By Kyle Soppe
After earning Dominion District Player of the Year honors her senior year at Cosby High, Becca Wann was ready to embark on her division 1 soccer career. Her high school resume proved to be an accurate indicator, and she dominated the A-10 soccer scene as a freshman. Wann started 14 games and tallied a team leading 10 goals and 21 points on her way to making Spider soccer history. She was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year (the first in Richmond history), and was voted to the All-Conference First Team.
Most athletes would enjoy the success, take a few months off, and then prepare for the 2011 campaign. However, the high scoring soccer star had higher ambitions, and approached Head Basketball Coach Michael Shafer about walking on to his team.
Wann had experienced great high school success in hoops, but it was assumed that with the decision to play D1 soccer, that basketball simply wasn’t an option. She started for all four years of high school, and was nominated for the McDonald’s All American game her senior year. Stars like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders managed to play two sports at the professional level, but in this day and age of around the clock devotion to one’s specific craft, was this really possible?
“We’ll have to wait and see” was Shafer’s response to the unique situation.
As a low-risk (walk-on not needing a scholarship) and potentially high reward prospect, Shafer gave Wann the green light to try out for the team. Her grit and determination earned her a roster spot. Wann would keep the two sports she loved and in which she excelled.
“The biggest thing for Becca isn’t that she is exceptional at both sports, but rather, she truly does love both and can’t choose just one” said her freshman roommate Lauren Schute.
So would this hectic schedule compromise Wann’s potential?
Not Exactly.
As a freshman on the basketball team, Wann served as a spark plug off of the Spider bench. She averaged 3.1 points and 3 rebounds per game, and offered energy when it came to defense.
Statistics can’t always tell the whole story, and in Wann’s case, the numbers couldn’t be less important. Her team-first attitude would be welcomed on any roster. Her skills and tenacity helped the Spiders finish with an impressive 18-12 mark.
Basketball season came to an end after an NIT loss to UNC-Wilmington. Wann shifted her focus time to the upcoming soccer season. She answered any questions about durability with an outstanding 2011 season. She was voted the A-10 offensive player of the year, as she scored 15 goals and set up six others. Her seven game winning goals set an all time record, and she ranked nationally in goals (13th) and points (17th).
After leading the Spiders to a 13-5-3 record, their best since 2002, Wann has rejoined the basketball team, and will be ready for their season opener on Friday.
Glad to see two-sport athletes still exist out there. If anything, they’re nearly extinct with the men. I think it’s commendable that despite being the star player in one, she loves it so much to sacrifice and be a role player in another. It would be so easy to just concentrate on soccer conditioning year round. If I could go back, I’d play every season in high school and enjoy the fraternity of sports more than concentrate at achieving great things in one. Heck – I was never going professional in anything anyway 🙂