Minnesota and Missouri Visits

What a ride our girl is experiencing!

Our speedy blonde wears #8 on the field but will always be our #1 soccer player. She loves to pop the ball over the head of her defender, zip around and drive to the goal. As college coaches caught a glimpse of her in the fall of her freshman year, recruiting calls began to trickle in. Now that she has been to several NCAA Division 1 college campuses she is starting to make a dos and don'ts wish list. Something along the line of sports medicine is starting to emerge as a possible course of study but mostly she is concerned with which coach can help her reach her soccer goals of playing beyond college, into the pros. Even though Reagan has always been a kid who takes in a lot of information without saying much, I don't know if at 16 years old she can look at a campus, three coaches and a brochure and feel confident in making a decision about the next 7 years of her life. I guess that's what  mom and dad are here for, to guide, advise, encourage and support her. As many coaches will tell her, it's important for her to remember soccer is a means to college and her education will be a means to a career...one day soccer will end. I like this advice from a former college player and coach.

Would you come to this university if you didn't make the soccer team? If the answer is no, don't go to that university. If you would go to the university even if you didn't make the team, this could be the right university for you. Enjoy this time, investigate and prepare yourself to make the right decision. It will be one of the biggest decisions of your life.

Coach Schellas Hyndman, FC Dallas Head Coach

This fall Reagan has had the privilege to visit two fantastic college campuses and a third hopefully later this month but I will disclose that later.

1. University of Minnesota, Big Ten

2. University of Missouri, SEC

AUGUST 11, 2017

Really, what is there to not love at the University of Minnesota, if you are there in August? Notice they didn't invite her up to the frozen tundra of winter. I remember several years ago Reagan's team played soccer in a heated Minneapolis dome in February and it was 35 degrees INSIDE!!! Ok, other than the ridiculously freezing temps, the place is great. Coach Golan is a strong no nonsense leader who has turned the program around in the last four years. The academics are top notch. And then there's the row of mopeds, Reagan loved that many players drove mopeds. Yes, you read that correctly, MOPEDS. 

Possible Negatives: It's a huge campus (50,000+) and I've heard the class sizes are on the larger size. They don't have reciprocity with Nebraska, meaning out of state tuition is a killer. Airfare to the TwinCities is awful but it is driveable, only 8 hours.

Reagan's visit was the day after my hamstring surgery and in the heat of Chris' high school softball season which is why she took the visit with teammate Grace and her dad. They attended a packed house home game Friday night. Saturday morning they toured the facility and had individual meetings with the coaches which at least I was able to join in through the joys of modern technology. Minnesota moved up to number one on Reagan's short list.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

To be completely honest, I have never liked the University of Missouri. Why? Because I am a KU fan. The hatred goes back before there were even universities built in either state but the distaste for one another rages on.  And their colors are black and yellow, come on people. That's just me and truly wherever my daughter plays soccer I will love and cheer for the team. But like Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side movie stated, "black and yellow (she said orange) are not in my color wheel". Reagan doesn't have any of those preconceived thoughts which is good. Reagan and Chris toured Columbia, Mo with teammate Maddie and her dad. The visit began with a Sunday night game which the team lost miserably to Texas A&M but Reagan actually saw the loss as a chance to understand team chemistry. She saw the girls on the field battle until the final whistle even when a win was impossible. They didn't start playing "boom ball" they stuck with good soccer and didn't tear each other down. I would say that's a sign of a healthy program. Enrollment at Mizzou is about 35,000 with almost 300 degree programs offered, just like many other universities. One thing I do know, Reagan was very impressed with the coaches and the team, more than she thought she would be. Shortly after Reagan's visit she came down with shingles so we got a little distracted. This week we will talk some more.

Recap of college visits thus far...

Creighton University, Omaha NE

University of Missouri-Kansas City, KC, MO

Kansas State Univeristy, Manhattan, KS

University of Kansas, Lawrence KS

Auburn University, Auburn, AL

University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

University of Missouri, Columbia MO

Reagan, we are proud of who you are, not just what you do. Soccer is one part of you, don't let your successes and failures on the field define you. You are an amazing young lady.  Wherever you go to college and whatever you do keep Christ close, you'll be just fine. We love you much!