MY LOVE FOR SOCCER HAS NEVER WANED

Thank You, Baylor, For Getting Me Through the Hardest Times

Champions' TriBUne 10/14/2021 12:06:00 PM

Champions' TriBUne Archive

By: Jennifer Wandt

Champions' TriBUne is a special feature through Baylor Athletics that gives you the student-athlete's perspective and the chance for them to share their own story. Jennifer Wandt, a fifth-year senior goalkeeper from Brookfield, Wisc., is a two-time All-Big 12 second-team selection who holds school records for career shutouts (36) and wins (51). Jen graduated in May 2021 with a degree in political science and hopes to finish her masters in sport management in December 2022. . . . Wandt and the Bears (7-3-4, 3-1-1) will host league-leading Texas (8-3-3, 4-0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Betty Lou Mays Field:

From an early age, I knew soccer was the one. Like most kids, I played lots of sports growing up, but there was never a doubt in my mind that soccer was my favorite, and that love only grew as I got older. Even while playing basketball all throughout high school, I always knew that I wanted to play collegiate soccer. Now, 17 years after starting to play the sport that I love, I'm two months into my final collegiate season .

I started playing soccer when I was 5 years old and haven't put the ball down since. Throughout youth soccer, I played for FC Milwaukee as a center back. And then, once I started 8^th grade, my club changed to FC Wisconsin Eclipse. We competed against teams from all across the nation in the Elite Clubs National League, and that experience was everything I could have hoped for and more. It was such a fun, competitive environment, and really solidified my desire to play in college.

Many coaches influenced my career and helped me get to where I am today. However, the director of the club, Christian Lavers, played the biggest role. Going into high school, I was a pretty established field player, but Christian was the first to bring up the idea of switching to goalie. Pushing me out of my comfort zone was something that scared me at first but, at the end of the day, was the catalyst for the rest of my soccer career.

This positional switch came right when college recruiting was beginning, and initially all I felt was that I was way behind everyone else. Trying to learn a completely new position while being recruited was not ideal, but trust me, I wouldn't change it for the world. About a year into learning the position, a switch flipped in my brain, and all my apprehension toward the position started turning into confidence.

Jen Wandt

Obviously, I still had so much to learn, but I was finally feeling at home in goal. As freshman year came to a close and sophomore year started, that's when I was really narrowing down which schools I wanted to go to and looking at where would be a good fit for me. Baylor knew I was brand-new to goalkeeping, but they were willing to take a chance on me. I committed in the middle of my sophomore year and never looked back. Little did I know, this commitment would benefit me in so many ways that have nothing to do with soccer.

All throughout high school, my confidence just kept growing. I was just having so much fun. My team was great, I was learning so much from my coaches, and overall, I was just having a good time. I knew soccer was something I really wanted to excel at, so I made the decision to graduate high school early and leave for Baylor University a semester before everyone else. By graduating early, I could get adjusted to school easier and get to know the team sooner.

My senior year just felt like it was flying by. And as December came around, it was really starting to set in that I was going to college in a month. All I could think about was going to college and all the fun I would have, but those thoughts were put to a halt at the beginning of the month. On December 10th, four weeks before I was supposed to report to school, my world was rocked when my dad suddenly passed away. This was the first real bit of adversity I had ever faced in my whole life, and soccer didn't feel nearly as important anymore. It made all my minor inconveniences when it came to soccer and life unimportant and showed me that there is so much more to life. The idea of playing collegiate soccer without my dad wasn't something I thought I could do but, if someone was more excited than me about going to Baylor, it was him. In the midst of all the heartache, I decided to still go early and pursue my dream of playing college soccer.

Jen Wandt

Even before I stepped foot on campus, I knew Baylor was the perfect fit for me soccer-wise. But, once I got to campus and began dealing with all of these emotions, I knew it was the right school for me in so many other ways. The overwhelming amount of support I felt from my teammates, the staff and just the school in general was crazy, especially because I didn't even know most of them. It was that support that got me through some of the hardest times in my life and really is the reason I'm still playing this sport today.

On the field, freshman year was a complete success. I was the starting goalie as a freshman, we won the Big 12 tournament, and we even made it all the way to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. These accomplishments were great, however, I still could not shake that my dad was not there to share in the joy. I just remember thinking to myself that my love for soccer was gone, and I didn't know if it would come back. As sophomore year rolled around, I could tell that I was starting to feel like myself again, and I was starting to see glimpses of my love for soccer again. We had another successful year on the field, winning the Big 12 regular-season championship and advancing to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row. Everything felt like it was finally coming together again, and I was just really happy with where everything was in that moment. The success on the field would never overshadow the trials that I had faced over the past couple years. But, as time went on, I learned that was OK. It was OK to be sad or have an off day, because I knew that my team would always be there to bring me back up.

Jen Wandt

Going into my junior year, I felt like nothing was going to stop us on or off the field. I was about to be a three-year starter, and we were returning a lot of great players. All that being said, we had a very average year in 2019 and didn't even make the NCAA Tournament. While this upset me, I knew it was just a bump in the road and we would get through it as a team, just like we had done with every other adversity we have faced.

After that disappointing season, all we could do is move forward, and it was our goal to make a lot of progress during the spring of 2020. Unfortunately, all of our lives came to a screeching halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All of a sudden, I was back home in Wisconsin, not knowing when I would be returning to Baylor. The thought of having my senior year taken away from me was a tough pill to swallow, but it did put a lot of things into perspective. Instead of dwelling on the unknown, I tried to look at the positives. Instead of playing soccer and going to school, I was given the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Looking back, those are memories I will cherish forever, and I am happy I was able to stay in the moment.

Jen Wandt

Eventually, it was time to return to school, just in time for soccer season. For a long time, it was up in the air whether or not we would even have a season. But, when fall came around, we learned we would be splitting our season. This meant we would play conference in the fall and non-conference in the spring. We were able to make it through all fall without any cancellations but, when spring rolled around, we had a lot of games canceled due to lack of numbers on one side or the other. It felt like soccer was being taken away once again. But, once I had a chance to look back at the year we just had, I was so happy that we were able to play any games at all. On top of this, I also learned that I would be eligible to come back in the fall of 2021 for an extra "COVID" year. The idea of getting to spend another year playing the sport I love, at the university I love and with my best friends, made me incredibly happy. Along with this joy, came motivation. Another chance to win Big 12 championships and to make another NCAA tournament was all I wanted, and now I knew that was possible.

Already being halfway done with my fifth and final year at Baylor, all I can think about is how fast it has flown by. My path has not been a straight line but, from the hardest times in my life to my greatest achievements, I wouldn't change it for the world. Baylor has given me my best friends, greatest mentors, many incredible soccer experiences and so much more. I cannot wait to finish out this year with all the people who have supported me, and hopefully we can end on a good note. Words can't express my gratitude toward this university, so all I will say is thank you. Thank you for getting me through the hardest times of my life and thank you for the best memories I could ever ask for. Now, let's go win another championship!

Jen Wandt