Larissa Williams '20 Recruiting Profile

Ever since my very first soccer practice—at three years old—I’ve loved the beautiful game of soccer. From that first moment, when I ran onto the field, I’ve known instinctively what to do on the field. Soccer became my sport—what I was meant to do. It felt like home—welcoming. I learned everything I could about it and practiced every day.

As I got older my father would take me to extra training with older players. I never doubted my path while playing town soccer, travel and club soccer simultaneously. Truthfully, I enjoy participating in most sports, but the game of soccer excites me and calls to me, rain or shine. I am happiest when on the soccer field and when the opposing team presents a challenge.

I feel blessed that soccer has been such an amazing fit for me. But, one of my toughest challenges came not on the field, during a game, but off. I felt it was time to move to the next level and begin tryout for other teams. My confidence in my abilities as a soccer player took a hit when many of my friends and teammates were accepted on to NPL and ECNL teams, but I was passed over. What a huge and devastating blow, because I had always been a starter on all my previous teams. I felt lost, but I was not about to quit. So, I looked to my parents for guidance regarding what my next step should be. My mother took me to ODP and a State Elite team tryout. I made both teams!

Over the next year and a half, I played and trained nonstop. I made the varsity soccer team as a freshman in high school—eliminating any doubt I had developed about my abilities on the soccer field.  

One of the proudest moments of my soccer career came when I asked to tryout for  my current team and was immediately invited to join! Turns out the coach had seen me play on several occasions and had no doubt about my abilities on the soccer field either!