Player Spotlight of Irae Laban
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT - IRAE LABAN
November is Type 1 Diabetes Awareness month and Irae battles this disease daily. We celebrate Irae’s courage and ambition in choosing her as our Legends Girls Spotlight Player for November. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that can lead to many serious complications if not properly managed. In 2015, Irae thought she would never be able to play soccer again, she was hospitalized for 2 weeks during State Cup. She was overwhelmed by the diagnosis and everything that her new lifestyle would entail. She thought it may be easier to give up, yearning to just feel like a normal kid again, who doesn’t have to give herself shots regularly. She dug in and decided that she would not give up on her dreams of playing college soccer. Irae wears a device during training and games which alerts her with a drop in sugar levels. She then must remove herself briefly to manage her sugars and returns when safe. This has become her life and she has stepped up and taken a huge responsibility in order to continue with her passion of playing high level soccer. Irae Laban is a force to be reckoned with, a top player in the age group, dominant in the midfield. “Irae is a work horse on the field and has gained a huge amount of respect by her teammates immediately by leading through action. She sets the tempo at training and in games and brings an energy that is tough to match!” ~Coach Jenny Lawlor. The Legends Temecula Valley 06 team honored Irae through this month by sporting royal blue and wearing her name on the back of their training tops. Congrats, Irae. Keep on rising up!
Read the interview below to find out more about Irae
Favorite Player: Andres Iniesta
Favorite Position to Play: Holding midfielder (6)
Favorite team and why? Barcelona - I like them because when they are moving in the midfield, they are moving as a unit and talking to each other. Another thing is that their forward line is one of the best in the world.
What's your fondest moment in soccer: My fondest soccer moment was in my 1st DPL game and my first game that I ever played on Legends and I scored within 7 minutes in the first half.
What is your favorite pre game meal? My favorite pre-game meal would have to be a bagel sandwich and any kind of protein.
What is your main focus/ goal in soccer? My goal is to get a full ride scholarship for soccer and get into a good college.
COACH SPOTLIGHT - ANTONIO OVIEDO, 2008 WEST
Antonio has been coaching with Legends for 2 years. He is 100% dedicated to the girls and their success on and off the field. Girls 08 West has had a ton of success under his leadership, advancing to the State Cup semis last season. He is a positive role model, going above and beyond for his girls, training 3 times per week most weeks.
“Antonio inspires his players to believe in themselves by putting them in situations which challenge their beliefs. He doesn’t allow them to just get by. He pushes them outside their comfort zone, physically, mentally and emotionally, and then helps them discover that they can do better then they first believed they could.” -John King, Legends West Director
Thanks for all you do for your girls and for Legends FC, Antonio!
Written by Jenny Lawlor
RECRUITING TIPS
Watching Games
Some kids don't watch enough soccer as it is and maybe you just enjoy playing more. Take this time when your schedule is lighter than usual and find the schools you are interested in and watch their past games/season. In this day in age you can find past seasons on youtube or google them playing. It's a great way for you as a potential recruit to understand how they are trying to play, will you fit into their system, are you good enough to get playing time within a year or two. A coach would find it rather intriguing that he or she knew you understood their system and you cared enough to spend the time to do this simple task. Don't find the excuse not to watch!