BETHANY HOHNSTEIN - SENIOR STATEMENT

“You want me to wear what?”

“Oh yeah, I finished first out of the girls”

Like the winters, the summers in Colorado can provide one

with some uncomfortable elements to brave. It was on such a

day that a middle school aged Bethany Hohnstein came across

the unpleasant experience of being forced to run the mile...

in jeans. Some would simply sit that one out with the excuse

of insufficient clothing, but excuses and anything related are

foreign to Bethany’s repertoire. Not thinking shorts were

appropriate attire to wear to school, Becky Hohnstein,

Bethany’s mother remembers her daughters request to wear

shorts to school, “My response was a quick, ‘No, Bethany,

shorts are not appropriate’”.

That day of adversity would mirror many others that Bethany

has pushed through to not only get her to where she is now,

but that have developed her into the incredible individual she

is today. Being one of the people who know her best, her

mother reflects back to watching a future RMAC Conference

Champion walking out the front door to go and get it done,

“Bethany didn’t complain and made no excuses, she just ran and

ran as fast as she could until she beat everyone in the class…

in jeans.” Now, the family, who more than anyone understand

the mentality that Bethany possesses, are able to reflect

fondly. Bethany recalls, “It was atrocious - I still laugh

with her about that.”

FALLING FOR THE GAME

“I loved it so much, I just ran around like a crazy person and

that hasn’t changed much”

Even though now a veteran midfielder for the Rangers, who has

started all but one of the Rangers matches since the end of

her Sophomore campaign, Bethany’s journey started just like

any other. “I remember I was in the car and my parents were

like “Do you want to play soccer?”, and I was like “Yeah,

sure”, it not really being much of my choice.” Sometimes

choices made for us by loved ones, turn out quite nicely.

Being the oldest of the two Hohnstein sisters, Bethany lead

the trend and fell for the game as much as she did for the

element of competition. “After the game, it didn’t matter if

we had won or lost but I’d cry, simply because the game was

over.”

THE ENVIRONMENT OF A COMPETITOR

“I started working outside of practice. Running and working

with Impact”

As Beth grew older, her potential was recognized and the

decision to move her to a competitive club was made. At the

U13 level, she joined the well-known competitive club, Rush.

This was not an environment where there was tolerance for

tears because a match was over. Playing within a particularly

talented age group in the area, Beth was placed on the second

team. The seasons passed by, where every year something

cropped up that could have knocked her back. “Her U12 year,

she developed Osgood to the extreme that she pulled the bone

off her patella, and then made the ODP Regional team. Her U15

year, she broke her arm during a game, 3 weeks before her team

played in the National Championship. So she wrapped her cast

with bubble wrap, dropped her bag and played,” states Becky.

Regardless of her personal achievements and mental growth,

Beth only featured as a practice player for Rush’s top team in

her age group. It wasn’t until the season before her senior

year, that the tides turned. After a particularly strong

performance in an out of state tournament, Bethany answered a

much anticipated phone call from the coach of the first team.

“He said, “This has nothing to do with how well you played

last weekend, but I would like to ask you to officially be on

the team.”” A moment that, from the outside might have looked

like an easy decision due to her play, internally however,

represented a personal redemption after years of restrictions

putting her fate ever so slightly out of reach. “I was trying

to keep it together and as soon as the conversation ended, I

ran inside and yelled “I’m finally on the team.”” It was a

feeling shared throughout a family household, as nobody else

truly understood where the desire came from. Bethany remembers

the moment with her mother once she burst in the door to share

the news, “My mom was crying.”

Bethany recalls the long process that never wavered from her

sights, “That was one of my biggest accomplishments. I worked

for like three or four years before I got called up to be on

the actual team.” There was a specific occasion however, that

was the catalyst to a mental reaction from Bethany that

ultimately put her in control. Prior to the call up to play,

Beth, a practice player, was forced to sit on the sidelines

without the opportunity to get into a match. “I had to watch

them win a national championship - that was soul-crushing,”

says Honhstein, “That is when I felt it and knew I am not

sitting here again.”

As we concluded the conversation of Beth’s career with Rush, I

asked her how it ended. She simply stated, “I was on the

field.”

“DRIVEN”

“No matter what work out or goal that we set, she exceeded

it... and then did more” - Jacy Drobney, Impact Trainer

“It was actually pretty tough,” states Bethany, in regards to

her final semester prior to Regis, “I was taking four AP

classes, so I was living on four hours of sleep.” The hours

that she puts into multiple areas of her life is astounding

and can be attested to by her peers. When asked how many hours

of sleep she needs now as a full-time student-athlete, she

concludes with another questionable number, “I have to get six

now.” Along with rolling the windows down after a long

evenings practice, Beth would grind even during her hour long

commute home, “I had Spanish too, so I would put it on through

the bluetooth to study to help me stay awake.”

Summer training became an essential aspect of Bethany’s time

away from Regis and instrumental to her preparation for the

seasons initiation in August. Jacey Drobney, a trainer at

Impact, worked with Bethany throughout her years and comments

on their time spent together.

“I have been training her since she was a freshman at Regis. She is

one of the most driven, determined, and ambitious student-athletes

that I have had the pleasure to train or in the past play with. It

was easy to train her because she reminded me a lot of myself. She

is one of the most competitive and passionate players that I

trained. Not a lot of athletes have the drive and discipline to put

in the amount of extra work that she did. It all paid off. I am

very excited to see where she goes next and I can guarantee she will

be successful in whatever she chooses.” - Jacey Drobney

“I’d worked with Impact on and off and I remember J.B. telling

me about all of our fitness tests,” Beth laughs, “He gave me

the packet about five different times.” Although Bethany is a

player who needs little to no guidance for staying fit, she

placed all five copies up on her bedroom wall as a constant

reminder of the task at hand. “I’d tell myself “You’re going

to pass them. You’re going to show him.”” It was to no

surprise then, when Bethany passed all four tests with flying

colours as a freshman.

J.B. Belzer, Head Coach of Regis University Women’s Soccer

comments on the young Bethany Hohnstein, “Challenging Beth

from the start was easy. She is an achiever plain and simple.

Give her a standard, turn her loose, and she most often

exceeds that standard or expectation. Rarely have I coached a

player who is more honest, hard-working, and with a mentality

to over-achieve.”

Having achieved what very few others do during their first

four days of preseason, Beth set the standard for herself for

the remainder of her time at Regis. “I remember I was walking

out of the fieldhouse and he was just like, “Good job, kid”,

basically him telling me he was proud of me and he appreciated

what I had done.”

Going into her sophomore year, Bethany was dealing with yet

another injury that stopped her from weight bearing exercise.

That not being acceptable for Bethany, she spent the majority

of her summer on a spin bike in her basement. Her mother

recalls occasionally being on the treadmill next to her, “I

heard this weird breathing and when I looked over at her, she

had on this mask that restricts how much air you can get. It

was like working out with Darth Vader. She did that everyday

for about six weeks until she was cleared to run. No surprise

she passed all of her physical testing.”

RUSH MENTALITY AT THE REEG

“Even though this is DII, it feels like a DI program with the

amount of detail we put into our play”

After transitioning to the first team, built up of national

champions for her senior year, an inevitable decision was to

be made in regards to where she was to pursue her collegiate

career. In reference to Regis, “My aunt actually went here and

she just got inducted into the hall of fame last year. She

liked it, and felt like the professors really cared about her

education, which is the most important thing.” As well as in

the classroom, coming off of a 14-5-1 season, the Rangers

presented Bethany with a competitive environment to further

challenge herself athletically.

After playing as a forward for the majority of her club

career, Bethany transitioned into a central midfielder with

the same attacking mindset. When watching the Rangers, you’ll

hear the familiar demand for the ball as she drives through

the midfield to make a run through the back-line, “I love

making that run, if only the ball would come.”

In what appears to be a player that demands a lot out of her

teammates, she demands and expects even more out of herself.

“I remember being unbearably nervous before the games, like

throwing up nervous. I still do now, nothing has changed,”

says Beth. “When I first came in I was intense, you know, I’m

still intense now,” she laughs, who embraces her role as one

of the most competitive players on the team. “That was the

culture that I came from, it was never personal. When you’re

on the field, you’re there to win.”

Thankfully for Beth and her role within the team, she was

reigned in by a veteran ex-Rush player by the name of Sidney

Otto. “She understood,” says Beth, “She had a similar

experience to me, where she came in with that kind of

mentality.” Together, they moulded their attributes and used

them to help bolster the Rangers with an added ferocity.

“When we played together, I found a lot of similarities in our

playing styles and love for the game, which allowed me to see

the true promise in her future at Regis. All of us have our

bad days on the field, but it is how you react on those bad

days that makes you a great player and leader. On Beth's bad

days, she would continue to work hard and do anything it took

to help her team,” states Otto, on Bethany, “I hope she

continues her success on and off the field, and hope she is

soaking in every moment of her senior year.”

STRONG ROLE MODELS

“I can always count on them for anything, I know that”

“I’m definitely really close with my dad, we are two peas in a

pod,” Beth states. “We both are a little bit OCD,

perfectionists, we like things a certain way and if you’re

going to do it, do it right.” Anyone who draws Beth as a

teammate on competition day definitely has some thanks to give

to Scott for having such an influence on Beth. Becky Hohnstein

comments on one of the many influences her husband has had on

Beth over the years, “We have couple saying in our house: the

first is “Illegtimi non Carborundum” which is the Latin

phrase meaning “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”

Bethany exemplifies this, she never quits, she never even

slows down no matter if she is sick or hurt or tired. It's not

enough to just finish, she has to be first.”

“I look to my dad when I need to be told to just get on with

it,” states Bethany, who quickly follows up with, “I mean,

I’ll go to my mom when I need to, she is also tough as nails.”

“My parents have put a lot of pressure on us, but we know that

it means they care,” states Beth. Bethany is an elder to her

sister, Erin, who herself is relishing in a promising playing

career. “We’ve helped each other throughout our soccer

careers,” Bethany mentions, “Me being the oldest child - I’ve

got to pave the way.” However, as she approaches her final

matches as a Regis Ranger, Bethany finds herself not only

paving the way for her younger sister, but for all Rangers who

will follow in her path. There is undoubtedly an instant

effect of Bethany’s presence as she steps onto the field, that

is felt by players and coaches alike.

SENIOR STATEMENT

“Do it for the team - that’s what drives me”

That presence will carry the same weight when she hangs up her

cleats as a Ranger later this year and leaves the field for

the last time. “It can be hard to get everyone to rally

sometimes, it’s our own challenge,” as Bethany speaks of her

fellow seniors, Johnson, DeVries, Devitt, and Hills, “We all

have very different leadership styles. I’m not much of a

talker, but I try to lead by example as much as I can.” We can

be sure that at the conclusion of this season, Hohnstein will

step onto the field and do nothing less.

When asked how she wishes to be remembered, she declares,

“Somebody that you could count on.” It appears that that

message has already been received from players that even she

once looked up to, “Whatever her role, we knew, she would

fulfill it,” states Otto.

As Beth has exemplified time and time again, whether running

the mile in jeans to being a silent but pivotal leader, she’ll

get it done.