Eat, sleep, and breathe soccer. That's what junior defender Pam Schneck does for the University at Buffalo's women's soccer team.
Schneck said she was always kicking a soccer ball around as she grew up in the Long Island town of Dix Hills.
"I've been playing soccer since I was five years old and I still love playing just as much as the day I started," Schneck said.
Most of her free time, dating back to the beginning of her childhood, has been spent playing soccer. She's played on the HBC Fury club soccer team since she was 10 years old and she lettered in soccer all four years at Half Hollow Hills East High School.
Soccer played a huge role in one of the biggest decisions a young adult has to make.
"Soccer was a large reason that I chose to come to UB. I took my five official visits to schools, but I really enjoyed the team and love the campus. If I could do it all over again I would make the same decision," Schneck said.
Her career at UB started strong. As a freshman, Schneck appeared in all 20 of the team's games, starting 14 of those contests.
As a sophomore last season, she was one of only two players to start all 20 games for the Bulls.
Schneck feels that her team has changed a lot over the course of the three years that she has been at UB.
"The team has changed dramatically since my freshman year. When I first came here we had a lot of really talented individuals, but now that many (of them) have graduated I have seen our team evolve and really come together," Schneck said.
Not many defensive players get recognition, but head coach Jean-A. Tassy appreciates what she brings to the team.
"Pam has been a solid defender; she fits in very well for us. She really adds strength and a physical presence to our defense," Tassy said.
When you put as much time into one thing as Schneck does for soccer, goal setting, working towards those goals, and achieving those goals become the driving force behind the dedication you show.
"My personal goal is to score a goal, but as a team I believe we have the ability to win the MAC tournament and make it to the NCAA's," she said.
With soccer being a big part of who she is as a student athlete, it's easy to understand why Schneck's ultimate goal before she graduates from UB revolves around the sport.
"The main thing I want to achieve is to lead our team to be the first in UB history to make it to the NCAA's. We have the ability to do it, it's just a matter of everything coming together in time," Schneck said.
Spending the majority of her time on the soccer field has taught Schneck how to succeed in school.
"Being a Division-I athlete is really time consuming, so one of the things that soccer has helped me out with most is time management and responsibility. When spring season comes around, getting up every day at 5:45 a.m. to go to practice teaches you responsibility. I usually like to stay up late, so it took a lot of discipline to change my habits," she said.
Off the field, she is a business administration major in general management with a political science minor. After she graduates she wants to go into real estate law and open her own business.
In many ways Schneck is like the average college student, but she pointed to the passion she has that makes her unique.
"I think what makes me different from the average person is that I can be really passionate about things, but also extremely carefree at the same time," Schneck said.
Five Random Questions
1) Q: Who's your favorite cartoon character?
A: My all-time favorite cartoon character is Scooby-Doo, but one of my new favorites is Bruce from "Finding Nemo."
2) Q: Yankees or Red Sox?
A: Yankees, without a question!
3) Q: What's your favorite book?
A: The last book I read and really enjoyed was "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown.
4) Q: Sweats or jeans?
A: Usually I'm a big fan of sweats, but I love to get dressed up and go out too. Either way, I always have to have everything matching.
5) Q: What's your favorite dessert?
A: I'm addicted to Fudgesicles, but for real food I'd have to go with brownies.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
