When Elizabeth Holland first stepped onto the soccer field, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Now, as a 17-year-old senior at Keys High School, she has grown into a key player and leader for her team. “I live in Park Hill, Oklahoma, and I go to Keys High School. I have been playing soccer ever since I was a freshman. I didn’t really understand the game at the time, but as I began to play, it all started to make sense.”

Holland’s introduction to the sport was unconventional. “Coach Guam inspired me to play soccer. He was my soccercoach at the time and would go down the hallways asking people to play soccer for him. Even though I had never played before, I figured it would be fun to try.” That leap of faith has turned into a deep love for the game and a drive to continue improving.

A major strength of the team this year has been their chemistry. “This year, our team chemistry is really good. Our team spends a lot of time together on and off the pitch, shares the same goals, and has the ability to adapt and learn together.” As one of the more experienced players, Holland takes her leadership role seriously. “My goal is to become a leader for the team. I play forward most of the time, so that means my team relies on me to be able to handle the ball good enough to score the majority of the goals. I pray before every game and ask for guidance to help me make the right decisions and be a reliable teammate.”

Balancing multiple sports hasn’t been easy, and game days can be especially demanding. “The most challenging moment playing soccer is on the game days that I also have track meets. So, after running all of my track events, my parents would then take me to wherever we were playing, and I would have to play for the majority of the game. Which sometimes affected how I would play during that game.”

Despite the challenges, Holland has big dreams. “I hope to see myself playing college soccer or basketball. I enjoy both of the sports a lot, and my goal is to play at a higher level than high school.”