By Kylie Siebert, Editor
“I haven’t done anything all that special. I just happen to play on a pretty spectacular team with a bunch of girls that have talent that you wouldn’t believe,” sophomore Jordan Ginther said.
As a freshman, Jordan Ginther was recognized as one of the top goalies in the area. Ginther is now a sophomore with a bright season ahead of her.
“She is pretty much an amazing goalie,” head coach Scott Parillo said.
Last year Ginther was recognized at the all-state meeting. Not many freshman are even mentioned at the state meeting.
“She came in fourth for the all-state title as a freshman. I think everyone in that room knew who deserved it, but because the other three girls were all seniors, they got it,” Parillo said.
Her aggressiveness is one thing that sets her apart from others. She always wants to be the one to make the next amazing save according to Parillo.
“She dives well, kick the ball hard, throws far and has very good foot skills,” Parillo said. She is a complete player.”Junior Savannah Webb described Ginther as a great teammate, fun and a very talented player.
Ginther first started playing soccer when she as four years old at the YMCA in Wichita and has been playing ever since.
“Like every other kid their parents sign them up for a sport. My parents chose soccer and I fell in love,” Ginther said.
Ginther has not always been a goalie it happened by chance.
“I actually started out as a forward and loved scoring goals. Then, one indoor game my coach from Kickers threw me in goal. I loved it and have been playing that position ever since. I feel like saving a goal is just as important as scoring one,” Ginther said.
Ginther not only plays soccer for Kaneland, she also is part of a club soccer team called Naperville Soccer Association. Her NSA youth 17’s team is currently ranked number one in the United States. They recently placed first in their bracket for the National League, which gave them an automatic bid to nationals. Nationals will take place this upcoming summer in Arizona.
“It’s an incredible achievement, and I’ve worked hard to get there, not just for myself, for my team as well. We push each other to our very best,” Ginther said.
“I wouldn’t be effective in my position if it weren’t for my team’s defense. I know that I have absolutely the best defense [teammates] anyone has ever seen.”
Her NSA team has been playing together since they were 12 and they are now 17.
“My team is like a family. When we are on the field, we put any differences aside and take care of business. We have each other’s backs on and off the field. We win as a team and lose as a team. Just losing isn’t as much fun,” Ginther said.
Ginther’s team recently decided that they are going to put all their effort into their club team so they have the best chance to take the national title this upcoming summer. This means every girl has made the decision to not play high school soccer this year.
“Making the decision to not play high school this year was on of the hardest decisions that I’ve ever had to make in my life,” Ginther said.
Training for nationals is very time consuming. She has team training three nights a week for two hours that focuses on skills, fitness and shooting. Two nights a week she has keeper, or goalie, training. Weekends consist of multiple games or tournaments.All this commitment makes it difficult to balance school and soccer.
“I definitely have to be organized, which isn’t always easy for me at least. What’s great for me is that I’m younger than most everyone on the team, so they’ve already had the classes I’m taking now. So, I can ask just about any question and find the answer I need,” Ginther said.
“I have an incredibly intelligent team. When we travel to tournaments, we usually have study groups, which really helps.”
Ginther’s ultimate goals are to attend a Division 1 college to play soccer, and if the opportunity arises, she would also like to play in Women’s Professional Soccer or the European League.
