Girls soccer: Antioch's Coleman having fun keeping the focus on high school

Singer Cyndi Lauper told us in the 1980s that girls just want to have fun.

And that's exactly what Courtney Coleman has been doing.

The Antioch star midfielder made a rare decision in the world of high school soccer last year.

She chose fun.

She decided to play only high school soccer, and not club soccer anymore.

Usually, it's the other way around. High school standouts will ditch their high school teams in favor of total loyalty to their club teams, because they think that will put them on the fast track to a college soccer scholarship.

Coleman, who used to be one of those club-only players, stood out enough during her club days to earn a scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Lowell, which is where she will be next year. But she always knew that something was missing.

"I wanted to quit soccer a couple years ago because I was feeling so overwhelmed. Club soccer is so competitive and you've got a long drive for practice and you're traveling all the time. It's a huge commitment where you are sacrificing so many of your weekends and time with friends."

"I wanted to be able to go out and do things that high school kids do. I wanted to have fun with my friends sometimes, too."

So Coleman has played soccer only for Antioch's high school team the last two years. And boy, is she having her fun … both off the field, and on.

"I mean, I'm still busy playing on the school team, but I'm definitely more social and I have more free time to be with my friends," Coleman said. "And I'm getting to do things for this team that I hadn't really done before. I'm seeing myself playing with more diverse skills."

Coleman, a defender for her club teams, is in more of an offensive role for the Sequoits as a midfielder. And she has run with it. She's within striking distance of the school record for goals in a season.

In just 19 games, Coleman has scored 22 goals. The school record set by Mikayla Abbeduto in 2014 is 25 goals in a season, and Coleman's got four games to get there. She also has 6 assists on the season.

To put Coleman's scoring prowess into perspective, Antioch as a team has given up only 25 total goals on the season after a 3-2 victory over Lakes on Thursday.

"Courtney was looking to find the fun in soccer again and I think she has," Antioch coach Marni Polakow said. "Her friends are here. She's getting to play with them and she's getting a break that she needs from elite soccer, a mental and physical break.

"I think it's been great for Courtney. This year, she is truly excelling. She gives us a chance to stay in games. She's put the weight of the team on her shoulders. For one player to have (22) goals on her own is exceptional."

If Coleman were a basketball player, she would be known as having great handles. That's who she is with her feet.

Put a soccer ball between Coleman's feet and she can work wonders. She's got all kinds of fancy moves and is cat-like quick with the ball, too.

She perfected her craft as a kid by juggling the soccer ball with her feet for hours while she watched TV. She'd also kick it off the fireplace over and over again.

"She is just so comfortable with the ball," Polakow said. "When she has the ball on her feet, it's almost impossible to take it from her. Maybe if there are two or three girls on her, but not one-on-one.

"She's fast with both feet and very crafty with the ball. And she has a knack for the goal."

Coleman was recruited to play defender in college. Before becoming a midfielder for the Sequoits, it had been her position for years, and it's where she made her name at the club level.

But her sudden scoring prowess over the last two seasons for the Sequoits might be a game-changer for her at the next level. Now, her soon-to-be college coach is saying that he's open to the idea of playing her in a more offensive role.

"After this, I think I'd actually prefer to play midfield in college," Coleman said. "I really like scoring goals.

"It's a lot more fun to score goals than to save them."

And you know this girl, she's all about keeping it fun.

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

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