St. Mary's Osmond raises her game

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

Every decision is different.

Every student-athlete has a different reason for why they chose the school they chose. The process is the same, however. Get your name out in front of college coaches and see where it takes you.

St. Mary’s High School’s Ailis Osmond always knew she wanted to play soccer at the highest level. Ever since she put on her first pair of cleats, Osmond had one goal in the mind. That goal became a reality as she recently committed to play soccer at Canisius University.

“As I was narrowing down my choices I was looking for a team with a good atmosphere and coaches that do what it takes to win while having a positive and fun attitude,” stated Osmond. “After visiting Canisius that was the immediate vibe I got from the players and coaches.”

During the recruiting process, Osmond learned a lot about herself. That happens, often, when coaches start picking a part your game, and you as a person. They want to know what kind of person they are getting on and off the field.

The can see the psychical attributes by watching a player on tape, or in person. At the end of the day, they want to know about the person themselves. Osmond learned right away to stop worrying about those silly mistakes.

“While going through the process I have learned that the time that we get to play soccer is such a short period of time in our lives so comparing yourself to others or worrying about silly mistakes isn’t worth your time,” stated Osmond. “Instead turn it into drive to want to be a better player and try to enjoy every moment. I am so thankful for how far I’ve come as a player and person, and that I get to do what a love in college.”

She also gets to play in front of family and friends for the next four years. Canisius is just a stones throw away from St. Mary’s - so all of Osmond’s friends and family can come and enjoy every hone game.

Making the commitment now also allows Osmond to just get back to focusing on soccer. She no longer has to worry about what programs are in the stands watching her. She now can just focus on her game, and focus on having fun.

“Staying local allows my family to come and see as many games as they want which is something that many people don’t get to have while playing in college. As for why I chose the school, it just felt like the right fit for me. I wanted a smaller campus that was strong in their academics and athletics and Canisius fit all of those descriptions,” stated Osmond. “)Finally coming to a decision relieves so much pressure and it will be awesome to jump back into another high school season without having to worry about that and just focusing on getting our team to NYC for states again.”

Getting to states is something that this team does it seems like every year. St. Mary’s has been a force when it comes to girl’s soccer in Western Nee York. They have dominated the Monsignor Martin over the past couple of seasons, and the expectations are always high.

That could be a lot of pressure for someone stepping into a program, knowing there are certain goals each year. Since her freshman year Osmond has never back away from those expectations.

In fact she has embraced thee challenges every season.

“There is definitely some pressure that comes with every season. My freshman year we made it to state finals and coming back my sophomore year while hearing a lot of negativity from the outside world about losing our senior class was definitely stressful,” stated Osmond. “But after we were able to do the same thing again my sophomore year I knew that no matter who was on the team we were strong enough to win any game if we had the right mentality. Unfortunately we lost in state semifinals last year but this year I genuinely believe we can go all the way and I really believe in this team.”

Osmond has become a big part of this team over the years. She is a very versatile player who understands the game and has good instincts. She is able to use her sped to her advantage, with her being one of the faster players on the field at all times.

She is unique at this level because she can pass, and score with both feet, which normally isn’t the case in high school soccer. She uses her anticipation and quickness to the ball, which along with her field vision, makes her difficult to defend.

“Being able to play both offense and defense definitely comes in handy at times. They are completely different positions that you need different skill sets for. Being able to play both has expanded my ability as a player and helped me understand positioning and how important every single role on the field is,” stated Osmond. “I am very grateful to be able to use both feet on the field. It gives me the ability to be a threat from either side of the field. I would say it’s harder to defend as defenders don’t expect me to be able to effectively cross and shoot with my left foot and it catches them off guard.”