Soccer
Favorite athlete: Julie Ertz
Favorite team: USWNT
Favorite memory competing in sports: The time in between games at tournaments
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened when competing in sports: I got kicked in the face twice and had 2 bloody noses in a game of parents vs kids
Music on playlist: Rap, Throwbacks
Future plans: Pediatric Physical Therapist
One goal before turning 30: Travel to Europe
One thing people don’t know about me: I am a twin
By Craig Ostroff
The true measure of an exceptional athlete is how they face adversity.
After all, it’s easy to work hard and stay positive when a team is piling up victory after victory. It’s far more difficult to do so when a team struggles.
Harry S Truman’s girls’ soccer team traditionally finds itself near the bottom of the league standings. This fall, the Tigers posted an 0-18 record, the second time in the last four years the team has finished with a winless season.
But no matter the team’s record, no matter the upcoming opponent, no matter the score, coach Rachel Zawisza could always count on the dedication, leadership, and unmatched work ethic of Marissa Olsen.
“Her ability to always give 100 percent to this team speaks to her passion about the game of soccer,” Zawisza said. “Marissa lives and breathes soccer. She was our best player on the field. She never acted like it, but she knew it because of the example she always set for her teammates.
“I’m grateful for her heart. Marissa always plays with a lot of heart. I can’t imagine the feeling she felt, especially this season. This was a really tough season for us, it was crushing at times. I can’t imagine how she felt, but she always gave everything she had. That’s a lot of grace as a 17-year-old athlete. I really admire her for that.”
For the four-year starter and two-year captain who also plays club soccer, the joy came not from the team’s position in the standings or from scoring goals. It came from spending time with friends and trying to help her teammates discover the love for the game to which she has devoted so much of her time and effort.
“I played since I was little,” Olsen said. “I can see the girls with me want to play and succeed and do well. So I try to give that positive energy, build everyone up. We want to play well and of course you want to see the results, but we really just want the team to have the love for the sport as well. I can say that I was the closest with the team my senior year than any other year I’ve been here.
“Everyone put all their effort forward, everyone knew how important this year was to the four seniors, and everyone wanted to put it to put it all together for the seniors. Obviously, you want to win some games, but I honestly think we did really good this year. This was my favorite season I’ve played, with the friendships we made and the way we played together.”
From the moment Olsen stepped onto the field for Truman as a freshman, Zawisza—then an assistant coach—knew the Tigers had something special, both in Olsen’s skill level and the way she presented herself.
“When she started as a freshman, she was already one of the best players on the team. Other kids were already looking at her and trying to learn from her or lean on her, and that’s a lot of pressure on a kid that young,” Zawisza said. “Marissa never saw herself as the best player, but she played like the best player. She gave 110 percent every game, all four years.
“In ninth grade on the field, she wasn’t afraid to be vocal, wasn’t afraid to step up when needed. Starting her sophomore year, I think she really took on a leadership role. We were lacking in seniors that year, and she knew she needed to step up and be a leader on and off the field and she did that.”
As a junior, Olsen officially took over the mantle as captain in what proved to be the team’s most successful season during her four years. Opting out of the fall season due to Covid, Truman played in the United 10 league in the spring against teams such as Cheltenham, Reading, Academy Park, Norristown, and Pennwood. The Tigers picked up five wins on the season and made the postseason for the first time.
But returning to Suburban One League play this season put Truman back into a conference loaded with powerhouse teams with storied histories and solid middle school and community feeder leagues.
Not only did Olsen battle through her senior campaign with no notches in the win column, but she often found herself out of her natural position, since her versatility allowed for her to play wherever the team needed her most.
“Ideally I wanted her at center midfielder, but it didn’t work out that way,” Zawisza said. “I played her wherever I needed her to play, so she was center back for most of the games. If it was a close game, I tried to move her up to center mid or forward, just to try to get things going. But for the most part, she played center back because we needed her there.
“And she never once complained about playing that position. She knew what needed to be done and how to do it. A lot of times, you can see the frustration on an athlete’s face when they’re not playing their natural position. Marissa never did that, she understood the task and gave 110 percent no matter where she was playing.”
Her efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Olsen was named Second Team All-League for the Patriot Division as a defender, one of two Truman players honored (junior goalkeeper Carmela St. Hilaire was named First Team All-League).
“That meant a lot,” Olsen said. “I never imagined making it. We were winless, we lost some games pretty badly. I didn’t think people would be looking at me or our team, so it meant a lot to be recognized.”
While the results may not have shown up in the standings, the team’s improvement throughout the season were apparent. And Olsen’s efforts will be a big factor in any successes the Tigers see in the future.
“I think the younger athletes learned a lot from her this season,” Zawisza said. “We has a good group of ninth graders, and they took in everything she was showing them on the field and in practice. She brought them in and made sure they were part of the team. Marissa never made it seem like she was the big bad senior to the ninth graders, which can happen when you’re a senior and when you’re the best player on the team. Marissa made sure those kinds of barriers were never there.
“She definitely is the most vocal person on the team. When you are in a drill with her, she pushes you to give 110 percent. She takes games more seriously than any player I’ve ever coached, but she’s also so passionate and so knowledgeable. When you see her play, you see the wheels turning of what her next move is going to be. The younger girls got a taste of that, and that’s going to be so helpful next year with the juniors who will be coming up and stepping into leadership roles as seniors.”
With her senior season in the books, Olsen is focused on hitting the books. She’s carrying a heavy courseload as she continues to uphold the girls’ soccer team’s honor of boasting the top GPA of all the athletic teams at Truman.
And after having to learn remotely for parts of two school years, she’s excited to be back sitting in a desk in an actual classroom.
“I love seeing friends and teammates in the hallways,” she said. “All the people, even random teachers from previous years, it’s crazy how much I’ve missed it.”
Olsen is still working on narrowing down her college choices. She’s hoping to find a school where she can play varsity soccer, and is looking to study exercise science with her eye potentially on a career as a pediatric physical therapist.
“I’ve always loved kids and helping them,” Olsen said. “I have a cousin who goes to PT, it’s always nice to see people helping kids and making them feel better.”
Wherever the next four years take her, though, she plans on keeping tabs on her former teammates as they take their next steps without her.
“I hope they remember to keep that positive mindset,” she said. “The seniors this year, we always tried to stay positive and keep it fun. We wanted them to love the sport like we do. I think if the girls moving up have the same type of outlook as the captains this year had, they’ll definitely fill our shoes. I have high hopes for them.”
For Zawisza, though, it’s not just about filling the shoes of the senior class or the leaders. It’s about filling a massive hole left by an irreplaceable player who impacted the team both on and off the field.
“We’re losing the athlete that can be put anywhere and can do anything we need her to do,” Zawisza said. “She has been our rock the last four years.
“Off the field, she is very down-to-earth, always joking, making you feel at ease, she’s always there for you. It’s tough losing every game, so she always used her sense of humor and personality to try to keep things lighthearted and positive even when times were tough. I really just can’t thank her enough for leaving every bead of sweat, tears, and energy on the field.”
