ON TUESDAY, FORMER CODY FILLY AND NORTHWEST COLLEGE WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYER, GENEVIEVE SAUERS SIGNED HER NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT TO CONTINUE HER CAREER AT IDAHO STATE. SAUERS ORIGINALLY COMMITTED TO PLAYING AT ISU BACK IN NOVEMBER. I WAS IN POWELL ON TUESDAY DURING HER SIGNING AND CAUGHT UP WITH THE FORMER FILLY AND TRAPPER. SAUERS ON WHY SHE CHOSE IDAHO STATE.
“I JUST FELL IN LOVE FROM THE MINUTE I WENT TO VISIT THERE. AS SOON AS I GOT THERE IT JUST FELL LIKE HOME, YOU KNOW? AND THEY TELL YOU WHEN YOU’RE A STUDENT ATHLETE, THAT’S WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, YOU WANT TO GO TO THE PLACE THAT FEELS LIKE HOME. I’VE BEEN ON CAMPUS TOURS AND I HAVEN’T REALLY BEEN ANYWHERE THAT’S BEEN LIKE ‘OH MY GOSH, THIS IS IT, LIKE THIS IS THE PLACE.’ AS SOON AS I GOT THERE FOR THE TRYOUT, IT JUST, IT FELT LIKE HOME FROM THE BEGINNING. THE GIRLS WERE SO WELCOMING, THE COACH WAS AWESOME, IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE.”
FROM HER TIME IN HIGH SCHOOL TO THE TWO YEARS SHE PLAYED AT NORTHWEST, SAUERS HAS MOVED ALL OVER THE PITCH PLAYING MULTIPLE POSITIONS. SAUERS TALKS ABOUT HOW THAT WAS A BENEFIT OF HERS BACK IN NOVEMBER WHEN SHE ATTENDED A TRYOUT AT IDAHO STATE.
“YOU GET SEPARATED INTO TEAMS BASED ON YOUR POSITION AND I HAD REGISTERED AS A MIDFIELDER WHICH IS WHAT I’M USED TO PLAYING. WE GET TO GROUP-TIME AND EVERYONE’S LIKE ‘WELL I PLAY MIDFIELD, WELL I PLAY MIDFIELD. WHO’S GOING TO PLAY DEFENSE?’ I WAS LIKE I’LL PLAY DEFENSE. I PLAYED A LITTLE BIT HERE AT NORTHWEST. THE COACH CALLED ME THAT WEEK AND SHE WAS LIKE ‘WE JUST LOVED HOW YOU PLAYED ON DEFENSE AND WE WANT TO RECRUIT YOU AS A CENTER-BACK.” I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH THIS IS AWESOME. IT’S A NEW POSITION BUT I’M REALLY EXCITED TO TRY IT OUT.”
SAUERS SAYS THAT PLAYING DIVISION 1 SOCCER HAS BEEN A DREAM OF HERS SINCE SHE WAS 3-YEARS-OLD. HOWEVER, FOLLOWING HER ILLUSTRIOUS HIGH SCHOOL CAREER SAUERS WASN’T QUITE READY FOR D1. WHILE THE JUCO ROUTE CAN GET A BAD WRAP AT TIMES, SAUERS ADDS GOING TO NORTHWEST COLLEGE WAS THE BEST DECISION SHE EVER MADE.
“PLAYING AT NORTHWEST COLLEGE HAS HELPED ME FURTHER MY SKILLS, FURTHER MY FITNESS, FURTHER MY MENTALITY TO PLAY AT THE NEXT LEVEL. IT’S A HIGHER LEVEL. JUCO ITSELF IS A HIGHER LEVEL SO YOU DO HAVE TO TRAIN EVERY DAY AND GIVE IT YOUR BEST EVERY DAY AND PLAYING AT THE DIVISION 1 LEVEL’S THE SAME BUT TIMES 10. IT JUST GETS YOU PREPARED FOR PLAYING AT THE NEXT LEVEL.”
GENEVIEVE ALSO TOOK A MOMENT TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG ATHLETES WITH A DREAM TO CONTINUE THEIR PLAYING CAREERS.
“STAY STRONG. A LOT OF PEOPLE MAKE FUN OF YOU FOR BEING SO DEDICATED TO YOUR SPORT AND YOU CAN’T LET THAT BREAK YOU DOWN. THEIR WERE TIMES IN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE ‘YOU PLAY SOCCER TO MUCH, YOU GO TO THE GYM TO MUCH.’ IF YOU CARE ABOUT IT AND YOU WANT TO MAKE IT WORK YOU GOTTA PUT IN THAT WORK, YOU GOTTA MAKE IT BE SOMETHING THAT IS ACHIEVABLE. DON’T BE SCARED EITHER.”
UP NEXT FOR THE FORMER FILLY AND NORTHWEST COLLEGE STANDOUT IS A LOT OF TRAINING TO GET HERSELF INTO THE BEST SHAPE POSSIBLE. SHE WILL HEAD TO POCATELLO IN MID JULY WHERE SHE WILL COMPETE IN PRE-SEASON MATCHES AND FIGHT FOR A STARTING ROLE ON THE TEAM.
“I’M JUST SO THANKFUL FOR ALL MY COACHES IN THE PAST, THEY’VE REALLY HELPED ME GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY AND MY PARENTS. THEY DO EVERYTHING TO HELP ME GET TO WHERE I WANT TO BE. THEY KNOW THAT THIS WAS A GOAL OF MINE AND THEY HELPED ME SO MUCH.”
AND FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW, YOU CAN LISTEN HERE: https://soundcloud.com/user-939526834/genevieve-sauers-interview?in=user-939526834/sets/sports-with-cole-havens
