Imagine one of your parental figures constantly motivating you to play a certain sport, but personally it doesn’t catch your eye in any way. For some parents, it is heartbreaking when their children chooses to discontinue the family’s’ legacy, but this was not the case for senior Erykah Smith.

“My dad is a track coach; ever since I was little he’s always pushed me to do track but I preferred to play soccer,” Smith said.

She admits that she wanted to be the odd one in her family. “I wanted to do something out of my norm.”

Once she began to play soccer in high school Smith has suffered from two major injuries. Phrase ‘Breaking ankles’ is typically used as a positive comment, but in Smith’s athletic experience it has a total different meaning.  

As Smith remembers, it was almost the end of the season of her freshman year; she was clearing the ball and within seconds the season was over for her.

“I cleared the ball and somehow I kicked the ball wrong. I rolled my ankle, and turns out it was sprained,” she said.

Junior year came along and Smith once again was injured. “I remember this day perfectly, it was raining, it was foggy and we were playing on grass.” As a right defender, Smith’s goal is to clear the ball as many times as possible and as she was attempting to do this the intolerable pain came back.

“A girl from the opposite team ran my way and fell on top of me,” she said. Smith once again twisted her ankle which led to a fracture. Unfortunately season was over for her one more year.

Playing soccer since the third grade, Smith says she will continue to play with or without injury. She will remain hopeful for this year’s season.

“I’m going to finish this season, there is no doubt about it.”