Means continues practicing soccer despite isolation

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Photographer: Photo provided by Morgan Means

Means practices her soccer skills during quarantine to keep up her skills despite not physically being with her team.

Marisa Sandoval, Staff Reporter

Not even the global pandemic can stop sophomore Morgan Means from working to achieve her goal of playing college soccer. Whether it is doing drills, playing Fortnite with teammates or preparing her soccer highlights to send to colleges, Means is using her time in self-isolation to better herself as an athlete and a teammate.

Isolation makes it very difficult to stay fit because gyms and soccer fields are not open. Means has been getting creative with her workout plan to stay in shape. She runs at least three miles a day, does 20 minutes of soccer ball work and finishes off with 20 minutes of bodyweight workouts. This is just on her days off, and for three days a week, her athletic life is wrapped around working with teammates.  

“We have themed soccer practices every week,” Means said. “Tuesday’s are teammate Tuesday’s, and the coach assigns everyone a partner and you facetime your partner and do a workout that includes cardio with ball work. Wednesday’s are workout Wednesdays. Our whole team goes on a Zoom call with the coach and he takes us through a workout. Thursdays are together Thursdays and the whole soccer club, which is around 500 people, get on a Zoom call and listen to guest speakers.”

Athletics take up a majority of Means time, but she is also trying to navigate distance learning and picking up some unexpected hobbies. 

“School has been confusing and stressful,” Means said. “I am trying to figure out this new system and get used to this new life. But my biggest new hobby is playing Fortnite. I am beyond addicted. I play with soccer teammates as well as some of my friends from school.”

Out of boredom, Means also decided to change up her look a bit as well. 

“Like most other girls, I did something to my hair,” Means said. “Not a shock, I know. I dyed the bottom half of it pink because if you dye your hair it might as well be pink.” 

While experimenting with new things during self-isolation Means main focus is college recruitment. 

“During this time we are still working with colleges and recruiting,” Means said. “Last night I had to make a five-minute highlight clip, to send to my top 10 colleges. The college coaches aren’t able to do anything during this time as well; they have lots of time on their hands that we are trying to take advantage of.”

Means is handling self-isolation by improving her soccer game and discovering new hobbies that will keep her entertained.