Maryland women's soccer player Mandy Paizs always wanted to play soccer for Maryland and she got her wish. The senior took time to talk with theACC.com about her experiences as a student-athlete with the Terrapins.
When and how did you start playing soccer?
I started when I was four when my parents put me in a league so I could get out of the house some.
What other sports did you play in high school?
In high school I tried track for one year and played lacrosse for three years.
What made you choose soccer?
I had been playing soccer all of my life and I really liked it a lot. It was more interesting than lacrosse and I knew more about it.
Why did you choose Maryland?
I was born and raised on Maryland women's soccer. We moved here (Ellicott City, Md.) when I was in fourth grade. I've been going to camps since I was little. I started out at day camp, then went to sleepover camp. It is close to home, which I really like and it has a good business school.
Since home is so close to school, do people from your hometown come to your games?
Yeah, people make it out as much as possible. My parents have come to every single game, home and away. My parents' friends and my friends will come out when they're home from school.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far as an athlete?
For me, right now, it would be being named team captain because of the responsibility and knowing that people look up to me and rely on me as a player on the field as well as off the field. It is awesome knowing I can help them as much as they can help me.
What do you do that makes you a good leader?
It doesn't have to be a huge gesture - just little things work. If you know someone is having a bad practice or even if they do something really well, just making sure you say something to them, like "good job" or "you'll get it next time." If the drill's over and they were completely out of it, pull them aside and say why that's important and this is what you need to do. Just making sure you're not just looking at yourself, but you're looking at everyone else and encouraging them. You can't be stuck in your own world.
What do you still hope to accomplish in the future as an athlete?
Right now we want a winning season and getting our team back to the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. We haven't been there in a couple of years. That is something we are really looking for this year.
What do you do when you're away from the field?
Hang out with my roommates and teammates. We have designated TV nights, where we get together and hang out. I also have a lot of schoolwork.
What do you want to do after college?
Right now I'm planning on doing a two-week study abroad program and then getting involved in sports marketing. If I get in, the program is in London for two weeks and then I want to stay over there for another couple of weeks.
What is your greatest accomplishment off the field?
That would be balancing everything and maintaining a decent GPA. Getting into the business school was a big thing for me.
What was the best advice you ever received from a coach?
Don't ever give up and always work hard. If you work hard and always do your best, you can end the day knowing you did everything you could.
What is your gameday routine?
We always have our pregame meal, and I have a sandwich I eat at whichever place we go. I listen to my iPod on the way to the game and while I'm getting treatment and getting taped. Most of the team have a lot of bracelets and we tape them down before the game. I write things on the tape that I want to focus on during the game. If I get out of it during the game, I can look at it and get my head back into the game.
What are your expectations for your team this season?
We're really excited to get into ACC play. We have a big weekend coming up this weekend in Charlottesville at UVa with a couple of games that are out of conference. We are taking it game-by-game and trying to come out of it with a winning record. In the past we haven't done as well as we could have. We had a lot of close games last year and we need to come out on top of those and not have the heart-breaking losses and ties like we did last year. We want to get back to the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.
Paizs and the Terrapins travel to Charlottesville to face Dartmouth and William & Mary in the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic.
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