By Carly Simonian
Do you know many people that can maintain a steady GPA, continue to be a lead player on their sports team, and participate in after school volunteering activities, all while staying mentally stable? Well according to her friends and family, this is an accurate representation of Megan Theros.
Since Theros was young, she has been involved in many activities, including soccer. Once she reached freshman year, she had a big decision to make. Although Theros loved soccer, volleyball was also a very big part of her life. At a young age, she realized that she wanted to dedicate the rest of her free time to her soccer career.
Theros played on TCSA Premier, a nationally-known traveling club team, for about five years after this, forming relationships with her club coach Vlatko Minich, and the rest of her close-knit team.
Although she is sad that her years with her club team are over, Theros is excited to see what the next four years have in store. Watching her grow up and succeed has been a great journey for her family, friends, and teammates.
¨I have been playing soccer with Megan for as long as I can remember,¨ said Ellie Williams, Theros’ teammate. “She has always been fun to play with, and is a great leader on the field. She knows every player’s strengths and weaknesses, which further contributes to the success of the team.”
Although not the most fun sometimes, as the last defender on the field, Theros’ main job is to scream at her team members until her voice is gone, making sure they are in the correct places on the field at all times.
Theros’ family has been a large part of her journey, encouraging her to follow her dreams and do what she needs to do to get there.
¨There’s nothing like watching your own child doing the thing she loves with the people she loves around her,¨ said Niki Theros, Theros’ mom. “I loved watching her confidence grow, and seeing her team develop into something very special over the years.”
When recruiting time started to creep up on Theros, she began to explore her options for college. She was looking for a school that would fit her needs academically, and somewhere she could continue to play soccer.
Once Theros had traveled near and far, sitting down with coaches and walking the campus´ of many different schools, she was able it narrow it down to her top three favorite schools.. Centre College in Kentucky, Maryville University in Missouri, and the University of Texas at Dallas seemed to have her deepest interests.
She loved all of these schools for their own reasons, but UT Dallas came out on top.
¨I love the weather, the size, and the fact that I can get a psychology degree with a teaching certificate. Most importantly, I love the soccer program, the coach, and the surrounding area,¨ said Theros
Growing up, Theros’ dad has been one of her biggest role models. Not only has he been a great father figure, but he was also her coach throughout the beginning years of her life.
¨Coaching Megan has been one of the best things I have ever done and I am thankful I got the opportunity and wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world,¨ said AJ Theros, Megan’s father.
Theros’ 15-year-old brother, Chris, said that he knew UT Dallas was the school for her the minute he stepped on campus. Although Chris was not a huge part of Theros’ recruiting process, he made it to every game he could, early in the morning or late at night, just to watch his sister play.
¨Megan is very talented when it comes to soccer, so all I have to do is sit back and watch her play,¨ said Chris Theros.
Although playing division three soccer will be a large time commitment, it will make all the years of long practices, and hard games worth it.
Constantly sprinting up and down the field, trying as hard as you can to catch your breath, with an opposing team member breathing down your neck doesn’t sound ideal to most people, but according to Theros, these are some of her favorite parts about the game.
¨One of my favorite parts about soccer is the high level of intensity every game brings and the endless amount of competition and talent you are faced with every game,¨ said Theros.
Although 15 hours is a longer distance from home than expected, her parents and previous teammates will be at every game that they can make, cheering her on from the sidelines.