Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Sydney Conway

Tenacious and willing to do what it takes to help her team win is one way to describe senior soccer player, Sydney Conway. The Wolves senior captain made the switch from midfielder to forward early in the season in an effort to kick start the Wolves offense, and she responded by scoring back to back hat tricks, a program first. Her tenacious style, offensive ability, and leadership qualities are why Sydney Conway is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

The passion for the sport came at the young age of 3, a passion she shares with her brother Jack, a sophomore at OE. "I suppose she became competitive because, during those early developmental years, she grasped the idea that "she feels her best when she gives her best," says Sydney's mother, Tricia Conway. She goes on to add, "[Jack and Sydney] both enjoy and have found success in soccer, so I feel that some competitiveness may come from sibling rivalry."

Moving into the district during 7th grade, Sydney was able to gain that confidence when she first arrived at OE. "In her first year, I was surprised when Syd told me how welcomed she felt by fellow students and staff," says Tricia. She goes on to add, "From then on, she has always had positive things to say about her teachers and coaches, from how they took interest in her when she both excelled and failed, to learning of their own life stories and how their own personal successes and failures affected them and how they coped."

After a slow start to the season, Sydney reached out to head Coach Juan Leal about a possible position switch. "The team was excited to see her move up because they all know what kind of player she is, a tenacious competitor that is willing to challenge any defense," says Leal.

Assistant coach Sean Kelleher acknowledges Sydney's technical skills as one of the reasons the switch was so successful. "We have had Sydney in the middle [mid-field] for the past two years because she is strong on the ball and can distribute well," says Kelleher. He goes on to add, "[Sydney] is fearless and her technical skill while dribbling allows her to be successful running at defenders on her own. A lot of her goals have come from her having the confidence and skill of going at multiple defenders at once."

One of the characteristics Sydney likes best about soccer is its physical nature, an aspect sometimes overlooked by those outside the sport. "I love the physicality of the game because you are always battling for something," says Sydney. Her drive to succeed stems from her relationships with teammates and not wanting the feeling of a loss. "I don't want to let down my teammates, and I hate to lose," says Sydney. She goes on to add, "Whenever there is a loss I always look at what I could have done better."

A physical style of play is what has made Sydney such an offensive threat this season. "Sydney constantly forces defenders to either commit to a play on her where she often times draws fouls from her physicality or forces the opposing team to make mistakes, which allows her to run at the goal," says Kelleher. He adds, "She also opens up opportunities for her teammates to be successful."

Sydney has 11 goals and 4 assists on the season, and Sydney has set a goal of 20 goals for the season. But it is Sydney's leadership abilities that set her apart from her classmates. "[Sydney] is vocal both on and off the field by firing her team up when they need it as well as lending support when a mistake is made," Kelleher says. He goes on to add, "She also leads by example as she never takes a day off either in practices or games and constantly puts her body on the line for the team."

After losing in the regionals last season to eventual regional champion Naperville North, Sydney and the Wolves are setting their sights on making a deep playoff run. "The future is bright for us moving forward," says Leal. He continues by adding, "We have a tough schedule and that is preparing us for challenges to come. We will definitely be very competitive and give every team we face a run for their money."

In the classroom, Sydney uses her tenaciousness as an asset for excelling. Sydney challenges herself by enrolling in challenging courses such as advanced placement Calculus AB, Honors Earth and Space, and Honors Spanish 4. Sydney has earned a 4.03 cumulative G.P.A., a 27 on the ACT, and continues to work as hard as possible, even in the second semester of her junior year.

Next year Sydney will enroll in Western Michigan University, majoring in business and finance and minoring in Spanish. "Sydney's goal is to learn how money is allocated across all of the various platforms around the world," says Tricia. Sydney credits her father for pushing her to use her Spanish skills developed at OE for her future career. Sydney chose Western Michigan partly because they have a high number of female alumni in the business world that can help further her career post-college.

Sydney's AP Calc BC teacher, John Paul Shore, believes Sydney will go far in her finance career, saying, "Sydney's best characteristics are she is hard-working, personable, funny, and determined." He continues by saying, "Because she is a determined and hard-working person, I feel she can be successful in any field. She shows good number sense and perseverance with the math side as well, which will be useful skills and attributes for finance."

With only a few short weeks until graduation, Sydney is determined to finish what she started when switching from being a strict club player to joining OE's team. Having taken advantage of all OE has to offer, Sydney advises future Wolves' by saying, "Oswego East has a lot of opportunities, so don't be afraid to venture out and try something you like." She continues by adding, "your goal should be to make [OE] better when you've left." There is no doubt Sydney will leave the girls soccer program in better shape because of her leadership, and the lady Wolves are hopeful they can add some hardware to their trophy case and leave their mark as a team.