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Kicking
Back
by
Mike Morrow
 On
the way home the other night, a bumper sticker caught my eye: SOCCER
IS LIFE.
It may be that
way in the eyes of the world, which next month will be focused on
the World Cup. But it’s not that way with Aleisha Cramer, a
sophomore at BYU and one of the finest women’s soccer players
in the United States.
Several weeks
ago, Cramer told April Heinrichs, coach of the U.S. national women’s
team, that she would not play any games on Sundays out of respect
for the Sabbath. It was a courageous and bold statement, one that
Cramer didn’t have to think twice about.
She is not
the first LDS athlete to make that commitment – the now defunct
Zion Pioneerzz of the Western Baseball League would not play home
games in St. George, Utah, on Sundays – but Cramer may be jeopardizing
her soccer career because of it. U.S. national team games are often
played on Sundays, as are games in the professional Women’s
United Soccer Association.
Cramer, according
to Heinrichs, "is the most impactful player in women’s college
soccer today. She changed the game. At (the age of) 19, that’s
about as good a compliment as you’ll get from me without calling
her the next Michael Jordan."
Cramer, however,
doesn’t want to be like Mike. She wants to be more like the
Savior. "...the gospel of Jesus Christ was my number one priority,
and in the long run, that was going to make me the happiest," she
said in an interview.
Fun is as
fun does
In her first two seasons at BYU, Cramer led the Cougars to two Mountain
West Conference championships. She earned honors for her play and
was a nominee for the Hermann Trophy, given to college soccer’s
top player.
"Soccer isn’t
life, and I’m the first to say that," said Cramer. "But it
sure is fun."
As good as
she is, let’s not forget she is a teenager.
"There is a
big river about 10 minutes from campus," she told U.S. Soccer in
an interview. "There is a huge tree that you can climb to get up
to a rope swing. It’s definitely scary climbing that tree.
They nailed little boards to the tree for you to step on, but you
think that each one is going to fall every step you take.
"Once you get
to the top, you have to step over this huge branch, which is even
more terrifying when you look down, and then you are finally on
a wood platform. Now, you have to jump because there is absolutely
no way you are climbing back down that tree. It’s about 30-feet
above the water, but it looks much higher when you are up there.
You grab the rope swing and hold on for dear life. Then, it is critical
that you must let go at the perfect time so you can land in the
water that is deep enough. I bet my soccer coaches are real happy
to hear what I am doing with my down time."
There is little
down time, though. In the classroom, Cramer is an outstanding student;
on the field, she is one of the best.
She played
in nine games with the U.S. women’s national team and was also
a key player for the U.S.’s under-21 team that won the 2001
world championship. However, because of her classroom and other
commitments, her playing time has been limited this year. But that
was her choice.
Photo
credit: Bradley Slade, Brigham Young University
Provo props
"If you’ve ever been to Provo, you probably know that there
is not a heck of a lot do," said Cramer. "But after two years at
BYU, I am starting to realize that the city and surrounding area
has a lot to offer – you just have to be creative.
"Most of my
time during the college season is spent on the soccer field, traveling
to the soccer field or coming back from the soccer field. I have
a great group of friends and we always have fun. The coolest thing
is that we have fun just doing nothing. It’s amazing that we
can laugh as much as we do just hanging out."
Cramer, according
to U.S. Soccer officials, has an unlimited future in the sport;
however, people understand there are higher priorities in her life
– and they accept and respect that.
Worth repeating
Gary Webb, a sportswriter with the Daily Spectrum in St. George,
took note a few days ago of a comment made by David Stevens, a half-miler
at Parowan High School.
Stevens ran
1:57.40 in the BYU Invitational, setting a state record, and in
a post-race interview, reflected on the achievement.
Seeing his
mother standing nearby, Stevens said, "it was neat, mom, but it
wasn’t as neat as seminary was last week."
Final thought
Well, there’s really no time for a final thought. The telecast
of Arsenal vs. Manchester United is starting.
Soccer anyone?
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