The thrill of being on a team ranked in the top 10 of the country is something that can go to your head, but for Grace Swanson it was just motivation.
Her freshman year of high school started out fast, she played on the Varsity Soccer team for Seattle Prep High School. Seattle Prep High School had a competitive nature in general but when it came to athletics it was cut throat. The school’s parents discussed how the athletic environment pressured students
“Grace was never home; whether it be practice, games or some team event, soccer took over for that time of year,” said Mari Swanson, mother of Grace Swanson. “It was my favorite time of the year. Soccer season was what we lived for and I wish I could relive it, honestly.”
Despite Swanson’s dedication, her senior year of high school, Seattle Prep could not pull out a State Championship title and finished fifth instead. Looking ahead to college, she did not know what her next steps would be.
“I obviously loved soccer, but if I chose to pursue it I would be compromising other parts of my college experience.” she explained.
That was when she decided to pursue her undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This school offered her a high level of academics, a new city to explore and lots of extracurriculars to participate in. The first thing Swanson sought out on campus was an intramural soccer team.
“I wanted to find people who loved soccer like me while still having other things in my life.” she said.
That is when Kicking and Screaming was created, an homage to the classic Will Ferrell movie. A mix of people from all over the place; Seattle, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and more. 12 people who all wanted to find a place to play the game they love in a new city with new people.
“I just wanted to play soccer,” said Renee Affinito, an outside midfielder for the team. “I didn’t think I would find such a fun team so early on but I’m so glad I did.”
The team came together on Tuesday nights and played against other teams in the league. No matter the weather, sometimes even playing in below freezing temperatures, people showed up to play.
“It was amazing how everyone became so dedicated to an intramural team,” said Swanson. “There were no requirements to be there, we just all wanted to play together.”
After three successful seasons as a team, Kicking and Screaming came together for their last season this fall.
“I joined the team late, but I was just as sad for the season to end,” said Emma Hauswirth, recent center back for the team. “It sounds kind of silly, but intramural soccer makes my week a lot better.”
The season consisted of eleven games against various teams. The goal of the season: make it to the championship. Everyone was determined, especially Swanson.
“It would just put the cherry on top to win this season,” she said. “This is the official end of my soccer career and I wanted it to end on a high.”
The season went off without a hitch and as they progressed, they got better. Scoring more, being more generous with the ball and letting up less goals.
“We were just in sync,” said Affinito. “I think we all knew that because it was our senior season, we wanted to win.”
Kicking and Screaming kept advancing and eventually made it to the championship game. While it didn’t mean much to others and they didn’t get much recognition for winning, it meant a lot to them.
“We all came from pretty competitive backgrounds,” remarked Swanson. “I especially just wanted to play to win and doing it with this team was fun.”
The championship game fell on a Tuesday, like their other games, but they drew out a crowd. Ranging from roommates, other teams who had previously lost to them and even some parents, people came out to support Kicking and Screaming.
The final game went off like a feel good movie, an even matched game that had the good guys come out on top. With a final score of 3-2, with Kicking and Screaming taking the championship title. The finality set over the team as they celebrated the last game most of them would ever play.
“It was definitely the end of an era,” said Swanson. “It was a bittersweet feeling for all of us and I was sad for my soccer career to be over.”
The team even celebrated with Dairy Queen blizzards, a tradition Swanson has had since childhood. Then, they all went home to their respective homes, to fulfill their respective degrees and graduate in the spring.
Many think their sports careers have to end with high school if they don’t go on to play a collegiate sport but it does not have to be that way. Swanson, and the rest of the Kicking and Screaming team, proved that if you love a sport enough, you can bring it with you onto any stage of life.