Lake City High School Athlete of the Month: Emily Parson

Lake City High School junior Emily Parson welcomes the pressures of being a varsity soccer goalkeeper, and she’s learned to handle it in stride and enjoy the game.

“I love soccer because it is a sport that really forces you to work together with your team and overcome the obstacles that you encounter together. I know that if I didn't have a great support system like I did this season, I would not have become a better goalkeeper, teammate or person. I really enjoy being a goalkeeper because I can see what my teammates can't, and I help direct traffic,” says Emily.

As a goalkeeper, Emily said that she is at a disadvantage because of her height. At 5 feet 4 inches, she’s made up the difference by strengthening and improving her vertical jump and timing her jumps better while tending goal.

Emily has excelled in school as well. She has a weighted cumulative GPA of 4.2 and has achieved honor roll throughout high school, receiving highest honors sophomore year and high honors her freshman year. She also recently lettered in academics.

The future is wide open for Emily, but she is undecided as to where to attend college and what to study, though she knows soccer won’t be a part of it.

“I know that I would like to go to school somewhere in Oregon near the coast,” says Emily. “I am interested in a few career options, and I can't choose which one I like the best. I think being a lawyer would be fun, and I'm interested in the medical field.”

For the time being, she’ll continue to face any challenges ahead with the words of her coach, Matt Ruchti, “It is going to be hard and it is going to be difficult, and there are going to be times when you want to give up, but we like it to be difficult, and we are going to work hard until the very last second because that is who we are.”

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