The Lady Cougars' Have A Silent Unsung Leader

junior midfielder Olivia Kane would hesitate to call herself a leader. 

“I think I am a leader," said Kane. “But, I just don’t know how to explain it.”

Kane doesn’t have to explain much to show in fact that she is a leader. Her actions speak louder than words.

“She’s not very vocal,” said head coach Brittany Piotti. “I would say she is one of the quieter girls on the team, but she leads by how she plays. She comes off the field and she is the quietest thing. She’ll admit that she is quiet. I don’t know if it is because she is shy, but she leads when she is out there playing. She raises the bar high for everyone.”

Kane had a big part to do with the team’s success this season. In a season where the team was in just about every game played, the Lady Cougars showed they could keep up with the best teams in the Central League.

“We learned a lot as a team,” said Kane. “The game is never over until the last whistle and anything can happen.”

Kane is in charge of transitioning the ball from the defense to the offensive end, a task that is far from easy. The fact that she plays three sports during the school year keeps her in great shape.

“She is all over the place,” said Piotti. “She is so good on midfield; she is on defense and attack. She really comes through at all the positions on the field. Everyone looks up to her and wants to emulate her style of play. I have the junior varsity girls watching closely how she plays. She is so dominant and humble at the same time.” 

Humble is an understatement when it comes to describing Kane. She knows that she’s quiet, but won't hesitate to give credit to her teammates for her success.

“On the field I think we have a lot of leaders; I don’t want to take all the credit,” Kane said. “My team does a lot. They help me out.”

There isn’t a thing that Kane won’t do to help her team out. She makes a simple mistake; she makes sure that it’s fixed, so it doesn’t hurt her team next time.

“She absorbs everything we say,” said Piotti. “You won’t see a mistake from her once she corrects it. She takes what we say and applies it on the field.”

Off the field, Kane likes to hang out with friends and workout for her position as a point guard for the girls’ basketball team and her position on the lacrosse team.

“I think I like basketball the best," she said. "Don’t get me wrong, I like field hockey, too.” 

The way Kane plays field hockey is beautiful to watch. She hustles for every ball and never gives up on a play.

“I always try to hustle and play my best and leave it all on the field,” Kane said. “I get a lot of help from my defense and my offense as well.”

Kane will be one of the key pieces for the Lady Cougars next season. By then she’ll be senior midfielder, the bridge from the defense end to the offensive end.

“I never had to worry about her being out of shape or silly mistakes,” said Piotti. “She is a clean player and knows how to play the game. She leads by example and I think a lot of people just look up to her.”

When next year rolls around, one thing won't change, she’ll be expected to be a leader.

“I like the pressure of being one of the leaders,” said Kane. “It’s a lot of pressure but coach always talks about mental toughness. She talks about how you are always able to do more. I just think of mental toughness.”