Rip Van Winkle: Meet College Soccer

What happened to the season? It’s unbelievable how quickly it passes. It’s really an injustice. Things kick off, there are too many games to follow, and then before you know it, it’s sleeting outside and all you have to look forward to is the Premier League holiday session.

You really don’t have to be Rip Van Winkle to miss the college season. It just passes way too quickly. One of the things that has always amazed me about college soccer is how little soccer is actually played. This is particularly striking for first year players who are used to playing 60+ games a year. Finally you get on a college team — which has been your goal for years — but there are only 20 games a year. (Throw in the spring season and you get 30 games if you’re lucky.) Not to mention the fact that there are 30 players on the roster, rather than the 15 or so on a youth team.

As much of a bummer as this is for some people, it has a very cool effect. It makes every game count that much more. For even the most competitive youth teams, there are only a handful of really important games in a given season. But in college, every game is critical. When I was a college player and coach, every game felt like an absolute must win. This sense of urgency is what makes college soccer so great.