Myers Park High School Junior Laughlin Ryan is known for her soccer skills. “[I have been playing] As long as I can remember.” said Laughlin. Playing for both the Myers Park girls varsity soccer team and her own Charlotte Soccer Academy club team as a forward, Laughlin is active in the sport. She plays up to eight hours a week of soccer while also being an International Baccalaureate student here at Myers Park.
Playing soccer year round has helped Laughlin improve her athletic gifts. “For my club team I have two months off, one in the summer and one in the winter. That is it,” she said. At the young age of thirteen, Laughlin’s club team had an outstanding season and won the state championship. “[Winning the state championship] was very exciting” Laughlin said. She made Myers Park’s varsity team as a freshman. That same year the Myers Park varsity soccer team made it to the second round of the state championships. During her sophomore year she scored multiple goals for the varsity team contributing to the team’s record of twelve wins and zero losses for the 2018 regular season. In last year’s postseason play, the team again continued to the state championship and advanced even further to the fourth round.
All of those countless hours Laughlin has dedicated to her sport are paying off in successes and opportunities on the playing field and beyond. While most juniors in high school are just starting to think about college and where they might apply, Laughlin already has a clear plan. She recently committed to her dream school, the University of Virginia, to play soccer. UVA’s women’s soccer team is a Division I team that is currently ranked fourth in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. The team also boasts a record of seven wins and zero losses. The UVA women’s soccer program has been the home to numerous accomplished athletes including World Cup Champions Morgan Brian and Becky Sauerbrunn. The team is coached by Steve Swanson, widely considered to be one of the elite coaches in collegiate soccer leading his team to 26 consecutive winning seasons. Being asked to be a part of this legacy program is considered an accomplishment for any soccer player.
In addition to Laughlin’s soccer career, she is also a student. Through her participation in the IB program, she has learned to balance her life at school with her soccer. “I don’t know how I [balance my academic and athletic life],” Laughlin said ,“I have learned how to stay organized which is a big part of it and my parents help. I definitely rely on my friends, also everyone on my club team is going through the same thing so we all help out each other.” Laughlin shows that the key to balancing school and sports is time management and help from others.
In every sport, coaches and role models often play a very large role in their player’s motivation, work ethic, and ultimate success. Laughlin commented about how her coaches have influenced her and her love of the game. “Bucky [McCarley, MPHS Varsity Soccer Coach], has helped me most with my confidence and remembering how to enjoy the sport instead of taking it as seriously, as you kind of have too,” she said, “ My club coach has just developed me and, honestly, made me the player I am.” Coaches play a big role in any sport and Laughlin shows how impactful they can be. Laughlin has also been personally motivated by fellow soccer players such as her teammate and cousin. “On my club team one of my friends Megan is a real role model. She is on the national team, she’s awesome.” she said. “And my cousin played college soccer and she has been awesome to talk to.” Laughlin’s role models have helped her develop on the soccer field and beyond.
Laughlin Ryan could not only be considered a committed soccer player, but a role model to Myers Park student athletes. She has taken her passion for soccer and turned it into a future where she can continue to compete at the next level. Through her hard work in the pursuance of her passions and future goals, Laughlin has taken Myers Park and made it her own.