So Cal Blues player Lauren Matheson betrays her natural instincts with her self-description.
Asked how she would describe herself to someone who had never seen her play, she responded with a telling remark.
"I try to attack as much as I can without going crazy," the Coast Soccer League standout said.
The fact is, she is quite capable of going crazy on the soccer field, and people shouldn't try to change that. We need more of that in the Girls game in this country.
Matheson is a good enough athlete, but her technique, flair and especially her creativity set her apart from the pack. She is one of the few players you'll find in either gender who are capable of creating a goal out of nothing.
This profile has her set to join Jerry Smith's program at Santa Clara University in the fall of 2009, midfielder Matheson's verbal commitment was prompted in part by the vaunted SCU style of attacking, attractive soccer.
"That was definitely part of it. I've grown to like the 4-3-3 (Santa Clara's normal system). I kind of like playing forward in that so I can run around more," Matheson said. "I went there on junior day and they kind of spanked Notre Dame (8-0). They had all their recruits there and I really loved all of it."
So when Matheson and the rest of the class, including fellow Californian Olivia Klei , arrive, there will naturally be competition for positions and starting berths, but she brushes it off with "I'll play anywhere they want me."
Matheson's coach at So Cal Blues, Larry Draluck, enthuses about her attacking qualities, but notes she's not always about the offense.
"Her competitive spirit translates into her work rate on the field. She's constantly involved in the game," Draluck said. "She plays on both sides of the ball. She defends, she attacks. She's a hard worker and has an appreciation for technique. She's refined her skill level to a level that allows her to be dangerous and to attack."
Draluck adds that when it comes to attacking, there are few as good as Matheson.
"Players sometimes are born. She's been like this since she was a baby. It helps that in the environment she's in, the style of soccer and the way the team plays, it's an environment based on technique and skill," he said. "She's had a lot of freedom as a midfielder to be creative, to be able to experiment without repercussion. The continuity on her team has been there since she was 10. Her teammates trust her and she trusts them.
"There's an understanding that allows players to try things for the team. That's a great environment for developing oneself creatively," he continued. "She's not the ordinary player. You often see players receive the ball and want to get rid of it right away. Lauren is going to look first to see if getting rid of it is the right thing to do."
For her part, Matheson credits the input from Draluck as well as previous coach Abner Rogers and 2 private trainers, Chuck Morales and Platini Soaf, with helping develop her.
"I've learned how to play 1 and 2 touch more, but of course I don't like to have a limit so I can go at players," she said. "In my private training I've learned basic moves on how to attack players, how to be more creative and about not being afraid to try new things. They've all helped."
Lauren's mother Cindy mentions a key attribute to her personality.
"She's very humble," Cindy Matheson said. "She doesn't think she's as good as she is."
Keeping her ego in check doesn't mean she can't set high goals for herself however, and Lauren, who has been a regular for the Region IV team along with having played in several youth national team camps, lists a few.
"My ultimate goal is to go to the Olympics. Hopefully I can play in the pro league when they bring it back," she said. "In the short term, I'd like win a national championship with my club team agai and a Coast Soccer League championship and maybe a league championship with my high school. Then I'd like to win a national title with Santa Clara."
Draluck sees this as a healthy attitude, adding that the systemic tendency American soccer has to suppress the kind of individual creativity that Matheson possesses, is not a good thing.
"The problem with youth soccer now is we're playing such an analytical game with respect to getting results," he said. "The reality is that in youth soccer it should be an individual sport to an extent. You can draw a fine line to still do what's best for the team, but you have to make it an individual sport and allow these players to grow."
He makes a good point. Otherwise, we wouldn't have players who are fun to watch like Lauren Matheson.
