June 28, 2005

After starting all 23 matches for the Blue Devils on the defensive end, rising senior Heidi Hollenbeck is one of 10 starters returning for Duke in 2005. A product of Hartland, Wis., Hollenbeck sat down with GoDuke.com this week to talk about the spring season, the summer and next year.

GoDuke.com: How was the spring season for the Blue Devils?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I thought it went really well. We really got better with our strength. We've always been a good technical team, but for us to get stronger was a huge part we really needed to work on. We really held our own; you could see the progress from the weight room to the field, bumping other girls off instead of being bumped.

GoDuke.com: Did you make an extra emphasis after the season was over to get more in the weight room?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I think it all changed because of having a new weight coach come in, and her philosophy was different than what we've experienced in the past. So having Ann, our new coach, really emphasizing, `Hey, this is what soccer players need to do well to stay safe and prevent injury.' It was a different philosophy.

GoDuke.com: Did you and the team work on any certain aspects?

Heidi Hollenbeck: Spring is always geared toward the individual, so we wanted to focus in on what we could get better at. I think our original intention was to get better as a "Back Four" in becoming more comfortable with each other. Besides that, we did work on more of our individual aspects.

GoDuke.com: With the team advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 last year and returning all but one starter next season, is the team excited for next year to start?

Heidi Hollenbeck: We are really excited. We're excited for our team to welcome in the new five girls and really mesh as a unified body, a unified team. We know it's going to take all of us being on the same page and following through with our coaches' instructions and having a fire in us to compete, in addition to using our physical strength and also working on the things that we've seen throughout this spring.

GoDuke.com: You played a lot of minutes last season on defense. With the possibility of having Carly back and then adding a couple of new recruits in there too, is it exciting to have more people that can help the team out so that you don't have to play as many minutes?

Heidi Hollenbeck: It's really helpful to have more girls coming in who are able to contribute in a big way. The unity in the back is crucial for any team. To know your players, know the tendencies, and to have a greater selection of players is going to help our team in big ways.

GoDuke.com: After dealing with injuries as a sophomore, how nice was it to move into the starting lineup last season and play so much?

Heidi Hollenbeck: It was such a blessing. It's always a hard thing to go through injuries because you sometimes feel like you're not as much a part of the team. For me, during that whole sophomore year I was able to look for different ways I could contribute. That's what we encourage our injured girls now to do. I thank the Lord that he did give me the opportunity to come back and get in the starting lineup and play hard and strong consistently.

GoDuke.com: Was your move to the defensive end a tough transition for you?

Heidi Hollenbeck: Growing up, I had played in the back before, so it was not a big transition at all. I actually really enjoy it. During the summers I get to go back and play defensive center mid, which I originally played freshman year. It's neat because it gives me different perspectives. The move back was an exciting one. I was pumped to go back and use my heading ability and my tackling and ball-moving skills.

GoDuke.com: Did you and the rest of the team gain valuable experience playing at UCLA in the NCAA Tournament?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I think it really gave us experience at a level where we know we have to go and compete at our best. You can't bring anything but your best at that level, because it's not going to cut it. We know now that whether it's a sweet sixteen game or a regular season game we have to give it our best and bring all of our hearts into the game. We want to be training for the end of the season, and if we're not practicing what we're going to do at the end, there is not consistency.

GoDuke.com: What are the strengths of your game?

Heidi Hollenbeck: It's more of the mental aspect of the game. I like recognizing what the other team is playing, the skills of the forward who I'm defending, and ways to manipulate the game in a mental aspect. I also enjoy leading and just being able to communicate effectively to get our team in a unit quickly. Physically, I love ball winning and wanting to keep the ball for the team too--winning it and distributing the ball so we can counter-attack fast.

GoDuke.com: How is it playing for Head Coach Robbie Church?

Heidi Hollenbeck: Robbie has been such a father figure to most of us in that he cares and we never doubt that he cares for us. It's neat to have that away from home. I think the dynamic that he and Billy both offer to our team is such a complementary one in that Robbie knows the game and has so much experience for us to benefit from. To be able to learn from one who is so experienced is really fortunate for us.

GoDuke.com: How were your classes this past year?

Heidi Hollenbeck: The spring always offers more time for us to concentrate and have a mindset because the fall is so busy. For me, the pre-med classes are always demanding my best and they push me constantly to be disciplined with my time. That's what is so neat about Duke University. It calls out the best in me whether it's on the field or in my pre-med classes.

GoDuke.com: What are you majoring in?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I'm majoring in biological anthropology and anatomy, with a minor in Spanish. The pre-med studies are what you need in order to take the MCAT for med school. So the pre-med classes are kind of the side classes, but really they take up all my time.

GoDuke.com: What kind of doctor do you want to be?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I'm not really sure yet, and I don't even know if being a doctor is the end to all of this. I just keep praying that God's going to lead me in the right way. It might be business, like a M.D. / M.B.A. program because I love dealing with people, and I don't think being in a hospital room constantly would be what I'd enjoy the most.

GoDuke.com: Do you have a dream job in mind that would be great down the road?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I would love to stay in the sports scene, whether coaching a kids' team or the summer team that I'm involved with. I'm interested in sports ministry. So many countries play soccer, and it's such a popular sport that you can go to where other people are at and share the most important thing in your life with them through soccer. So if it were something to do with sports ministry as I get older, I would love that because it combines all the things I love into one.

GoDuke.com: Why don't you tell us a little bit about the team you're involved with during the summer in Charlotte. Do you travel somewhere every summer?

Heidi Hollenbeck: It kind of depends on the funds because it's a non-profit organization, but two years ago we went to Brazil on a soccer tour and stayed for two to three weeks. When we go, there are host families that live throughout Charlotte who volunteer to take in Charlotte Eagles players. There is a girls' team that's part of the semi-pro women's league and there's also a men's team that is in the professional A league. Because we're both owned by the same organization, Missionary Athletes International, it's really unique in that no other women's league team is owned by an organization such as this. Robbie was the one who actually gave me this experience before I was a freshman coming in that summer. I thank him so much, because it's been such an amazing experience going back every year.

GoDuke.com: What are your hobbies other than soccer?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I love mountain biking and basically being outside. I love mountain climbing and snowboarding. I like being outside by rivers and fishing, since I grew up on a lake in Wisconsin.

GoDuke.com: Are there are a lot of areas to go and hike at home?

Heidi Hollenbeck: When I walk out my porch door, I see Beaver Lake. So we have some boats and the wave runner. I grew up barefoot skiing, but I haven't really been able to do that as much because I never go home now due to the summers. So it's a sacrifice.

GoDuke.com: After school, would you like to end up going back to that area?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I've been really excited lately about going overseas when I graduate. I have an older sister who is my best friend; she and I do everything together. We've been planning to move to Italy and I'd love to play in a pro circuit over there and take some cooking classes. So that's kind of like the pre-medical school option if I take that route. I do have Wisconsin pride though, and there are memories there that are unbelievable. So I want to go back some day.

GoDuke.com: If you could play another sport at Duke other than soccer, what would it be?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I would start a women's ice hockey team; it's so popular up north. In Minnesota there are so many ice hockey teams, I would love to start one and just be rough and check.

GoDuke.com: Did you grow up playing hockey?

Heidi Hollenbeck: Yes, on the lake in the winter because it would freeze over like glass.

GoDuke.com: Have you had a fun class you have taken at Duke that stands out?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I have, and I took it in the spring. It was Dr. Bassett's 42nd year of his "Anatomy of the Lower Extremity" course. So you walk into this lab and there are twenty legs on lab tables all around you. It's such an amazing undergraduate experience that Duke can offer. You usually don't get to dissect a human cadaver or have the opportunity until medical school.

GoDuke.com: Being from Wisconsin, are you a Green Bay fan?

Heidi Hollenbeck: I like to call myself a "cheesehead" because of my Wisconsin pride. As far as the Packers, I kind of laugh at the hardcore support that the Wisconsinites have for the Packers. Every Sunday, you go to the grocery store and there's green and yellow everywhere. I'm not that hardcore, but I love Bret Favre and his competitiveness. I like to use him as a model for the diehard competitiveness that he offers to his team.

GoDuke.com: What did you think about the Hawaii trip last fall? I know you had a lot of family there for the trip so it had to be extra special for you.

Heidi Hollenbeck: What a great experience the coaches were able to give us through spending the extra money. It was so worth it because it's always a hard thing to go away from home and compete at your highest level. To be able to go the farthest away from home and to "bring it" and come away with two wins and two shutouts in an awesome environment of oceans and surfing--all that was just a really cool experience. Having my family there was an even cooler bonus.

Favorites:

Type of soccer shoe: Adidas Predator
Food:  Raisin Bran Muffins
TV Show:  I really don't watch TV--don't have time.
CD:  Andrea Bocelli (sp?) (Italian Opera)
Place at Duke:  I have a secret meadow in the Duke Gardens that I like to go to.
Class at Duke:  Biological Anthropology and Anatomy "Anatomy of the Lower Extremity" (Mentioned above)