Q&A with Lindsay Vera

Lindsay Vera, who played her last collegiate game Nov. 2, was a key player during her entire tenure with the women’s soccer team. She was recently named to the All-ACC second team for the third year in a row and officially invited to a combine for a new professional women’s soccer league, called Women’s Professional Soccer. Senior staff writer Samuel T.O. Branch sat down with Vera to talk about her career, what’s next and the resignation of coach Laura Kerrigan.

Technician: When did it set in that you were no longer a student-athlete?

Vera: It hasn’t really set in yet, only because after every fall season we get some time off. But now when I come up [to the Weisiger-Brown athletic facility] and when I see the girls lifting and I wasn’t there because of school or obligations, it starts to feel really weird.

Technician: You have been named now either to the All-freshman team or All-ACC for your entire tenure here. How proud are you of all of those accomplishments and how much does it mean to you?

Vera: I am very proud. I remember saying at the beginning of the season interviewing with someone else that I wanted to, as far as individual awards, get on an All-ACC list somewhere — I was a little shocked that I was actually named to it, just because of our record and just the difference in my ACC stats compared to the last years — I was glad I could end my senior year with something again, I didn’t want to go out without no ACC-anything.

Technician: When were you officially invited to the WPS [Women’s Professional Soccer] combine?

Vera: It was around [Nov. 4]. They sent out an email saying congratulations and gave me all of the information. I was a little freaked out, but obviously I was happy.

Technician: Where you planning on pursuing something professionally before you got the invitation?

Vera: I was hoping to try to get invited. I had spoken with a few coaches from other schools and places asking their opinion on how to get to the next level. They explained the whole situation and everything I should be looking for and trying to do. I wasn’t sure when an invitation would have been sent out, so getting it was a big relief. My whole plan ever since I’ve been here was to go on professionally playing soccer, so I’m pretty happy about the opportunity.

Technician: Whenever Laura Kerrigan stepped down — was that a decision made prior to the end of the season that you already knew about?

Vera: She never really showed anything really — We did start to notice after some games that she was a little more down, but obviously we had a pretty rough season towards the end. People noticed stuff but nobody mentioned much or thought much of anything. We didn’t expect anything like that to happen.

Technician: When did she sit you down and tell you?

Vera: She told us the [Tuesday] after our season ended. She had told us our last game against Florida State we were going to have a meeting, and she even asked me and Tami to come even though we were done with our season already. That is when she told us.

Technician: What were everybody’s emotions like at that meeting?

Vera: Some people were kind of prepared thinking it was going to be something big, just because we knew something was different. People could sense something — It still hasn’t really set in that she’s gone. It is a huge change for the players, the program, the school, for Kerrigan herself. Some girls were pretty upset. Some girls were pretty speechless. As prepared as some people thought they were, we weren’t until it came out of her mouth.

Technician: Did she give you any indication as to the main reasons for [her resignation]? Did her two young kids play a factor in her decision?

Vera: She was looking out more for this team and the program. She explained it to us that she’s had 11 seasons now, and that while it didn’t work out as well as anyone would have hoped, she gave a lot to this school and to this soccer program. It’s hard for anyone in her position to make that decision, but with her boys — and also her husband Tony has given up a lot for her to work this job too — It wasn’t just like because of one thing, there were plenty of reasons. She just wanted to give someone else a chance to run the program.