Travis Wall, a 2012 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and a 4-year standout on the men’s soccer team, is now plying his trade on the professional level. This spring, he signed a contract to play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for defending-champion Minnesota Stars FC.
Wall graduated from Ohio Wesleyan as one of the most decorated players to ever play for the men’s soccer program. In addition to being named a first-team All-America selection in 2010 and 2011, Wall also was named Division III Player of the Year in 2011 while helping the Battling Bishops capture the men’s soccer program’s second national title. Wall ranks fifth all-time in career goals, assists and total points at Ohio Wesleyan.
Battlingbishops.com recently caught up with Wall to see how he was making the transition to life as a professional.
1) How has your transition to professional soccer been in your time with the NASL Minnesota Stars?
I'm definitely still transitioning. It's been getting better as I become closer and more comfortable with the guys on the team but it was pretty hard at first. The team returned a majority of the guys who won the NASL championship last year so I didn't want to come in and step on any toes of guys who have been here. Having said that, the team is full of good guys, our locker room is an extremely fun one to be a part of. It draws some similarities to our atmosphere at OWU a lot, lots of jokes and laughs but when we step on the field it's all business.
2) What was the balance like trying to finish up your studies to graduate on time while beginning preseason with a professional team?
Finishing up school while I was simultaneously playing professional soccer was pretty hard at first. I had to get into a new routine of doing schoolwork after training but preseason was comprised of two-a-days so it was tough to find time to do some of my work. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do a good job on all my work because my professors did me such a big favor by working with me and creating a plan for me to finish school from Minnesota. I finished my final semester with a 3.33 GPA, so overall I think I was able to find a good balance between training and finding time to do my work.
3) Is there anything that has surprised you playing with the Stars that you didn’t expect before arriving?
I knew the level was going to be extremely high being a professional soccer team in the 2nd division but until I actually got out here and went to trainings every day, I didn't quite understand how good everyone was going to be. We have 28 people on our team and 25 of us have STARTED a game. We are a deep team and playing time is really competitive but I think that's a huge reason why we are still undefeated and at the top of the table in the league.
4) How has Ohio Wesleyan prepared you for where you are today?
OWU prepared me in many ways. A lot of the drills we do at practice out here were done at OWU so it wasn't hard to adjust to those. But most of all I think the level of professionalism that OWU carries prepared me the most. Jay treats us all like adults, not kids like a lot of coaches do. When I got out here, little things like getting to practice early, leaving late, picking up trash even when it's not yours, collecting balls, etc. were all things that I tried to do because that's all stuff I learned at OWU from Jay, Brandon, and Drew. As they would like to say, the little things add up. If I don't do the little things off the field then I won't be very likely to do the little things on the field. And above all, how you act off the field directly correlates to how you act on the field. Take shortcuts off the field, you're more likely to take shortcuts when the games roll around.
5) Can you talk about what your experience being a part of the men’s soccer program means to you?
A lot of my team is compromised of very good Division 1 players so I enjoy hearing their stories and comparing my own experiences to theirs and I can tell you from listening to a lot of the stories from friends back in Ohio and some out here, I think I had a better experience at OWU. I'm indebted to OWU soccer, Jay, Brandon, and Drew forever for the experience they helped me have. I may be a little over the top but I haven't found anther person who shares the same passion about their college program. The only people I know that have that sense of pride and passion are OWU grads and were down in San Antonio watching us play in December.
6) What is your favorite memory from your playing career at OWU?
There are a lot of great memories. But I would say nothing will come close to the feeling of seeing the clock hit 0:00 against Calvin in the national championship and sprinting across the field with our entire team and climbing the fence to celebrate with our families and alums that came down. Just realizing that the ultimate goal we had been working so hard for such a long time had become a reality was so fulfilling. Celebrating the win with 30 years worth of OWU soccer players was a special thing that none of us will ever forget.
