Kelsey McQuaidKelsey McQuaid scores big goals
March 17, 2009
Being a coach’s dream is a rather lofty description to justify, but South Central Premier’s U15 Girls coach Rick Koczak doesn’t hesitate to place the label on his goalscoring ace, Kelsey McQuaid.
Assessing McQuaid’s dedication isn’t hard. Start with the fact that she makes a 90-120 minute one-way commute for training at least three times a week from her family’s Rhode Island home to the team’s Connecticut training ground.
Add to that her weekly training stints with a Bruno United U15 boys team in Rhode Island, regular visits for strength and performance training and near-nightly individual work on ball skills in the family yard, and you start to get the idea.
“She’s just a coach’s dream,” Koczak said of McQuaid. “She scores goals when she wants. We were a good team before she came and she adds the ability to score those goals on big occasions. She’s a great asset to our team. On top of that, she’s one of the most pleasant players that I’ve ever coached. She’s determined and loves the game so much. She has a great future ahead of her.”
Kelsey McQuaidFor McQuaid, the chance to play with U.S. Youth Soccer’s Region I Premier League was a big draw in making the move to South Central. She had cut her soccer teeth with Virginia Beach-area club Beach FC, but moved north with her family a couple of years ago.
She’s already part of the Region I ’93 ODP team, having excelled at both the ODP Interregional last month in California and the team’s just-concluded trip to Portugal.
As Koczak mentions, it’s Kelsey’s goal-scoring that gets the attention of college coaches and others watching her. She plays target forward with the ODP squad and more as a withdrawn striker with her club team. She admits to working pretty constantly on her ability to put the ball in the back of the net.
“When we moved to Rhode Island, I got a soccer goal in the backyard,” she said. “I’m always out there shooting, working on my technical skills. I just feel if you don’t work on your own, if you just show up to practices, you can’t get as good as you need to be. You can’t work as much on specifics with your club team, things like your first touch and your shooting accuracy.”
The Region I ‘93s, coached by Penn State’s Erica Walsh and Iona(w)’s Eric Teepe, defeated a pair of Spanish teams on the Portugese trip before drawing 1-1 with the Irish U16 Girls National Team. McQuaid found the trip helpful in her development.
“We learned a lot from all the games,” she said. “It was also really exciting to be in the same hotel as the Women’s National Team (playing in the Algarve Cup at the same time) and watch them play up close.”
McQuaid had met U.S. players Rachel Buehler and Kendall Fletcher a couple of weeks earlier during the ODP Interregional. Some of the other Region I players on that trip included Kristi Abbate, Michaela Cowgill, Jackie Firenze, Melissa Gavin and Samantha Phillips.
Koczak noted that McQuaid brings some special qualities as a teammate as well.
“The kids love her. She’s definitely one of the friendliest people that you’ll meet,” he said. “She’s a leader on the field but a great friend too. She brings confidence on the field for the whole team, and knowing that when the game is tight they have somebody to count on to help with scoring goals, that helps out the team as far as overall confidence.”
Love of the game is evident when talking to Kelsey.
“I’ve always loved the game. When I lived in Virginia Beach I always loved it. I never wanted to stop playing,” she said. “Even though it’s a big commitment (the drive for practice) I just love playing for a great team at a high level like ours. If I have to travel that far to get better that’s what I’ll do.”
Her appreciation for the experience of playing is doubtless also fueled by how much easier it is to compete these days. Kelsey was greatly hindered by a severe case of asthma. The degree of her breathing difficulties meant trips to the emergency room rather than occasional use of an inhaler. Finally she participated in a clinical study of a new drug at a Virginia area medical facility. Now she receives an injection once per month and the difference is like night and day.
“I always had to play through it before, but now it’s like I’m a new person,” she said. “I never have to sit out because of it anymore and I used to a lot. Now I don’t have to worry about my breathing or having to stay up all night. It was the worse thing ever but this has been like a miracle.”
Assessing McQuaid’s dedication isn’t hard. Start with the fact that she makes a 90-120 minute one-way commute for training at least three times a week from her family’s Rhode Island home to the team’s Connecticut training ground.
Add to that her weekly training stints with a Bruno United U15 boys team in Rhode Island, regular visits for strength and performance training and near-nightly individual work on ball skills in the family yard, and you start to get the idea.
“She’s just a coach’s dream,” Koczak said of McQuaid. “She scores goals when she wants. We were a good team before she came and she adds the ability to score those goals on big occasions. She’s a great asset to our team. On top of that, she’s one of the most pleasant players that I’ve ever coached. She’s determined and loves the game so much. She has a great future ahead of her.”
Kelsey McQuaidShe’s already part of the Region I ’93 ODP team, having excelled at both the ODP Interregional last month in California and the team’s just-concluded trip to Portugal.
As Koczak mentions, it’s Kelsey’s goal-scoring that gets the attention of college coaches and others watching her. She plays target forward with the ODP squad and more as a withdrawn striker with her club team. She admits to working pretty constantly on her ability to put the ball in the back of the net.
“When we moved to Rhode Island, I got a soccer goal in the backyard,” she said. “I’m always out there shooting, working on my technical skills. I just feel if you don’t work on your own, if you just show up to practices, you can’t get as good as you need to be. You can’t work as much on specifics with your club team, things like your first touch and your shooting accuracy.”
The Region I ‘93s, coached by Penn State’s Erica Walsh and Iona(w)’s Eric Teepe, defeated a pair of Spanish teams on the Portugese trip before drawing 1-1 with the Irish U16 Girls National Team. McQuaid found the trip helpful in her development.
“We learned a lot from all the games,” she said. “It was also really exciting to be in the same hotel as the Women’s National Team (playing in the Algarve Cup at the same time) and watch them play up close.”
McQuaid had met U.S. players Rachel Buehler and Kendall Fletcher a couple of weeks earlier during the ODP Interregional. Some of the other Region I players on that trip included Kristi Abbate, Michaela Cowgill, Jackie Firenze, Melissa Gavin and Samantha Phillips.
Koczak noted that McQuaid brings some special qualities as a teammate as well.
“The kids love her. She’s definitely one of the friendliest people that you’ll meet,” he said. “She’s a leader on the field but a great friend too. She brings confidence on the field for the whole team, and knowing that when the game is tight they have somebody to count on to help with scoring goals, that helps out the team as far as overall confidence.”
Love of the game is evident when talking to Kelsey.
“I’ve always loved the game. When I lived in Virginia Beach I always loved it. I never wanted to stop playing,” she said. “Even though it’s a big commitment (the drive for practice) I just love playing for a great team at a high level like ours. If I have to travel that far to get better that’s what I’ll do.”
Her appreciation for the experience of playing is doubtless also fueled by how much easier it is to compete these days. Kelsey was greatly hindered by a severe case of asthma. The degree of her breathing difficulties meant trips to the emergency room rather than occasional use of an inhaler. Finally she participated in a clinical study of a new drug at a Virginia area medical facility. Now she receives an injection once per month and the difference is like night and day.
“I always had to play through it before, but now it’s like I’m a new person,” she said. “I never have to sit out because of it anymore and I used to a lot. Now I don’t have to worry about my breathing or having to stay up all night. It was the worse thing ever but this has been like a miracle.”
