From Uitgeest, Netherlands, to Kamloops, British Columbia, the first-year goalkeeper Floor Ursem has quickly made her mark with the TRU WolfPack womenโs soccer team. Balancing a taxing science course load with life as a student-athlete in a new country, Ursem has helped the WolfPack stay in playoff contention throughout her debut season. With two games left against UBCO and a postseason berth on the line, sheโs determined to help set a new standard for the program. The Omega sat down with Ursem to discuss it all.
๐: So you grew up in the Netherlands. Can you tell us a little bit about how your childhood shaped you into the soccer player you are?
FU: Well, when I was younger, I always liked sports. When I was in my momโs belly, I always kicked, so she always says she knew I was going to be a soccer player. When I was four, I started playing soccer, and I dreamed of being a professional player. So, here I am playing soccer.
๐: How did you decide to come to TRU and Canada in general for your career?
FU: In the Netherlands, you’re not able to play soccer at the highest level and go to university, and I think itโs really important to get an education. So I started looking at schools in the United States, and then my coach, Mark [Pennington], reached out to me. It just seemed like a really good fit.
๐: Since you are just in the first few months of your first year, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far, coming from the Netherlands to Canada?
FU: The school part is not too hard, but more so, how everything is in English is weird [for me]. Cooking on my own and living in the dorm is [also] just weird. My mom always did everything for me, like washing my laundry, cooking, and stuff like that, so doing it on my own is weird.
๐: Because it can be a bit of an odd position, what specifically got you into goalkeeping? And what would you say you enjoy most about that position?
FU: I have no idea how I got into it. At one point, I was like, I want to be a goalkeeper. So I just never looked back. But sometimes I do miss playing [other roles] because there is more freedom, and it gives you more position to be out and play on. I like that I can do things with my hands, like not just my feet, but I have the freedom to use my hands. Iโm also the last player back, so I get a view of the entire field, which is nice to be able to see everything.
๐: How would you describe your kind of style as a goalkeeper? What do you think your strengths are?
FU: Well, one of my strengths is like my goal kick, and I really love doing 1-on-1s with players. I feel like Iโm very good at them.
๐: You’re a science major. Do you have an area of specialization or interest you’d like to pursue with the degree?
FU: I’m now in general science. After finishing my last year, I would love to go into [pharmacology], thatโs what Iโm looking at for now, but Iโm not quite sure yet about everything. Iโm open to anything.
๐: How have you been balancing your academics and the athletic schedule?
FU: We practice every day from noon to 2 p.m. and then on Tuesdays from seven to eight we have [our] lift. Then on Mondays, I have the PACE program, where I do two hours of homework with all the other first-year athletes. My schedule is packed on Mondays and Tuesdays. I start school at 9:30 a.m., and I won’t come home until 10 p.m. I’m tired, so it can be hard to do homework outside of class. But so far, I’ve been getting it all done because school isnโt too hard yet.
๐: So far, how has your first year been on the WolfPack?
FU: I love it. We’re doing really well as a team, we have some really good players, and everyone is like one big group, everyone really likes each other. I think we can make the playoffs within the last two games.
๐: You guys are in the last playoff spot, and you’re going to play your last two games against UBCO, who are fighting to take that slot. What are you guys focusing on going into these two games?
FU: UBCO is a really good team who plays everywhere, and they like to make long passes, so we have to stop those and really put pressure on them. We just need to stick together on the field and stay calm. I think we can do it.
๐: During the season, does the team ever talk about the standings, or do guys just kind of focus on one game at a time?
FU: We just focus. Of course, we have like two games a week, so mostly we focus on the game that we are most likely to do best in, and really prepare for that. Then, weโll also look at the second game. But we really only looked at our upcoming games each week to focus on them [individually].