Standout Soccer Player Emma Anselm Is Jeff Lauritzen-Country Financial Female Athlete Of the Month

ALTON - Marquette Catholic senior soccer player Emma Anselm is enjoying her final season as a standout with the Explorers' girls team.

Anselm is the Jeff Lauritzen-Country Financial Female Athlete of the Month.

Anselm is coached by Brian Hoener and she would like to thank her family, friends, and coaches for always pushing her to be the best she can be. She would especially like to thank her dad for devoting so much time towards her soccer career and motivating her each and every day.

“I have been playing soccer since kindergarten," Emma said. "The best thing about this sport is becoming friends not only with the people on your team but the people you play against as well.

“I have been recognized as first-team All-Prairie State Conference and player of the week in 2019. I currently led the team in goals with 13 goals in 8 games. My hard work, dedication, teamwork, and good sportsmanship it has allowed me to become team captain and feel I can empower everyone to come together as a stronger and more powerful team.”

As a student-athlete, She has become both respectful and responsible on and off the field. Not only has she learned different skills, moves, and plays, but she has also learned things that don’t necessarily take talents, such as hard work, discipline, passion, and persistence. Being an athlete has been nothing but a positive experience-- one that Anselm will always treasure. She said she would not be who she is without the positivity and discipline athletics instilled in her.

When Anselm is not playing soccer she likes to hang out with friends, she spends time shopping, working out, and eating Chipotle.

She will be attending the University of Missouri. As much as she loves the sport, she has decided not to play soccer in college but hopes to join their club soccer team. She will major in nursing.

"I am an Illinois State Scholar," she said. "I participated in the Student Council, Breast Cancer Awareness Club, Yearbook Club, and was a member of the National Honors Society. I also swam my freshman year and played volleyball my freshman and sophomore years. I also played club soccer throughout my high school career.

“I am glad I had the opportunity to play high school soccer with all my friends for the past four years. Although the COVID-19 Pandemic took a year away from us, we have come back stronger than we have ever been before.”

Riverbender.com's Athlete of the Month program is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors and the cooperation of our area high schools. This is a great accomplishment and one to be very proud of. Please join us in congratulating this young athlete. We at Riverbender.com wish you continued success in your future!

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