Senior forward Jorie Freitag plays an important role for the Women’s Soccer team as a captain and one of the most experienced players on the team. Freitag followed a 2nd Team All-UAA performance during her sophomore season by being named an All-UAA Honorable mention this past season. Among other accomplishments, Freitag has been part of the All-Academic UAA team for two consecutive years.
How did you get into soccer?
Both of my parents are athletes and so they wanted their kids to get involved with sports and threw me in at a young age. I always enjoyed it and when I was ten, I made the decision to play competitively. Eventually I ended up on FC Portland’s ECNL team, which was the deciding factor in choosing to pursue collegiate soccer. I realized that not only had I always loved soccer, but it was something I wasn’t quite ready to give up yet.
What do you enjoy most about soccer at UR?
I love the unity of our program. To be able to come into the team and feel so instantly accepted and a part of something important heightened the college experience for me. When I step onto the field I know I’m backed by not just teammates, but life-long friends, roommates, classmates, and people who want the best for me. I also love the competition; playing soccer is such a release from the stress of college and to be able to just have fun and play is a very healthy escape from everything else that might be going on.
How have you grown as an athlete over the course of your collegiate career?
I’ve definitely grown stronger since starting here due to our weight lifting regime and what I’ve found to be expected from me as a college soccer player. My first year I played mainly on the right outside midfield, but now I’ve adapted to play other positions on our team including center midfield and striker. I think I’ve become a more well-rounded player and overall more powerful athlete throughout my time here.
What is your proudest accomplishment as an athlete, and why?
My proudest accomplishment would have to be the way in which I have stepped into a position of leadership for our team and led by example. I am a vocal person but I shy away from conflict and so leadership does not always come naturally to me, but I think I have helped our team grow through my guidance and I hope that is something I can carry forward when I enter the real world.
How do you balance academics and athletics?
Time management! My planner is set months in advance so that I have plenty of time to know when conflicts will arise, to factor in my work and volunteer schedule, and to still perform at the level I want to be at in every area. It is a precocious edge, but I’ve had the support I need to manage it and I’m really thankful I ended up at a school that has cheered me on every step of the way.
Who has had the greatest impact on your athletic career, and why?
That would have to be my old soccer coach Chris Connell. He was the coach who really inspired me to play with passion and aggression, or awesome fighting spirit as we call it on our team. I played for Connell from age 10 until I was 14, and I strongly believe that his coaching developed me into the athlete I am, technically, mentally, and physically.
If you could have a lifetime supply of one food, what would you choose?
I love pasta! My dad calls me a carb-aholic and rightly so. One of my favorite meals is pasta with chicken and vegetables; I could survive on that for a long time.
If you could be a character from any movie, who would you be and why?
I would want to be Hermione Granger from “Harry Potter.” That’s easily one my favorite characters both to read about and to watch. She’s intelligent, kind, and loyal to her friends and embodies what strong women should look like!
