Foliage has groups of people flocking to the state and the Norwich University women’s soccer team was one of the most recent.
Heather Faasse, head women's soccer, lacrosse, club track and field coach was one of the early birds this season for fall hiking as she took her soccer team to hike Mad River Glen last week.
“The Mad River Valley is a special place for me. I grew up skiing at Mad River Glen since the age of 2, so it really has become my home. Having skied and hiked that mountain more times than I can even count, I thought it would be a great place for my team to learn about tradition, family, hard work and build mental toughness.”
So far this season Norwich women’s soccer has had its best start in the program’s history with a 5-0 record.
When asked how the conditions of the trail were and the overall experience, “Our hike was soggy and muddy, but an amazing experience. We started our hike at the base of Mad River and summited Mount Ellen before returning to Mad River. Our team completed the hike on a rope to help learn how to work as a team rather than individuals while staying positive,” said Faasse.
Faasse commented that she wanted her team to have the experience of working together as a team, a step at a time as a team.
“I wanted the girls to understand that turning our program around and changing our culture is very much the same as climbing a mountain. You have to start at the bottom and work each step of the way to see the view at the top. Once you get to the top of the mountain in front of you, there will always be a higher peak with great expectations and challenges. Which is the reason we summited two peaks,” said Faasee.
The Norwich girls’ soccer team competes until early November into tournament time, their schedule can be found on their website for home games and game time at www.norwichathletics.com/sports/wsoc/2018-19/schedule
