Oswego East Student-Athlete of the Week-Emma Rosenthal

Soccer has been a mainstay in senior Emma Rosenthal’s life ever since she can remember. She first started playing at the age of 3 and quickly realized it was a passion she wanted to pursue by joining her first club team at age 7. That passion has never wavered but has only grown by leaps and bounds since. Her hard work and dedication helped earn her an opportunity to play in college, and that effort has made her a stalwart for the Wolves the past four seasons, which is why she is this week’s Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Playing soccer has not just been a hobby of Emma’s, but as much a part of her life as eating and sleeping. “Soccer is something that has always been in my life, and I knew from a young age I wanted to play in college,” says Emma. Jennifer and Jason Rosenthal, Emma’s parents, have watched Emma compete for most of her life, saying, “She has always had a talent and love for soccer.” They go on to say, “I remember when she would go to her practices and see the high school girls in their college sweatshirts and she said that would be her someday.”

Emma has been a four-year member of head coach Juan Leal’s team, and during that time she has grown leaps and bounds, not only as a player but also as a person. “I have seen her grow as a young adult that continues to improve,” says Juan. He says, “She has become more vocal of a player and has become more confident in her abilities. She has always had a warm heart and takes her teammate's feelings and emotions into consideration.”

Jennifer and Jason have seen how being a member of the team, as well as a student at OE, has helped Emma mature into the person she is today. “Emma’s time at OE allowed her to grow as a person by pushing her to work hard and earning opportunities that have helped her grow,” says Jennifer and Jason. They go on by saying, “Emma exhibits drive and hard work and has learned to balance school, academics, and her social life all while making sure to have fun.”

As an outside defender, Emma’s efforts, talents, and play do not show up on the stat sheet as often as her offensive teammates. However, she remains an integral part of the Wolves' defensive efforts and has involved herself more in the offensive game as well. This season Emma has 1 goal and 7 assists, but her play in both practice and games is what inspires her coaches and teammates.

“As a player, she brings it to practice every day,” says Juan. He adds, “She works very hard on the fundamentals and continues to learn from each game. She is very inquisitive and likes to challenge herself by taking on the best attacking players. As a leader, Emma gets her defensive line ready by giving them confidence as they practice and play. She works with the other defenders and gives her expert opinion as she has only known Varsity soccer. Emma has been on Varsity since her freshman year.”

The Wolves have an overall record of 8-5-1 on the season and are 6-1 in SPC play. Emma and her teammates have set their goals on trying to win a conference championship, as well as build on their regional championship from last season in the playoffs. After this season, Emma is committed to playing at the University of Illinois-Springfield, and Juan has no doubt she will find success at the collegiate level, saying, “Emma is going to do VERY WELL at the next level due to her competitive nature and eagerness to improve.”

Emma has her eyes set on continuing to pursue her passion for sports and athletics overall by majoring in Exercise Science and potentially getting her teacher certificate in hopes of becoming a Physical Education teacher. Physical Education Department Chair Laura Nussle believes Emma has all the qualities necessary to succeed in the field, saying, “Emma’s work ethic is above and beyond in class and she always shows respect to others and the content. I am excited she is choosing to go into the field of exercise science and would be proud to call her a colleague in the future!”

With only a few weeks left before the playoffs, Emma and her teammates are putting in as much work as possible so they are playing their best at the end of the season. As her senior year rapidly comes to a close, she looks back fondly from her time at OE, and advises future Wolves by saying, “The best thing to do is get as involved as you can at OE.” She adds, “Being involved makes high school more fun and the day more enjoyable. You should try to get out of your comfort zone by trying new clubs or sports as a way to find new friends and people who you have things in common with.” The commonality and cohesion the Wolves soccer team is building through a grueling SPC season will only set the table for Emma and her senior teammates as a year to remember.