The Occidental women’s soccer team had a rainy senior night game Nov. 2 against Redlands. This year’s roster had three seniors: Anna Fukushima, Clare Madden and Gisele (Gigi) Yamamoto. According to Fukushima, Madden and Yamamoto, the three seniors have had a long soccer career going back years before they came to Occidental.
Fukushima said she was recruited to play for Occidental fall of her senior year of high school. However, she did not actually play at Occidental until she was a sophomore since her first year was online due to COVID-19.
Madden said she transferred to Occidental Fall 2021 for her sophomore year after taking a gap year. She talked to the Occidental women’s soccer coach Colm McFeely during COVID-19 and joined the team as a walk-on.
Yamamoto said she began playing soccer in a coed recreational league in the second or third grade.
“My family is Brazilian, and my dad played in Brazil. I’ve been around soccer essentially since the day I was born,” Yamamoto said.
Fukushima said that for their Senior Night game, the non-senior team members decorated the locker room and made posters for them.
“Every senior night, the team gets together, and they do a lot to make you feel super special,” Fukushima said.
According to Yamamoto, the underclassmen on the team wrote letters to each of the seniors paired with photos commemorating their time.
“There’s always a sentimental gift,” Yamamoto said. “It was just really, really sweet.”
According to Madden, the three seniors got to walk out with their family members and friends when their names were announced before the game.
Yamamoto said her parents, sister, grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousin and boyfriend all came to see her play and that it was nice to share her senior night experience with them.
“[They have] always have been my biggest supporters no matter what, no matter if it was the best game of my life or the worst,” Yamamoto said. “I think having them all there to support me and to wrap up this experience felt really special, and it just felt very full circle.”
Fukushima said one of the most important parts of being on the team that she will look back on and remember is the relationships she formed with her teammates.
“It’s the little things — going to dinner with my teammates after practice and spending an hour just sitting around talking about nothing […] the bus rides home from games or just little team bonding events are the things that will stand out to me when I look back five or 10 years from now,” Fukushima said.
Looking back at her four years of being on the team, Madden said her favorite memories were the team’s Halloween practices. According to Madden, she and Fukushima were dressed as grandmas for this year’s Halloween practice.
Yamamoto said one of her favorite memories from her four years was from her freshman year during a game against California Lutheran University.
“It was our last game of the season. We needed a win to go to postseason, and I ended up scoring the game-winning goal. It was a super fun […] and very rewarding experience,” Yamamoto said.
According to Fukushima, it can be physically and mentally challenging to balance academics and athletics.
“I go to soccer, and I forget about all of the issues I’m having with academics — or when I go to my classes and take a test, I have to forget about what’s going on with my athletics,” Fukushima said. “Balancing both of those things has been somewhat difficult.”
Madden said it was often hard grappling with the ups and downs she faced throughout her soccer career.
“Maybe you don’t end up peaking or being the best playing, but I definitely feel that there’s still development of character and leadership and off-the-field things,” Madden said.
Fukushima, Madden and Yamamoto said they want to continue playing soccer.
Fukushima said she plans to come back for the alumni games and continue playing with old friends.
“I think that soccer has been such a big part of my life that I really can’t see myself not playing. But definitely taking a step back and playing pick up leagues or joining a Sunday league with some of my friends from home is something that I’ll do,” Fukushima said.
Yamamoto said she will also use her extra time to focus on some of her other hobbies, like boxing, running and ice skating.
“Playing soccer at Oxy has been a huge part of my identity here, and I feel really grateful for the friends and for the connections that I’ve made as part of this program,” Yamamoto said. “I remember being a freshman on my very first day, standing in front of the training room with all of our masks in a circle introducing ourselves for the very first time. I can’t believe I’m a senior and we’re passing on the team to the next generation.”
Contact Francine Ghazarian at ghazarian@oxy.edu
