By Malika Andrews |
No matter the sport, it is every athlete’s dream to play in professional leagues. UP has coached several athletes on to successful professional careers.
Amanda Frisbie
Graduation Year: December 2014
Degree: Organizational communication
Position and Team: Forward/Defender for Seattle Reign
What are you most excited about for this season?
Obviously, playing! It is hard to come in as a rookie and not be able to make a statement. More than that, I am excited for the team.
The Seattle team had a huge turnaround this past season and we made it to the championship and lost, almost had an undefeated season. I think we are so good and capable of winning it all. I am excited for the next opportunity for the championship.
I think I have a lot of passion that I can bring to the field. I don’t want to be just this rookie that comes in, I don’t want to just do solid. I want to go in there and make a difference.
Travis Radke
Graduation Year: Did not graduate, drafted junior year
Degree: Sociology-criminal justice track, minor in Spanish (did not earn a degree)
Position and Team: Pitcher for The Emeralds (MiLB Padres)
What advice would you have for current college players looking to go pro?
Make sure you can find a way to identify with yourself outside of your sport. While you do have to believe you are that one in a million that is going to make it, you need to have something else in your life that you love.
Be able to come to the understanding that there will always be someone who has more talent than you, and there will always be someone who works harder than you. What you need to tell yourself is that you need to be better each and every day.
If you can challenge yourself, and you can improve, then you will keep playing the game, whatever it is.
Ellen Parker
Graduation Year: 2014
Degree: Communication studies
Position and Team: Forward/attacking midfielder, Seattle Reign
Tell us about some of the opportunities soccer has given you?
I am excited for soccer to give me experiences that I wouldn’t get without it. The ability to travel, to see different things, and to meet different people. And to have to find a way to relate to people that don’t speak your language and the challenges that come with that. Obviously, I love soccer and I am excited to find my spot and role within a team, whether that is WSL or overseas.
Autumn Wedan
Graduation Year: 2014
Degree: Marine biology
Position and Team: Outside hitter, Svedala Elite
How did the playing for the University of Portland help to prepare you for the professional leagues?
I think the biggest thing for me is that we had a lot of struggles, trials and tribulations with volleyball. I think that made me a lot stronger as a player emotionally, because I can handle the ups and downs a lot better than a lot of players can.
I think that being a part of the University of Portland in general, everyone is very giving and everyone wants to help, and that is exactly how people are in Sweden. Experiencing that in college is not something everyone gets, and that is something I can take away from my college experience.
Logan Emory
Graduation Year: Fall 2009
Major: General studies
Position and Team: Defender, LA Galaxy II
Has playing in the professional leagues always been a goal of yours?
It was a little kid dream, but as a kid you don’t understand the process, the nuisances and the roadblocks that are going to be in your way. Then as you get older you are forced to be a little bit more realistic. And so when I got to school, it was still something I wanted to do and something I that I could do, but you also start to see how hard it is. And that it’s maybe not everything you thought that it would be. It’s not all glitz, glamour and the spotlight with a bunch of money. Seeing the older guys go off and find their way in the soccer world fueled my fire a bit.
Malika Andrews is a sports reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at andrewsm17@up.edu or on Twitter @malika_andrews.
