With the MetroStars season coming to an end, most players will be using their time off to recover from injuries, for a little rest and relaxation and to begin their preparation for 2006. But MetroStars second-year player Seth Stammler has a different plan.
He's going back to school.
Actually, he has been back at school since Sept. 1, performing double-duty attending college classes at the University of Maryland at the beginning of the week and playing with the MetroStars at the end of the week. The university's College Park, Md., campus is not necessarily within commuters' distance from his Jersey City, N.J., home, but Stammler has made it feel like a walk down the street.
"I would drive to Maryland on Sunday afternoon or evening, have class Monday, [and] train at Maryland (with the Maryland men's soccer team) on Tuesday. Wednesday, I would have class until 5, try to beat the traffic around the Baltimore area, and hopefully get back (to Jersey City) around 9 or 9:30," said Stammler, who recorded the first assist of his professional career at D.C. United on 10/8/05.
Hardly a typical schedule for a professional athlete. Stammler was determined to make this schedule work so he could finish his degree in finance and marketing while still under scholarship. With the help of the MetroStars front office, Stammler was able to work out a schedule that could benefit himself and his team.
"Bob [Bradley] was very willing to work with me and adjust my practice schedule with my travel schedule," said the former Maryland standout. "Mo [Johnston] was just as supportive as Bob had been. Alexi [Lalas] was very understanding as well but he didn't shy away from an occasional smart comment."
Stammler was pleased to find that his teammates were very supportive of his situation. Though many of them weren't afraid to joke around with him by calling him a "part-time soccer player," Stammler knew it was all in good fun.
All jokes aside, Stammler understood that if this situation was going to work out, he had to be on top of his game in both the classroom and on the soccer field.
"It was a busy couple of weeks, but it was a good thing being that active," said Stammler, who started five games this season, including both postseason contests against New England. "Having to manage my time made me much more organized. It was stressful at some points but overall it was very beneficial. By playing professional soccer and finishing my degree, I feel I'm on top of the world by doing two things I've always wanted to do."
By working out in Maryland's weight room on Mondays and training with the Maryland men's soccer team on Tuesdays, Stammler was not taking any time off training for his role with the MetroStars.
Now that the MetroStars have been eliminated from playoff contention, Stammler can concentrate on his schoolwork so he can graduate at the end of the year. He is taking four classes, including Commercial Banking, Business Policies, and Marketing Research Methods, and a finance class called Futures and Options.
"Futures and Options is my favorite class because it shows how prices are derived in the market in terms of financial assets and derivatives," said Stammler.
After his professional soccer career, Stammler would like to use his degree to gain experience working with an investment firm in New York City and then eventually settle down back in his native state of Ohio.
He remains close with the University of Maryland soccer program, which is ranked second in the nation in Soccer America's most recent poll, and likes their chances in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Along with his training sessions with the team, the former three-year captain lives with the Terps' current assistant head coach, Rob Vartughian.
Stammler now has time to finish his final semester at school. So next year when the2006 season begins for the "Red and Black," he won't have to worry about getting his homework done first.
