Pamela Begic’s hair is gone.
Not just an inch. Not just a few inches. But every blond strand that once hung from her head.
The freshman midfielder said she had wanted to cut her hair for more than a year. She found the opportunity to make it happen during the weekend.
“I never really had the guts to do it,” Begic said. “I thought it was the perfect time to do it, and I just did.”
She said the humidity played a small role, as the hot, sticky Florida weather was an obstacle for her when she first moved here from Slovenia.
Begic said she figured making the cut meant she could escape some of the heat while donating it to those in need.
With soccer dominating the majority of the weekend, Begic said it became a team bonding experience.
“Everyone wanted to do a little snip, so I just let them,” she said. “We just went crazy.”
Sophomore defender Brooke Smith helped Begic style her hair after most of her teammates took turns cutting a strand.
“I have to give credit to Brooke Smith,” Begic said. “She perfected it.”
The new hairdo got a great reaction out of teammate Savannah Jordan, who did not realize Begic had it cut.
“She shocked me last night,” Jordan said.
“At 12 o’clock, she came to my room, [because] I room with her, and she had a towel on her head from the shower. She pulled it off and I was like, ‘Alright; OK.’”
Coach Becky Burleigh found it to be a bold move.
“I like it,” Burleigh said. “She looks good, very brave. Not sure I would have had the courage to do that.”
The courage Begic has goes much deeper than her shocking hair cut.
The former Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week has made huge strides while adjusting to college soccer in the U.S.
Burleigh noted earlier this season that the team had struggled both defending and finishing opportunities on set pieces.
But Begic caught on quickly and led the Gators to their first points off an offensive set piece this season.
It took only four games for Begic to find the back of the net in her first season with the Gators, scoring on a header from a corner kick in the 54th minute during a 4-0 victory against Florida International on Sept. 1.
Then, Begic followed it up with another goal off a header from a corner kick in the 9th minute against Oklahoma on Sept. 6.
Begic has taken nine shots, five of which have been on goal. Her ability to score from set pieces is just one advantage the Gators get from their rather large pool of raw, young talent.
When Alabama steps foot in James G. Pressly Stadium on Friday night at 7, it will see a much different team than the one it beat 1-0 last season.
With core newcomers Begic and Jordan, along with the added experience of juniors Havana Solaun and Annie Speese, the Gators have offensive threats on the field throughout the roster.
“I think the non-conference portion of the season tells you a lot about all players, and especially the freshmen because it’s your first real look at the them,” Burleigh said.
“But you start the SEC, and that’s a little bit of a different animal. It steps the game up a little bit.”
As far as Begic’s new haircut goes, Burleigh believes it could be a blessing in disguise.
“She’ll be able to get everywhere on time because so much (more) low maintenance,” Burleigh said.
“Maybe she’ll be intimidating to [opponents].”
Follow Michelle Provenzano on Twitter @mmprovenzano.
Freshman midfielder Pamela Begic (below) poses with sophomore defender Brooke Smith (above) during a practice Tuesday. Begic has scored two goals for UF this season.
