Keepin' It Real With Alba: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
A Diary by Alba Garcia, Toros Soccer Player
November 12, 2003

Well boys and girls, playoffs are here! Its mid November, its beginning to get cold outside and the stakes for the top college soccer programs in the country are very high. All the talk about getting to and winning a national championship has come down to this next weekend and hopefully the upcoming weeks. This is what we play for!

All of us here at Cal State Dominguez Hills are lucky to be part of a talented program that has had a few chances to play in this prestigious NCAA tournament on both the men’s and women’s side (this is now my third one; Lisa and Erin too). Not many schools can say that. But like I said that was in the past now its time for us that are here to make our own mark.

The CCAA tournament was this last weekend and we both suffered some extremely disappointing losses. The boys lost in the semi’s to San Diego 1-2 and the girls lost in the finals also to San Diego 1-5. So what!

The point is that we are both in the NCAA tournament and this is when it counts. Only a handful of colleges around the nation get this opportunity and most never get it at all. So in other words…don’t take this for granted.

Like Joe and Tuttle said to the underclassmen at practice the other day, “there are no guarantees you will ever be in this position again.” So use this chance and make something out of it. I’ve already told the seniors that this is it for us. It’s all or nothing now. Winner keeps going while loser goes home. It’s as simple as that!

The worst thing that can happen to both teams is to, as Tuttle said, “let Dominguez Hills beat Dominguez Hills.” Come out with some confidence and some brains this weekend and stick it to whoever it is we are playing.

No matter what the outcome this weekend, leave it knowing that every ounce of your energy is on that field. Remember there’s nothing worse than would have, could have, should have. Good luck boys and girls!

Alba