Being in the right position

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

Sometimes height doesn’t matter.

While most teams would like their defenders to be tall, so they could battle for the 50/50 balls, it comes down to positioning. It doesn’t matter if you are 6-foot-4 or 5-foot-3.

If you are not in the right position to win the ball then you won’t win it.

California defender Izabella DeGlopper has never been tall, but that hasn’t stopped her from being one of the best defenders since her time at Grand Island High School. The 5-foot-3 defender has been a steady influence the past three years for a California team that has battling hard all season long.

Over the years DeGlopper has never thought about her height. She has just gone out there and played the game the way she knows how to play. While her height can be a disadvantage at times, DeGlopper uses her positioning to win those one on one battles throughout the contest.

She also uses her keen soccer IQ to make sure she is in the right place at the right time.

“Positioning is important anywhere on the field. Sure size helps, but so does having a good soccer IQ. As a defender I need to be able to see three things, my net, my opponent, and the ball. However sometimes my position is based off of my opponent and knowing where she wants to go,” stated DeGlopper. “If my positioning is right I can mark her, watch where the ball is, and where it is going. My feet need to always be moving you never want to get caught flat footed because then you have a lot of ground to make up. But even if you do get beat or get caught flat footed, just track back and trust that your teammates have your back to cover for you. In soccer you are always moving and don’t stop until that final whistle is blown.”

Communication is also important. DeGlopper has been a consistent starter for the Vulcans. That kind of leadership allows her to be more vocal when it comes to making sure the back line is all in unison.

But, it’s just not making sure everyone is playing as one. Communicating to the rest of the team that they are doing a good job is just as important.

“Communication is a huge factor. Not only to help out a player by communicating turn or man on, but also to tell them good job or great ball. When a teammate is being told they are doing good they have more confidence, and more confidence leads to them thinking I got this or gives them the courage to not stop playing their hardest,” stated DeGlopper. “Positive feedback goes a long way especially during hard games when things aren’t going the best. I love to focus on the positives on the field rather than the negatives. Being there for my teammates when they make a bad pass or have a bad touch, is so important as our minds tend to focus only on the bad even when we have done so much good during the game. Being able to take their minds off the bad and have them focus on the good pass they just made is key. Like I said before the game moves too fast to dwell on the past. We all have to keep moving forward and a part to that is communication.”

DeGlopper has been a staple for the Vulcans since her freshman year. In her three year career (at the time of this writing) DeGlopper has appeared in 48 games, starting 47 of them. All that early playing time helped her became the type of player she is today.

She had to learn from those early mistakes during a freshman campaign that saw her start 17 games. Playing so much could have went either way. She could have lost confidence in herself because of the mistakes she made.

Instead DeGlopper learned from those mistakes and improved her game each season.

“It has definitely put some experience under my belt, as I was playing against 5th and 6th years and those who had extra years from Covid. I was ready for the challenge and embraced it. I have had to learn that making a mistake is okay, but what you do after is what counts. I couldn’t dwell on a bad pass or missed touches,” stated DeGlopper. “The game moves too fast for that. I have learned that when the game is going too fast to slow down and be present. But always know your next move as being a defender is all about building out of the back. Being able to start and play was a dream come true. I’m not the type of player that wants to sit on the bench. I worked hard to be where I am today.”

She has also worked on he fitness. DeGlopper has logged a lot of minutes during her college career, and the junior from Grand Island has made sure to put the work in during the offseason.

When the season is over, DeGlopper goes right into the offseason. She makes sure she continues to work on her diet, along with hydrating. Coaches always notice those who put in the work during the summer to get ready for a new season.

“HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!!! As well as have a balanced diet. Knowing my body, I need to hydrate 2-3 days before a big match that I know is going to be in the heat,” stated DeGlopper. “Along with eating the right things and hydrating, endurance and conditioning are very big for me. We have to go into the season in shape and ready to play. Being in shape is key for having a good start to the season. Coaches notice those who put the work in over the summer and those who needed to do more.”

Whether it’s during the season, or in the offseason, DeGlopper is always working on her game to get better. She knows she can’t rest on what she did the year before. DeGlopper is always working on building from the back and switching the ball.


She is also working on using both feet, to make it harder for other teams to read what she’s doing.

“One of the biggest things we work on in training is building out of the back and being able to switch the ball. In this comes a lot of trust. I trust my whole back line in knowing that they have my back on the field. Being able to translate building out of the back from practice to a game is the best feeling ever,” explained DeGlopper. “This comes from a lot of reps and going over the same thing’s day in and day out. Another thing I try to work on as a player is having the ability to use both feet. Being able to use both feet helps me to be versatile. Versatility is a big part of the game. I play mainly left back being dominantly a right footed player. I have played right back, left back, center back, and defensive mid. All those positions require both feet being used. So, in some trainings I will say to myself okay I am only allowed to use my left foot or in individual trainings I will do just as many reps on my right as on my left. We also work on this through film. Being able to see the mistakes we made, but also the positive passes we made is important. We learn a lot through watching ourselves, because as the game progresses, we might not remember the pass we made in the 6th minute or even remember why we made it. Being able to go back and watch games back through is just as important as getting touches on the ball.”

While she isn’t ask to score, DeGlopper is always keeping her on a swivel just incase here time comes. Her time came this year when she scored against Clarion back in September. She also added an assist against Edinboro earlier this month.

“My head is always on a swivel. I need to pick my moments to attack because running end line to end line every time the ball goes up the field is a waste of energy. But when I do choose to attack and go forward my mind shifts from, I need to win this ball to I need to get the ball in the back of the net. Now I describe myself as a player who likes to pass and give thru balls. I am more of a play maker,” stated DeGlopper. “As an outside back our job is to both defender and attack. We have a different role than most players. We get to see both sides of the ball and be involved throughout the whole game. My first thought is always can I shoot, if not what’s my next option; how can we get the ball forward, who’s moving, who’s running into open space, who’s checking to the ball, can I slip a ball in behind a defender for someone to run onto. But if I have time and a chance to shoot, I will shoot it.”