Olivia Mittak
Sports Editor
The College of Wooster men’s and women’s soccer teams were awarded the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award this past week. This is the eleventh consecutive award for the women’s team and the fifth for the men’s. The award is granted to teams who hold a composite GPA of 3.0 or higher and who have a coach that is an active member of the United Soccer Coaches. The men’s team boasted the highest composite GPA of any men’s soccer team in the North Coast Athletic Conference who also earned the award, with a 3.38. The women’s team came in with a composite 3.59 GPA.
This recognition comes as an addition to one that was awarded to the two soccer teams earlier this summer, when the NCAC released its academic honor rolls for both men and women’s soccer. The Fighting Scots boasted twenty-five honorees between the two teams. The women’s team came in second place for highest number of players on the honor roll. These successes prove that Wooster’s soccer players are as dedicated to their scholarly work as they are to work on the field.
Soccer players were eager to express their pride and excitement over the academic award. Caleb King ’22 credited his team’s culture, which “is built around working hard and getting better.” He went on to explain that his team “appl[ies] that to the sport and to [their] schooling, and we prioritize both academics and athletics in that regard.” Credit was also granted to the men’s team’s coach, who King said is always checking in with them to ensure schoolwork is being completed. If any athletes are struggling with their academics, King explained, their coach is readily available to offer help and guidance to the best of his ability. King believed that he could speak for his entire team when saying that he is “proud to be a part of a team that works as hard as we do, and be acknowledged for the work we put in.”
The women’s soccer team were no less pleased with their award. Meghan Badge ’21 expressed that she’s “extremely proud of [her] team for receiving the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award.” Just like King, Badge wasted no time in reaffirming her team’s commitment to working as hard as they can, both on and off the field. Badge went on to characterize her teammates as a group of “intelligent and hardworking women,” a statement that is clearly backed up by the academic achievements the team has come by lately.
The men’s and women’s soccer teams have certainly done their school proud; it isn’t easy to balance sports and schoolwork. These players have managed to uphold an honor that has been granted to their teams multiple years in a row. Considering the global situation that they did this in, their achievement cannot be overstated. The College of Wooster is certainly lucky to have a group of men and women who are as dedicated to their sport, their academics, and to each other.