Throughout the 2010-11 seasons, the Southern Conference will feature a student-athlete from around the league in a series called the SoCon Spotlight. This will be an opportunity to see what student-athletes are doing while they are not in the classroom or competing in their sport. The question and answer session focuses on student-athletes that serve as outstanding conference representatives through their community service efforts.
This SoCon Athlete Spotlight focuses on Western Carolina's Liz Eichler, a senior marketing major and defender on the women's soccer team. When she's not on the field or in the classroom, Eichler has been training to be an officer in the US Marines and has volunteered with her team throughout the Cullowhee community.
What brought you to Western Carolina?
I got a recruiting letter for soccer and decided to visit. On my official visit and other visits, I saw that it was a beautiful campus, and I was tied in here. The girls on the team were great too, and that made my decision to come here.
You're from a military family and have lived in some exciting places all over the world. How did you adjust to Cullowhee?
I'm used to living all over the place, so moving from a big city to a small town doesn't affect me too much. It's really easy to adjust.
Tell us about the program Project F.I.R.E. and how your team was able to help.
We chopped fireword for families in this area who use wood as their main source of heat. It was interesting for us because most of us have never chopped wood before and, for the most part, don't know anything about having to use it to that extent. We got to use all the equipment, not just the axe but the wood splitter too. We got to talk with local people - I spent probably an hour with a local man, holding a big block of wood so he could split it. It was definitely getting out in the community and meeting people.
You and your team also volunteer through something called The Christmas Store. What is that?
The Christmas Store is for parents who can't afford Christmas gifts for their kids. It's done at the church on campus. Donations are given and can be anything from clothes to toys. We help set up and put all the gifts together into little packages. Parents can look through the gifts and pick out things for their kids. It's a really great organization.
You have also been preparing to go into the Marines?
I decided I wanted to be a Marine officer, and [am doing that through] a program called Platoon Leaders Course. This program requires me to give up six weeks during two summers to attend Officer Candidate School and train to be an officer in the Marine Corp. I just finished this summer, so once I graduate, I will be commissioned as a second lieutenant.
What's the best part about playing soccer as a Catamount?
Community Support: we get a lot of fans at our games compared to when we play at other places. My teammates are great. All of them I would consider best friends. Just the whole package is there.
How did your team handle the challenge of a new coach this season?
It hasn't been too bad because Chad Miller was our assistant coach my freshman and sophomore year. We love Chad, and he's a great coach. It's really easy to just get back in the swing of things. We didn't have to deal with, like a lot of schools do, a new coach and a new philosophy. Chad just picked up where we left off and made some better changes. It's been great.
What advice do you have for incoming student-athletes.
Meet your teammates; get to know them. If you're a freshman, it's important to get to know the seniors, even those who live off campus. I'm a senior, and we have 9 or 10 more freshman. I've seen how important it is to get to know everyone as individuals and how that can help bond the team.
What's the best part about playing in the Southern Conference?
The competition is great. Appalachian State is our rival, but really once conference play starts, every team is our rival. The competition remains high no matter who you play.