A Sit-Down With Evan Lennox

A+Sit-Down+With+Evan+Lennox

Lara Al-Zoubaidi, Sports Reporter

Evan Lennox is a senior in Carterville High School. His journey with school-sponsored soccer began when he was 5 years old and eventually transitioned into an elite club in 6th grade when he joined the Saint Louis Scott Gallagher club team. Ever since then he has put in tremendous amounts of effort to achieve his goals. Being voted on the All-Conference team and All-Sectional team, Lennox has proved time and time he has what it takes to continue a career in soccer. Throughout this article, Lennox explains what soccer means to him and some of his biggest inspirations, who have helped shape him into the player he is today. 

How did Carterville soccer build your leadership skills? 

I believe that I have built leadership skills through soccer by being the captain of the team for 2 years. I was challenged with the tasks of talking to referees, making sure the team’s mind is in the right mindset, and coaching on the field. I really appreciate the opportunity to help lead the team as it has forced me to grow into a stronger and more comfortable leader. I hope the next captain of the Carterville soccer team will have that same chance. I can assure them that it will help in all endeavors. 

How have you applied what you learned on the field to the real world?

I attempt to apply lessons learned on the field to real life. In the sense of being a leader, it has really increased my communication skills. I have also learned that hard work and discipline apply to any activity if you desire success. I owe a lot of my traits to soccer itself. It has taught me patience, success/ failure, and how to compete.

Would you say this would be a key factor in your success story? 

100%

What do you think was the main thing that held your team together this year? 

I think what held our team together last year was our team chemistry. There were 9 of us seniors who have played together since freshman year, as well as many great underclass men players. Having a solid group of 9 seniors really aided in the team atmosphere. We were ready and excited to play with each other for one last year.

What do you believe is the greatest challenge most athletes are facing in today’s society? 

I believe a huge challenge athletes at all levels are facing currently is their mindset. We saw it in the Olympics when several athletes left to take a mental health break. Being a competitive athlete requires a different mindset that is sometimes hard to achieve even for the best. Focus is a very key component of competing which is hard to come by every time one desires it. I think another huge inconvenience that athletes are facing now is a lack of exposure. It is starting to clear up now, but with Covid-19 came many bans on recruiting, leaving kids with very limited ways to gain exposure.

How have past inspirations made you a better player? 

I will give a big shoutout to Caleb Knight on this one. He was a player on the high school team a few years ago. Caleb was a very driven and successful athlete who always pushed me to my best as well. He was an upperclassman, but since we played for the same club team, we were able to train a lot together. He always pushed me to higher success. I also believe playing Saint Louis Scott Gallagher has pushed me to be the best player I can be. The training environment for my club team is very intense and competitive which makes me play at my best level.

Can you describe any major highlights or achievements of yours with these past teams? 

One major team achievement we made was becoming conference champions the first year that there became a conference for us to play in. Another major team success was defeating Carbondale this year which had never been done in program history. Regarding personal achievements, I was able to surpass the assists in a career record and now hold that record. The team also helped me reach the all conference and sectional teams. Undoubtedly without the players around me, I would not have been able to succeed as much as I have.

If you could go back, how would you approach this season differently?

If I could go back to the beginning of this season right now, I would remember to play every game like it was my last. I sometimes would forget that this would be my last year of high school soccer. I loved my teammates and I loved the environment. I could have appreciated it even more while it was there.