While the summer is generally a very relaxed time for most students, varsity soccer player Melissa McBean '97 has no desire to take it easy. Instead, she is spending her summer in San Diego competing with the country's best for a place on the United States National soccer team in the under-20 age bracket.
Last fall McBean was an integral part of the Dartmouth team's success, culminating in an NCAA berth.
At season's end, she reaped the awards, being named Ivy League Rookie of the Year, All-Ivy League and second team All-American. The next logical step was to use her skills to compete on an international level.
The process began with McBean's participation on her native Connecticut state team in competition against other regional state opponents.
Coaches then selected pools of players to attend a regional camp held in July at Amherst College to develop a regional team.
This regional team will compete in November in Boca Raton, Florida under the supervision of national team coaches. Most of the participants are college athletes.
Last year, McBean made the state team but an ankle injury severely hindered her performance. This year, she made the regional team and, according to Dartmouth Coach Steve Swanson, "performed well."
Despite McBean's intense commitment to training for the national team, Swanson said he has no worries about her preparation for Dartmouth's fall schedule.
"Of course there's a concern about her coming back fresh," he said, "but she loves to play so much that it's not a problem. We want her back and ready to go and it's always nice to go to another venue and get some excitement in the air."
Swanson stressed that the try-outs will not conflict with her ability to perform for the Dartmouth squad.
Teammate Amy Duggan '96 describes McBean as "very humble. She's a team player who shines automatically on the playing field."
Duggan shares Swanson's view that "[the try-outs] won't have any real effect on the team, but she'll come back in great shape in the fall."
Teammate Megan Owens '96 said, "Melissa has the ability to change her game. She can pass the ball off and can take a person one-on-one. She's a very diverse player with a lot of speed and any contribution she can bring to the national team will be a big one."
Currently, the Under-20 National team is in the final stages of a European tour. McBean will return from San Diego to participate in soccer camps next week.
