The Skidmore Men’s Soccer Team drew with SUNY Oswego this past Saturday, September 21, by a score of 1-1. After a back-and-forth match throughout, Skidmore notched the first goal of the game in the 83rd minute off a beautiful finish from Junior Midfielder Tobias Catizone.

The past year has seen a dramatic uptick in women’s sports viewership. Even in 2019, excitement and passion around the women’s world cup was only at around 34% globally. In just four years, this number jumped to 41% of the global population being excited about the game. These numbers increase even more when looking at 2024. The rise is partly due to the exciting NCAA women's basketball season that just wrapped up.

American Major League Soccer (MLS) has long struggled to sustain an engaged and spirited fan base like its sister leagues in South America, Europe, and other regions of the world where soccer has a stronger foothold — no pun intended. Since his debut in July 2023, it is indisputable that Messi has quickly transformed Inter Miami. He scored in his first seven appearances, catalyzing Miami to unseen success in the MLS-LIGA tournament and MLS bracket. There is no question that Messi is one of the most talented individuals to grace our fields. Still, some might question whether or not he is capable of bringing about the transformative change needed to popularize MLS in America.  

At a party recently, I heard a friend of mine, a non-athlete, say something along the lines of, “I don’t have any idea what goes on in Skidmore athletics.” When I asked her why she thought that was, she responded that she just didn’t care that much about sports. This refrain is common among many Skidmore students who do not participate in sports. Compared to other, larger schools, this is odd. Student spectator turnout at games is low, as it is at many liberal arts colleges, but why is this the case? Why don’t Skidmore students care about sports? 

At the beginning of October, the Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season wrapped up and moved on to postseason games. The MLB postseason is a high stakes series of playoff games spanning the month of October to determine which teams will compete in the World Series. This October so far has been a postseason of ups and downs with unexpected teams taking the top spots. If you haven’t been paying attention, fear not. This is a comprehensive and rather simple guide to the postseason, so you can jump right on the bandwagon when the World Series rolls around at the end of the month.  

For the first time since the 2017-2018 season, the Thoroughbreds took home the Liberty League title with an impressive 54-52 win on the road at #1-seed Ithaca College on February 26. The team ended the season with a 22-5 record, marking the program record for most wins in a season. The team then celebrated Skidmore women’s basketball’s first-ever NCAA tournament win, defeating Johns Hopkins University 62-59 with an incredible comeback in the fourth quarter. Though the historic playoff run was cut short by a 59-50 loss to Tufts University the next day, there is no doubt that this Thoroughbreds team was dynamic, energetic, and committed.

I was extremely fortunate to catch up with Michael Thorbjornsen, the world’s third-ranked amateur golfer. We discussed overcoming adversity on the golf course, having his best friend as his caddie, and competing in professional events against his childhood idols. 

On Monday, February 13, Czech Republic’s Jakub Jankto came out via an earnest video posted to his social media accounts. The third active male soccer player, and some claim the highest-profile one, to come out, ever. Jankto is currently playing for the Czech Republic’s AC Sparta Prague club, on loan from Spanish club Getafe, where he will return next season. He has been a part of the Czech national team since 2017 and has made 45 appearances for them at the international level. 

New York Red Bulls and U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) defender John Tolkin is only 20 years old, but has matured into a world-class professional soccer player. I was lucky to have the chance to discuss many topics with him, including the importance of “betting on yourself,” being process oriented, and recognizing mental health. As impressive as his performances on the field are, the elite mentality of the rising star is equally inspiring.