Hello Gauchos! To all returning students, welcome back. To all our new Gauchos, welcome to Santa Barbara. I may be slightly biased, but UCSB really is the best. My three years here thus far have been memorable in so many ways.

One reason for this, of course, is because of its sports. I’m now entering my fourth year with the Nexus as a writer and my second as an editor, so I’ve covered most of the sports here. We may not be a sports powerhouse, but we’re still DI and have some spectacular teams.

Our men’s water polo team is currently ranked No. 6. The men’s basketball team features the Preseason Big West Player of the Year Alan Williams and the women’s basketball team has reached the postseason for the past two seasons. Our baseball team made the NCAA Tournament last year too. I could go on and on, but trust me, there’s something for everyone.

For those of you concerned that there is no football, I promise you won’t mind. We have real fútbol (a.k.a. soccer), and it’s absolutely fantastic. UCSB isn’t known as soccer heaven for nothing. Last year, the team was ranked as highly as No. 3 in the nation.

So go to the first game of the year tomorrow against Stanford and give it a try. My first ever soccer game as a freshman was against UCLA. UCSB won 2-0 in a tremendous upset in front of what was basically a sold-out crowd. We set the NCAA record for attendance at a soccer game with 15,896 people, the majority throwing tortillas in celebration. It is one of my favorite memories at UCSB, so I’d love to see all incoming students have a similar experience.

As for a bit about me, I am a communication major, Spanish minor who would love to turn sports journalism into a career. All my life, sports have been my thing. Most girls have celebrities or pictures of friends on their bedroom walls; I have pictures of basketball players.

Personally, I think basketball is the best sport on the planet. Whether it’s playing, watching or writing it, men or women, pro, college or any other level, I love this game.

Coming from the Sac Town area, my favorite team is the Sacramento Kings. I’m extremely excited to see what they do in what’s been deemed a new era. Also, all of you should know that while I currently reside in Laker territory, there’s no saying I love more than ‘beat LA.’

What makes me different than most basketball fans, and sports fans in general though, is that I prefer the women’s game. I’m currently glued to the television right now with the WNBA playoffs in full swing.

I grew up playing a bunch of sports year-round, but my dream was always to play in the WNBA. When I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I figured if I couldn’t play for them, I’d write for them.

And with my love for sports, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with sports writing. I wrote my first sports piece at 14, and with every article, I fall more and more deeply in love. As tough as it can be putting the sports section together at 1 a.m. sometimes, I do truly adore my job. Plus, I’m extremely proud to say I’m part of a college paper that is ranked No. 9 in the U.S.

So Gauchos, if you’re a sports lover like me, come see us. Challenge our articles online or, even better, come write for us. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow at Harder Stadium.

Have a great year,

Kristen

A version of this article appeared on page 9 of September 26, 2013’s print edition of The Daily Nexus.

Art by Mingchen Shen of The Daily Nexus.