Senior Bree Ehmer signed to play soccer at Division 2 Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. on Dec 6.

“I’m definitely hoping to play at a higher level,” Ehmer said. “No matter where, college soccer is going to be a higher level than club or school.”

Mike Lord, head coach of the girls’ junior varsity soccer team, said Ehmer will have to adjust to the effort needed to play college sports.

“The level of intensity of training is at least 10 times if not more than club soccer or high-school soccer,” he said. “I’m certain her coach will set her up with a fitness package to keep her in shape, but college soccer is a completely different animal than what she’s used to.”

Lord said college athletes  also need to adjust to being in new place and playing in a different environment.

“It may be a shock at first and of course they’ll be homesick at the beginning,” Lord said. “Once it’s September or so, she should be comfortable.”

Ehmer agrees

“I’ll obviously be homesick at first, but I’m mainly excited to get out of the state and play at the new higher level,” she said. “Physical fitness is a high standard up there. I’m going to be conditioning and finding how I can use my skills I know now up there.”

Lord said college soccer is competitive because of the value found in every player.

“If you pick the biggest fastest or most skilled person on our varsity team, everyone on her college team will be that big, fast and strong all at the same time,” he said. “It’ll be like the big fish in a small pond, where she’ll be a  freshman again, learning the ropes and getting used to the new environment.”

Along with keeping up with her team, Ehmer will have to manage her time between her classes and team.

“I’m not too worried about juggling classes and sports at the same time because I’m already used to that,” she said. “West Shore has prepared me because of all the AP courses and the challenging classes, so I should be able to adapt once I get there.”

Lord said Ehmer has shown may qualities needed to play for a college team.

“She already shows leadership and dedication to her team here by how she trains and treats everyone,” he said. “Her size and speed are going to help her as well, but she will have to work much harder than she’s used to to be ready to compete up there.

Ehmer said she’s looking forward to the challenge.

“I played at a showcase in front of [the Catawba team],” she said. “That’s where I met the coach and also where they first found out about me. The also invited me to practice with them, so by the time I get there I’ll already know everyone on the team.”

Lord said he believes Ehmer has the chance to be successful at college and beyond.

“If she stays in shape and avoids injuries, which I’ve seen take out lots of good players, we could definitely see her succeed,” he said. “If everything goes smoothly, we could see her again in four or five years playing professional soccer somewhere overseas.”

By Christian Thein