Honor • Duty • Respect - The Citadel

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y Sarah Stierwalt, ’11Thanks to her extraordinary work ethic, Mariana Garcia, a freshman soccer playerfrom Bogotá, Colombia, soared above all others during the 2010-2011 season,earning her Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year, AllSouthern Region Team, and a place on America’s All Freshman Team.“Soccer is one of the most important sports you can play if you live in Colombia,”said Garcia, who joined the national soccer team after she graduated from her localhigh school in Colombia.Garcia was recruited by The Citadel while she was playing for Colombia. Her performance on thenational team caught the attention of assistant coach Enrique Rodriguez, who is in his second year asthe Bulldogs’ assistant soccer coach and is also from Bogotá.“It was an incredible opportunity for her,” said Rodriguez. “The academic environment at TheCitadel is excellent.”Garcia was one of eight people from her hometown of Bogotá recruited to play in the United States. As afreshman, she led the Bulldogs to the semi-finals in the Southern Conference. She is not as tall as some of theother women and may not be as strong or even as fast, yet she strides past others with her technique.Garcia was named player of the year, not because she scored the most goals throughout the season,but because she was a player whose hard work and talent were noticed by everyone. Even as a freshman,she had the ability to lead the women on her team.“She seemed to always know where the ball was and be on top of it,” said Rodriguez.Head soccer Coach Bob Winch, who has been at The Citadel for five years, is enthusiastic aboutGarcia’s commitment.“The number of hours that Mariana puts into practice is incredible. Her hard work has significantlyimproved her footwork and ball handling,” said Winch.16 The Citadel 2011
Hard work is something that Winch stresses to his players,and, as a coach, he leads by example.“You can’t be predictable as a coach at The Citadel becauseroutine is a big part of the cadets’ everyday life,” said Winch,who changes practice around so that players don’t know whatto expect. “Playing soccer breaks up the monotony of thestructured environment.”Winch found himself in a unique situation when he cameto The Citadel from the University of Central Florida, wherehe coached the men’s team.“I had never coached women before, and I had a lot to learnabout women’s soccer,” he said. “The cadets on the team had theability to lead practice and, as each one took in what I had toteach them, I also learned things from them. I learn somethingnew every day I step out on the field to coach the team.”Strong leadership is essential on the soccer field. Becausethere are no timeouts and no way to call a play in the middleof the game, the women on the team have to make their owndecisions on the playing field.“Mariana does a great job of this, but she is not alone inthe effort,” said Winch. “All of the women did a fantastic job.There was good chemistry. They’re a tight-knit group, andthey’re all goal oriented.”Garcia is not focused solely on soccer. A biology major,she hopes to become a veterinarian. She returned to Bogotálast summer for the opportunity to play with her nationalteam in the World Cup. She hopes to have the ultimatechallenge next summer, to play for Colombia at the 2012Olympics in London.When Garcia stepped on the field to play soccer withcollege women from the United States, she did not speakEnglish well and had never been to The Citadel or SouthCarolina. She faced cultural differences in a new country andthe demands of the fourth class system. Her challenges weregreat, but Garcia forged ahead with the strength, determinationand hard work of a natural leader, bringing positive recognitionnot only to herself but to her team and The Citadel.During the 2010-2011 academic year, Sarah Stierwaltinterned with the Office of External Affairs and served in the Corpsof Cadets as regimental human affairs officer. She graduated inMay with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Bachelor ofScience degree in Health, Exercise and Sport Science.“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”Vince LombardiThe Citadel 2011 17
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