Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPand the reason they picked their jersey number. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a great honor to put on a Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPP soccer jersey,\u201d says Allison Verville, who will also be a junior midfielder during the next soccer season. \u201cIn order to fully appreciate that honor, we think it is important to have some knowledge of who wore the jersey before you, sweating in it and giving everything they had. This is why remembering the history of past players is important for the program. It gives players the chance to continue traditions and discover the legacy of those that came before them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defender\/midfielder Montana Krause has also been instrumental in putting the book together. <\/p>\n

\"Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPwomen\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

The book is still in progress with the authors having received several replies from alumnae so far. The team expects the book to be completed before the season begins this fall. <\/p>\n

\u201cLori (assistant coach), myself, and the rest of the team are very proud and excited that they came up with this idea, and that they are spearheading the efforts to put this project together,\u201d says Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPcoach Eric Delabar.<\/p>\n

Once the book is finished, each player will receive a copy that will include letters from past players who wore the same jersey number.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that you have to know where you came from to get to where you are going,\u201d says Verville. \u201cOur goal is to build on the foundation that alumni have built for us in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another plus for the book is it will be continuously updated every season with thoughts from players who will be retiring from the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cYears from now, these books will be extremely powerful and will continue to include more and more wisdom from past players as they are passed down through the years,\u201d says Verville. \u201cThis is a tradition that my classmates and I started, and we hope it helps to continue the success of this program long after we are gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verville wears 7, famously worn by international soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. England\u2019s soccer sensation David Beckham also wore 7. <\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the greatest players in the world have chosen to play in a jersey with a number 7 on the back,\u201d says Verville. \u201cI have had this number for as long as I can remember, and it means a lot to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruff wears 24 as it has been her only number since she was nine. <\/p>\n

\u201cI have been 24 forever, so it was a no brainer to wear it again in college,\u201d says Ruff. \u201cI didn’t choose 24. It chose me, and I’ve worn it with pride since I was nine years old.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just two numbers which tell a story of the players who are entwined with Maryville\u2019s soccer team. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur hope is that, one day, putting on the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPjersey will be a meaningful event and that the player wearing the jersey plays for the past, present and future of the program rather than just for herself,\u201d says Ruff.<\/p>\n

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