Mostafavifar: Facing the Challenges
September 18, 2003 03:04 PM | General
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September 13, 2003
It is safe to say that there isn't much senior midfielder Mehran Mostafavifar hasn't seen in his three years of collegiate soccer.
The St. Louis native has experienced some of the greatest highs any athlete can hope for. Mostafavifar helped the University of Tampa Spartans to a two-year record of 33-4-2 record including an undefeated 2001 campaign in which the squad won the Division II National Championship.
"It was the best time of my life," says Mostafavifar.
Enter the 2002 season. Mostafavifar along with fellow midfielder Aaron Pitchkolan decided to desert the hot weather and beautiful beaches to follow head coach Keith Fulk to Morgantown as he began his tenure at West Virginia University.
"I didn't even have any jackets before coming here, none."
The winter weather would not be the only thing that would be hard to get used to. Mostafavifar would have to stomach a season that saw the Mountaineers finish 4-11-2.
It would be hard to blame a player who even slightly regretted or second-guessed his decision to transfer, but those thoughts never crossed his mind.
"Not at all," says Mostafavifar. "I had won my championship and wanted to see how I could do in the BIG EAST," says Mostafavifar.
In fact, the opponents he played against on the field may not have been the toughest opposition the biochemistry major faced last fall. In the process of transferring to WVU, Mostafavifar lost some of his credits and was forced to take four sciences classes during last soccer season.
Mostafavifar has yet another challenge in front of him for his senior year. Fulk left for an opportunity with the U-17 U.S. National team. Not only that, his team returns only seven players from 2002. However, Mostafavifar and his teammates are ready to make the 2003 season different.
"All of the guys who were negative are out and it is like a whole new team," says Mostafavifar. "Everything is positive and I like the direction we are headed."
Not only is he confident, but Mostafavifar and his roommates, Aaron Pitchkolan and Devon McTavish, have set some high goals.
"We have made a banner with 13 wins marked and every time we win we are going to cross one off," says Mostafavifar.
They did not stop there. Mostafavifar also says that anything less than a BIG EAST tournament berth is a disappointment. He says he would like to make one more run in the NCAA tournament, however, this time in Division I.
"I think that's a goal we can reach," says Mostafavifar.
As for having such a young team, Mostafavifar says that there are certain advantages. He says that younger players' attitudes are easier to shape into a winning one.
"You tell them we are going to win and they believe it," says Mostafavifar.
Mostafavifar has the experience to help mold and motivate the new players into winners. His freshman year he was buried on a depth chart at Tampa, a team that was competing against and beating Major League Soccer teams.
"A lot of people in my position quit," says Mostafavifar.
By his sophomore season he had worked himself into playing on the team destined to win the national championship. The team did not waltz through the tournament. In fact the Spartans found themselves having to come from behind time after time to make it to the championship game. Then in the title game they had to rally with 10 minutes left to tie the game and pull out an overtime win.
"Sometimes you have to grit your teeth and win," says Mostafavifar.
Coaching is what Mostafavifar points to when talking about the success he has enjoyed in his career. He says that finding good soccer coaches is difficult and that when you do, you have to stick with them.
"I would not be where I am today without the help of my coaching staff," says Mostafavifar.
As for any changes this season with Fulk gone and Mike Seabolt taking the helm, Mostafavifar believes that the adjustment is slight because Fulk and Seabolt coached together at Tampa and their philosophies and vision are closely related.
"Coach Seabolt is doing a great job," says Mostafavifar.
Mostafavifar says that his parents have played a major role in coaching him through life. His parents came to the United States from Iran to attend college.
"Over there, there are only a few colleges and they are really hard to get into," says Mostafavifar.
His mother and father set quite an example for their children. His mother Efe is a chemist and his father Nasser is a computer analyst. Mostafavifar believes that most of his personal traits have come from his father.
"He is stubborn and hard-nosed and that is where my qualities come from," says Mostafavifar.
His hard-nosed personality has already paid off for him this year. Mostafavifar says that he spent all summer studying to take his MCAT to get into medical school.
"This year is going to be a breeze because I don't have to worry about (the MCAT) anymore," says Mostafavifar.
Hopefully his senior season will go just as well.
Scott Castleman is a student assistant in the WVU Sports Communications office.
