Mitchell Lobetos
Staff Writer
Can’t be too crazy, can’t be overly calm. She has to find her “4.” That’s the number assigned to senior women’s soccer player Ali Schaffer. The team’s mental performance coach, Yvonne Gomez, has given each player a number on a scale to help players get into game-mode. Ali’s is 4. In the locker room, the team blasts music, a song in particular to get everyone hyped by Bay Area rapper D-Lo. It’s the same pre-game ritual as always: tape ankles, hold off on the socks until she gets to the pitch, puts on her right shoe, then her left, then wait to put on her shin guards until after the warm ups.