School: Neshaminy
Soccer
Favorite athlete: David Beckham
Favorite team: Phillies!
Favorite memory competing in sports: Any game or practice with my Neshaminy team. We laughed all the time and had so much fun. Some of my games were coming back from 3-0 to tie Pennsbury 5-5, when I scored on two free kicks and we beat Council Rock North on Senior Night, and when we beat Downingtown East at the very beginning of the season.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: During one of our games this season, it was really rainy and cold, and after kicking the ball, I wiped out. I was so muddy you couldn’t even see the numbers on my jersey.
Music on iPod: A good variety but a lot of Taylor Swift, John Mayer, and Eminem
Future plans: Playing soccer in college while majoring in Nursing
Words to live by: “If you love something, try your best at it and never give up.”
One goal before turning 30: Have a great job and husband with one or two kids, the first boy named Dash
One thing people don’t know about me: I have a lizard named Nelly.
Positive. Dedicated. Inspiring.
Those are just a few of the words Neshaminy coach Rachel Clemens uses to describe senior captain Alyssa Kirk, a player the Redskins’ first-year coach knew immediately would be a perfect leader for her squad.
“I had her on jayvee, and I knew as a freshman she had leadership qualities that would obviously help her as she made the next stop to varsity,” Clemens said. “Obviously, her teammates recognize her leadership qualities as well.”
Kirk was voted a captain by her teammates this season, and according to Clemens, she led by example both on and off the field.
“You could always count on Alyssa to give 110 percent in games, and even in training and conditioning in our jog-sprints – you would always find her in front of the pack,” Clemens said. “I just couldn’t ask for a better leader and captain for this team.
“Especially as a new coach, she just helped me with my job and made that transition so easy.”
Clemens goes on to note that Kirk is also a very good listener.
“She not only listens to the coaches but also listens to her teammates and gives good advice,” the first-year coach said. “She’s a liaison type person and is comfortable with going between the coaches and the team and communicating if there are problems or issues.
“Alyssa as well as my other captain – Jen Slivka – made things so easy for me as a first-year coach.”
Kirk anchored the Redskins’ defense at center back, but she was far more than just a standout defender. She also was an offensive spark and scored 11 goals this season – an astonishing number for a deep defender.
“She has the ability to go forward, and she tries to go forward as the center back,” Clemens said. “She takes most of our free kicks – I’m talking dangerous free kicks.
“There were a couple of games where we were struggling offensively, and I actually pushed her forward from her center back to center midfield.”
Kirk also scored goals off free kicks, and according to Clemens, the senior defensive back scored one of the best goals of the season on a free kick in the Redskins’ 2-1 win over Downingtown East.
“She’s extremely dangerous because she has that offensive and defensive side to her,” Clemens said. “You can pretty much put her anywhere on the field, and she’s going to be successful.
“Obviously, in our bigger games and against some of the tougher competition, she would be in that center back spot, no questions asked.”
Kirk has been playing soccer since she was four years old. At around that same time, she became involved in gymnastics and basketball as well as other sports that came her way.
Soccer and gymnastics were her immediate favorites.
“When I was in sixth grade, my parents said I had to choose one or the other because it was too much to do both,” she said.
Soccer easily won out.
Kirk’s CYO soccer team from Our Lady of Grace captured the Regional crown, and she has been playing club soccer at the premier level since she was 10 years old. For the past two years, she has played for the GAK Thunder club team out of northern New Jersey.
After playing jayvee as a freshman and sophomore, Kirk was the starting varsity sweeper for the past two years.
She enjoyed serving as captain of this year’s squad.
“My co-captain, Jen Slivka, was absolutely amazing,” Kirk said. “She just knew everything to do, and she was such a good leader. Having her by my side was so great because we were both really into it.
“We loved the team so much, and we loved playing for high school so much.”
This year’s team included just five seniors, but the five, according to Kirk, are a tight-knit group.
“They’re four of my best friends, and I’m so glad I got to spend four years with them,” she said.
The days of competing in sports together aren’t over for those seniors just yet. Most have decided to play lacrosse this spring.
“It’s something none of us have done before,” she said. “We’re all really athletic, so hopefully, we can pick up on that and do good. We’re excited.”
Neshaminy saw its season end with an opening round district playoff loss to Conestoga. The ending, according to Kirk, came much too soon.
“I always remember looking up to the seniors, and they would always cry when the season was over, and I thought I knew what they were feeling, but I never really knew until now,” she said. “The season ended so quickly for us.
“We were all shocked, and we were all crying. Yesterday we met with our coaches, we handed in our uniforms, and we were just talking about the end of the season. It really just hit me that it’s over.
“We still have this whole year, but soccer is my favorite part of the year. We just all love playing together. Every practice we had so much fun and laughed so hard. It was great.”
An excellent student, Kirk takes a course load of mainly honors classes and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Next year, she plans to continue her soccer career at the collegiate level and is seriously considering attending West Chester.
“I always wanted to play in college and take it up a notch,” Kirk said. “I just think college is going to be such a different game. It’s going to be a lot more work, but coach Clemens has done a great job of getting all of us ready, and I’m really excited for it.”
Kirk is hoping to major in nursing – an interest that was sparked after her best friend, Celeste, was diagnosed with cancer.
“Just going through that whole experience with her – being in hospitals and talking to the nurses just really inspired me to go into nursing because the nurses really helped my friend out a lot,” Kirk said.
Her friend is cancer-free, and Kirk – who was considering pursuing sports training – may have a new major although she hasn’t ruled out completely the possibility of majoring in nutrition.
Whatever she opts to pursue, it’s a safe bet, according to Clemens, that Kirk will throw herself into it and excel.
“She's just extremely grounded,” the Redskins’ coach said. “She has great morals and values, and she leads by example.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better person to be my captain. I’m going to miss her.”
