Alyssa Dean lives for soccer.
“She loves it,” Union Springs girls soccer coach Tom Camp said. “She watches it, studies it and would like to take it to the next level. It's very possible that she could be a Division II or III player in college.”
The Union Springs junior has been playing the game since she was a kindergartner, with the help of her father, Joel, an assistant coach with the Wolves' summer league that Alyssa also plays for.
“My dad has been really supportive, he's helped me learn a lot about the game,” Dean said.
She devotes most of her time to kicking around the ball, over half the year in fact.
When she's not practicing or playing, she's watching it, like today when she'll go see the Team USA-Mexico game after soccer practice. She's already met her idol, Mia Hamm, at one of those USA-Mexico games when she was 7 years old.
“It was incredible,” Dean said. “She signed my jersey and we framed it.”
Growing up in Texas just outside of Houston, Dean played soccer with boys for fun until she started on an organized team in middle school.
“In Texas, soccer was huge there,” Dean said. “I didn't necessarily play for the school or on a team at first, I just wanted to play.”
The forward moved to Union Springs four years ago and said that she was going to play on the varsity team then, but wanted to make friends with girls in her own grade first so she decided to stay at the modified level. She moved up to the varsity team as a freshman and has climbed her way up to captain this year.
Last season, Dean led the team with eight goals. Through four games this season, she has four, including a hat trick in the Wolves last game against Spencer-Van Etten.
“Alyssa is a very hard shot, she's very quick and very strong,” Camp said. “She isn't a long distance runner yet, but she has a good knack for getting the ball in the goal. She'll be our leading scorer again for sure, she's great at setting the example for the rest of the team.”
Dean feels that her footwork, accuracy and power behind her shots have all gotten better, but she has another goal that she'd like to complete this year.
“It's my junior year and I want to step it up to get into colleges,” she said. “My goal this year, coach tells me, is 16 goals. I want to get that too.”
Dean wants to play well enough to get into North Carolina, which is where Hamm went to school.
With her attitude, talent and leadership skills, becoming a Tar Heel in a couple of years isn't that far-fetched. This is her first season as co-captain of the Wolves and she has stepped into the role perfectly.
“Being a captain, I'd like us to get better at communicating and passing, stronger and harder. So far we're doing pretty good, we work together well,” Dean said. “It's interesting to see how much (the younger teammates) look up to you. I didn't realize how much you have to pump everyone else up and encourage them and act positive even if you know you aren't going to win. If they see you get down, then they will too and we don't need that.”
The Union Springs junior has been playing the game since she was a kindergartner, with the help of her father, Joel, an assistant coach with the Wolves' summer league that Alyssa also plays for.
“My dad has been really supportive, he's helped me learn a lot about the game,” Dean said.
She devotes most of her time to kicking around the ball, over half the year in fact.
When she's not practicing or playing, she's watching it, like today when she'll go see the Team USA-Mexico game after soccer practice. She's already met her idol, Mia Hamm, at one of those USA-Mexico games when she was 7 years old.
“It was incredible,” Dean said. “She signed my jersey and we framed it.”
Growing up in Texas just outside of Houston, Dean played soccer with boys for fun until she started on an organized team in middle school.
“In Texas, soccer was huge there,” Dean said. “I didn't necessarily play for the school or on a team at first, I just wanted to play.”
The forward moved to Union Springs four years ago and said that she was going to play on the varsity team then, but wanted to make friends with girls in her own grade first so she decided to stay at the modified level. She moved up to the varsity team as a freshman and has climbed her way up to captain this year.
Last season, Dean led the team with eight goals. Through four games this season, she has four, including a hat trick in the Wolves last game against Spencer-Van Etten.
“Alyssa is a very hard shot, she's very quick and very strong,” Camp said. “She isn't a long distance runner yet, but she has a good knack for getting the ball in the goal. She'll be our leading scorer again for sure, she's great at setting the example for the rest of the team.”
Dean feels that her footwork, accuracy and power behind her shots have all gotten better, but she has another goal that she'd like to complete this year.
“It's my junior year and I want to step it up to get into colleges,” she said. “My goal this year, coach tells me, is 16 goals. I want to get that too.”
Dean wants to play well enough to get into North Carolina, which is where Hamm went to school.
With her attitude, talent and leadership skills, becoming a Tar Heel in a couple of years isn't that far-fetched. This is her first season as co-captain of the Wolves and she has stepped into the role perfectly.
“Being a captain, I'd like us to get better at communicating and passing, stronger and harder. So far we're doing pretty good, we work together well,” Dean said. “It's interesting to see how much (the younger teammates) look up to you. I didn't realize how much you have to pump everyone else up and encourage them and act positive even if you know you aren't going to win. If they see you get down, then they will too and we don't need that.”
