If there’s ever another energy crisis in this country, somebody should find a way to tap into Nicole Breece’s private supply. It seems to be endless.

Breece, a tricky left winger for St. Louis Scott Gallagher’s U15 United Girls team and the Region II ODP 94s, was speaking to us recently after a day of school, a high school basketball game and a full indoor soccer practice involving sprints, weights and small-sided games. Asked if she was exhausted, she downplayed the effects of her daylong workout.

"I’m kind of tired, but I’m pretty used to this,” she said. “It’s not a big deal.”

Nicole’s play can be a big deal indeed. Her 1v1 skills are top notch and SLSG coach Tony Schmitt believes she’s just starting to reach her potential as a player.

“She’s very tenacious in the way she defends. She’s very good at going 1 on 1,” Schmnitt said. “She strikes the ball with both feet but she can also break a defense down with the dribble. She’s a very good distributor of the ball. Plus she has a flip throw which is just another weapon for us.”

It’s the 1v1 part of the game that Breece loves most.

“It just makes you feel a little better,” she said of beating a defender. “Even if you’re having a bad game you can beat someone and advance the ball to help your team and you feel better.”

Breece has played a number of positions including striker, central midfield and left back, but says the left wing role is ideal for her.

“It’s my favorite position,” she said. "I can attack or defend from here. It gives me some freedom.”

Breece, who makes it clear that soccer is her #1 sport, said basketball gives her something to do in the winter when the team only trains 2-3 times a week. She looks forward to the spring when the soccer schedule picks up, including her team’s participation in the Red Bull National League. A class of 2012 graduate, she will not be playing high school soccer in order to concentrate on club ball.

She also plays ODP, and was the only selection from Missouri for the 1994 Region II squad. Teammates at the U.S. Youth Soccer Thanksgiving Interregional include Kylie Morgan, Alexandra Gjonaj, Lauren Miller, Olivia Jester and Elaina Musleh.

Schmitt said Breece has come along via the team’s program quite nicely since joining the team at age 10.

“The first time she came out I saw a little girl with a ton of energy and a ton of pace,” Schmitt said. “She had a great work rate and loved to play the game. She just needed to find out what the game was, like all 9 and 10 year olds.  We spent the majority of our time on the technical side and then more on the end of how and when to use it, what situations necessitate the skills to solve problems. At same time we’re teaching the tactical side of the game, what the game really means to us and what our set of values are.  Everything starts and ends with our values. We embrace our values at all times on the field and away from the field.

“Nicole is a special kid. She has great personality. She’s a lot of fun and very eager to learn. She is very disciplined and you can tell she always spends time on her own training. She believes the list of values the club preaches.”

Driving to games with her parents Elmer and Jacki, and sisters Katelyn and Danielle, Nicole has set her sights on playing major college soccer and hopefully earning a chance at playing with professional and national teams in the future.