Glenpool High School junior defender Kaylen Stephens has found a second family on the soccer field, and it wears the Lady Warriors blue and white. The varsity left back said the tight bond she shares with her teammates is what makes the long practices and demanding game days worth it.
“My teammates at Glenpool feel like my family,” Stephens said. “They always encourage me and will be the first people to cheer me on at the games and practice.”
Stephens, who plays left back and often goes the full 80 minutes, embraces one of the most physically demanding roles on the pitch. She understands that her position requires stamina and discipline on both ends of the field. “I play left back and the hardest thing about it would be the amount of running I have to do,” she said. “I play the entire game so I’m pretty much running the whole time.”
Her teammates’ different personalities and abilities help fuel her competitive drive. “My fellow teammates all have such different and unique strengths and personalities that define them,” Stephens said. “They all inspire me to be the best I can be off and on the field.”
One of the voices she hears most clearly belongs to teammate Hadleigh Agnew. “Our most vocal teammate is Hadleigh Agnew, she motivated all the teammates and makes me want to try harder even when I don’t want to,” Stephens said. “There’s a lot of funny girls on my team so picking just one would be hard.”
Soccer has given Stephens more than fitness and footwork. She said the sport has helped her grow as a communicator and teammate. “It has taught me how to communicate properly with other people on and off the field,” she said. “It has also helped me understand other people’s emotions more.”
In the classroom, Stephens gravitates toward science and still remembers her favorite teacher, former fourth grade teacher Lisa Overstreet. Away from school and soccer, she enjoys spending time with friends and playing games online.
Stephens said she takes pride in representing Glenpool and wants to model what a committed student-athlete looks like. “Setting a good example for what athlete at Glenpool can look like,” she said. She points to her determination as her biggest strength. “My strength in my game is my determination to not give up, no matter how tired I am during a game I always give 100 percent,” she said. “I’m working on getting more shots on the goal this year.”
