Like many graduating college seniors, Lara Ross will look for a career based in her field of study after she leaves her university.
But unlike the rest of the pack, she’ll get to competitively continue her favorite pastime: soccer.
The Columbus Eagles is the newest team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, and the Upper Arlington High School graduate has been tapped for the roster.
“I’d rather be out at the field than anywhere else,” Ross says.
When Ross takes the soccer field, she has two things on her mind: defense and her older brother, David.
“He was my biggest inspiration growing up,” Ross says. “He’s seven years older than me, so I grew up watching him play. I always wanted to be like him. He’ll gladly take pride in any of my successes.”
David twice made the cross-country trip from Denver to watch Ross play at the college level at Indiana University and critique her game.
“We lost both games, but it was so great having him there and hear his criticism after,” Ross says. “He always has something to say. He used to tape games in high school, and when I would watch the film, I could hear everything he would say, and he would not hold back.”
With her brother, a former Wittenberg University soccer player, guiding and setting the benchmark as a soccer player, Ross played soccer throughout high school and became a key player on the team.
“When she played for me, she was my No. 1 player,” says Mark Wise, Ross’ coach at UA High School during her senior year. “We had someone who could score, but Lara was the one who understood the game and controlled it. She played 90 minutes, all out.”
Ross’s success in high school resulted in a collegiate career at Indiana University, where she competed all four years and starred as a defender this past year.
“I like to be in the midfield, even though that’s rare,” she says. “Coaches always liked to put me at defense. I’m reliable. I can’t stop everything, but I’ve developed great communication skills and I can command the back line.”
Even though she wasn’t scoring all the goals, Ross’ presence on the field was known.
“She has great ball skills and precision, so when they put her in the back, I said they were wasting their talent in the midfield,” Wise says. “She can control this game, but watching her play in the back, … she’s tenacious. She doesn’t let anyone get around her. She has shut down some of the best forwards the game has to offer.”
This grip on the game and heraggressive nature helped Ross lead the Hoosiers to a 15-7-1 season her senior year.
“We took off this season and started a whole new era of Indiana University soccer,” Ross says
. “We got into the Big 10 tournament and the second round of the NCAA tournament. We played the reigning national champions, North Carolina.”
Ross graduates this spring with a bachelor’s degree in health management and policy. Soccer played a role in her choosing health administration as a career path and was a big factor in her selecting Indiana University.
“I originally wanted to do nursing, but I wouldn’t have been able to balance the time. I should have done something like coaching,” she says with a laugh.
During college, she stayed on top of her education, despite the game always being on her mind. Student athletes are regularly class checked to ensure they don’t let sports get in the way of studies.
“I was one of the first to practice and one of the last to leave,” Ross says.
Class may be over, but Ross is not ready to give up the game. Her position with the Eagles is the beginning of a semi-pro and, maybe one day, professional career.
Support for the Eagles is growing every day, says Wise, who is the Eagles’ coaching director.
“The future looks bright,” he says. “We touched a nerve in central Ohio when it comes to female soccer outside of college. There are a lot of ex-players who still want to play, and this gives them the opportunity, but it’s not just that. There’s a large market for people who want to watch women’s soccer. Many say they’ve been waiting for this.”
When top colleges around the nation scout for talent, central Ohio is one of their go-to locations. Adding a semi-pro team to the area just made sense, Wise says. And he doesn’t want to stop there.
“If it builds a big enough market and sponsors, we’ll look into the national league,” he says. “Columbus is one of the top five markets in terms of female soccer recruiting. To not have a pro team is crazy. At least we can start with this premier league and see where it goes.”
One of the biggest attractions to the game for women – and for fans – is the level playing field between men’s and women’s leagues. Unlike baseball, softball and basketball, both men’s and women’s soccer leagues play with the same size ball and field.
“There are not a lot of opportunities for women to continue their sporting careers,” Wise says. “Soccer is soccer; it’s the same game as the men’s game.”
The Eagles season opener is May 11 at 4 p.m. in South Bend versus FC Indiana. The home opener is 2 p.m. May 25 on The Wellington School field.
Stephan Reed is an editorial associate. Feedback welcome at laurand@cityscenemediagroup.com.
