TicketsSept. 27, 2010
By Jeff Geiser
GoBEARCATS.com
Not all student-athletes are created equal.
Some need years to develop extraordinary fundamentals and skills to compensate for their physical deficiencies. Others simply rely on raw talent and athleticism to get by. It's the unique combination of both that make the truly elite.
Sydney Barker, a senior co-captain on the University of Cincinnati women's soccer team, is one of those rare breeds of athlete.
Barker's father, Leo, roamed the jungle of Riverfront Stadium as a linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1984-91. And when Leo and wife Tamara gave birth to Sydney in August of 1989, Leo not only passed along his last name, he passed along his athletic prowess.
UC head coach Michelle Salmon witnesses that prowess from Sydney almost every day.
"There's a presence about her. You can always tell an athlete who has an athlete in the family because there's a certain presence that Syd brings to the table," Salmon says. "The way that we attack and how everything goes through our midfield - we need that. We need that hard-working toughness and that willing-to-sacrifice type of mentality. Syd doesn't just see what's in front of her; she sees what's going on around her. And that makes her such an asset to our program."
Barker arrived at UC before the 2008 season after playing her freshman year at the University of Alabama. A coaching change following her rookie season led her to Clifton.
"We got a new coach and I didn't really get along with him," says Barker. "When I came up here on my visit, my last choice was between here and Louisville. I liked the coaches better at Cincinnati and also the academics were better for what I wanted to major in."
As if being a gifted athlete isn't enough, Barker is majoring in aerospace engineering and wants to pursue a career in government intelligence after she completes graduate school.
Upon her arrival at UC, Salmon moved Barker from the backline to midfield to fully take advantage of her athleticism.
"When I looked at her as the center-back, it wasn't the right fit for her," Salmon states. "You lose a lot of what Syd's really good at - she's a great flanking player. In the college women's game, a lot of teams in the attacking style that we play, we put teams under. So a lot of times when they're pushing the ball, they're moving it right where Syd is. So we lose what she's great at if we have her in the backline. What she's great at is anticipating where the ball's going to be. So for Syd, when we put her in that hole in the midfield, she's been there since her sophomore year; she knows how to play it. She knows that we want her connecting the backline."
Barker, who is in her second year as a captain, is viewed by Salmon as an extension of the coaching staff on and off the field.
"That relationship of being a captain for her," Salmon explains, "there's an at-ease message in terms of approaching it. `Here's what's going on; our legs are a little tired.' Or, `Hey, can we get after it a little harder?' There's more of a running dialogue. She is the voice of the team.
"Her biggest asset is her leadership - what she does on the field, what she does day-in and day-out. When she plays to her strengths, she is just an outstanding player. She's one of the best players in the country in the air. She can dominate a single performance in the air. We're very good in the air with Sydney Barker. She just brings so many things (to the team): leadership, she's got a good head on her; and on top of it she is just an outstanding soccer player."