After a disappointing start, the Arizona women's soccer team is looking for some inspiration to help turn the season around - and the person to fill the void may be one of the faces in the team huddle.

After all, the team voted senior co-captain Jennifer Rickard the most inspirational player two years ago, and she never played a minute of the season.

After transferring from Washington State in 1994, NCAA rules stated Rickard, a defender, had to sit out the season. But that didn't stop her from continuing the tradition she started her freshman year: Before each game, Rickard has written an upbeat poem about the opposing team that she reads in the huddle before the team takes the field.

"It's a little something different that's not just the standard yell that gets people psyched up," Rickard said. "People seem to react to it well so I just keep doing it."

Head coach Lisa Fraser said Rickard has great leadership skills.

"I can't ask for more of a team player," Fraser said.

As one of two team captains, Rickard - "J.R." to her teammates - said she is responsible for setting a tone for the team and keeping the team upbeat during its rough times.

"When people look at me, I want them to say, 'J.R., she still believes in us. She still thinks we can do it,'" Rickard said.

Fraser said Rickard is a great leader for the freshmen.

"She makes the best out of every situation," she said.

Rickard views herself as more of an off-the-field captain, whereas Arizona's other captain, senior forward Christine Keeley, is more of a voice on the field.

Fraser said Rickard and Keeley are the best pair of captains she has had in her 13 years of head coaching.

"Jennifer is a great leader in everything that she does, in her actions and academics," Fraser said. "She is always giving to this program."

Although Rickard, an interdisciplinary studies major from Everett, Wash., enjoyed playing for the Cougars, she felt she needed a different environment. She said when she was presented with the opportunity to go to Arizona for a visit, her instincts told h er to come and check it out.

She said the weather and academic program at Arizona, along with the chance to help the team during its inaugural season in 1994, influenced her decision to transfer.

"I thought it would be a neat thing to help build a program," Rickard said. "Instead of being involved in one that was already established, I wanted to be one of the first people to help build a program."

Rickard said that, despite the slow start - the team is 0-5 so far - it's not too late to turn the season around.

"We're not satisfied with losing," Rickard said. "We (the upperclassmen) have to keep everybody still pumped up and still knowing that the season is not over."

Rickard said the main difference this year is the team's new facility, Murphey Stadium.

"Having a field of our own is a completely different feeling about the whole program," Rickard said. "I really think that it's a neat stepping stone for us to be able to get our own field.

"I honestly have to say that this is one of the nicest fields that I've played on."

Last season Rickard played an unfamiliar position, outside halfback. This season, however, Rickard has more of a stable and comfortable position as a defender.

"This year I feel like I'm a little more definite in a position," Rickard said. "I have a set, concrete place where I think I belong."

In 1994 Rickard was named Arizona's sophomore woman of the year by the Mortar Board Honorary. She was the first athlete to ever win the award.

Rickard plans to graduate next December and would like to get a position as a graduate assistant while working toward a master's degree. Ultimately, Rickard said she would like to work in human relations as an organizational consultant, helping companies to team build and resolve conflicts.

Although her work in the future may not directly relate to soccer, Rickard said she will be able to apply a lot of what she has learned from soccer to her career.

"I think soccer has really given me a good grasp of what it's like to have things go wrong and then have things go right again after you work on them," she said.

Fraser said Rickard has taken advantage of everything Arizona has to offer.

Rickard said she is happy she transferred to Arizona and was able to be a member of Arizona's inaugural team. She said she has enjoyed being able to watch the program grow and get better every year.

"I really look forward to someday coming back and watching a program that I helped to start," she said, "and see how much progress it's made from that point."

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