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Player Profile: Central Mountain alumni Krista Heckman

Krista Heckman (10) of Grove City College runs the ball down the field during an NCAA college soccer game. (Photo Provided)

She began playing soccer at the age of six and made the decision as a high school sophomore that she wanted to play in college. She fondly remembers “climbing the fence at the high school stadium with my dad and practicing my shots on him.”

She is now a college senior finishing up her career as a college soccer player and looking forward to what God has in store for her in the years ahead.

A Central Mountain High School alumni of the class of 2015, Krista Heckman has always loved soccer. After a stand-out playing career at Central Mountain where she was a four-year letter winner, she headed off to Grove City College to continue her academic and athletic careers. Her choice to attend Grove City College was an easy one. In fact, Heckman says it was her only choice because, “I love the Christian values they have, the close community that each student gets during their four years and the competitive athletics.”

When she arrived at Grove City College, she made an immediate impact. In her freshman season, she was just one of only two newcomers to the program to appear in every game. Not only that, but she scored five goals on the season which was good for third on the team. In her sophomore season, 2016, Krista made twenty-one starts and was again third on the team with seven goals. As a junior she was challenged by being asked to move to a defensive position. As the team player that she is, it was a challenge accepted. Krista responded with an effort that was worthy of second-team Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) honors.

Grove City College Head Coach, Melissa Lamie, said of Krista’s willingness to do what the team needed, “She was always an attacking player, but last season we had a gap to fill in our defense and she became our starting center back. She did a phenomenal job there and helped us win 17 games last season.”

Now 13 games into her final season at the Grove, Krista is back on the offensive attack. She has again started every game and has five goals (three game winners) and six assists on the season. Coach Lamie commented on Krista’s current season, “This season we have put her back in the offense and she is back to scoring goals and setting people up to score, which is probably what she does best. Our offense has been very good this season and that is attributed to her impact there.”

As the end of her competitive days of collegiate soccer draw near, Krista who will end her career at Grove City College as a four-year letter winner, was asked who she gives credit to for influencing her in soccer.

“That’s a tough one. All of my coaches that have gotten me where I am today. My mom and dad for sacrificing the time and energy to drive to all of my games, ” said Heckman. “They never missed a game in high school and made the long flight to Texas for my tournament. Also, my sisters. They were the reason I went to extra practices and got to play with the big kids which in turn made me the player I am today.”

Oh yes, the player she is today.

They surely can also be credited along with many others for creating in Krista the person she is today. What type of person is that?

A person who is humble and is committed to following the example that the good Lord has set. When she graduates in the Spring of 2019, Krista will hold a degree in communications. She says that she hopes to use that degree to “pursue something in the profession of higher education such as admissions or recruitment.”

In addition to her status as a four-year letter winner at Grove City College, Krista has also served as team captain. Her coach when asked about Krista’s contributions to the GCC program responded with only praise saying, “Krista has been a joy to coach for these four years. She is one of the hardest workers we have had in the program and that shows every day of practice and also in games — she doesn’t know how to play any other way.”

She continued, “I have also seen her grow into a leadership role this season as she is part of our leadership group and a team captain. She is completely unselfish and sets the tone for the whole team with her team first mentality. In other words, she gets it done on and off the field, and she is foundational to our success as a whole.”

While she is not quite ready to say goodbye to the sport that she has loved for so long, she allowed herself for a moment to look back fondly upon her years in the sport.

When asked what the sport of soccer has given to her, Krista replied, “So much. I have life-long relationships with my teammates and coaches, leadership skills that I had to learn and grow into, and the privilege to use the gifts given by God as a way to reflect him by the beautiful game. The game of soccer isn’t my identity, but it is the platform I can use to share it.”

Knowing Krista as I do, trust me when I say she indeed has much to share. Driven by her faith in God and buoyed by his support as well as that of her family, Krista is committed to success. She has been successful thus far in both the classroom and on the soccer field. Her focus will soon shift to the next chapter of her life. Life in the “real world.”

However, what will not shift is her unwavering faith and her commitment to success. Taken together, how could Krista not have a bright future? Krista Heckman, a young lady from the farm fields and back roads of Clinton County to a life of success.

A young lady who has used and longs to continue to use the gifts she has been given to serve as an example for HIM.

Surely, she is a young lady whom all of us who watched her grow up playing soccer at Central Mountain can be proud to call one of our own.

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