Eleina Sturk

To find Eleina Sturk on the soccer field, just look to the middle or where the action is.

“Eleina has been huge for us in the center of midfield this year. Center midfield is a thankless job with a ton of running and the expectation to always make the right pass or decision with the ball,” Lake Region varsity girls’ soccer head coach David Jaeger said. “She started off a little slow, but has come into her own toward the end of the season. Her work rate is second to none. I know she will give me absolutely everything she has in every practice and game.”

In Saturday’s playoff game against Morse (the Lakers prevailed 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals yesterday at York), Eleina was all over the center of the field winning every ball she could get her body or foot to, Coach Jaeger said.

“Her attitude is always positive and she constantly works hard to better herself. I very much believe that her work rate helps to inspire others on the team,” the coach added. “Off the field, she is a standout student and one of the most polite kids you will ever meet. Eleina’s intelligence extends to the field as well, her ability to work incredibly hard and think critically has opened up some outstanding passes this year and really helped to add energy and creativity in our passing in the center midfield. She is also very critical of herself and always expects more, so as a coach it has been important to keep her positive. I am extremely excited to see what the next year has to offer her as she continues to push herself harder and play faster.”

In recognition of her strong work ethic, determination, commitment and good sportsmanship, Eleina is this week’s Boosters and Hancock Lumber “Player of the Week.” Each week, a Lake Region athlete is recognized for his/her dedication (does more than what is asked), work ethic, coachability and academic good standing. Recipients receive a specially-designed t-shirt, sponsored by Hancock Lumber.

Name: Eleina Sturk

Year in School: Junior

Hometown: Casco

Parents: Joshua and Asako Sturk

Sports you play: Soccer, basketball, tennis

School organizations: ASTRA, Class Officer, Student Council

School honors: National Honor Society

Why did you choose to play soccer? I’ve been playing soccer since elementary school and though I didn’t enjoy it at first, when I got into middle school, I started having the time of my life. The adrenaline while chasing after the ball, passing the ball and watching people score is a very addicting feeling.

What is the most difficult part of the game? The most difficult part of the game is not making mistakes. This may seem very broad, but I believe that every soccer player has a difficult time having a perfect game no matter their skill level or work ethic. With these mistakes, it can sometimes cost the team the game. So, I try to strive for the impossible, not making any mistakes.

What do you enjoy the most about soccer? What I enjoy the most about soccer is the reward from trying my best. Even if the reward isn’t a win, the atmosphere of a hard-working team makes we want to play even harder the next time.

What do you feel you need to work on and why? I think that I need to work on everything. Theirs is nothing that I’m exceptionally good at and I have much space for improvement.

Why is teamwork important? Teamwork is very important because even if there is one good player, they wouldn’t go anywhere without their team, especially in a heavily teamwork reliant sport like soccer.

What is the biggest impact your coach(es) have had on you? The biggest impact that my coaches have had on me is helping me gain more confidence and accepting my inane errors. There are many times in the beginning of the year where I couldn’t bear the fact that I failed miserably, but my coaches were there to assure me that nothing is only my fault.

How do you want people to view you as an athlete? I want people to view me as a hard-working athlete.

Ten years from now, when you look back on your high school sports career, what do you think you will remember most? I will remember my teammates the most and all the quirky memories that we all made together, both on and off the field. I’ll also reminisce on life lessons that I learned from both my coaches and teammates.