Competing at the Next Level
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Mazama HIgh School senior Maddy Lease signs of letter of intent to play soccer on a full-tuition scholarship at Lane Community College in Eugene next year. She is flanked by her parents, Joy and Vic Lease.
Mazama High School senior Maddy Lease has signed a letter of intent to play soccer on a full-tuition scholarship next year for the Lane Titans at Lane Community College in Eugene.
Lease, 17, daughter of Joy and Vic Lease, has racked up accolades as a high school goalie for the Mazama Vikings. She was named to the First-Team All -Conference this year and received All-Conference honorable mentions her freshman, sophomore and junior years.
“A big goal would definitely be to be able to transfer to a four-year institution and be able to play there after my two years at Lane,” Lease said, “but, as of right now, my goal is to go to Lane and become the best goal keeper I can for my team and get some conference awards while I’m at it.”
Lease has played soccer since the fifth grade, and said one of the highlights of her high school career was being able to play her favorite sport with both her sisters -- her older sister, Amber, was a senior when Lease was a freshman and her younger sister, Kennedy, is a freshman this year.
“I would thank all of the coaches I have ever had for pushing me and always believing in me, and my family for being supportive,” Lease said. She gave a special thank you to Jonathan Dawson, who invited her to train with him and play travel soccer with a Basin team. “He really made me believe I could continue on in my soccer career past high school,” she said.
This year, she played for Mazama head soccer coach Crish Newell. Chris Bird was head coach her freshman, sophomore and junior years.
Lease would like to be an elementary school kindergarten teacher, and after two years at Lane Community College plans to transfer to Western Oregon University or University of Oregon and earn an elementary education degree.
Asked what advice she would give to upcoming athletes, she said: “Always follow your dreams and never give up on yourself. I knew nothing about being a goal keeper my freshman year and I just kept working at it, and a year ago I wasn’t even sure if I was going to get any kind of offers. So don’t give up on yourself and always follow your dreams.”