Welcoming Nina Perry to SOS Q&As!
Nina Perry is a alumni player of Rush Soccer as well as First Flight Highschool and Concord University. Having grown up in Kill Devil Hills, OBX, NC she came from a small community with little options. Nina drove about an hour and a half regularly to come train with her team Virginia Rush located in Virginia Beach, VA.
She previously attended Cape Fear Community College but transferred to Concord University. She has joined us for a SOS Q&A to share her thoughts and advice. Nina now coaches part-time after graduating from Concord. She played midfield and was an excellent worker as well as an overall great teammate.
Nina never had the easy route in her career, so read what she thinks to get the point of view of a player who faced adversity!
NINA PERRY Q&A
1: What was your favorite thing about college soccer?
My favorite thing about college soccer was the accountability + support. Even on the days I didn’t want to be present, put in the work, or think I was good enough, I had my team behind me to push me, to work harder, and to be better. And of course being a part of a successful team.
2: Could you tell me one moment of adversity you had to face and how you dealt with it?
A moment/moments of adversity I had to deal with was the limitation of my height/size when getting recruited. I didn’t get recruited by many of the schools I wanted to because of it. I was good enough, just not big enough. It made me want to train harder and prove to people even though I’m small I am more than good enough.
3: During your college search, was there anything that you did to help prepare yourself for the college athlete life?
What made me most prepared for being a collegiate athlete was the way I trained and the type of training I did. I did cross-fit, ran indoor and outdoor track, injury prevention physical therapy, played grass soccer + futsal. I trained every day and incorporated a minimum of two of these activities a week.
4: Did you have any regrets about where you went to school and if so, what do you wish you had done or could’ve done instead?
I don’t have regrets about where I went because it has helped mold me into the person, athlete, and coach I am today. If I could redo anything it would be to do better academically in high school. I couldn’t go to my dream school to play since I didn’t meet the academic requirements for any academic scholarships and made my cost of tuition too expensive for my family.
5: As a former collegiate athlete what is one piece of advice that you could give soon to be collegiate players?
My one piece of advice would be to show up and just do your best. If you have a bad day, show up to practice and do your best. You had a test and you’re tired from travelling, show up and do your best. If you didn’t have the best game, show up and do your best the next game. With being a collegiate athlete you have so much pressure on you from your parents, to coaches, to your teammates, and yourself. It’s normal. You can’t be 100%, every single day with everything you do.
But you can say you showed up and you did your best. Don’t let the pressure dictate who you are. College and being an athlete doesn’t last forever. You don’t want to look back 5-10 years after graduating and say “I could’ve done this better, I could’ve done that better”. By showing up and giving it your best, you won’t have those moments of regret.
6: Being a former Rush player, tell me your favorite thing about the Rush club and Rush community.
I felt I was a very involved Rush player. I did all the tournaments I could, went to as much training as I could, met so many coaches. Now, 6 years out of the club, I can still reach out and get training if I wanted it. I’m able to get opportunities to learn from any of the coaches on staff to be a better coach myself. As well as still getting recognition for who I was as a player. I’ve seen many previous coaches at tournaments or even the grocery store and they remember who I am. That’s what makes Rush feel like family.
7: Knowing what you know now about adulting and not playing competitive soccer anymore, is there anything you could share about the difficulties of the transition?
The transition from being a collegiate athlete to an adult was one of the most difficult life changes I’ve gone through. When you’re an athlete, you have just about every hour of your day planned out up to 6 months in advance. When you’re in the adult world, you sometimes have no idea what you’re going to do tomorrow. You will go from such a structured lifestyle, to anything goes and it can be overwhelming or discouraging, and that’s alright. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself if you don’t know what to do. Also, your teammates and classmates’ paths are going to be different, everyone’s will be. There’s no right or wrong way to do life. Ask a former teammate, family, or reach out to friends. Just do not keep it to yourself. It can be difficult but everything can be figured out.
8: From playing at a high level, what kind of skills and mindsets do you believe players should have to help them succeed?
Always be willing to learn and step out of your comfort zone. There are so many amazing platforms to grow and be a successful soccer player that don’t require you to have a ball at your feet. Every athlete should be lifting. I owe lifting so much to the success of my career. It helps with explosiveness, balance, strength, preventing injuries, and so much more.
Do training with a different coach that isn’t your go-to coach. A new coach can provide fresh drills and perspectives on areas you can master. My mindset growing up and currently is, “I’m good at what I’m doing, but it can always be better”. Everyone is training, so to say you’re training usually isn’t enough. How hard are you working? How hard are you willing to work? What are you doing that is going to make you stand out? Make that your motivation.
NINA HAS NO SOCIALS. BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR HER, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW OR REACH OUT TO US!
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