Interview with Laura Sweeny

Q: When did you begin to play soccer?
Laura: I started playing soccer when I was three.

Q: Where do you play soccer?
Laura: I play soccer for Anoka High School and through the Northern Lights soccer club. I play on a traveling U17 team.

Q: Why did you become involved in this sport?
Laura: My mom put me in soccer because when I was little I used to play with a mini soccer ball. Also my two older siblings played and enjoyed it so my mom thought I would also enjoy it.

Q: Who has most influenced the way you play soccer?
Laura: My coach has influenced the way I play soccer. I don't want to let her down. I know that she counts on me a lot, so I try my best always. Also I know that if I screw up I'll probably end up running and I hate running so I try to not screw up.

Q: How has soccer affected the way you live your life?
Laura: Soccer has affected my life a lot. I met my best friends from being on my soccer team. I can get my anger out on the field, so soccer is like my therapy. It gives me the chance to let my emotions out. I have met loads of new people from different states and countries from our soccer tournament so it's like a cultural experience too. I also get to travel to a bunch of different places.

Q: What life lessons has soccer taught you?
Laura: A life lesson I've learned from soccer is teamwork. You can't just depend on yourself for everything; sometimes you need people there for you. That's what soccer is, people backing you up all the time.

Q: What is your favorite soccer memory?
Laura: My favorite soccer memory would have to be when my soccer team traveled to Illinois for a tournament. It was the first week of summer and we had to drive there. Traffic was so bad! My dad thought he could take a short cut and skip the traffic but the road he was going to take was closed because there was a flood. So we were rerouted. I was 15 in a car with my mom and dad, my phone didn't get service and my ipod died. The radio didn't get a signal. We were stuck in a traffic jam. For three hours we didn't move. We ended up getting to the hotel at 2 a.m. My team and their parents were chilling outside waiting for us; when we pulled up they started clapping. I got out of the car and my best friend Kayla introduced me to these super cute boys and I was so embarrassed because I was in cow boxers and a Jonas Brothers shirt. To this day my team still talks about my terrible trip to Illinois.