In any team, it is vital that every member plays their part. On top of playing as a defensive midfielder, Edmond Memorial High School senior Sophia Bell’s role consists of leading the EMHS girls’ soccer team to success as a senior captain. Whether it be a smart play in the game or a helpful pep talk, Bell’s number one goal is making sure her team always feels supported and heard.
Bell has been playing sports her entire life, but soccer is the sport that stuck. She started when she was 3 years old on an Edmond Soccer Club team called “Flower Power.” Once she started going to Memorial, joining the soccer team was a no-brainer.
“My parents just kind of put me in every single sport, and soccer is the one that clicked,” Bell said. “I just liked scoring goals and hearing everybody cheer.”
Not only is she gifted on the field, but her life outside the game is also just as impressive. Bell participates in several extracurricular activities on top of being captain of the soccer team. A few of her responsibilities include senior class president, National Honor Society president, Youth and Government Mock Trial and playing bass in symphonic orchestra. Bell’s strategy when handling her heavy workload is to ensure she stays organized.
“I think one of the things that helps her the most is she is organized in every aspect of her life,” senior Claire Viets said. “She has multiple journals and stuff helping her organize all of her responsibilities, and I think it’s very impressive how, with such a heavy workload, she could manage all the elements.”
Even though such a heavy workload can very easily become overwhelming, Bell does not let it affect her performance in any of her academic or extracurricular activities. By staying organized, she ensures she can complete everything she has to do to the best of her ability.
“She has a lot going on, but she is very good at prioritizing the things that she’s involved in and making sure that she is not giving only part of herself to one thing or the other,” EMHS head girls soccer coach Rachelle Kerby said. “She is able to maintain all of her responsibilities in a way that I have no idea how she does it. She gives all of herself in everything that she does.”
Through all these extracurriculars, Bell has developed her leadership skills into something special. The way she interacts with her team builds trust. Bell asks teammates what they need help with and gives them advice on what they can work on.
“She’s just a good teammate,” Kerby said. “She is a good person who’s gonna kick your butt in gear when you need it. She’s gonna tell you kinda the things you don’t necessarily wanna hear, but she’s gonna help you get better the same way that she works to get better.”
Bell has worked hard to develop her leadership skills for the future. She does not let her overwhelming schedule affect her gameplay and always makes sure to create time to finish all her tasks. She plans to go to the University of Missouri after high school and continue playing club soccer in the future.
Contact Paisley Edgin at [email protected].
