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College Hell Week

Getting through the high school years were tough, really tough, however I am not sure anything could prepare us for that first semester in college!  Oh it was rough!  

As you all know I am a soccer mom to Faith and Grace. Faith managed to get a soccer scholarship.  As we were preparing her to go off we talked about how wonderful it was going to be for her to start a new chapter in her life and she was lucky because she would essentially be moving in with a “new family” her soccer team.  We also talked about that she would miss her family back home and this was perfectly normal. We talked about journaling and different things she could do to overcome her being home sick.  I didn’t really worry too much about it because I though she has soccer and will be focused on playing the first semester.

Unfortunately her first week at practice she injured herself and was medically red shirted.  She was on crutches for 6 weeks.  Her struggle wasn’t the team, wasn’t her professors instead it was her coaches.  One thing I must say about my oldest is she is extremely sensitive.  Her coaches made the transition much harder for her and I get it, at this point she was seen as a liability and no longer an asset to the team.

I thought I was prepared but boy was I wrong!  One week in particular my daughter called every day for a solid week and I had to spend 1-2 hours talking her off a ledge.  She hated the school, hated her coaches, hated the town and was miserable.  She bawled her eyes out to me daily.  I tried using every method possible to calm her nerves but nothing would give.  Finally the last day I broke.  It wasn’t pretty!  Luckily she got off crutches  about a week later.


Here are four tips on making it through that first semester:

1. Its ok to talk to your child and show them comfort/support but stand firm in letting them know its time to handle business.

2. Recommend them talking to a counselor/sports psychologist.  I actually called the school and scheduled an appointment for my daughter.

3.  Break down the time before they will see you again. Sometimes this helps them to get a clear picture that there really isn’t that much time left before they will be home again.

4. No matter what be positive – try to shift their mindset into a positive one