Women's Soccer collaborates with cast of The Wolves for Freed Center production
February 21, 2018
By Caleb Scott
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's soccer team had the unique experience of collaborating with the cast of Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves as the Freed Center for the Performing Arts is set to host the drama this weekend from Thursday, Feb. 22-Sunday, Feb. 25.
The Wolves provides a glimpse into the life of a teenager through the lives of a high-school girls' soccer team.
The cast of the production trained with the Ohio Northern women's soccer team in order to develop their skills as soccer players and to gain a better understanding of the game.
"To help the actors with their performance, we first helped train them on the fundamentals of soccer, such as dribbling and passing," said sophomore and 2017 Midfielder of the Year Haley Moses. "To make it more more enjoyable for everyone, a lot of times we incorporated these skills into relay races or competitions. As the weeks went on, we tried to do more involved techniques, and even scrimmaged a few times. It was a really rewarding experience, as it got me out of my comfort zone a little bit and I got to be a part of something that I knew very little about."
The Polar Bears met with the actors over the course of several weeks in order to give the performers the best possible experience as soccer athletes.
"We started the sessions by putting them through a similar warm up that we go through during a normal practice," said junior midfielder Sarah Puntel. "Then, we ran them through a series of drills that we have experience with to help them get a better touch on the ball. Other than occasionally stopping to point out some tips and making coaching points, the girls did great! We could all see a big improvement from the first session to the last. We all look forward to seeing the final product, as we will all be in the audience cheering them on!"
"It was a really cool experience to have the two worlds of athletics and theater come together," said First Team All-OAC member Rose Nienaber. "At first we had no idea what to expect but the positive energy from the girls was awesome! The whole time the actors were cheering for each other and laughing and having a great time with even the smallest activities. We taught them more about soccer but they were great examples of how enjoying the little things is really important. The excitement throughout the training seassions was something that made this opportunity more beneficial for both the actors and our team. We also took time to sit down and talk about the parts of being a soccer player that go beyond the field skills. They asked us about team dynamics, how we were recruited, and what were some barriers we faced during the season so that they could better understand how their characters feel."
The drama will feature five performances over the course of the weekend. For tickets, visit freedcenter.com or call the box office at 419-772-1900.