Get to know Gull Lake girls soccer players, regional champions
RICHLAND, Mich. — The Gull Lake Women’s Soccer team have forged bonds unlike any other in their lives with each other from the long hours spent training together throughout the season. Each member of the team pushes themself to be the best that they can be, understanding that there is always room for improvement. They know they need to be physically strong to run up and down the field while being physical with opposing players. The girls on the team also understand the necessity to be mentally quick and smart to make a good pass to the right person at the right time.
Mistakes are very common in the sport of soccer because it is easy to miscommunicate or become unnerved. The Gull Lake soccer girls recognize that everyone makes mistakes but what matters is how mistakes are overcome. They also prioritize teamwork because, without teamwork, a team will be unsuccessful.
Teamwork is the key to the Gull Lake Women’s Varsity Soccer team’s success, allowing them to have a highly exciting and successful season. After a long streak of victories, the team reached the 2022 Michigan Spring Girls Soccer State Championship in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 2. They beat the Mason Girls Soccer team 1-0 and went on to beat the Zeeland West Girls Soccer team 2-1. The Gull Lake Women’s Varsity Soccer team ended their season with a 3-1 loss to Forest Hills Central, narrowly missing becoming the champions.
The Gull Lake soccer girls all appreciate their coach, Colton Johnson, because he holds the team to a high standard, pushing them hard, and not “babying” anyone on the team. However, he also knows that the girls need time to have fun and unwind and makes sure to lighten the mood when he finds it necessary. Colton understands what motivates each member of the team and how to bring out the best in them. He is not afraid to point out their mistakes and has an open line of communication with the team. The girls know that Colton is willing to help and support them with anything and everything, whether it be on or off the field. Something that Colton has the team do is “Hell Days” which are incredibly difficult training days. However, those days where Colton pushes the team especially hard indicate how much potential he sees in the girls and shows how far he wants the team to go. The girls respect Colton because he is relatable, honest, and encouraging. They agree that the team would not be the same without Colton as their coach.
All of the varsity members unanimously agreed that their favorite moment from the past season was when they won the Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference (SMAC) tournament after beating Portage Central 2-1 on the Gull Lake soccer field. The game had been looking grim for Gull Lake but their perseverance and strong connection as a team allowed them to score two goals in the final 22 minutes of the game. Portage Central has always been Gull Lake’s rival so there was no better feeling for the Gull Lake Varsity girls to beat them. The seniors were thrilled that they had such victorious results for their last game in the Gull Lake stadium.
Many of the Gull Lake soccer girls expressed that their main goal when it comes to soccer is playing for a college team, some even adding that they would like to play professionally after college.
Members of the Gull Lake Women’s Soccer team have shared everything from why they love soccer to what they have learned from playing soccer to their personal challenges in the profiles below.
Name: Aleah Minehart
Age: 18
Years in Sport: 16
Grade in School: 12th
Aleah’s short height has always been her biggest challenge on the field. She spends a lot of time in the weight room where she works to compensate for her height with strength. The best advice Aleah was ever given is, “Play each game like it’s your last.” Aleah explains that soccer is an unpredictable sport where anything can happen at any time so she takes this advice seriously. Aleah loves that soccer is an escape from reality because she is only focused on the game when she plays. In the fall, Aleah will be attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to play Division I soccer. She will be majoring in nursing and plans to become either a physician assistant, nurse, or nurse practitioner, specializing in pediatrics.
Name: Alex French
Age: 18
Years in Sport: 14
Grade in School: 12th
Alex’s position is center-back, making her the last line of defense besides the goalkeeper. Knowing that she is the last line of defense adds a lot of pressure to her mental game so developing “short-term memory” is something that Alex has found to be helpful when it comes to moving past mistakes. The best advice Alex has been given is to “control the controllables.” “There are things in life that you simply cannot control, so you shouldn’t stress about it,” Alex said. “Instead, work to control the things that you have the ability to control.” Being a member of this team has taught Alex patience. She has a very competitive nature so learning how to take a step back and not get too focused on the moment has allowed her to be a more positive influence for the team. One particular life lesson that Alex has learned from playing soccer is that practice does not make you perfect but it does make you better. This fall, Alex will be studying biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan.
Name: Caroline Yapp
Age: 18
Years in Sport: 14
Grade in School: 12th
Caroline’s biggest challenge in soccer is being mentally tough–specifically maintaining a positive attitude for the sake of her teammates and coaches. Caroline loves the fact that soccer allows her to be a part of something larger than herself. A major life lesson that Caroline has learned through playing soccer is to persevere through adversity. “There have been so many times throughout my soccer career where my team has been down one, two, even three goals and we have come back and won the game,” Caroline said. “It just goes to show that if you really put your mind to something you can achieve it.” Caroline will be attending Indiana University in the fall to study business. She plans to try out for Indiana University’s club soccer team.
Name: Kiley King
Age: 17
Years in Sport: 13
Grade in School: 12th
The biggest challenge for Kiley is knowing that the extra work she puts into her soccer abilities will benefit her, even when it does not always feel like it. Kiley loves that soccer allows her to develop as a player but also that she is able to play on the field and win with the girls that she has grown up playing soccer with. One small detail that Kiley always makes sure of, is to have her hair braided for a soccer game. She believes that she will not play as well if her hair is not braided. Being a member of the team has taught Kiley how to work together with others while always finding a way to have fun–something necessary to balance the hard work that the team puts in. In the fall, Kiley will be attending the University of Kentucky to major in marketing.
Name: Mackenzie Ford
Age: 18
Years in Sport: 11
Grade in School: 12th
Not overthinking the game is Mackenzie’s main challenge in soccer. She overcomes this by staying focused on the present moment and working as hard as she possibly can. Mackenzie loves the competitive and team aspects that soccer offers. “My teammates have become my best friends,” Mackenzie said. She also mentioned that the team always eats together before every game and hands out ribbons and quotes to each other before every game. Being a member of this team has taught Mackenzie how to lead a group to accomplish a common goal, the importance of putting the team before herself, as well as developing the qualities of commitment, discipline, mental toughness, teamwork, and resilience. In the fall, Mackenzie will be attending Grand Valley State University where she will play soccer and study allied health sciences.
Name: McKenzy Hopkins
Age: 18
Years in Sport: 13
Grade in School: 12th
McKenzy loves that she gets to face challenges on the field with her best friends by her side, building an even stronger connection with all of them in the process. Being a member of this team has taught McKenzy the importance of having confidence in her teammates and not getting down on herself or others. “Maintain positivity and that will help everyone stay strong throughout the game,” McKenzy said. McKenzy will be attending Michigan State University this fall.
Name: Amanda Meinert
Age: 17
Years in Sport: 13
Grade in School: 11th
The biggest challenge for Amanda in soccer is when she has to defend the strong and very quick opponents. She manages this by using decisive tackles that don’t give her opponents the opportunity to dribble the ball up the field. The best advice that Amanda was ever given was to not compare her own achievements to other people’s achievements. Amanda explained that she recently began a pregame ritual with teammate Maggie Westra. On days when the team has a home game, they go into the locker room an hour before the game starts, place blankets on the floor, turn off the lights, and listen to music. Another pregame ritual of Amanda’s is sending a meme of Coach Colton to the team group chat. “He’s such a good sport about it,” Amanda added. “As silly as this sounds, I feel like it’s really the difference between us and other teams.”
Name: Emma Kerr
Age: 16
Years in Sport: 9
Grade in School: 11th
Emma began playing a new position this year (left back) so her goal going forward is to become more familiar and confident with this position. Emma loves how close the team is as well as how excited everyone gets before games. She always braids Maggie Westra’s hair before games and dances with the team before games. “We usually bring lots of positive energy to every game,” she explained. “Being a member of this team has taught me to bring energy. Sometimes people with low energy, or even the quiet people, need someone to boost their mood and make them feel more comfortable with being loud and energetic. I am one of the loudest and funniest people on the team so I always try to bring the best out of everyone and make the sport FUN over anything else.” Emma says that making jokes with coach Colton Johnson has been one of the highlights of this past season as well as the memes that Amanda Meinert makes before every game.
Name: Addison Misner
Age: 16
Years in Sport: 12
Grade in School: 10th
Addison loves how the team always has to work hard in order to progress as a team. “Seeing this team, as well as myself, learn and grow together has been such a gift throughout the season,” Addison said. Before each game, Addison always puts on her left sock first and also wears her hair in a bun on top of her head. Through being a member of this team, Addison has learned to not be afraid of making mistakes and to just go play and have fun. “Being a sophomore on varsity, I was intimidated from the start but slowly noticed myself letting loose, especially once I got on the field and just played,” Addison said. Her favorite moment from this season was taking the game-winning corner kick against Forest Hills Central. The score was 1-1, Addison took a corner kick, and Alex French (the senior center back) headed it in perfectly.
Name: Hannah Noteboom
Age: 15
Years in Sport: 11
Grade in School: 10th
Hannah’s biggest challenge is staying confident and out of her head. She manages this by having a conversation with her coach or talking positively to herself about staying focused and driven. Hannah loves that soccer is competitive and how close her team has become throughout the season. She prepares for games by staying quiet during the warm-up as she begins to envision what she will do during the game. A life lesson that Hannah has learned from playing soccer is how to always work her hardest even when she does not feel like she can give anymore effort. Hannah added that this team is the best and most genuine team that she has ever played with. “These girls truly feel like family,” she said.
Name: Kendall Wank
Age: 16
Years in Sport: 13
Grade in School: 10th
Kendall’s biggest challenge isn’t always her competition, but herself. “Dwelling on things that already happened isn’t going to get you anywhere,” Kendall said. “How you rise to the next challenge is what counts. She loves that soccer allows her to always challenge herself in different scenarios and play with her second family. Through being a member of a team, Kendall has learned how much one or a few team members’ actions or attitudes can affect everyone. “This is why it’s important that we be uplifting and trust each other even in the hard times,” Kendall said. This past season has taught Kendall to not take anything for granted and to bathe in the victorious feeling after a win a bit longer. Kendall added that this team is truly special. “There’s a limitless talent spectrum that is leading us towards big things that we all could only dream of,” she said.
Name: Maggie Westra
Age: 16
Years in Sport: 6
Grade in School: 10th
Maggie’s athletic goals include improving at taking shots, learning new moves, and how to be a better teammate and friend. The best advice that Maggie was ever given was from her dad who told her to stop letting others affect her every move and be the player that she is best at being–not trying to be someone else. Maggie prepares for games by fueling up on protein bars, Amanda Meinert’s gameday memes, and wearing her necklace up until it’s time to go onto the field. Being a member of this team has taught Maggie that every single team member plays a role in how successful the team will be. “For us, every single person needs to be communicating and needs to be hype,” Maggie said. “Whether you’re on the bench or on the field, you’re a part of the team and therefore have a role to play.”
Name: Ashlin Burkhardt
Age: 15
Years in Sport: 11
Grade in School: 9th
Ashlin’s biggest challenge is being loud enough to communicate well with her teammates on the field. Being a member of this team has taught Ashlin how much soccer is a team sport and how important it is that everyone encourages and helps each other when they make mistakes. Her favorite memory from the past season was when the bus broke down on the way to a game in Grand Rapids.
Name: Lilah Smith
Age: 15
Years in Sport: 11
Grade in School: 9th
Lilah’s biggest challenge in soccer is staying in shape in order to be able to play midfield to the best of her ability. She stays in shape by running frequently and working out. The best advice that Lilah was ever given was to “go out and take the win from the opposing team.” “None of the teams that we play are going to back off and let us win,” Lilah said. “There is a target on our back so we need to give every team our best effort.” Lilah enjoys being able to focus solely on the game when she is playing and the rush of adrenaline that she gets when the team scores or wins a big game. She prepares herself before a game by listening to music on the bus and not using her phone directly before the game so that she can get in the right mindset. The primary life lesson that Lilah has learned from soccer is to persevere. “With every sport comes challenges,” Lilah said. “Only the great teams and players learn to overcome these challenges.”
Name: Madielyn Smith
Age: 14
Years in Sport: 8
Grade in School: 9th
Like many of her teammates, Madielyn’s biggest challenge in soccer is herself. She is her own worst critic and tends to focus more on her mistakes and how she messes up during a game rather than being proud of what she did well. Madielyn manages the anxiety that can arise from this self-criticism by finding a breathing rhythm, shaking her hands out, and telling herself mantras. The best advice that Madielyn was ever given was to “always give 110% in everything” that she does. “I take this into many different aspects of my life and try to always put in a good effort,” Madielyn said. Being a member of this team has taught Madielyn how to truly trust others and work with her teammates in an effective way. She enjoyed the team dinners when the team went over to team members’ houses. “One of the seniors, Nyla Stanley, would drive me and whoever needed a ride over to the house and then the team would just sit and talk for about an hour,” Madielyn explained. “It was really cool to be able to learn new things about everyone and just laugh with the team.”
Name: Taylor Havilar
Age: 15
Years in Sport: 12
Grade in School: 9th
Taylor’s biggest challenge in soccer is communicating and being vocal with her teammates. By pushing herself out of her comfort zone and talking with her teammates more, Taylor has been able to overcome this challenge. The best advice that she was ever given was “you have 30 seconds to be upset after you make a mistake and then you have to move on.” Taylor loves how soccer is a team sport and everyone is involved, enduring wins and losses together. Being a member of this team has taught Taylor to learn from her mistakes. “My team will hold me accountable to make sure that I learn and never do it again,” she said.
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