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Nadege L’Esperance Takes Advantage of Spending Time with Family
April 16, 2020 | Women's Soccer
The starting midfielder is looking forward to getting back on the field with her Louisville family
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Like all new experiences adjusting to college can be hard at first, especially when you are far away from home. Montreal native Nadege L'Esperance has adjusted over the last three years and made Louisville her second home.
L'Esperance has been an anchor in the Cardinals midfield the last two years, starting in all 38 games. Following a successful run in 2019, she was preparing for the upcoming year along with her teammates in spring practice.
"The team was looking very good," said L'Esperance. "We worked on specific points that we targeted from last season to learn from our past games and to make sure we are a better team next season. We also worked hard off the field during our sessions with our strength coach, and we had a lot of fun as a team and enjoyed being with each other."
Coming off a family vacation over spring break, L'Esperance was ready to go back to work on the field and prepare for her upcoming senior season. But as her vacation was coming to an end, those plans began to change.
While on break, the NCAA canceled all winter and spring NCAA Championships due to the concerns surrounding the widespread health risks associated with coronavirus (COVID-19). The next day, the University of Louisville, in conjunction with the Atlantic Coast Conference, suspended all athletic related activities, which included practice sessions.
"During the spring break, I went on vacation with my family," said L'Esperance. "I only went back to Louisville for two days after spring break to grab my school work before having to go home to Montreal. It is unfortunate because the team was doing great! The situation right now is unprecedented, l know it is the best decision for everyone that the spring season was halted. We are still staying in contact daily and making sure we are doing work to keep improving even if we are not all together in Louisville."
Despite not being among her teammates, L'Esperance is soaking in time with her family. She is also taking the time to learn a new hobby and binge-watching Money Heist on Netflix, which she highly recommends.
"I'm really taking advantage of being home," she said. "I never go home for more than a month during the year, so I try to make the most of this situation by being with my family. My online classes are time consuming as well as home trainings to stay in shape and touch the ball. Besides that, I enjoy playing board games, reading, and cooking. I finished all the puzzles I have, so I started to color, but this is a work in progress because my artistic side is not very developed."
She and her teammates are focused on improving off last season and making her senior year her best year to date. She continues to work out and keep up her fitness as if she was still on campus.
"Every morning, I set an alarm to do my exercises," said L'Esperance. "I just started to run since I was recovering from an injury, so my main conditioning right now is biking. I always complete it with some bodyweight strength and rehab exercises. On lighter days, I go for a walk and I enjoy doing yoga sessions especially when I am sore."
Having family at home during this time has been comforting but she is also missing her second family. When asked what she misses most about campus she replies, "My teammates, no doubt! I really miss seeing and talking to them every day, they are the best."
