TOLEDO, OH - A team is such an intriguing and amazing thing to be a part of. The dictionary defines team as "A group of people organized to work together." That does not nearly do it justice. Being on a great team is so much more than meeting new people and seeing them occasionally when you practice. The 28 players who make up this year's women's soccer team become your family, hate it or love it, you will see at least one of them every single day.

Being on a team is about the sacrifices we each make for the greater benefit of everyone else. Small scale or large scale, a sacrifice is a sacrifice. Before you can expect to succeed, you need to learn how to be a good teammate. It's the most important job you can do. Regardless of if you sit on the bench for the full match or play every minute, we are a team and we need everyone. If everyone fails to give their all at practice, it won't make any of us better.

We're lucky to be a part of something like this, and sometimes we take it for granted. If you think about it, we all get to have 27 guaranteed great friends with us at almost all hours. We always have someone to confide in, or someone who has your back on and off the field. We are each other's support systems and yes, sometimes we need to yell on the field, but then once we're off all you hear is, "So, wanna hang out later?" We may have frustrations towards each other on the field occasionally, but without the constructive criticism and tough love, the team will not progress.

With all these different personalities surrounding us at all times it can get crazy, but we all end up learning so much from one another. Using all of our minds combined, we can solve nearly any problem we face (except for maybe math). This season is a journey and it's inevitable that obstacles will arise. It's how we deal with them that will determine if we have what it takes to win the MAC. With a target on our backs all season, our work is cut out for us and every single one of us needs to step up. Every practice, every match, every film session and every ‘stretching' with Gretchen (Buskirk) matters. We will gladly accept the challenge and step up as a team, TOGETHER!!!

Alexis Tice is a freshman on the women's soccer team and is undecided on an academic major.

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