Freshman juggles playing two collegiate sports

Playing a collegiate-level sport as a freshman is time-consuming, physically taxing and a serious commitment. Playing two collegiate-level sports is all of that, doubled.

Freshman Becca Wann plays soccer and basketball for the University of Richmond. She is one of few athletes at Richmond who have played two sports concurrently.

As many freshmen prepared to go to college in July, Wann had been on-the-go with soccer preseason workouts and had not stopped since beginning basketball season in November.

Women's soccer head coach Peter Albright said it was not very difficult to schedule practices and games with a dual-sport athlete.

"During the soccer season, coach [Michael] Shafer was wonderful about making sure she had time to recover from soccer activities and stay on top of schoolwork," he said. "As soon as soccer season was over, we kind of said goodbye to her for the basketball season because we understand it is a big time commitment. The whole soccer team goes to the home basketball games to root for Becca and the team."

Women's basketball head coach Shafer also said that during basketball season Albright had been flexible and understanding about the time commitment, making sure that Wann had time to rest in between sports.

"Peter and I both were overly protective of her," he said. "If she had her way, and the NCAA allowed it, she would have practiced soccer and then practiced basketball."

Wann's mother told her she wanted her to take a month off after basketball season, and though Wann recently tore her MCL, she does not plan to take off more time than necessary.

"This could be a blessing in disguise, but I don't plan on taking that long of a break once basketball is over," she said.

Wann said one of the busiest and most physically demanding times she had faced so far was during preseason, when she had basketball and soccer practice. Before the women's basketball team went on its trip to tour Norway and Sweden, the soccer team began its two-a-day practices, so Wann had four days of back-to-back practices for basketball and soccer.

"During that stretch, there were two days where I had four practices a day," she said. "I literally ran from one practice to the other. Those were a rough two days."

Albright realized the correlation of skills Wann possessed from playing basketball and soccer her entire life. One intangible for soccer is her height, Albright said.

"She brings a unique physicality to women's soccer since she is taller than most players," he said. "But you have to be around her a lot to pick up on how her skills have meshed between the two sports. She is a great passer and has a sense of spacing and timing, qualities that I think translate to and from basketball."

Wann said in both basketball and soccer, she wanted to look for something to happen for her teammates, whether it be a shot on goal or a fast-break down the court.

"I like to talk a lot on the court or field to keep the team together," she said.

Wann said she thought her biggest asset to soccer was her ability to win the ball in the air, and Albright agreed.

"She lives to head the ball," he said. "She once told our assistant coach Jen Woodie, 'If they didn't have heading in soccer, I wouldn't play,' with a laugh. I've heard several Division-1 coaches say that she is the best header of the ball they've ever seen

in college women's soccer."

As a freshman, Wann came into collegiate-level soccer with a lack of game experience, Albright said. Wann is different from most single-sport athletes who play the travel or club equivalent of their sport in the off-season. Wann said she started

playing soccer when she was 5 years old, but she quit travel soccer in eighth grade.

Coaches Albright and Shafer both said that Wann's competitiveness and fearlessness on and off the court set her apart.

"No matter who she is playing against, no matter who she is playing in front of or what the stakes are, she approaches the game the same," Albright said.

Shafer said that she had a passion to win.

"She brings an innate toughness to both games," he said. "You can teach people how to dribble, pass and shoot, but you can't teach the energy she possesses."

Junior goalkeeper Melissa Pacheco said that Wann provided a spark for the team, and her positive attitude made a difference.

"Her positive attiude and sense of 'I'm going to make a difference in this game' gives us such a lift day in and day out," she said.

Pacheco also said Wann's freshman statistics spoke volumes, but she remained humble.

"The fact that she doesn't pay attention to [statistics] is what makes her special," she said. "I've heard her say time and again, 'I don't care if I play 90 minutes or zero, I just want the team to win.'"

Wann has two older brothers, one who played both basketball and soccer and the other who played soccer.

"I think they're a big part of the reason for my toughness," she said. "Playing pick-up basketball and soccer with my brothers added to some of my drive to win."

Shafer said Wann could rebound the ball naturally, and she had excellent passing skills and a good vision of the floor because

of soccer.

"She sees the floor incredibly well and passes well, and I think that goes hand-in-hand with soccer and her ability to see all of the field," Shafer said.

Wann credits her likeness to rebounding in basketball to her ability to win and head balls in soccer.

"For soccer, if the ball is in the air, I'm going to go get it," she said. "So I think it is the same mentality for rebounding in basketball."

Wann joined the basketball team as a walk-on, but her tenacious energy, coupled with several injuries that have affected members of the team, helped Wann earn a spot as an extra boost of energy coming off the bench.

"In the preseason and earlier parts of the season, we probably would have seen fewer minutes from her because we had Kris [Puthoff-King] and Rachael [Bilney] because she was a bit behind coming in after soccer," Shafer said. "I didn't question her ability, we just had a lot of depth. It was a goal of her's to be the sixth man, and she has certainly accomplished that now."

Shafer echoed Albright in describing Wann's style of play as fearless.

"Becca will do whatever we need to do to win," he said. "When she is on the court, everyone else is confident because she plays with no fear. That type of player is hard to find these days."

Wann's roommate, Lauren Shute, a freshman forward on the basketball team, said Wann was an asset to the team because of her work ethic and positive attitude.

"It also helps that she is a great friend with a sense of humor and is always there to pat someone on the back and make someone smile," she said.

Shute said Wann's work ethic and humor kept her grounded and focused.

"Becca is hilarious, but does a great job of being focused and staying true to herself and to her beliefs," she said.

Wann said she hoped to recover from her knee injury in time for the Atlantic-10 Conference tournament, with the goal of reaching the NCAA tournament in March and jump back into soccer training after basketball season.

When Wann is not on the field, on the court or in the weight room, she plays an active role in her church. Though Wann is a Richmond native, she said she had only been home about 10 times this year. Her family is very supportive of her athletic endeavors, traveling to almost every game.

"It is unbelievable the games my family comes to," she said. "In soccer, they drove all the way to Fordham University, and in basketball, they drove all the way to Temple University. I don't think they understand time in a car: They spend the whole day for the game and then come back."

Wann said her role in her church had helped mold her personality both in and out of athletics.

"It keeps me calm in high-pressure situations when I'm playing sports," she said. "I always feel at peace when I'm playing."

Pacheco said when Wann had spare time, she could usually be found relaxing at a house off campus, which Pacheco shares with other members of the team.

"Becca likes to sing, especially to 'Glee,' and she spends a lot of time at my house off campus watching 'One Tree Hill,' 'cleaning' the mixing bowl when Tay [Taylor Leaman] makes baked goods and doing abs in our living room," Pacheco said.

The time Wann spends with both sets of teammates shows it is an integral part of their lives.

"It's awesome to be able to call her my teammate, and she'll be someone I'll call my good friend long after our time as teammates is over," Pacheco said.

Shute also said Wann's presence on the basketball team was something special.

"Both teams are extremely lucky to have someone like Becca Wann," she said.

Shute said she and Wann had talked about why she pursued such a challenging college career in sports.

"The biggest thing for Becca isn't that she is exceptional at both sports, but rather, she truly does love both and can't choose just one," she said.

Since Wann does not have an off-season, she does not have a lot of time for other extracurricular activities. But she would not have it any other way.

"Basketball, soccer and school are all I need to keep busy," she said with a laugh.

Contact staff writer Amelia Vogler at amelia.vogler@richmond.edu