Abounding Joy

Like the Upside Down in Stranger Things, Joy Pagel has sometimes felt out of place, but she has always found her way out.

Whether it be playing against men, or learning a new language, or moving to a different country, or most recently taking on a new coach, she wants and is ready for all the smoke, as they say.

A junior women's soccer player at William Penn, Joy grew up the youngest of four children (her half-siblings were six, 13, and 14 years older), and got tough quick.

"I think when you get grow up with older siblings, especially brothers, it's good because you get pushed around a little bit," Pagel said.  "You learn to get tough."

With several men in her family having played soccer, the native of Maring-Noviand, Germany also gravitated to the sport, but was one of the few girls competing.

"It has certainly grown in popularity in Germany, but when I was young, not many girls played soccer, so I was on a boys team until I was 13 or 14," Pagel said.  "My grandma had a big backyard where we played when I first started and then I joined my first team when I was six."

In her infant years on the pitch, it didn't matter she was facing off against just boys, but as the years progressed, the difference became apparent.  Joy loved the competitive edge it gave her.

"You don't notice it when you're a kid, but when you get to be 11 or so and when puberty sets in and the boys get taller and stronger, then it definitely gets hard," Joy said.  "I always felt like I had to play doubly hard, not just because the boys were bigger, but that I had to prove it twice since I was a girl."

Despite becoming a tougher player, Joy desired more camaraderie within her squad, so she made the switch to a girls team.

"When I was 13, I transferred to play for an all-girls team, but it was 30 minutes away, which is actually a big deal over there to play outside of your town," Joy said.  "It was the best team in the area and I wanted a good, but challenging environment.  Fortunately, it all instantly clicked; the sisterhood was really good."

"I liked being pushed by the guys, but fortunately the team chemistry was great with my new team," Joy added.  "I was very lucky to be on a team where we all got along so well."

Not only did her and her teammates gel, they also won at a high level, even claiming tournament crowns outside of her home country.  Her desire to travel was stronger than just popping around Europe.  She was envisioning a much bigger adventure.

As a young child, Joy became interested in America and dove head-first into the culture.

"My mom told me that I wanted to learn English all the way back when I was four," Pagel said.  "We were taught it a bit in school, but I didn't really figure it out until I started watching shows on Netflix."

Vampire Diaries was one of the first shows she watched, but Joy said Stranger Things really pulled her in to American life.  Her interest in the U.S. truly piqued, however, when, during the pandemic in 2020, an older player joined her squad for workouts.

"She was a German student who was just trying to keep her fitness because she was returning back to the U.S. to play college soccer," Pagel said.  "I was like 'Wow', I didn't even know that was a possibility, to go to school in America AND play soccer."

Soon thereafter, Joy started working with recruiting agencies at the end of 2020 and was ultimately offered scholarships by several schools, including William Penn, which was coached by Andy Commins at the time.

"In addition to the scholarship offer, I just liked what Coach was saying," Pagel answered as to why she chose WPU.

Although she had wanted to come to America for quite some time, she didn't realize how hard the transition would be.

"The first few weeks here were really hard," Pagel said.  "Fortunately, my dad came with me for about five days.  If he hadn't, I don't know if I would have made it.  I had never even been on a plane before."

"I was overwhelmed with everything; it's just so different here," Pagel said.  "How it looks, how people talk, the culture; I was like 'Woah'.  But it was soccer too; it's very different than how we play in Europe.  It fortunately only took me a couple weeks to settle in, however, as I found friends and began to feel more comfortable."

As an 18-year-old, she knew it was important for her to have that 'growing experience', as she put it.  Not only was she growing as a person, but also as a soccer player with the new style.
 
"In addition to not passing the ball and being as tactical like I was used to, we also did all of this strength training," Pagel said.  "I had never really done that for sports, but I actually thought it was cool and very beneficial."

Once settled in, Joy still struggled to make her mark, due mostly to the language barrier.

"I was really shy my first year and didn't talk very much," Pagel said.  "Even though I had been watching Netflix in English for years, the conversations were just so fast.  I would listen to what was said and then I had to translate it in my head.  Now, I'm just thinking in English.  It's honestly very hard to go back home and talk in German."

Language did not prevent her from finding her best friends--Olivia Walker and Elycia Cooley--right away and the trio are still very close two years later.

"I think we connected because we all have the same humor and just clicked," Pagel said.

Easy is how Olivia Walker describes their friendship.

"Joy is someone you know you can count and that she will always be there for you," Walker said.  "Over the last few years, we have now morphed our humor together into something that only we understand.  She has been there through one of the hardest times of my life, so she is really more of a sister to me.  Everyone should have a Joy in their life."

Unfortunately, while her social life was progressing in Oskaloosa, the Statesmen soccer team was not hitting on all cylinders.  Overall, the Statesmen were a combined 7-23-2 in her freshman (2021) and sophomore (2022) campaigns.  Then the bottom fell out this summer when Coach Commins resigned for personal reasons.

"I was worried we were not going to have a coach since it was so late in the summer," Pagel said.

William Penn fortunately was able to find a replacement in the form of Kaleb Preston, and Joy immediately liked her new coach.

"I really liked everything I heard in our first virtual meeting," Pagel said.  "I liked that he was young, figuring he might be able to relate to us and understand us.  He talked about how he always wants positive energy within the team and that he would be honest with us, giving us the feedback that maybe we didn't want, but that we need."

Her initial feelings were confirmed in person at the squad's first practice and throughout preseason camp.

"The energy was different right away," Pagel said.  "Obviously everyone was working really hard to impress the new coach, but we got along really well right away and things just felt good.  Even though we had a lot of the same players, we felt renewed."

"We all feel that Coach Kaleb believes in us and in what we can do," Pagel added.  "The vibes are awesome."

Joy has been impressed by her new coach, and the feeling is mutual for Kaleb Preston.

"Joy brings a lot of energy and passion into everything she does, and I feel this really showcases itself on the field," Preston said.  "She leads by example and work rate, and that has positively impacted the team's motivation this year."

Unfortunately, Joy has not been on the field as much as she would like this year due to injury, but continues to provide intangible leadership.  Olivia Walker knows her teammate's value is immeasurable.

"She is an amazing player and it has been a severe loss not having her, but even not on the field, she gives the team passion that keeps us motivated, and also gives us so many laughs," Walker said.  "She is an incredible teammate."

As an upperclassman, Joy now relishes in the role of leader.

"I always tried to help and support others, but I just feel that responsibility a little more this year," Pagel said.  "Confidence is so important in sports and I am trying to help our younger players believe in themselves."

Understanding value in the mental side of the game, Joy is seeking a career in the sports psychology field.

"Psychology has always fascinated me and the classes here are so great, so I know I will be working in psychology in some way," Pagel said.  "I really enjoy the neurobiology part as well."

"Pressure is just so high in sports," Pagel added.  "At least in soccer here, there are so many games in a short amount of time, so that's tough.  There is also so much competition for positions, and then obviously confidence is so important.  If you don't feel good about yourself, you won't play well.  I just really want to help others excel in their sport."

It's safe to say that through her challenges--and there have been many--Joy has found her namesake playing the sport she loves, with teammates and a coach who have been uplifting, and in a country she only dreamed of living in while streaming Netflix.