Before The Banks II
Apr 23 | General
Meet Members of the Rutgers Athletics Family Before They Were Scarlet Knights
Take a look at the first steps toward becoming a Scarlet Knight as our student-athletes share their earliest memories before they arrived "On The Banks".
Swimming & Diving - Erin Murphy - Sophomore - Galloway, N.J.
It was my first race after joining the swim team. I was five years old and getting ready to swim the 25 freestyle. I dove in and it took me a whole entire minute to finish. My mom said my arms were like windmills, but I wasn't going anywhere. However, I still ended up winning! Funny because now I'm a sprint freestyler.
Men's Soccer - Nick Cruz - Sophomore - Monroe, N.J.
My family is what truly made me fall in love with the game Seeing the passion they had made me want to play soccer to begin with, but the smiles that I had brought my family is what made me love the game and pursue it at the highest level. My family will always be my biggest inspiration. My favorite memory was playing at the Benfica Stadium in Portugal, where I also met Portuguese legend Rui Costa.
Softball - Taylor Fawcett - Freshman - Tuscon, Ariz.
My earliest memory of softball was when I was four years old and playing on a coed T-Ball team. The coach's son was in left field and I was in center. He was teasing and taunting me so his dad stopped the game, pulled him out, and gave him a spanking. The game was then resumed. After the game, his dad came up to me and my parents and said that his son had a crush on me and that's why he teased me so much.
Women's Soccer - Maddie Brant - Freshman - Maidstone, England
One of my first soccer memories would be playing for my local boy’s grassroots club when I was about eight years old. Every Saturday my dad would drive me to my games at the local park and I’d be the only girl on the pitch! I loved showing the boys what I was made of and I made some great friendships out of it too.
One Saturday morning we didn’t have a game so instead we practiced, it was pouring with rain and the pitch quickly turned into a mud bath, our coach turned practice into a mud sliding competition instead. You should have seen my mum’s face when I arrived home covered head to toe in mud- she was horrified! This is one of the reasons I fell in love with football (soccer)- simply having fun with my teammates and having my dad watch and support me as I held my own against the boys!
Men's Soccer - Jackson Temple - Freshman - Millville, Pa.
My dad was definitely my biggest influence in soccer because he was my coach between ages 5 and 12. He was there from the beginning and he has always supported me no matter what. After every game to this day, we spend about an hour talking about how the game went and I couldn't be more grateful for that.
Swimming & Diving - Federica Greco - Senior - Rome, Italy
My first interaction with the water was in Cannes, France when my nine-month old self decided to jump into my uncle's pool. After that, my parents decided to sign me up for swimming lessons to avoid another heart attack.
Gymnastics - Emily Drauss - Junior - Longwood, Fla.
My earliest memory of gymnastics was going to the "Mommy and Me" classes when I was as young as three years old. It was so fun getting to run around and play on the equipment, but also very inspiring to see the older girls doing big skills around the gym. I really fell in love with gymnastics when I was finally able to learn the fun flips and big skills I had seen the older girls do.
Men's Soccer - Randy Arronis - Freshman - North Brunswick, N.J.
My earliest memory of playing was when my mom bought me one of my firsts Christmas gifts and it was a Fisher Price sports set of basketball, bowling, mini golf, and of course, soccer. I fell in love with soccer immediately the little net would scream GOOOOAAAALLL and I have loved the sport ever since.
A funny story: since I was so little compared to the other kids, one time I went flying on a tackle that someone made on me even though he hit all ball. He cleared through the ball and me. I basically did a flip and I just laid on the ground and didn’t move until my mom ran onto the field and quickly picked me up.
Swimming & Diving - Yael Webber - Sophomore - Irvine, Calif.
My earliest memory is learning how to dive from the blocks. I just learned how to do a hand stand so that is all I thought about while trying to avoid hitting the water with my stomach.
What made me fall in love with swimming is that the pool is a place that I can escape from everything else and think about a million things. I also find it fascinating that every small change in technique can have a big impact.
Women's Soccer - Shea Holland - Sophomore - Toms River, N.J.
My first soccer memory is when I was 6 years old and signed up to play soccer. I was nervous but really excited to go to my first club practice. When I got there, I realized that most of the kids knew each other. It made me feel even more nervous, but once the practice got started I became more comfortable and knew that this is where I wanted to be. At the end of the practice the coach came up to me and said, “Good job today, but sweetheart wear your shin guards under your socks next time.”
There isn’t a specific day that I realized I loved the sport, but as I look back I remember at a young age I always wanted to keep learning how to play the game. As I got older, I always wanted to challenge myself, whether it was trying new tricks or playing with kids older than me. I wasn’t afraid to fail. Through the years I questioned if I wanted to try new things since soccer was such a demanding part of my life. But it was when I was without the sport, whether it was out of season or I was injured, is when I realized how much I missed it
Gymnastics - Sage Littlejohn - Sophomore - Orlando, Fla.
I have heard stories from my parents that I used to climb on counters and hang off couches as a toddler but one of my earliest memories as a gymnast was my first real competition. I remember always needing a spot on my round off backhandspring and the end of my floor routine. I needed my coach to stand there for me to go for the skill. I remember I was competing and getting ready to do that pass. My coach was on the floor and I knew that I could do it because he was there to spot me. As I went I did not feel a spot on my back. I later realized that my coach had moved away in the middle of my pass. It was the first time that I had done that pass on my own. That gave me so much confidence knowing that I did not need my coach there and that I could do the skill all by myself. That was one of the first milestones that I had accomplished in my gymnastics career and it gave me so much love for the sport. It is a memory that I will never forget.
Women's Soccer - Nicole Binkley - Sophomore - Burlington, N.J.
My first memory with soccer was when I was on my first team, The Pink Piranhas, and I was put in the net as a goalkeeper. As hard as it is to believe, I let a goal in through my legs and decided I never wanted to play that position again. All in all I forgot about it minutes after the game because of the team snack someone brought. I don’t know if there is a specific moment when I fell in love with soccer, but it always held a massive presence in my life since the start. From having it age from a hobby to a priority, soccer has become something that has impacted me more than I ever could’ve imagined. Serving as a relief from any other distraction in my life, this sport has continued to be something I have learned to never take for granted.
Gymnastics - Jenna Ferguson - Freshman - Wellsville, Pa.
My earliest memory of gymnastics was when my parents took me to a gymnastics center when I was three years old to let me run and roll around. At an early age, I was always rolling and flipping around on the couch and bouncing on the bed in my house. My parents decided it was a good idea to put me in gymnastics to use up some of my energy and I loved it. I eventually advanced to higher levels where I got to compete. The more I was able to flip around with my friends and compete with the team, I knew this was the sport for me and I fell in love with it.
Gymnastics - Abigail Karolewski - Sophomore - Hillsborough, N.J.
One of my earliest memories of gymnastics was when I was four years old, at an exhibition show. I remember jumping across the beam and swinging on the bars. I even remember doing 20 pull ups in a row, which I was so excited to show my parents. I remember how small I felt compared to the beam and how high up I was from the ground while on the bars. It was at this moment, I fell in love with gymnastics.
Gymnastics has been and will always be a major part of my life. I have always had so much fun practicing, competing, and facing the many challenges that come with the sport. Without gymnastics, I wouldn’t be half the person I am today! Gymnastics has taught me dedication, determination, and discipline. I am happy to be continuing my gymnastics career in my home state!
Women's Soccer - Allison Lynch - Freshman - Bridgewater, N.J.
My first memory of soccer was when I first started playing on the travel teams. There was no girls team at my age so my parents put me on the boys team. All my friends asked me why I just wouldn't wait one more year and play on the girls team. Back then I would simply reply with “I don’t know,” but looking back on it today that’s when I truly fell in love with the game. Knowing I’d rather be on the boys team proving myself then sit out on a whole year of enjoying the game.
