As the end of the school year approaches, many senior athletes have an idea of where they are going to commit. Senior Alina Ong has been recruited by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) for Division One (D1) Women’s Soccer for her hard work and passion for soccer.
Ong is a Girls Varsity Soccer player, scoring a total of 104 points by herself for her team during her time on the team. At the age of 12, Ong began developing a love for soccer. Starting with club soccer, she began to take soccer more seriously but remembered to also have fun with her teammates.
“My whole family grew up around soccer, so that played a big part of my development to pursue soccer,” said Ong.
During her signing, Coach Ryen Piszyk shared his experience of being Ong’s coach.
“She is the most hard working person I know; she has made at least one goal per game. She tore her ACL. Many people stop playing after an injury like that, but she came back within weeks and started playing again,” said Coach Piszyk. “It makes me proud to see her grow and do something that she is so passionate about.”
Ong is most thankful for her family, teammates, and coaches who have supported her through her lowest and highs. Ong hopes to grow more connections and bonds with soccer because she has had so much support from previous teammates and coaches who have shaped her into the person she is today.
Ong has competed in multiple league championships, and has scored a total of 46 goals in her time on the Girls Varsity Soccer team. Ong also shares why ULL is the best fit for her.
“I chose [ULL] because the environment, staff, and the team was more than I could ask for, and it is a great place to develop as a student, player, and person,” said Ong.
Soccer plays a huge role in Ong’s life, and her favorite part about playing soccer is competing with her teammates and celebrating wins together after working so hard at practice and seeing all their progress play out in the game.
Ong is very excited but also nervous for the upcoming year; she is prepared and ready to face any challenges while having fun. She hopes to contribute to more wins in her soccer career and create wonderful memories with her new teammates and coaches.
