Theresa Daniels is breaking new ground at Iowa State.

She’s the first varsity athlete to also be a resident assistant. As a full-time student she spends 20 hours a week in practice and several hours with her responsibilities in Helser Hall.

Daniels, a sophomore in civil engineering and a backup goalkeeper on the soccer team, started school this fall wondering if she would be able to handle playing varsity soccer and being an RA.

“I took the RA job knowing there was a possibility that there was going to be a soccer team,” Daniels said.

Daniels went through RA training anyway and liked the staff so much that she didn’t want to give it up.

She then went to soccer tryouts during check-in, the busiest time of the year for an RA. But Daniels said she was lucky because two-thirds of her floor residents checked checked in early.

With only eight people left to check-in, “The other RAs on the staff covered for me so I could go to tryouts,” she said.

When she made the soccer team, Pete Englin, Residence Life coordinator, talked to Daniels’ coach to find out how much of a time commitment was required.

Because RAs are allowed 10-20 hours a week of outside activities, Daniels was allowed to play on the team without any major conflict.

“I’ve met all the women on my floor and to leave them would just be rough,” she said. “But at the same time, to pass up an opportunity to play varsity sports would just be a waste.”

Daniels started playing soccer in third grade as a goalie. When she moved to Iowa City, she decided she would like to play the field. Daniels played left wing until her junior year when the goalie was injured and she took over the position.

Between classes, soccer, and being an RA, Daniels said she didn’t know if she could, “pull off another year and try to juggle everything.”

Though she’s enjoying her college experience, Daniels said she is unsure of her future plans. She said she knows that because this is the soccer team’s inaugural year, there is less practice time than there will be next year.

But Englin said that Daniels’ position on the soccer team could be of benefit to her floor residents.

“Theresa provides a wonderful role model as a student athlete,” he said. “My 7-year-old daughter is playing soccer and I’d be thrilled if she displayed the same kind of dedication of being a student athlete and RA as Theresa does. I can’t think of a better role model.”

The ISU soccer team is 3-5 this year. The next home game is 1 p.m. this Saturday behind the Lied Recreation Center.