ATHLETICS REVIEW
Student-Athletes In Their Own Words
Sergio Sereeira — Senior Midfielder , Men ’ s Soccer , Fort Erie , Ontario , Canada
Sergio Sereeira was in the first class of men ’ s soccer once the program returned in 2016 . Originally from Portugal , he grew up in Canada . He has played almost every position within the Life University men ' s soccer team . “ Sergio is a great member of our team ,” says Head Coach Alex Pama . “ As an upperclassman , he is taking his responsibility and especially this year , his senior year , leading the team . He is making all incoming freshman feel at home and welcome at Life University . Besides being a good student and athlete , he is also a great person , and it has been great to see him grow into a responsible leader for tomorrow .”
Q : Tell me about your recruitment to Life University and why did you ultimately decide to attend ?
A : “ Me and my other teammate Ricardo played on the same club showcase team back in Toronto , Canada in which we tried to seek out scholarship opportunities in the states . Eventually me and Ricky got multiple offers but decided to commit to LIFE because of the great location , the degrees offered and of course the fact that we could both attend the same college after being club teammates for so long .”
Q : You were a part of a brand new program . How is that special to you , and what do you hope your legacy will be since you are such a cornerstone to that building process ?
A : “ It ’ s always going be a special feeling being part of a brand new program , but with that came a lot of challenges that my teammates and I have had to face . With the arrival of our new coach , Alex Pama , some of the other seniors and I believed in him and the program during times when the program wasn ’ t looking too promising . We can now look back and be proud to see how successful this program has become in such a short amount of time . Just being part of this process has been a special experience for me , knowing how much my teammates and I have put into this program to help its development over the years .”
Q : You have very strong grades , and as a student-athlete , that ’ s not easy . Talk about your approach to performing at a high level both academically AND athletically .
A : “ It all comes down to time management and discipline in terms of being a successful studentathlete . These skills / traits that I ’ ve developed more and more over the years , I believe , are vital in order to achieve success in academics while also being an athlete .”
Q : What would you tell Life U fans about your team that they probably wouldn ’ t know ?
A : “ The way all of the guys bond together as a brotherhood even though a lot of us come from different countries and cultures is hard to imagine . We ’ ve had such great team chemistry over the years , and that ’ s something that is not easy to do considering where all of us come from .”
Q : The Athletic Department ’ s mission is for student-athletes to grow athletically , academically and socially . Can you talk about how you have personally grown during your time at Life U ?
A : “ Over these past few years here at Life U , I have definitely stopped and thought about how much I have grown and developed since my freshman days . With all the many different experiences I ’ ve been through here , I can honestly say that I ’ ve developed my character in ways I can ’ t even describe . Taking in the great experiences and learning from the negative ones , to me , is what college is all about .”
Victoria Acosta — Sophomore , Mayaguez , Puerto Rico
Victoria made an immediate impact as a freshman on a swim program that is starting to get some national attention . Acosta had the most individual national qualifications in Life U history , qualifying for NAIA Nationals in eight different events . She earned her first All-American honor in the 200 fly with a fourthplace finish . She also earned Newcomer of the Year at LIFE ’ s 2019 Student-Athlete Awards Banquet , a category that had an incredible amount of talent .
“ When I first began recruiting Vicky , I knew I had to do whatever it took to have her as part of my program ” said third-year Head Coach and Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year Patrick Sonsteng . “ As a very analytical coach building a team from scratch , I value depth over everything . If I wanted to put points on the board at our Conference and National Championships , I needed swimmers who can come in and cover ground . Vicky is just that .”
A testament to her work ethic , Vicky was a backstroke leg for LIFE ’ s medley relays , despite backstroke being her weakest stroke . Acosta stepped up and turned her weakest stroke into something that she could be really competitive with , ultimately becoming a huge asset to the team . “ Vicky ’ s grit , dedication and continuous effort in the pool run parallel to her efforts in the classroom ,” added Sonsteng . “ As an aspiring DC , Vicky maintains high marks in all courses , finding time to study for exams between 11 training sessions each week . After a season of incredible honors , I am ecstatic to see what this year holds for her .”
Q : Tell me about your recruitment to Life University , and why did you decide to attend ?
A : “ Once I decided on what field / profession I wanted , my searching process began . When Life U came up in my searching , it became one of my top options . So , I made an approach to Coach Patrick Sonsteng . He was a kind and useful contact that helped me make that final decision . Once I visited Life U , I knew this was where I was meant to be .”
74 Alumni . LIFE . edu | 2019