New England Soccer Journal

JULY/AUGUST 2021 | NEW ENGLAND SOCCER JOURNAL 37 Hotchkiss Athletics By Dave Ricci S omewhere locked inside Gigi Day, the 17-year-old fierce competitor, is the spunky girl who fell in love with the game of soccer because it was fun. It's a love that has grown strong over the years and helped Day become one of the premier prep stars in the region. "I grew up in New York City, so I would say my earli- est memory of playing soc- cer was when I was 5 or 4 in Central Park in one of those little leagues where they have the crazy team names like the Red Flaming Dragons," Day said. "We were guaranteed a trophy no matter what." Day said that the mix of having fun learning a new game mixed with making all kinds of new friends had her hooked from the word go. "It was really just about making friends at that point," Day said. "Making connec- tions through soccer was real big. I had my friends from kindergarten and preschool, but Central Park and soccer in that space really provided another outlet to socialize and meet new people. And obvi- ously where I am now with success it's just totally taken off — the places that I've been able to go, the people that I've met and the connections that I've made." Where Day stands today is on the cusp of her senior year playing for Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn., where she is a star midfield- er/forward. Lady Bearcats coach Christina Cooper said Day, who also plays for FSA ECNL, is the epitome of what a captain and student-athlete should be. "Gigi is a curious, bright, engaged and outstanding student," Cooper said. "Her teachers appreciate her in- sightful contributions in the classroom and the care with which she does her work. She will be well-prepared for whatever college she attends." The kind of involved, well- balanced active student-ath- lete any college coach would have their sights set on, Day also is a member of the Hotch- kiss varsity basketball team, a school tour guide and head of the Blue and White Soci- ety, dedicated to promoting school spirit. Group members help with orientation week and seasonal pep rallies and coordinate Spirit Week. Day has struck that per- fect balance of demanding the best from herself, which serves to inspire her team- mates to be their best. "Gigi also has the capacity to laugh at herself and to help oth- ers shake of their mistakes. She is great about encouraging oth- ers," Cooper said. "She knows that playing soccer should be joyful, fun experience and that ultimately the rela- tionships we build and the memories we make will be the most im- portant take- aways from being part of our team." Day said that soccer has been in- strumental in helping to shap- ing her into a strong young woman who is confident, but a self-starter. "I think soccer is why I love the interactions with my friends, and it's also made me an independent person, too," Day said, "because I have had to take responsibility for my own development. I have had the days in the basement where it might not be the most enjoyable, but I have to play alone or go for a run. Those times when I'm not with my friends playing the sport it definitely made me a more independent person. " Gigi credits her parents, Doug and Suzanne, for in- stilling her strong work ethic and accountability, but she also has been able to avoid the burnout factor that robs the pure love of the game from so many kids her age. "Once the p a n d e m i c started is when I realized just how much fun and just be- ing with other people drove me, and that's what attracted me to soccer," Day said. "During the thick of the pandemic I had to do all my training on my own at home — running, liing and all the soc- cer skills work — and it made me realize how much I missed being with my teammates and other people and even playing in different places." COVID limited the varsity soccer season to just team prac- tices last season. Now, Day said she is thankful to have a senior season on the horizion. "I can pretty confidently say over the past couple years my love for soccer has increased," Day said. "Where I play club soccer it's an hour from my house and I look forward to practice every night, even the total two hours of driving. I've definitely, consciously noticed the past couple seasons that I've just been excited to go and be with my teammates and also go to games. "Sometimes it can be re- ally stressful and there's a lot of pressure in games, but recently, it's just become so fun, and I think that definitely had to do with my parents, because they helped me view soccer as a fun, sort of low- pressure thing." I can pretty confidently say over the past couple years my love for soccer has increased."

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