March Student of the Month!

DCSS is continuing DCSS Student of the Month! Every month we will highlight a new student and share their soccer story. Meet Danielle! Who knew we had a cricket player amongst us!?

Name: Danielle
Which DCSS class do you attend? Practically all levels/ class varieties but I do enjoy the special shooting classes the most.
Position you like to play? I get in where needed, but at this point feel the least shaky in defense.
What got you into soccer? I grew up in a country (Trinidad) where soccer (football) was one of the main sports. It wasn't the sport I excelled at though (cricket), so my relationship with it didn't go beyond watching the World Cup and the occasional kick around at the beach. Moving back to the US really changed the relationship with the sport for me because everything was so new & different here, & I think I wanted something familiar to latch onto. So I started watching, then going to a couple of games, then taking a couple of classes with DCSS, & now actually playing.
What you like most about soccer? I think what fascinates me the most about soccer is the sheer athleticism and mental coordination it takes to play the sport, especially at the elite levels. Running about for 90+, making quick transitions from an attacking to defensive focus in the blink of a misplaced pass, moving together as a unit to support an individual moment of brilliance or to see a game out, that all takes a great deal of stamina. I also just really enjoy the soap opera-esque drama the wider aspects of the sport provides.
Whats the most important thing you've learned through DCSS classes, or your favorite drill or class memory? My favorite memory would be of playing the World Cup activity (a solo or duo-team, knock-out, golden goal, mini-tournament). I'd always choose to represent Tahiti, a relative minnow in the football world that I felt linked well with my underdog status. One time I paired up with a skillful someone & we clicked well enough to the point where Tahiti made a deep run in the tourney, we might have even made it to the final (but don't quote me on that) Twas great!