NCSA caught up with Molly Orden to get her thoughts on her high school career and the possibility of playing in college.
NCSA: What motivates you before a big game? What's your pre-game ritual(s)?
What motivates me?- It just feels good to play well and know it. Even if I don't score, but I have a great game, I feel great. So I think about how good that feels and I decide to play well and leave it all of the field. So, if its an away game, and it's a long drive, I like to be absolutely silent and have the music playing loudly. I think about the game and exactly what I'm going to do and why I will do it. I visualize everything. The scary part is, most of the time, what I visualize actually happens! Then, about ten minutes before I arrive, I just listen to loud music. If the game is a close home game, I visualize the night before, and then the morning right before the game, again I listen to music to get pumped up. Before a High School game however, my friends and I just blast music and go nuts. This seems to work for me as well because this year I broke my High School's all time scoring record and have been the leading scorer for 4 years (2 of which I doubled the next leading scorer)
NCSA: What are you looking forward to if and when you get the opportunity to play on a collegiate level?
I am really looking forward to playing at the college level, especially Division I, because I think that it will be the biggest challenge I've ever faced along with quality academics. I love challenges and can't wait. Of course, I'm also looking forward to taking my game to the next level, being in a new city, and meeting new people...but most of all, I can't wait for my independence. I'm ready for it all.
NCSA: Why did you get involved in the sports you played in? (Is it a family tradition, do you admire an athlete in the sport)?
I got involved in soccer when I was younger, around 6 or 7, simply because I played every sport imaginable and was experimenting. After about one year, I knew soccer was my favorite. Basically no one in my family had ever played soccer before so no one pushed me towards it. I just found it, loved it, and haven't stopped kicking.
NCSA: Tell us about your interactions with college coaches so far.
So far, I've gotten a lot of letters from many colleges, some I've never even heard of. I've been e-mailing back and forth with select coaches such as Yale, Boston University, and Lehigh, all of which I've visited. And when I went to Yale and BU, I met the coaches and I am currently planning another visit to Lehigh and will meet Coach Oudin. I've heard from, Villanova, Columbia, Williams, Skidmore, Drexel, SUNY Stony Brook, and many others. One funny thing that happened was that some schools thought I was a senior, and in the fall sent me a letter to join their team, and an application too!
NCSA: How are your team(s) doing so far? Any challenges this season? How are you excelling personally, how does that compare to previous years?
My Club team, The Eastchester Patriots '89, is doing great. We play in Region 1 and will face some big teams this season, such as PDA and others ranked at the top of the country. These will be tough games, but I am definitely looking forward to it. Personally, ever since late December, there has been a huge turning point in my game, and I've been playing really well....hope I can keep it up! Outside of my Club Team, I am also looking forward to the potential to represent the USA at the Pan-American Games with the Women Maccabi Team. I should find out soon.
NCSA: What are your goals - athletically, academically and in your community - for the rest of the school year? What are also your goals for the summer? Are you looking to improve your speed, skills, acing a course?
In terms of soccer, I'm always working on improving my foot skills and first touch. Also, although I'm really fast, and speed is one of my noticeable assets, I want to build up my stamina. I want to be able to run all day and have nobody catch me. My academic goals are to finish off the school year with straight A's and to do well on my SAT's. I am also looking forward to Lead America in Washington, D.C., where I was nominated by the Athletic Director of my HS based on my athletic abilities, academic successes and "behavioral ethics." They choose potential leaders of the future and I feel honored to be selected.
