Thompson takes her game to the next level

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

From the casual fan, being a defender on the soccer field can be pretty boring. They will just see them standing there not really in the play until the other team has the ball.

But, that could be more far from the truth. Defenders, like former Williamsville East, and current Bryant soccer player, Ava Thompson likes to get into the final third whenever she can. It’s about reading the play and knowing what her teammates like to do.

At Williamsville East, Thompson was always pushing up, trying to help her teammates out whenever she could. She was third on the team in goals with six, which is a pretty high number for a defenseman.

“Although I love defending, I've always found myself pushing up and joining the attacking third whenever I see an opportunity. A big part of defenders being able to join the attacking third has to do with the rest of the team,” stated Thompson. “During my season at East I knew how the girls around me played and I trusted them, therefore I knew if I got the chance to push up someone would always be there to cover me. To touch on “working on that part of the game” I've always been open to playing any position, to get as well rounded as possible. In games where I have the chance to push forward I'm already comfortable and confident because I've been exposed to it and never train with the mentality that I'm just a defender.”

Thompson is anything but just a defender. She is one of the best in the Western New York area. A lot of that has to do with how she communicates on the field. Thompson knows the better she can communicate with her teammates the better the team plays.

As a defender, she has the entire field in front of her. She can see things before they even happen. She knows to be a sold defender you need to anticipate the play in front of you. She cant let the opposing player get on top of her, than they have the advantage.

She has to be able to read the play and anticipate what the opposing forward is going to try to do and get wide on her, and beat her to the spot.

“As a defender communication is hands down one of the most impactful components you could bring to the field. Having the whole field in front of you allows you to have a full view of what's going on, making it easier to anticipate what will happen next,” Thompson. “It is also very important that your team shifts and moves as one, playing in the back it is your job to make sure that everyone is shifting together, which will make it easier to transition from attacking to defending and the other way around.”

And, it’s all about positioning. Thompson could be in the right place, but if her positioning is bad, bad things are going to happen. She knows she needs to be in the right placer at the right time. She also knows she needs to win those 50/50 balls.

Winning the 50/50 balls are important. So is getting the ball out quickly to a teammate and starting the counter attack. Those are two things that Thompson continues to work on to improve her when she gets to Bryant this fall.

“One thing I'm always paying attention to during training is my body position. As a defender your body position plays a big role in cutting off options and forcing the ball and opponent away from your goal. Another thing I focus on is ball distribution,” stated Thompson. “Most of the time I will need to win the ball and then quickly play it out to one of my teammates, so making sure I know how to properly distribute the ball is very important.”

While some where off this summer enjoying the beaches, and going on trips, Thompson was aiming to get better for college in the fall. She played for FC Berlin this summer in hopes of improving her game.

Playing with some of the best talent in Western New York, and beyond, was something that she could only imagine doing having just finished her high school career at Williamsville East. She was one of the younger players on a team full of college players, who have been doing in for awhile.

But, the experience she got out of playing, and training, is something that you can’t put into words.

“Playing for FC Berlin this summer was exactly what I needed to help me get ready for my college season. Being exposed to a higher level, and being able to learn from the girls around me has helped me feel more confident stepping into freshman year at Bryant. Overall I had an amazing group of teammates and a great coaching staff to help me grow and move forward in my soccer career. Although the season did not go as we would have liked, it was still a learning experience and good exposure, explained Thompson. “Being able to play with some of the best girls in WYN, whether it was for East, Buffalo Rush, or FC Berlin has helped me grow a lot as a player. Walking into training knowing that the group around me is there to work hard and get better creates a great environment and makes you want to do the same. Some of the girls on FC Berlin really went out of their way to help me feel more confident and ready not only for the season, but pre season at Bryant. Reassuring me that even though it is going to be hard, that I just keep working hard everything will be okay.”

The motto of keep working hard has definitely paid off for Thompson. Her hard work with her club team Buffalo Rush, and Williamsville East, has helped her get to the next level. That next level will include playing Division I soccer at Bryant this fall.

The recruiting process is never an easy one for any student-athletes. They have a lot to consider when they take to coaches, and visit the schools. For Thompson, she wanted to make sure she felt comfortable at the school.

After all, it’s where she will be spending the next your years of her life, getting a great education and playing against some of the best competition in the country.

“For me, I wanted to make sure I felt comfortable in the environment of the school I chose. Small class size and campus, along with a close knit team and coaching staff. After I had my visit at Bryant I felt as if it checked all those boxes,” stated Thompson.” Small campus, not in the city, a great group of girls that made it clear to me that they loved it there and coaching staff that made me feel as if they wanted me there. Although choosing a school wasn't an easy decision, Bryant stood out to me in many ways, and overall fit me the best.”

Thompson knows that college will be much different that high school. But, she is used to the busy schedule that she has given herself over the years. She has been getting better at her time management, and knows there will be a learning curve when she finally puts everything together in school.

It’s all about routine, and she will get her’s down pretty quick.

“Although college will be very different compared to high school, I'm used to having a very busy schedule. Between school, soccer, work, and family things, there is always something that needs to be done or somewhere I need to be, so time management is lucky, something I've been able to get better at throughout high school,” stated Thompson. “It will take time to adjust to my new schedule, but with time it will turn into a routine and become easier to manage.”