By Chris Cox
Wagoner midfielder Alyssa Langston started playing soccer like most kids. Her parents signed her up when she was young and that was that. But while many kids move away from soccer to other interests, Langston didn’t. Her passion for the beautiful game only grew.
“I love how competitive it is,” she says. “I love the teamwork part of it. It takes a lot of people to play and be good. Soccer pushes me to be a hard worker. Soccer is not really a sport where you can sit around-you have to stay consistent with it.”
That needed consistency to stay at the top of her game is reflected by the calendar she keeps.
“I play club soccer in the fall and high school soccer in the spring,” she says. “Then even in my free time, I play a little bit of indoor soccer with an adult team.”
With her high school season underway, Langston is hard at work trying to achieve the goals she set for herself and her teammates.
“I would like to see our team make it past the first round of playoffs,” she says. “Ever since my freshman year we’ve always lost first round so I really want us to get past that. For me, I just want to stay consistent, work hard, and be a big goal scorer this year.”
As a senior, Alyssa knows she’s looked to as one of the leaders on this Wagoner team.
“I just try to keep things positive all the time,” she says. “If someone messes up, I try to lift up my teammates. I also try to work hard in practice because you have to practice like you play. I like to keep the intensity high and set the tone.”
Langston credits the adults in her life with helping mold her into the person and player she is today.
“My parents have always been there for me,” she says. “They’ve always pushed me to be a better person and teammate. My high school coaches, Brandon Carr and Ray Bell, have always pushed me to be a big leader and be a better player.”
Outside of soccer, Langston also is a member of the Wagoner volleyball team and is a part of National Honor Society. Following graduation this spring, Alyssa will be heading to Northeastern State University in Tahlequah to continue her soccer career.
