The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Soccer Blog: "Paige from the Pitch" with Paige Hooper [Sept. 29, 2016]
09.29.2016 | Soccer
P-Hoop's back to talk about a typical day in the life of a Texas soccer player
A Typical Tuesday at Texas
BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…
It's 6:25 a.m. as I slowly roll out of bed. I brush my teeth, pack my soccer outfit for the day and make a peanut butter sandwich. My teammate, Cara Connatser, is picking me up at 6:45 a.m. since my car is in the shop. She greets me with a sleepy smile as she slurps on some coffee. No worries, today is a somewhat different day; I usually wake up at 7:10 a.m. Today though, we have drug testing for the University. We were informed of the test the night before, and I got the lucky time of 7:00 a.m., since I have an 8:00 a.m. class.
Anyway, we head off to Mike A. Myers Stadium. The majority of us park at C-Lot which is located right in front of our field. It's our meet up spot at the beginning and end to each day, but the lot fills up quickly which can lead to some stress. Ha ha! We complete our drug test and head to class. My class ends at 8:50 a.m., and I head back to the locker room at Myers.
By this time, I am already hungry again, probably due to the fact that I have climbed a lot of stairs, and its only 9:00 a.m. I grab some pre-practice fuel. We have the best snacks in our team room: Gatorade, cherry juice, milk, hummus, pretzels, bars, chex mix, beef jerky, cheese sticks, yogurt!! Basically, we have it all. Shout out to our nutritionists who keep it stocked. The team room is also a great spot to sit and relax, take a nap, watch some TV or even study. With comfy couches, huge bean bags and a ping pong table, we spend a lot of time in the team room.
After some morning jams in the locker room, we lace up our cleats and hit the field right at 9:30 a.m.. There is a cold front, so for once we don't have to imagine that we are in the snow. In fact, it feels so nice outside and what a view! The capital and downtown look so nice from the field. We are greeted by our strength and conditioning coach Anna, who leads us in a dynamic warm up. Shin guards on, we jog over to our coaches, Ange, Kristine, Keeley, and Lance. Ange gives us the rundown of practice, and we get to work. Practice ends around 11:00 a.m., and we cool down and stretch. We then head into the film room where we meet for about thirty minutes to discuss our games from the weekend and future plans.
We hit the showers to get dressed and ready for the day, then head out in different directions. Some have class at noon, but I walk to the Texas Athletics Nutrition Center (TANC) which we refer to as the dining hall.
I have a healthy yet delicious meal. I could probably write a whole blog just on this place. Made to order smoothies, sandwiches, pastas, salmon, chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs and stir fry are on the menu every day. A yogurt bar, salad bar, soup selection, fruit selection, Texas waffle maker and cereal selection are also offered daily. The daily line offers a variety of veggies, proteins and carbohydrates. Turkey, chicken, and steak are frequently found at the carving station. The whole place is decked out with TVs and everyone who works there is so friendly. Mom, guess what? I now like Brussels sprouts, ha, thanks to Isabelle Kerr!
I then go to study hall which is only a floor below dining hall. I work on some homework until my 2:00 p.m. chemistry class. It was a productive class. I always enjoy sitting with my new non-athlete friends. Class ends at 3:15 p.m., and I walk back to North End Zone to get another snack. Ha, this time from the weight room which is below the football stadium. Snacks in hand, I greet Jonathan who checks me into study hall. Two tests this week and three next week, and I am only in four classes. How does that even happen?! I work, work, work, work, work, until dinnertime back up in the TANC. It is Taste Test Tuesday, so I enjoy some samples prepared by the chef along with my dinner.
Many times I find myself on campus from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. I head back home where I can finally relax and enjoy some downtime. Maybe even eat some ice cream to reward myself from the long day. What a day! My head hits the pillow, and I am immediately asleep. Time to repeat it tomorrow :)
Hook'em,
P-Hoop with the Scoop
