SE: From Hawaii to Kansas, K-State Soccer's Brooke Ramos Finds Focus to Improve
Sep 07, 2017 | Soccer, Sports Extra
Tumbleweeds and "The Wizard of Oz." A few years ago, this is what Brooke Ramos, a native of Hawaii, automatically associated with Kansas. This stereotype is nothing unusual for someone who had never stepped foot in the state.
Now, K-State's 5-foot-3 freshman forward views her new home in a different light — one with few distractions, where her soccer skills can flourish.
"My favorite thing about Manhattan is loving the grind and loving what this is all about, because back at home it's really hard to focus. That's why I chose to come here," she said. "Back at home, the beach is 20 minutes away. Wherever you are on the island, you can just go to the beach. Over here, there is no beach and all you have to do is eat, sleep and grind. I'm grateful for that. I love the lifestyle."
Still, the thought of going to a place more than 3,500 miles from home to play soccer was hard to wrap her head around early in the recruiting process.
"Honestly, the idea of coming to Kansas State was kind of tough for me but I think what did it for me was I prayed about it," she said. "I'm really strong in religion and I do devotions. So I prayed about it, I talked to God about it and He said to explore the idea and just to keep an open mind to any opportunity that came my way. I had a couple but this just seemed like the best fit for me."
Between K-State's coaching staff, seeing the athletics facilities and getting a feel for Manhattan, Ramos said joining the Wildcats seemed obvious.
"I just felt that, out of all my choices, this was going to be the best fit for me because it is a family setting, it is a safe environment, it's similar to home," she said.
"The people are probably a little nicer here but, other than that, I just felt like this is the right place to be. For that, I'm truly grateful."
As much as Ramos has enjoyed the grind of preparing for her first season at K-State, she has continuously had to battle a tough adjustment that inevitably comes from being so far away from home.
Fortunately, Ramos has found a positive in every negative.
Missing days at the beach turned into loving days in the gym.
"It helps me focus on my game here at K-State, being a freshman," she said. "The first week was kind of brutal but after that my body got used to it and I obviously see the physicality difference, I see my body changing, so I appreciate that. Overall, the experience has been good and should continue to get better."
Missing her favorite Hawaiian dish — spicy Ahi tuna on brown rice, which can be near impossible to find in Manhattan at the freshness she's used to — has turned into enjoying new and healthier options.
"I miss my food, but it's good that I'm getting myself cultured over here," she said. "I love Vanier and what (the Performance Table) has to offer. I'm very blessed to be a part of this program."
Missing family and friends turned into looking in the mirror for a visual reminder of why she came to K-State.
"I got a tattoo to remind me of where I'm from, and it keeps me grounded. So every time I look in the mirror, I remember why I'm here, I remember why I do what I do," Ramos said. "Every time I get homesick, I call my dad or I call my friends from back home and I just make sure I keep myself grounded because it's really hard, honestly, not being at home and seeing all these Snapchats of everyone going to the beach, everyone just chilling and everyone just doing what they do during the summer in Hawaii.
"I've been here since June and I'm up here grinding, but I know at the end of it all, at the end of the day, it's going to pay off. I trust Dibbini, I trust the process he has for me."
One aspect Ramos does not miss about Hawaii? Traffic, which the Aloha State consistently ranks as one of the worst in the U.S.
"There's not much traffic here. I appreciate that," she said. "I'm stoked that I'm not stuck in traffic all the time."
As a Hawaiian athlete, Ramos said getting recruited by schools in the continental United States is difficult simply for the reason that it's hard to be seen. Her breakthrough came from playing for a Slammers FC team in California, which is a hotbed for soccer talent and is where K-State head coach Mike Dibbini was able to see Ramos in action.
"I did a good enough job for him to be able to express interest in me," she said, "and I just had to prove myself a couple more times after that."
Ramos looks to continue proving herself as the Wildcats (2-2-1) host a pair of matches this weekend, facing Central Arkansas on Friday at 7 p.m., and Creighton on Sunday at 1 p.m.
"I love the team. It's honestly like a sisterhood," she said. "We're all here for the right reasons. We're all here for one reason, and that is to win."
Now, K-State's 5-foot-3 freshman forward views her new home in a different light — one with few distractions, where her soccer skills can flourish.
"My favorite thing about Manhattan is loving the grind and loving what this is all about, because back at home it's really hard to focus. That's why I chose to come here," she said. "Back at home, the beach is 20 minutes away. Wherever you are on the island, you can just go to the beach. Over here, there is no beach and all you have to do is eat, sleep and grind. I'm grateful for that. I love the lifestyle."
Still, the thought of going to a place more than 3,500 miles from home to play soccer was hard to wrap her head around early in the recruiting process.
"Honestly, the idea of coming to Kansas State was kind of tough for me but I think what did it for me was I prayed about it," she said. "I'm really strong in religion and I do devotions. So I prayed about it, I talked to God about it and He said to explore the idea and just to keep an open mind to any opportunity that came my way. I had a couple but this just seemed like the best fit for me."
Between K-State's coaching staff, seeing the athletics facilities and getting a feel for Manhattan, Ramos said joining the Wildcats seemed obvious.
"I just felt that, out of all my choices, this was going to be the best fit for me because it is a family setting, it is a safe environment, it's similar to home," she said.
"The people are probably a little nicer here but, other than that, I just felt like this is the right place to be. For that, I'm truly grateful."
As much as Ramos has enjoyed the grind of preparing for her first season at K-State, she has continuously had to battle a tough adjustment that inevitably comes from being so far away from home.
Fortunately, Ramos has found a positive in every negative.
Missing days at the beach turned into loving days in the gym.
"It helps me focus on my game here at K-State, being a freshman," she said. "The first week was kind of brutal but after that my body got used to it and I obviously see the physicality difference, I see my body changing, so I appreciate that. Overall, the experience has been good and should continue to get better."
Missing her favorite Hawaiian dish — spicy Ahi tuna on brown rice, which can be near impossible to find in Manhattan at the freshness she's used to — has turned into enjoying new and healthier options.
"I miss my food, but it's good that I'm getting myself cultured over here," she said. "I love Vanier and what (the Performance Table) has to offer. I'm very blessed to be a part of this program."
Missing family and friends turned into looking in the mirror for a visual reminder of why she came to K-State.
"I got a tattoo to remind me of where I'm from, and it keeps me grounded. So every time I look in the mirror, I remember why I'm here, I remember why I do what I do," Ramos said. "Every time I get homesick, I call my dad or I call my friends from back home and I just make sure I keep myself grounded because it's really hard, honestly, not being at home and seeing all these Snapchats of everyone going to the beach, everyone just chilling and everyone just doing what they do during the summer in Hawaii.
"I've been here since June and I'm up here grinding, but I know at the end of it all, at the end of the day, it's going to pay off. I trust Dibbini, I trust the process he has for me."
One aspect Ramos does not miss about Hawaii? Traffic, which the Aloha State consistently ranks as one of the worst in the U.S.
"There's not much traffic here. I appreciate that," she said. "I'm stoked that I'm not stuck in traffic all the time."
As a Hawaiian athlete, Ramos said getting recruited by schools in the continental United States is difficult simply for the reason that it's hard to be seen. Her breakthrough came from playing for a Slammers FC team in California, which is a hotbed for soccer talent and is where K-State head coach Mike Dibbini was able to see Ramos in action.
"I did a good enough job for him to be able to express interest in me," she said, "and I just had to prove myself a couple more times after that."
Ramos looks to continue proving herself as the Wildcats (2-2-1) host a pair of matches this weekend, facing Central Arkansas on Friday at 7 p.m., and Creighton on Sunday at 1 p.m.
"I love the team. It's honestly like a sisterhood," she said. "We're all here for the right reasons. We're all here for one reason, and that is to win."
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