Photo by RaylaKay Photography
Rachel Brendis: Coeur d’Alene High School
Rachel Brendis is a senior and Coeur d’Alene captain of the women’s varsity team with a 4.0 weighted GPA and is ranked 40th in her senior class. She is a dedicated student focused on improving and challenging herself outside of her comfort zone, and she can’t imagine not playing soccer.
“Soccer has been a part of my life for so long, I can’t imagine ever wanting to stop playing,” she said in regards to her plans after high school. Rachel plans on attending college for either business or engineering with a minor in French. She wants to play soccer there as well and travel and explore other cultures. She has been playing soccer since she was 8 years old and loves the sport for the friendships and memories she creates on and off the field.
“It’s incredible to see how far I’ve come and also how I’ve grown as a person. I enjoy every minute I spend with my team. But what’s a good, intense game of soccer without the competition? That’s another aspect of soccer that keeps me so interested,” Rachel said.
She credits her coach, Andy Vrendenburg, for inspirational words she has kept during her high school career. “‘We are always the hawks, never the humming birds. We are fearless.’ Fear can hold us back …. But in the mindset of a hawk, there should be no fear and there should be no doubt.”
Photo by Lee Rieken
Chloe Teets: Lake City High School
Chloe Teets says that the one thing working against her is her size. But size hasn’t stopped the 16-year-old Lake City High School sophomore from participating in soccer, basketball and track.
“I’m smaller than the girls I play with and against. I work on overcoming this by improving on my technical abilities, quickness, and to always work on reading the game better,” said Chloe, who lettered in all three sports and is an Honor Roll student.
Chloe has her goals set on studying physical therapy and playing soccer at the collegiate level. She is also considering becoming a coach. To get experience, she volunteered to be an assistant coach for a boys soccer team earlier this year.
“I just wanted to get out there and learn more about the game and what it’s like to be a coach. I absolutely love every moment of it,” Chloe said.
As a sophomore now though she wants to enjoy her time in high school playing sports and making long-lasting friendships.
“One life lesson that I have learned from my soccer coach Matt Ruchti is to live and play in the moment,” she said. “It’s crazy how fast time goes by and then one day you will be looking back and missing the days of high school sports. So, live in the moment, work hard and don’t waste a second.”