Page 49 of Made Better Together

She gives me the two names, explaining the context. One is a fitness issue; our center back is struggling with conditioning coming off summer break. The other is an academic one–Coach is concerned that our backup goalie stays eligible.

As she lays out the details, I only hear one thing: two more items for my to-do list.

But I agree to offer support to the two ladies, as a captain should.

I’m dying to rest my brain when I stumble back into my dorm room.

Bree and I had the pick of suites as seniors. We each have our own bedroom, flanked on opposite ends of a common room just for the two of us. Basically a living room, furnished with a used couch and love seat from her parents.

I’m grateful for the space and privacy. The pressure of the game, the chats with April and Coach, knowing how much I have to do over the next week—they all settle on me once the door is closed.

But what do I do in classic me fashion? Instead of resting for a second, I crack open my emails. And there are three things that pull my stress up more.

First, an email from a producer of an upcoming sports podcast, Simply Sports. They cover women’s teams as much as men’s, which is awesome.

Dear Eden,

We are planning a series on the top collegiate athletes for this coming academic year. We hope you would be willing to join us for an interview and represent college soccer. As the best player in D1 Women’s Soccer this year, there’s no one we’d rather feature.

It would involve a fifteen-minute interview, and we’d provide the questions in advance…

I stop reading and let myself take the opportunity in. Simply Sports would be the biggest media interview of my career so far. But yeah, I’d need to squeeze in a time to actually do it, as well as prep before.

The second is an email from Feetlix, a shoe company, one of my NIL sponsors.

Dear Eden,

As you know, our commitment to women’s soccer is long-standing, and we are excited to watch you and the Tolliver team this year. We’d like to discuss increasing our NIL deal, and having you be part of our holiday season campaign. It would…

I skim the rest—the campaign would include two other players who’ll almost certainly join me as top collegiate signings for the NWSL next year. We’ll make content separately and then Feetlix will cut them together.

They’re probably getting their ducks in a row for when we all go pro. It’d make sense.

One more thing to schedule and organize.

The third is a request to speak at an annual dinner Tolliver hosts in November to fundraise for its scholarships.

Holy smokes. My brain is overloaded.

What doesn’t help matters is a text from Mom.

MOM: Hey sweetheart! Just seeing how it’s going with the medical school applications?

Nice timing, Mom.

There’s a million things to figure out, but I have no brain space to do it.

So instead I slide into my bed, flip my phone face down on my dresser, and pull the blanket over my head.

April may feel like a mess, but so do I.

13

EDEN

THE NEXT MORNING

CONNOR: I’m in Orlando, officially.