Player Profile: Megan

3/12/2018

I have coached Megan for a few years now. She has been a captain for her team for the entire time I have coached her team, for several key reasons. First, she is a natural motivator and leads by example and has an extremely positive leadership persona. Second, her attendance and involvement with team activities is very high. Finally, her abilities on the field as a player cause others to look up to her and depend on her.

I asked Megan to answer a few questions about her perception of soccer and how it has affected her life in general; below are her responses.

What other extracurricular activities do you participate in?

I participate in soccer of course, I am on the JUMP Youth Advisory Committee, and I do volunteer work for the community.

How do you balance success in school and in soccer?

I generally live an organized life, and I would say my success comes from time management and a hard work ethic.

What position do you play, why do you play it, and why do you like it?

I mainly play attacking midfielder and holding midfielder. I enjoy these positions because I love to be involved in both the attack, and the defense, along with the ability to help control the field. Of course, the opportunity to score is always a bonus.

Do you have a favorite professional team or player? Why?

I don’t necessarily have a favorite team, but I base who I want to win off of who the underdog is, or who looks better on the field.

What are some of your favorite things about soccer?

When I play soccer all worry and stress is forgotten, it’s an opportunity to have fun, and work hard without pressure.  I also love all the bonds I make with my teammates, and coaches.  It has also taught me leadership and confidence skills.

What are some of the main reasons you like your team?

When I come to practice I am always greeted with smiles.  They are always so supportive and encourage me to be the best teammate possible. These friendships stretch beyond soccer, and I know I will always have these girls when needed.

Describe a couple favorite memories from your soccer career.

One of my favorite moments was when I finally stepped outside of my comfort zone, and became more aggression than fear.  Another would probably be my first goal on one of my teams, where I nutmegged the goalie and got the nickname Nutmegan.

What is your #1 most memorable moment of something you achieved on the field?

My most memorable moment was stepping on the field for the first time after a two year ACL recovery. After all my time spent doing physical therapy and sitting out at soccer practice I was finally back.

Have you made friends since you joined the team?

Yes, I can confidently call every person on my team a friend of mine.

Do you enjoy travelling to tournaments with your team, and if so, why?

Yes, definitely! Traveling tournaments are so exciting.  You get the opportunity for hard competition that you have not previously played. The fields are new, the refs, and the memories.  These tournaments grow my relationship with my teammates and my love for soccer.

In what ways has participating in soccer affected other areas of your life?

Playing soccer has given me confidence to lead, and showed me I am capable of anything. Soccer has taught me how to take risks in life, and that it is okay to fail as long as effort is there.  It has also shown me the importance of attitude, and how a good attitude can invigorate others as well as yourself.

Do you see yourself participating in the sport later in life, either as a coach, a player, or both?

I hope to play soccer for as long as I can.  It doesn’t have to be for a college, but as long as I’m playing and having fun nothing else matters, being a coach would also be exciting I think.

How has your experience of being a captain for your team affected you?

Being a captain has taught me more about leadership and responsibility than anything I’ve learned in school. Doing this brings me such joy and now I know helping others, and taking charge is what I need to do for the rest of my life.  It has also made me think more positive, less selfish, and more willing to step up when things in life get hard.

What would you like to see happen to soccer in our area in the future?

I hope to see soccer grow and popularize so we could build more teams and more competition.  I want Idaho to be a threat to the other states.  With this, kids could find opportunity outside of their home and school which would be incredibly beneficial to them.

If you were trying to convince someone to start playing soccer, what is the #1 reason you would give them? 

I would push someone to start playing soccer because they only have one chance at life, and playing soccer could fulfill so many important components needed to make life worthy.