MSTPastime: An Interview with Simone Herzberg
In this new MSTP Newsletter feature, we’ve decided to highlight students’ passions and hobbies, also known as “MSTPastimes.”
by Danny Sack (G1)
Simone Herzberg (M2) first started playing soccer when she was 5 years old. Her passion for the game led her to start coaching girls and boys clubs while in high school. She continued to do so through the end of her M1 year.
What led you to keep playing over the years?
Soccer is a wonderful sport that has the ability to bring people together. Since I started I absolutely LOVED soccer. Soccer gave me the best friends I could ask for and also taught me invaluable lessons about working on a team, commitment, and the importance of balance.
Do you see any parallels between coaching and being a MTSP student and coaching?
There are countless parallels between coaching and being in the MSTP. First, we have to work hard to get the results. In science and medicine as in soccer we practice over and over, constantly trying to improve and develop our skills so that we can provide the best possible care for our patients. Additionally, soccer teaches resilience and commitment. Many times things don’t go as planned, the grant doesn’t get funded, the team doesn’t get the desired outcome etc. Learning to continue pursuing your passion despite setbacks in a valuable lesson that I strive to teach the girls I coach. Soccer and coaching also teaches the importance of teamwork, responsibility and leadership. Qualities that are all crucial to a budding physician scientist.
What have you learned along the way?
Being a coach taught me many valuable lessons about leadership and the different forms of leadership that I will carry with me in my career. I learned that each person works best with different forms of encouragement and how to best motivate a team. I also learned the balance of when to push and ask for more and when to praise and be satisfied. I learned that sometimes coaching 3rd graders is like herding cats, but the most important part is not actually getting to be the best soccer players they can be, but more importantly, I am instilling lifelong skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Which is a pretty remarkable position to be in.
Simone, playing for Seattle Pacific University against Washington State University in 2015
If you would like to share your MSTPastime with us, please email us at mdphd@vanderbilt.edu.