Four Years of Soccer

One year prior to Arianne Pinchot’s arrival at the Academy, two of her club soccer teammates paved the way for a new girls’ soccer team, enlisting the club coach as the new school coach. When Arianne joined the fledgling Academy team, the girls had to convince other students, who had never before played soccer, to join in order to field a squad.

By Arianne’s junior year, the team became an official member of the IHSA conference and during her senior year, with Arianne as a captain, the girls won the majority of their conference games. And as for those girls who had to be convinced to join? Some of them went on to win the Most Valuable Player award by senior year.

Many of the girls on the Lady Aces soccer team train for the spring sport in the fall with the cross country team, another sport that was initiated by students at ICJA.

More valuable than winning and training, though, said Arianne, was working together with teammates from across the grades. The team worked so well together and was so considerate of opposing teams, that they earned a conference award for good sportsmanship. That award, said Arianne, was one of the highlights of high school.
Arianne, who was also a head of the student-led girls’ choir and a senior leader, said, “Everyone can find something that they can, not only be a part of, but that they can head. Our small school gives the opportunity for everyone to rise to the occasion.”