Terrell High School senior and varsity soccer player Katie Thompson has been playing soccer for as long as she can remember. Her parents, Bobby and Natalie, signed her up for her first team when she was just three years old. “I can’t remember a time where I was not involved with soccer,” she shared. “The sport has just always been a part of my life.”
Since moving to Terrell her sophomore year year from Wills Point, Katie has been a powerful presence on the field. Throughout her high school career, she has played both offense and defense as a forward, center back and insider. Her hard work has earned her numerous awards including multiple 1st Team All-District accolades and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Perhaps what most people do not realize about Katie is that during the playoffs her sophomore year, she suffered a major setback. “During the playoffs, I tore my ACL and I was devastated,” she expressed. “For weeks I was bed bound and I lay in my room alone with no visitors. The injury really affected me mentally. I was so depressed I began to doubt myself and thought about quitting.”
With hard work, determination and a lot of rehab, Katie was cleared to return to the field in just seven months - a few days shy of her sixteenth birthday. “I decided to return because I made a commitment and I did not want to break it,” she shared.
More importantly, Katie did not want to let her family down who have given up so much in order for her to play the sport she loves. “My mom and dad have sacrificed for me all of their life,” Katie revealed. “Soccer is an expensive sport, especially when it comes to all of the traveling you have to do when you play on a select team. Many times our family vacations were spent at soccer tournaments.”
Now a senior, Katie looks back on her setback as her comeback. “The injury showed me how to have more empathy for others,” she shared. “Recently, a friend of mine experienced an injury and I made sure to take a gift basket and stop by for a visit. I never want anyone to feel like I did.”
Katie shared that she is looking forward to her senior year soccer season and loves the new Terrell Tiger girls’ soccer coach, Coach Celia Cross. Coach Cross feels the same way about Katie. “Katie embodies essential leadership qualities that greatly contribute to fostering a growth mindset among coaches and teammates,” shared Coach Cross. “Her positive influence extends beyond the soccer field, making a meaningful impact on the community through her dedicated work in soccer.”
After graduation, Katie hopes to attend Trinity Valley Community College after which she will transfer to a four-year university. Her dream is to become a physical therapist or athletic trainer.
And Katie is just the young lady to do it, because her story shows that there is power in perseverance.