Senior Jane Olcott led the varsity girls soccer team to a 10-4 record and to a MPSSAA sectional final by remaining focused and ready to tackle any challenges during the season.

Olcott is the girls varsity soccer team captain and has already committed to Villanova University. Olcott started playing soccer when she was just five years old and has not stopped playing since.

“I have played for Bethesda Soccer Club for 11 years and am currently on the U19 Bethesda Tempo ECNL Team,” Olcott said. “I probably first felt a real passion for the sport when I joined my first club team, where I realized that soccer genuinely makes me happy.”

On the field, Olcott tries to maintain a positive attitude, leading her towards her successes on the field. She believes that leading by example is the best way to motivate a team.

“Jane always gives 100 percent, no matter the opponent,” junior Emily Silver said. “This makes everyone else want to give their best effort. During our half time talk, Jane always has a positive attitude, no matter the score of the game. She encourages us to go back out onto the field and play to our full potential, which is especially important when we are down in score.”

Olcott currently plays for one of the best teams in the area. She uses her experience to lead the team more effectively.

“It is so fun to watch her play,” Silver said. “She could be covered by three defenders but still be able to get past all of them with her unreal foot skills and speed.”

Olcott’s consistency as an elite soccer player and leader hascontributed to the team goingdeep into the postseason.

“Jane is a very consistent player who the team can always rely on to work hard and produce great results,” junior Lauryn Gladd said. “She never fails to make the team laugh at practices and to encourage us on and off the field.”

With practices everyday for WCHS and club practices on the weekend, it is hard to balance a schedule of playing on two competitive soccer teams and living the life of a high school student.

“The Churchill soccer team practices everyday of the week except on game days,” Olcott said. “I have club practice once on the weekend because everyone else on my club team has a rigorous high school schedule, too. But once high school season ends and club season starts to pick up, I will have club practices and games at least five times a week.”

Olcott describes playing for WCHS as a great experience and would not change it for the world. It has given her great memories with her best friends and hopes it will be the same at Villanova next year.

“WCHS soccer has given me my best friends,” Olcott said. “It has made my four years here so fun and will always have a special place in my heart. I love team dinners and going on the team beach trip at Rehoboth Beach during preseason. I just want those younger than me to have as great of an experience that the team has given me.”

During her sophomore year, Olcott was faced with one of the biggest decisions of her life: where to continue her soccer career. She always knew she wanted to play soccer in college, but never knew where.

“As a sophomore, I had to make one of the biggest decisions of my life,” Olcott said. “When I first visited Villanova, I just could see myself there so clearly. The academics are outstanding and the soccer program is quickly on the rise. The coaching staff is so incredible and I am so excited for next fall. Villanova just had everything that I was looking for in a school.”