Allie Osoba, midfielder on the Illinois Women’s Soccer Team, is taking her senior year by storm. She has been playing soccer since she was about three, when she would tag along to her older sister’s soccer practices and they would let her kick the ball around with them. She has been playing club soccer since she was eight and she hasn’t stopped since!
HC: Walking on to the team is a huge deal! What made you decide to do it?
Allie Osoba: When I was deciding whether or not to play soccer in college, I did not think I had the capabilities to play on the U of I team. I really wanted to go to school here, since both my parents attended school here, and my older sister was a junior at the time. So, I chose to go to U of I and not play soccer. My first semester I played intramural soccer for fun, but it never really satisfied my passion for soccer. The games were not competitive enough, and I constantly missed the feeling of being a part of a team. Finally in the spring I got enough courage to email the coaches and ask for a try out. From there, the process went pretty quickly. They asked me to stay for the remainder of the spring season to practice with the team, and after that they offered me a position on the team!
HC: Who is your biggest inspiration?
AO: My biggest inspiration is my friend’s mom. She passed away from cancer about two years ago. I grew up playing soccer with her daughter and traveling all over the country with them. She turned into a sort of second mom to me and was diagnosed with cancer during our senior year of high school. She is such an inspiration to me because of the positive person she was before cancer and throughout her battle. She never once gave up hope or stopped fighting. Whenever I’m having a bad day or a hard time fighting through something, I always think of her.
HC: What is your proudest accomplishment thus far?
AO: My proudest accomplishment is definitely walking on the soccer team. I have always been proud of myself for having the courage to walk onto the field with a group of strangers who had already played an entire season together. Walking on the tea, and working my way up to a starting position is something I’ll never forget.
HC: Do you plan on plan on playing soccer after college?
AO: I am studying health administration with a business minor. I do not plan on playing soccer at the same level or professionally, which is the route some girls go. However, I definitely will be playing in some adult leagues as well as for fun for the rest of my life!
HC: If you had to pick one word to describe your experiences on the soccer team what would you pick and why?
AO: One word to describe my experience would be life changing. From the minute I walked into the indoor facility to try out for the team my freshman year, my life has completely changed. Not only have I won a Big Ten Championship, but I have also had the chance to meet so many new people who have become my best friends in the past few years. Being a part of the soccer team has taught me so much more than soccer skills. I have matured as an individual and become a more confident person, and those things will stay with me for the rest of my life.