Elk City High School soccer standout Amelia Shawn said she got her start on the pitch early on in life.

“I started playing in third grade, but I didn’t really start to enjoy the game until about fifth or sixth grade,” Shawn said. “That’s when I actually got to apply what I learned at practice because I understood it more. I play mostly defense, and sometimes midfield.”

Soccer season is just starting to ramp up for Shawn, and she said things are looking good for the Lady Elks.

“The season just started, but it’s going extremely well,” she said. “We have new players who work very well, and the team dynamic is amazing as well. Our morale is through the roof, it’s so good right now and I know this season will only get better. I hope to become a better player so I can help my team more,” she continued, “and hopefully we make it to state.”

In her free time, Shawn said she really enjoyed hanging out with her family and friends and reading. She said she didn’t have a plan for after high school yet and said she was just kind of living in the moment.

As an older player, the younger kids on the team often look up to players like Shawn and put them in a leadership role. Shawn said she’s comfortable with that and wants to do everything she can to make sure they feel accepted.

“I just hope I can help them with things they struggle with,” she said, “and kind of show them the best parts of the game so they can have more fun instead of getting frustrated with it.”

Shawn said she’d like to give a shoutout to Coach Stamm.

“He’s one of the best coaches I’ve had in a while,” she said. “He makes things easy to understand and he is very thorough when he teaches. He loves the sport, and he just makes it fun.”