French native Tanya de Souza enters her third season with the Bulldogs.
Off The Pitch: Tanya de Souza
August 02, 2016 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – During the summer, HailState.com will interview select Mississippi State soccer players in an effort to learn more about their lives on and off the pitch. Paris, France, native Tanya de Souza is next on our list as we sit down with the goalkeeper.
For more information on de Souza or any other member of the Bulldog soccer team, follow the program on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at "HailStateSOC."
Tanya de Souza Q&A
Q: How did you decide you wanted to make the jump from France to America?
A: "I really don't know how I did it. Sometimes I just do things on impulse. I do things on gut feelings and just go for it. That's what I did when deciding to come here. It didn't hit me that I was coming to the United States until my going away party and I just thought, 'I'm really doing this.' It has worked out though and I am glad I took a leap of faith to come here."
Q: Did you have to adjust to the style of play here in the U.S.?
A: "Soccer in France is much more technical and you think more while playing as well. It's a very mental game. Here the game is more physical and relies on your fitness. That was a big adjustment when I came here as a freshman."
Q: Have you seen any weird things Americans do with their food?
A: "I've seen people dip their fries into Frosty's from Wendy's, which I thought was very strange the first time I saw it done. I don't understand why people would do that. The first time I saw a friend do it I thought they were just being weird, but apparently it's an American thing. It makes no sense."
Q: What other things didn't make sense about American culture?
A: "It is weird how many people greet you here. At first it was strange to me, because we Parisians are not friendly to people that we do not know. We're not rude, that's just how we are."
Q: You played soccer and practiced Judo growing up, do you miss Judo?
A: "I do. My parents didn't want me playing two sports as I got older, and my soccer schedule conflicted with it. I feel like if I picked it back up today I could be as good in that as I am at soccer. I liked it because it was an indoor sport obviously, but it also helped get a lot of my aggression out."
Q: How has the team improved from last year?
A: "We were young last year, we've been young for a couple of years now. I think each year we are able to gain more knowledge of the game and that helps. Most of us didn't understand the game as well as we do now. We are more comfortable and I think we are more together going into this season."
Q: What things do you want to improve on this year?
A: "I want to improve my fitness, I want to become a complete goalkeeper and extend my range on the field. I want to be more connected to the team and use my voice as a leader. I want to be an impact for us this year and become consistent."
Quick Hitters
Interesting thing nobody knows about her: She loves to cook
Special talents: Bilingual, cooking
Favorite movie: Rasta Rockett (Cool Runnings)
Favorite foods: Apple pie and quiche
Favorite teammate: Mallory Eubanks and Ari Holmes
Favorite team to face: Texas A&M
Superstition: Doesn't touch the inside of her soccer gloves
Pregame ritual: Walking to the field with Jen Huckaby
Biggest pet peeve: People chewing with their mouth open
Nickname: The French Wall
For more information on de Souza or any other member of the Bulldog soccer team, follow the program on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at "HailStateSOC."
Tanya de Souza Q&A
Q: How did you decide you wanted to make the jump from France to America?
A: "I really don't know how I did it. Sometimes I just do things on impulse. I do things on gut feelings and just go for it. That's what I did when deciding to come here. It didn't hit me that I was coming to the United States until my going away party and I just thought, 'I'm really doing this.' It has worked out though and I am glad I took a leap of faith to come here."
Q: Did you have to adjust to the style of play here in the U.S.?
A: "Soccer in France is much more technical and you think more while playing as well. It's a very mental game. Here the game is more physical and relies on your fitness. That was a big adjustment when I came here as a freshman."
Q: Have you seen any weird things Americans do with their food?
A: "I've seen people dip their fries into Frosty's from Wendy's, which I thought was very strange the first time I saw it done. I don't understand why people would do that. The first time I saw a friend do it I thought they were just being weird, but apparently it's an American thing. It makes no sense."
Q: What other things didn't make sense about American culture?
A: "It is weird how many people greet you here. At first it was strange to me, because we Parisians are not friendly to people that we do not know. We're not rude, that's just how we are."
Q: You played soccer and practiced Judo growing up, do you miss Judo?
A: "I do. My parents didn't want me playing two sports as I got older, and my soccer schedule conflicted with it. I feel like if I picked it back up today I could be as good in that as I am at soccer. I liked it because it was an indoor sport obviously, but it also helped get a lot of my aggression out."
Q: How has the team improved from last year?
A: "We were young last year, we've been young for a couple of years now. I think each year we are able to gain more knowledge of the game and that helps. Most of us didn't understand the game as well as we do now. We are more comfortable and I think we are more together going into this season."
Q: What things do you want to improve on this year?
A: "I want to improve my fitness, I want to become a complete goalkeeper and extend my range on the field. I want to be more connected to the team and use my voice as a leader. I want to be an impact for us this year and become consistent."
Quick Hitters
Interesting thing nobody knows about her: She loves to cook
Special talents: Bilingual, cooking
Favorite movie: Rasta Rockett (Cool Runnings)
Favorite foods: Apple pie and quiche
Favorite teammate: Mallory Eubanks and Ari Holmes
Favorite team to face: Texas A&M
Superstition: Doesn't touch the inside of her soccer gloves
Pregame ritual: Walking to the field with Jen Huckaby
Biggest pet peeve: People chewing with their mouth open
Nickname: The French Wall
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