Sophomore Paige Crouch Q&A
Q: How old were you when you first started playing soccer?
A: I was about four, and my mom put me on the boys team, they were like five years old, and she was like ‘you’re going to go out there, you’re going to play with them’. Funny fact though, I actually wouldn’t wear the jersey. That’s how rebellious I was. I was like, ‘No, I want to be different. I’m the girl out here, I don’t want to wear a jersey!’ But now I wear it.
Q: And ever since then you’ve always played soccer?
A: Yeah, well I took a break and I went to gymnastics and that’s kind of how I learned the flip throw, to do a front walkover and what not, but for the most part soccer’s been my life.
Q: About the flip throw, did someone just tell you to try that one day, or how did that whole thing come about?
A: Funny story, I was at a tournament and we were watching the game before us and she [a girl] did the flip throw and I was amazed and I was like, ‘I want to know how to do it!’ So I told my parents and they were like, ‘All right! Good luck! Flipping over a ball, sure, that sounds fun!’ And then I went on the trampoline, very dangerous, but you know whatever, I survived. So, that’s really it, and then I moved to the ground and over the years I’ve just mastered it even more I guess.
Q: You’ve never gotten injured doing it?
A: No, I mean, I’ve certainly learned that in the rain you shouldn’t do a flip throw, but no serious injury.
Q: Do you watch soccer?
A: This is so bad of me, I do not watch soccer. I did watch the World Cup, but I don’t have a favorite soccer team.
Q: Do you have a favorite player?
A: I love, oh my gosh I’m drawing a blank, Argentina – what’s his name? (Lionel) Messi! Yeah, he’s my favorite.
Q: You guys have had two lightning delays this year for a long time, what do you do in the locker room?
A: Well, when it’s like 30 minutes, you try to stay focused, but this last one was 90 minutes, so we kind of just get together and hang out, dance, Wilma and Wilbur came in and they had a dance-off. We just try to stay focused, but not focused to where it’s too serious, because it’s 90 minutes and that’s a really long time. But once it hits like five minutes, we’re like ‘okay, game time, let’s go.”
Q: Last question. You guys are required to use the cold tub. Describe that experience.
A: Oh my gosh, it is freezing. The first three minutes are terrible, and then you get numb, so you’re like, ‘Okay, got seven more minutes, let’s play some music!’ That’s basically it. After it’s awesome, your legs feel so much better, but the first three minutes are kind of rough, so I put socks on.
