Megan Holland
Q: When did you start playing your sport?
A: I have played soccer since I was about 2 years old, so basically my whole life. I played a lot of other sports too, travel softball, travel basketball, taekwondo, golf, etc. I never had the absolute passion for those sports like I did for soccer. When I was a little girl I always dreamed of being a professional soccer player. I would go to professional games and get autographs from my favorite players. Over time I realized that soccer was my true dream. Every practice was a chance to get better and more importantly just to have fun. Something about it always captivated me. I used to be a forward but then in 8th grade I made the full switch to goalkeeper. I guess soccer was just always an escape for me, it made me relax and forget about everything else in my life. I love and have always loved all my teammates and I guess that camaraderie is why I always loved soccer so much, because everyone has a job and you have to work together to succeed.
Q: Who is your biggest mentor?
A: My biggest mentor is definitely Ryan Frisbie. Friz was my coach at FCX from when I was 7 years old to about 10 years old. At the time I was a field player but he always told me that someday I was going to be a great goalkeeper, and I guess he was right. Friz was the goalkeeper coach at FCX and I trained with him for years. He would pull me up to train with the older kids because he felt like I could keep up with them. My sophomore year I switched soccer clubs and so did he. But still the past 3 years I’ve stayed super in touch with him. We talk things through, sometimes we meet for lunch to talk about how things are going and what I need to do to achieve my goals. I would not be where I am today without Frisbie in my life, in fact I may not have ever become a goalkeeper. Frisbie was almost like a second dad to me and I’m so grateful to have had him by my side through my soccer journey.
Q: What is your favorite memory from your sport?
A: My favorite memory from soccer was definitely winning super sectionals my sophomore year to advance to state with the varsity soccer team. We beat St. Charles North at our home stadium, and it was such a cool win because we went down a goal early in the game, which was an adversity we hadn’t yet faced that season but we ended up winning 5-3. Going to state was such an unforgettable experience and the players on the team that year were so special, especially the seniors. After the game I got to see all my friends and family and we celebrated the huge win together. It was awesome, especially starting as an underclassmen in one of the biggest games of the season. The best part of the win was overcoming the challenges with all my teammates, we were all like family so the win meant a lot to us.
