The Yellow Armband: The Three Musketeers
10/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 14, 2009
Each Wednesday of the 2009 season, one of the Michigan women's soccer captains -- Jackie Carron, Alex Jendrusch, Amy Klippert and Kylie Neschke -- will give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the U-M program.
The Yellow Armband with Kylie Neschke
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14 -- The Three Musketeers
So far these have been a quick glimpses into the exciting lives of the U-M soccer Wolvergirls -- as former assistant coach Aileen Guiney would say. You will now get a sneak peak into the hustle and game of a gang found among the team distinguished as the 'Injured Reserve.'
Don't be mistaken, this is an exclusive group that hates accepting new members and it comes on a rare occasion when a teammate qualifies for a position. Our territory includes the Canham Natatorium and soccer fields, along with our main crib located at the soccer building. It is here you can often spot The IR's notorious leader (athletic trainer) Tina Scully, referenced as T-diddy or Sculls. As of now The IR is made up of three elite members; Eunnie 'Ultimate Danger' Kim, Clare 'Tink' Stachel, and myself, Kylie 'Kyle' Neschke. Honestly, this group is pretty sweet. Some teammates have been know to get jealous and make daily appearances here and there, however, for now it is just the three of us and we hope to keep it that way.
Yes, it is a tough life for us select few, however, we make the most of it and have some great times together. Usually our days consist of meeting at the Nat for treatment sessions and again later on our home turf at the soccer building with T-Diddy. After numerous leg lifts by Tink and I, and some back stretching for Ultimate Danger, we make our way over to the soccer fields for practice.
Today the IR Crew almost snuck into a game of soccer horseshoes with the team; however, due to the high risk of my recent surgery and Tink's fragile knee, the trainers quickly stopped our plans. Ultimate Danger would have joined in on our devious behavior, too, but she accidentally took the wrong bus to practice, leaving her a solid uphill mile away from our fields.
On bus trips, Tink and I may have to create our own IR signs, such as special flags for our bum legs that can't help but stick out of the bus aisles. This has caused numerous accidents from other teammates making their way back and forth on the bus. After our new flag signs are in place, I am confident our teammates will beware of messing with one of IR members again.
We consistently find ourselves with other teammates attempting to become an official member. So far, none have been deemed worthy enough for this honor. Some teammates keep coming back for more, but we won't grant them permission to join. Some players run scared and are determined to stay away from our gang as much as possible, and we love them for that. Goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer would have made a strong impression on our group had she accomplished a neck deep ice bath, but unfortunately her lack of breathing rendered this a failure. Jamie Morton has a habit of face planting into dirt every practice, so it would not be a huge surprise to see her back again soon with another self-inflicted tripping mishap. She is clearly desperate to become associated with the supreme IR unit and we can't blame her for that.
While this club is highly exclusive, we make sure to always have our teammates backs and constantly support their efforts in both games and practices, because we know they all have done the same for us. Cheer on Michigan this week as we challenge Purdue and Indiana for some big W's! HAIL!
