By Brett Jager

University of Louisville freshman midfielder Jimmy Crick used to cheer the Cardinals men’s soccer team on to victory when he was younger.
Now, Crick plays significant minutes on the team he was a fan of as a kid.
“It’s a special feeling,” Crick said. “When I was younger I would be there to watch. Now I’m looking up in the stands at what I used to be.”
Crick, who graduated from St. Xavier High School, is currently the only player on the team who grew up in Louisville.
He considered several other schools coming out of high school, but when it came down to it, U of L was where he needed to be.
“As I was being recruited, U of L was not very much on my radar,” Crick said. “I received a lot of offers from a lot of good schools and I wanted to give everywhere a fair shot. I wanted to go somewhere with both good academics and athletics and no other school could match U of L.”
Crick has appeared in the majority of U of L’s games this year and started the season opener. For most of the season, he has been one of the key bench players for the Cardinals.
“Jimmy has been huge for us,” Brian Maisonneuve, U of L men’s soccer assistant coach, said. “He’s done a great job on and off the field and is a good locker room guy.”
One problem many young collegiate athletes run into is the transition from high school to college athletics.
Crick admits it was tough, but with some guidance, he has been able to transition smoothly.
“Physically, I had to hit the weights a lot harder than I ever had,” Crick said. “The speed of play is much faster in college soccer and the coaches have emphasized that and helped me out greatly.”
Coming in this year as a freshman, Crick didn’t know where he would fit with the team, if at all, this early in his career. He was able to prove himself to the coaches with his strong play and has earned some key minutes for the Cards.
“I was not really sure what to expect,” Crick said. “I didn’t know how or where the rest of the guys on the team play and I wasn’t sure where I would stack up playing with them. As the season has progressed, I have gained more and more confidence.”
The Cards are currently ranked in the top 20 in the nation and are having one of the best starts in school history. They recently earned a big win at home against No. 3 ranked Notre Dame, 2-1 in overtime.
“Our team goal is to win the Big East regular season and tournament and advance on and win the NCAA College Cup,” Crick said. “We also hope to achieve a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 in the classroom.”
Sitting in the stands years ago, Crick never thought he would be at the point he is now. Crick is making the most of his opportunity and hopes to improve during the rest of his career at U of L.
“The sky is the limit,” said Maisonneuve, who added that Crick’s attitude and work ethic makes it easier for him as a coach and that he’s impressed with his efforts as a freshman. “As he gets older, he’s only going to get better and become a better leader.”