Athlete of the Week: Emily Jarvis

Name: Emily Jarvis

Graduating Class: Class of 2012      

Team: Hopkinton Hillers Girls Soccer, Softball & Varsity Indoor Track   

Position: Soccer - Defender/Midfielder , Softball – Center Field, Track

Team Captain: Soccer & Softball

2011 Girls Soccer Stats:

Team Record: 7-6-5     2011 Tied for 3^rd in the Tri Valley League

Career Stats Softball :

Batting Average: .500  

OBP: .540    

Stolen Bases: 7/9

Slugging Pct: .863

OPS: 1.403  

Favorite Soccer Moment:  Our home game against Ashland. We needed one point to get to tournament as did Ashland. We had just come off of a very physical and violent game against them a few days earlier and wanted to cream them more than anything. We wanted to send a message that we were not the team we were at the beginning of the year.
It was a new program so the beginning of our season was a little shaky, but half way through the season we flipped a switch and became a real team. A few hours before the game, one of my teammates, Emma Johnson, and I were talking about the game, and we predicted she would score a goal on a certain net. That night was one of our hardest games ever. We never gave up. We kept the pressure on and eventually we got the goals we needed. Our prediction, oddly enough, came true. By the end of the game we were drenched in sweat and hunched over, but we won. We advanced to tournament, but also kept Ashland from advancing. It was one of the best games of my life and really showed the determination of our team.

VF   How long have you been playing soccer?

EJ   I have been playing soccer for as long as I can remember. I was always outside with my older brothers playing around in the yard.  I started playing on an official team when I was about 5.  

VF   Did you play in the youth soccer program?

EJ   I've always lived in Hopkinton so when I was young I played on the town teams. When I was about 8 or 9 I started playing on club teams. I played on the Boca Junior Soccer Academy and then went to Tri-Valley Eagles.

VF   What do you like best about soccer?

EJ   The thing I liked best about soccer is how it is truly a team sport. To succeed there needs to be a huge amount of team chemistry - you can't rely on just one person; everybody plays an important role on the team. You really have to work hard to be unique in soccer. Everybody has many of the same skills so if you want to stand out you really have to work hard and perfect your abilities.

VF   What do you like best about softball?

EJ   The thing I like about softball is that it is sort of like soccer in that it is a team sport, but it also involves you individually more than soccer. I also participate in track so it is kind of a mixture of soccer and track. It is a mix between a team sport and an individual sport. That is what made me choose softball to pursue in college. In softball you need to be solid in your skills and at certain points in the game, the outcome can depend on you, but in the end you can't win the game or even play it without a team.

VF   What advice would you give a young soccer enthusiast to help them develop into a high school varsity player?

EJ   I developed my ball skills by just kicking a ball around in my yard. I also juggled a lot when I was bored because that really helps with your touch. I just played soccer. It's probably one of the most important parts of soccer, just getting out there and playing competitive soccer. For younger kids that is the best way to get better. I actually go to professional games because you can really learn a lot about strategies and proper technique. It might sound corny, but everyone on the high school team loves to play, and that is where our success comes from.