Mitchell Baker ’24. Photo: Georgetown Athletics.
Northwood Alumni Mitch Baker 24’ was a 3-years soccer player who came to Northwood from Australia. After a successful Northwood career, Baker landed at one of the best universities in the country, Georgetown University. Despite only having spent a few months there so far, Mitch has many reflections to make on his time since graduation last May.
“So far, college has been fun,” Baker said. I have had the opportunity to meet new people from all over America and other countries with different backgrounds. It is very different in comparison to Northwood because I’m in the city now, where everything seems more accessible, and the level is a lot higher in terms of quality and demand when it comes to the classroom and playing soccer. It feels as though it is at the next level which can be difficult, but so far, I am definitely enjoying my time,” Baker added.
Balance, Northwood’s theme for the 2024-25 school year, is also a theme of Baker’s time at Georgetown. “Being able to balance school and Soccer is pretty difficult. I think it is somewhat harder than Northwood, but I think Northwood prepared me well for this type of situation because of the amount of traveling with the soccer team. With that being said, the classes are a lot harder, so the work is more difficult, but having to do work on the road over the last few years really helped me mentally prepare for this situation,” Baker said.
Baker is off to a strong start in soccer. “In terms of Soccer, I’m very happy with the season so far, but there’s obviously room for improvement. I tend to set the bar really high for myself, so it’s rare that I’m satisfied, but I feel as though I started the season off well in terms of goal-scoring. Recently, I haven’t been scoring quite as much, but my game has really developed in terms of the technical side and the little details. I know that in due time, the goals will come and that I just have to keep working hard and focus on the smaller things that contribute a lot to the team,” Baker said.
There are things he misses about Northwood. “The part I miss most about Northwood is definitely the people. Being there for 3 years, I saw the same people every day for three years of my life, which allowed me to build many close connections and friendships. Going from seeing these people every day to not seeing them at all is strange. Northwood had a very family-oriented vibe, making it a lot easier for me personally. I like to challenge myself, so I don’t necessarily miss the easy lifestyle, but with it being easier, it was a lot more fun.”
Baker has some advice for seniors who aspire to play sports in college. “I think student-athletes should have big summers coming into college, I think senior year in high school and the summer before college should be a grinding period. It’s important because you don’t want to come to college and start slow as everything is a lot harder. You have to be fit for your sport because you don’t want to spend half of the season trying to get fit because the season is only so long. At Northwood, with the school being so small, you’re only competing with very few people, so I’d say don’t get complacent, as Northwood is a small pond compared to college. You have to be disciplined, but at the same time, they say college is supposed to be the best four years of your life, so make the most of it and relish your time,” Baker added.
