While most University students were busy boosting their resumes at jobs or internships this summer, others were busy playing games.
That is, if you don't call playing the equivalent of international soccer for two-and-a-half months "work."
Some players on the Virginia women's soccer team spent their summers honing their game in the W-League, a women's league run by the United Soccer Leagues. The league boasts 34 teams in the United States and Canada, in five different divisions.
Sophomore Jen Redmond and senior Kelly Hammond played together for the league champion New Jersey Wildcats. Becky Sauerbrunn and Laura Comeau played for the Boston Renegades, and freshman Jess Rostedt played for the Cleveland Internationals women.
Since the demise of the WUSA, the W-League has served as a haven for displaced players seeking to continue their soccer careers.
Due to the league's semi-pro status, college players are allowed to participate and test their skills against competition that is often older, more experienced and more talented, forcing the college players to elevate their game to keep up.
"You're playing with players in their 20s and 30s, and they've been around the game for 15 years," sophomore Jen Redmond said. "You can't just play your regular game -- you've got to do something special. I think that taught me a lot about my own game and trying to step it up."
The league attracts top players not only in the United States, but some of the best international players as well.
"I got to play with three players who won the Olympics, players from all over the world," Redmond said. "We had players from Jamaica; we had players from the year before from Finland."
The style of play in the W-League is a departure from the college level, and the players agree it takes some getting used to in order to compete.
"I think for me personally, in terms of soccer, I learned the most about the speed of play," Hammond said. "I think college soccer is at one level and the semi-pro, pro and national teams are at another. The speed of play is much faster, and the play is much more physical."
The time and effort spent over the summer has paid off, most noticeably for newcomer Rostedt. Rostedt proved to be unstoppable over the summer, tallying eight goals and eight assists in only eight games for Cleveland. She has carried on that success with the Cavaliers, already scoring eight goals and four assists for Virginia in her first season.
Part of the league's popularity with college players lies with its timing. The college soccer season begins in the fall but is relatively short compared to most soccer leagues, some of which can last upwards of six months. Instead, college soccer is compressed into the fall sports season. With such a short season, it is essential for players to hit the ground running once they return to school.
"We were in the finals against Ottowa, which was basically the entire Canadian National team, the day before I had to come here for preseason," Redmond said. "I was playing right up to preseason, so I felt extremely fit and prepared."
Hammond said she views the summer spent with the W-League as an opportunity to "just keep the ball on her feet" and get prepared for the season.
"Soccer's not a sport where you can just play within your season," Hammond said. "It's year round. You can't not have the ball on your foot, so it was a good chance for Jen and I and the rest of the players to continue to play soccer."
Hopefully for Virginia, the extra time spent over the summer will translate to extra games won in the college season, as the Virginia women pursue ACC and national titles.
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