Drew Bowen is an all around athlete at Lakes Community High School. He is a part of boys tennis, boys basketball, and most recently boys soccer. Entering his senior year, Bowen decided to join the soccer team and is now a first-year starter on varsity.
High school is a time to explore new opportunities and getting to experience them before it is too late. Even though Bowen hasn’t played soccer in many years, it’s a time to have fun with his friends outside of school.
“I think it was an opportunity to have fun, and it is my senior year, so I wanted to make sure I was getting the best out of it,” said Bowen.
On the field, Bowen is a right mid. As with every role on the field, right mid is crucial to the team.“You [have] to work the sidelines, cross the ball, get back on defense, and go hard 100% of the time,” said Bowen. Teammate Tanner Beronja, has felt that Bowen has brought great qualities to the team. “Drew has played very well despite not playing in a long time, consistently being in the starting lineup, creating chances in games,” Beronja mentioned. “His energy is fun, but he can be serious when it’s needed.”
Coach Kevin Kullby believes that Bowen has been a great addition to the team. “He is a good athlete [with] the right mindset,” said Kullby. “He finds passes up the field to one of the forwards and [can] be in a place when the ball comes out to him on the offensive third of the field to cross it into the box.” Outside of games, Kullby finds Bowen to have a good personality. “He brings good energy and a good sense of humor,” Kullby mentioned.
With soccer being such a mental sport, having the ability to wipe out mistakes during games is always a key trait to have. “He doesn’t get overly emotional over anything which makes him a better competitor,” said Kullby.
After not playing in many years, Bowen has many things to improve on to become a better player. “My first touch isn’t great, my shot isn’t amazing but that all changes during practice by working hard,” Bowen said. “Working out and improving during practices will all help in the long run.” Bowen has a mentality that many athletes strive to have. Being able to know what aspects of the game he is weak in will help him improve much faster.
The soccer season has just passed its midway point, and the team has a record of 3-6 (2-2 in the NLCC). Bowen believes that the team can always improve and win more games. “We started off pretty slow but we’re picking up momentum now,” said Bowen.
Even though Bowen will not be playing soccer at the collegiate level, he is having fun which is all that matters as a senior. Bowen is putting full effort into everything he does for the team. “I don’t want to leave Lakes with any regrets, and choosing to play soccer will definitely not be one of them,” said Bowen.
