Students attend CUW for a plethora of reasons, to pursue their academic prowess, the amazing scenery, and the vibrant social climate. There is one reason in particular that students come to CUW, and that is to compete at a high level.
Oftentimes, the spectators who attend CUW athletic events only see the refined product of hard work, but the work behind the scenes oftentimes goes unnoticed.
Sabrina Moore, a senior who plays for the CUW Women’s Soccer team and CUW track team, is a tedious worker on and off the field. But the skills that she shows on the field did not just come to her overnight, she had to work hard to obtain her skill set.
When asked the question, “How have you prepared for this season?” Sabrina responded by saying, “For me, preparing for the season takes a lot of mental work. Throughout the summer, I had to switch my focus to soccer from track, and I’m going to switch my focus from soccer to track when my soccer season is done. They are very different sports and require different skills, so it is important for me to get in the mindset of the sports I’m about to be in season for.”
It is apparent that Sabrina’s way of approaching her competitive career stems from a solid mindset. Her mindset also stems from the fact that not only does she want to excel at what she is good at, but she wants to see others succeed as well.
In her words, her “mindset revolves around being a leader in both track and soccer,” she goes on to say, “I want to be a role model for the younger athletes since I have three years of experience and I know that making the transition into college can be scary and exciting.”
It could be that leaders like Sabrina might be the main reason that athletes want to come to CUW to compete, for the connections, for the comradeship, for the brotherhood and sisterhood.
When it comes to sports, there are more important aspects than just winning and losing, and CUW athletics has something deeper than just winning and losing.
Speaking of students that decide to compete for CUW, Ethan Onan is new to Concordia Wisconsin, he is an incoming sophomore who has transferred into CUW. Ethan is studying rehabilitation science and is on the Men’s wrestling team here at CUW.
To get an idea of why Concordia University met his needs was because he, “was trying to look for schools that were close to home, have a good PT program, and have a wrestling team, and this school just fit all of those.”
Back to the topic of camaraderie, Ethan says, “I just got an instant friend group, I got thrown in with twenty-plus guys, and I got instantly accepted.” He goes on to say, “I know with transferring, that is one of the biggest issues.” As one of many transfers in college sports, Ethan did not have the problem of making friends here.
But Ethan did not just come here to make friends, he has aspirations of “being on the team,” he quotes, and “winning matches for the team.”
It could be the coaching staff, it could be the facilities, or it could be the Christ-centered atmosphere, but there is something about CUW that makes students want to work hard for others, make connections, and see others succeed. It seems that the strong mindset of CUW athletes is built off of the motivation and kindness of all the other athletes at this university.
Want to compete at CUW?
If you want to learn more about CUW athletics, click to visit the official CUW Athletics website.
—Peyton Smith is a writer for The Beacon. Peyton is a senior and will graduate in the spring of 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and a minor in Law and Politics.