Through the
Varsity S Club Spotlight we'll re-connect with student-athletes of the past. This series will illustrate the impact that a Sonoma State University education has on student-athletes and highlights the impact they are now having in their communities.
JUDY MEFFERD (VONHEEDER)
Women's Soccer 1985, 87-89
Judy was a 2005 inductee into the SSU Athletics Hall of Fame. Read more about her athletic career here:
Judy Mefferd (Vonheeder) Hall of Fame Bio
What is your favorite memory as a student-athlete?
Sonoma State vs. UC Santa Barbara, 1988, on the "brand new" home field now known as the soccer stadium, which at the time was fenceless. I scored the 2-2 tie breaking goal, leading us to a 3-2 win over the D1 Gauchos that day. But that one goal, of the handful I have scored, was my favorite! I am a sweeper, which means I defend the back line of the field, and I protect my goalie, who protects goal. That is my job. On that day, we played the UCSB team tough, and there was one "national" team player (Karen Jennings) on that squad who was a force we had to defend against. As we battled into the second half, a foul was called against UCSB just on their (right hand) side of midfield. I did what we had practiced and went into motion. Coming into the box at a full sprint from near the midfield, I timed a very well-placed kick into the UCSB goalie's box and I went flying into the air to reach the crossing kick with my right foot, on a volley and I nailed it into the right hand corner of the goal, breaking that tie. THEN to make it even sweeter, the SSU Football team had been lined up under the Redwood trees behind that goal and were cheering us on. In that crowd of Cossacks, my future husband and former Cossack QB, was the very first one I saw screaming and jumping with excitement as my volley shot hit the back of the net to break that tie…it was a pretty sweet goal for a defender, and a pretty sweet win too. THAT was my most favorite memory!
How do you think you changed as a person, from freshman to senior year?
I knew leaving high school that I had to work hard to play college level soccer. As a freshman I earned a starting position right from the start, which did not go over very well with some of the upper classmen. But I wanted desperately to earn the respect of my teammates and to prove my worth. Every single day I was out there, I worked really hard to be better with them, and never ever without them.
What I learned each year after was how to welcome, but challenge, the new players coming in and to work hard WITH them, to lead by example, without making them ever feel like an isolated newcomer. In doing this, we re-built our program and by 1990 (my graduation year) my former teammates had won the NCAA Division II women's soccer national championship!
If you could give advice to a freshman student-athlete today, what would it be?
Come into the team fully prepared mentally and physically to work hard from day one to day end. Never expect it to be easy BOTH on the field and in the classroom. Respect your team, their history. Recognize your value in their system then add to it, and never take from it.
What are you up to these days?
Today, I am in my 25th year as a law enforcement officer, uniquely at my very own alma mater, SSU. For the past 10 years I have held the title of Sergeant and while I am responsible for the day-to-day and night-to-night activities of the patrol troops, I have investigated many types of criminal activities over the years and will say that the my efforts to maintain law and order have positively contributed to the safety and well being of all who work, attend, or visit SSU.
I have also been involved in many collateral assignments and projects along the way. I have trained over 25 new officers as a Field Training Officer; I have maintained the federally mandated annual Campus Safety Act (Clery) Crime statistical reporting for SSU, since 1999; I have participated and collaborated in numerous personal safety measures with regards to sexual violence, drugs and alcohol, child safety seats, "Every 15 Minutes" in collaboration with the local high schools for the past 18 years; updating the children's school fire system; and pre-cell phone explosion, I brought the idea and coordinated the implementation of the strategically located and easily recognizable "Blue-Light Emergency phones". I have been responsible for coordinating the on-going professional training for both the sworn and non-sworn members of the police department also for the past 10 years. I am very very proud of the work I have done at SSU.
How did Sonoma State University help prepare you for your career?
Hmmm….while I am not sure SSU "prepared" me for this career in a classical textbook/classroom sense, I feel the life experience of going away to school (SSU) and figuring out how to successfully do "it" (life) -all by myself, is what prepared me the most. I had to figure out how to complete my education, on my own. I had to work many jobs just to live and attend school. I had to work hard to make grades, work towards a degree, and maintain eligibility in order to play college level soccer. It was a balancing act of prioritizing and problem solving my life experiences. I feel police work is much the same, it is balancing, prioritizing and problem solving the unexpected or unplanned events on a daily basis. Every day can bring about something new. For me, SSU has simply remained the backdrop to my lifetime experiences.
ABOUT THE VARSITY S CLUB
The Varsity S Club is an exclusive group of past and present Sonoma State University student-athletes, coaches, cheerleaders, athletic trainers, and administrators formed for the purpose of building enthusiasm for Sonoma State University Athletics. The Varsity S Club does this through a variety of philanthropic, fundraising, and social events designed to strengthen SSU Athletics. Membership in the Varsity S Club is open to any individual who has competed in varsity athletics at Sonoma State University, as well as any past member of the cheer team, athletic training, or administrative staff. Sign up here:
Varsity S Club.
See past Varsity S Club Spotlight features here:
Varsity S Club Spotlight Archive.
