VCSoccer.com interviews alum Ryan Favre 10/1

VCSoccer.com:  How do you like attending OCU? 

Favre: OC is simply just an awesome place to be. A great atmosphere where you can grow not only with better "book knowledge," but also as an individual of character and faith. Plus these laptops we got are cooler than ice. ;) hah.

VCSoccer.com:  How have your classes been so far?

Favre: Classes have actually been alright. I've managed to get A's on my first 3 exams which I'm happy about. Chemistry and math are definitely my most time-consuming though. The American pol. econ. class that i'm taking right now though is ridiculously boring...it’s the only "Charlie brown" class I have fortunately.

VCSoccer.com:   What are your roomates like?

Favre:  Well they're great. They both have completely different personalities. Keenan is an extremely TALL Oklahoma City guy that you can't get to stop smiling and talking. He also has no hint of athleticism in his blood <lol>. Brady, on the other hand, is a varsity track star and much more quiet and mellow.

VCSoccer.com: How have you found the culture in Oklahoma to be different from San Jose?

Favre:  The culture over here is fairly similar to what you would find in SJ from my perception. The major difference is that Caucasians are, without question, the majority of the population. There are however, a fair number of foreign students here at OC. We have students ranging anywhere from Rwanda to France to even Japan and China. It's a very cool thing to have a majority of the countries represented at a school.

VCSoccer.com:  What do you think of the cafeteria food?

Favre:   Actually, the café food isn't too bad. Every day they have different stuff out that you can pick and choose from. The nice thing is that you always have a fallback; if you don't like the day's menu: pasta, pizza, fruit, and a salad bar are always available...not to mention water, soda, ice cream, and icee machines. The trick isn't about finding something you like...it’s about eating healthy. They like a lot of fried foods and I've found I like it too!

VCSoccer.com:  How do you guys look so far?

Favre: The team looks pretty good. Since I'm on the jv team, or the "developmental team" as they call it here, there are some quirks to be worked out... a.k.a. I miss the defense I had from last year <lol>. The forwards that I have been working with though are both seniors who've spent some time up with varsity at one point or another. A couple of the mids have some talent as well, and it’s always interesting to make some passing combos w/ them.

VCSoccer.com:   I understand you have a couple of goals, how did you score?

Favre:  Yeah, well we're 3w-1L-2t not including 2 forfeits 'wins' (I'm not sure how many more we'll have cuz teams keep canceling or not having enough players). I've had a lot of playing time and have been able to put 2 goals away. The first of which was just a breakaway opportunity 1v1 w/ the keeper (I can't stand all the pressure before you shoot on 1v1's <lol>). The second was just a nice left footed shot from about the 18 as I was running onto it and placed it in the far corner.

VCSoccer.com:  Have you travelled with the team anywhere?

Favre:  Well the team stays within Oklahoma primarily, but when we have traveled, I've been there.

VCSoccer.com:  How do you like the coach?

Favre:  The coach is a nice guy. Fairly reserved and laid-back, but he knows his stuff. He's actually a keeper for the team he plays on. The varsity coach, David Scott, is also a goalie coach interestingly enough.

VCSoccer.com:  How does college soccer differ from high school?

Favre:  College soccer is very much the same as H.S. in the sense that you train to get better. The main difference is that the shape you're in (running,etc.) is largely dependent upon your self-discipline on your own time, and also, it's much more competitive--even just within your own team. The coach will select a certain number of players to suit up for each game depending upon the performance in practice, so you have guys fighting for spots day in and day out. I've made every roster respectively, but really, it's all about how much you want it.

VCSoccer.com:  What advice would you give to the VC players who aspire to play college soccer?

Favre:  If you want to play soccer in college, just do it. Make sure you have your priorities straight (God, education, soccer), and then aspire to reach heights you wish to achieve. I'm not seeking a career in soccer or anything like that--I just wanted to play and enjoy it while still being able to do well and adjust in college. The jv team provided a relaxed schedule and SOCCER <lol> so I didn't tryout for the Varsity squad. Know your availability and commitment level; there's nothing wrong in doing jv if a school provides one and just HAVE FUN. That's most important. Don't get too busy that you can't enjoy the other aspects of life too!

VCSoccer.com:  Anything you want to say to the readers of VCSoccer.com?

www.vcsoccer.com