Making a commitment

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

It’s one of the biggest day’s in a student-athletes high school career. It’s a day where all the hard work they have put in from the time they were small has finally paid off.

So, when it is finally time to make a commitment there is a lot of emotion, and relief, that this part of the process is over.

“What went into my decision was seeing the team culture for myself. When I went for my visit, the team was super welcoming and friendly. I saw how close all the girls were and it was something that I instantly knew I wanted to be apart of,” stated St. Mary’s High School soccer player Lily Iozzia. “Not only were the players nice but the coach’s as well. They have done an amazing job growing the team and the family they have created there makes you feel like you’re apart of something super special.”

Iozzia is talking about the University at Buffalo. She has committed to play her next four years for a program that is reaching new heights all the time. The Bulls just recently were ranked in the top 25 after beating a top 10 Pittsburgh team during their season opener.

While in the end she chose UB, Iozzia still had to go through the process. The recruiting process at times can sure be an eye opening experience. College coaches will nit pick everything there is about a student-athlete.

After all , they are trying to get the best of the best. At times it becomes a mind numbing experience, and one where Iozzia learned a lot about herself.

“What I learned about myself through the process is that no matter what is going on with colleges you have to focus on yourself,” stated Iozzia. “If you get too swept up into the process you don’t have that time to actually enjoy it. Being able to go through the process is honestly a blessing because it shows that you put the work in and people are recognizing that.”

During the process, Iozzia had a great resource to fall back on in coach Brittany Steele. Steele (formally Heist) was a standout at Lancaster High School before taking her talents to Boston University.

When is comes to soccer, Steele knows what it takes to get to the next level. Besides coaching at St. Mary’s, she is also a coach for the Western New York Flash, the premier travel soccer club in Western New York.

For Iozzia being able to bounce things off of Steele was a lot of help as she was going through the process.

“For me Coach Britt has always been a huge help. She would ask me about the process and how it’s going for me and give me advice and just tell me to enjoy it,” stated Iozzia. “She was a big part of me being able to take a step back to enjoy it all. All of the coaches in my life were supporting me every step of the way, they would help me narrow down what I wanted in a school so I could look for those things when communicating with different schools.”

On the field, Iozzia is a solid defender. She will take on anyone 1v1 and go up against some of the best forwards in e Western New York. All people see is the end result on the field. Her making crunching tackles, winning 50/50 balls. What they don’t see is the hard work she is putting in before the games.

It all starts in practice. Iozzia practices just as hard everyday and it shows on the field.

“One thing that I’ve learned is to practice even harder than you play. You have to train in an intense environment for it to translate to your game,” stated Iozzia. “I think all the teams i’ve been on have done an excellent job of that. One thing I always pride myself in is whenever I step on the field you’re going to get my all no matter what. My coach put me out there and I have to seize that opportunity to earn everything because nothing is going to be handed to you.”

She also is the stability that St. Mary’s needs in the back. She is a proven leader that has the respect of her teammates every time she steps on the pitch. Iozzia knows to be effective in her position it’s all about communication.

Being the last line of defense allows her to see everything in front of her. It allows her to see things that some of her teammates in the midfield can’t even see. So, from the there, it’s all about communicating with the rest of her partners on defense to make sure they are in the right position at the right time.

“As a player in the back as the last line of defense you see everything in front of you and you see things that some players can’t see in their position. Just communicating with your teammates can make a significant difference,” stated Iozzia. “Something I take pride in is that I lead by example, just meaning I would never ask my teammates to do something that I wouldn’t do. I think that is an important part of being on a successful team.”

Another thing that is important is working on the mental side of the game. Everyone knows how physical soccer can be. If you are a defender you out there for the full 90 minutes. While you can do everything on the field physically, if your mental game is not there you will have major problems.

“Something about soccer that I don’t think people think a lot about is how mental the game is. If your mental isn’t right your game is not gonna showcase what you are truly capable of achieving. Something that I do in my games is to tune out all the distractions,” stated Iozzia. “I don’t get in my head and think about what mistakes I made or worry about mistakes I haven’t made. I try not to worry about something that hasn’t happened yet, and if i do make a mistake I just tell myself to do better next time.”

That type of mentality is one of the reasons what Iozzia is a leader on this team. She knows she is there to set an example for the younger girls that are coming up. At one point, Iozzia was just like them, trying to make a name for herself while soaking in everything from the upperclassmen.

Now, she is the upperclassmen trying to give knowledge to the young girls, who are just trying to find their way on and off the field.

“Being apart of St. Mary’s has been such an amazing experience. Having the younger girls look up to you makes you want to be a better person on the field and off the field,” stated Iozzia. “You are there to set an example for them when your with them they pay attention to the little things you do, so it’s important to show them what’s the right thing to do.”