U-19 WNT camp update with Mandy McGlynn

Freshman goalkeeper blogs about her experience in Florida

February 2, 2017

Sunrise, Fla. – Hey Hokie fans! This is Mandy.

It is day six at camp in Sunrise, Florida, and I am having a great experience!

I am always excited about going back to camp! I get to rekindle friendships and play with the best young players in the country. However, this camp is a little different than the other one’s I have been to. We added another birth year in the mix, so it has both 98’s and 99’s, which is very cool because I'm making some new friendships!

Aside from making new friends, there also are nervous jitters that go with being back at camp. I usually get nervous right before we do fitness testing, which we did on day two, but after I powered through that, I have been pretty relaxed.

Upon arrival last Saturday, the team trained right away! Then we had two training sessions on Sunday. The first session was indeed our fitness testing, where we completed the dreadful beep test. It was very exhausting, but I achieved a score of 25, which was the highest out of the other three goalkeepers here.

Monday was our last two-a-day session, and Tuesday we played our traditional intrasquad match. We divided into two teams and played a real game with real referees. We played a total of 60 minutes with two 30-minute halves. All the goalkeepers played an equal amount of time, so we were back-and-forth playing for both teams.​

However, camp isn't always just soccer. The entire team went out to dinner at the Grand Deluxe Café on Tuesday. It was very much like the Cheesecake Factory, and it was very delicious! This also was my first time at camp where we were able to get dessert at the restaurant! We also had a beach trip Wednesday morning. We got to go in the water and walk around and see all the different shops. I bought a snow-globe.​

And of course, we definitely have to bond as a team! We had a lip singing competition last night, where we split up in groups and performed a song. It was very fun. My group sang ‘Best of Both Worlds’ by Hannah Montana, and we proudly got second. It can be assumed that camp is very serious on the field, but it is very fun off the field as well!

The most frequently asked question I get before and after these camps is ‘how do you handle being away from classes for a week?’ It isn't easy. I stick to my due dates and complete everything that has to be done on time. There are gaps between training, so that time is designated for school work. The day-to-day schedule also has time slots for "study hall" hours, so I get most of my work done then.

The worst is having to prepare for tests that I have when I get back, which is what I am doing right now. Overall, it isn't easy being away from classes, study hall and tutors, but I do my very best. I know that with camp comes academic struggles, but it is worth being back with the team and the coaching staff.

My main goal is to always have a positive mentality and take away as much information as I can. As young of a player as I am, I still have so much to learn about the game and so much room to grow. With such an experienced coaching staff, I love learning and implementing their advice and information they give. It makes me a better goalkeeper. It’s really awesome to wear the Virginia Tech uniform, so I enjoy taking what I learn and transferring it on the field in Blacksburg.

Up next: USA will play a match against the University of Central Florida tomorrow at the Paul Fillipe Estate in Palm City, Florida. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WSoccer