University of North Carolina Athletics
Senior Spotlight: Rachel Dawson
November 17, 2007 | Field Hockey
Nov. 17, 2007
Rachel Dawson, a senior field hockey back/midfielder from Berlin, N.J., took time out recently to share some thoughts with TarHeelBlue.com.
Q and A by Athletic Communications Student Assistant Kathryn Roth
What made you decide that you wanted to play field hockey for UNC?
I decided to play hockey for UNC because the program has a great winning tradition, a history of producing national team athletes, great facilities and not to mention one of the best coaches in America, Karen Shelton.
What have you learned and brought back to Chapel Hill from the experience of playing for the National Team?
I was with the national team right before returning to Chapel Hill for preseason camp. We were competing in the Pan American Games for an Olympic bid. We had to win the tournament to qualify. In the final match, we met Argentina, the number two ranked team in the world. In our past five meetings with them, we had won twice (after not beating them in the previous 18 years), so the odds looked pretty good. We believed the game was ours to win. We took a 1-0 lead at halftime. But Argentina came firing back, outscoring us 3-1 in the final half of play, winning the game 4-2 and clinching what we thought to be our Olympic berth. I had never been so devastated by the outcome of a game. In retrospect, I realize that no matter how much you believe you can accomplish something, and no matter how much you think you are destined to accomplish it, you have to go out there and accomplish it before it is actually yours. In your preparation you build the tools for success - but it is up to you to rely on those tools in pressure situations. In the final match of the Pan American Games, I folded, I succumbed to nerves, I let the temptation of the outcome overwhelm me - I didn't rely on my preparation and I didn't focus on the process. But I have learned so much from that experience and I brought those lessons with me into this season. Now, I keep my focus on the process and I let the outcome take care of itself.
In the past five years what has been the most memorable moment?
I can't say I have one most memorable moment - there have been some really great ones throughout the last five years. I have built some pretty incredible friendships; I have done some pretty ridiculous things; and I have laughed, and cried, a lot.
What are your plans for after graduation?
After I graduate in December, I will be moving to San Diego to train full-time with the U.S. team as we prepare for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Kazan, Russia. After that point, my life is TBD.
What have you done personally to help keep the momentum of this team going?
I have just tried to keep the focus on the process and on continually improving throughout the season. I have viewed the season as series of opportunities to grow, improve and achieve. While I am aware of the long run picture, I also realize that the long run is just a series of interconnected short runs - so if we take care of business today, each tomorrow will become a today, and eventually we will be a few tomorrows down the road focusing on that today.
How do you feel having your younger sister Meghan on the team? Do you enjoy sharing the field with her?
It has been such an amazing experience to share this season with my sister Meghan. We have never been on the same team, so it has been exciting getting to know her as teammates. Every day, in both practices and games, we warm-up together - we consider it our special bonding time. But in all seriousness, Meghan really inspires me to be a better teammate and a better person. She brings such a great attitude and energy to the field each and every day.
Could you reflect on the last five seasons and what you think were the best moments and the worst?
Wow, this is a toughie. The past five years have been filled with some pretty awesome moments. A good one was my freshman spring during a conditioning practice - our strength and conditioning coach, Steve Gisselman, was pounding us in a workout. It was a miserable day - it was raining horizontally, our coaches were angry with us, and Steve had no sympathy. We ran, we ran, and then we ran some more. It was neverending - it came to the point where we thought we could run forever, because we couldn't feel our legs - they were numb beyond numb. Finally Steve said if every person on the team made a 300 shuttle under 58, we would be done. On any other day this would have been an impossible feat, but not that day. We grunted through it, some of us had to be pulled through the line by our seniors, but we all beat the clock and finished under 58. That workout set the tempo for the memorable 2004 ACC Championship season. Another memorable moment was Halloween 2004 - the team dressed up as the Jamaican bobsled team from the movie Cool Runnings. We decorated a shopping cart and used it as our bobsled and raced down Franklin Street, yelling, "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and for to go go go!" It was great fun! Probably one of my most shameful moments occurred my freshman year in the weight room. Our team was doing a work out and one of the exercises we had to do was incline pushups (an exercise that is not the most difficult). Anyway, I was so weak that I could not get a single rep. Our assistant coach at the time, Cindy Werley (a Carolina hockey great), got so frustrated with me that she took my shirt and pulled me up for each rep. Luckily, now I can do a few on my own! Coach Shelton tells this story to give the weaklings hope! Gosh, I could go on forever with stories like these - so many special times in the past five years!
What is your favorite thing to do outside from field hockey?
Outside of hockey, I like to read, watch movies, and play other sports. But probably my favorite thing to do is spend time with my family and friends.
Where would you love to travel to if you could? I want to travel a lot, so if I could travel the entire world, all seven continents and every country, I would. Since that probably isn't feasible, a few of the places I would love to go to are India, Indonesia, Australia, China and North Africa.
