Oologah’s Maddie Penner
It takes a lot to be a successful student-athlete. Balancing school with sports and a personal life can be difficult. For Oologah High School’s Maddie Penner, who is now in her sophomore season, finding that balance is something she focuses on every day.
Entering this season and playing center-mid for the Lady Mustangs, Penner said she has continued to work on her skills to prepare for the upcoming season and the club season.
“The thing I have improved on the most coming into this season is my speed and my movement off the ball. I think my strongest skillset playing defense is leading from the back, reading the field, and communicating to my teammates. I also stay levelheaded under pressure, keep my emotions in check and stay focused on the play,” said Penner.
“ ”Penner started playing the sport at the age of four for the Fighting Leafs, which started her love for the sport. Penner said she loves being around her teammates.
“What I love the most about my OHS team is we are all close, and my teammates make soccer fun, but we are all really driven too. We all want the same goal, to win state. Playing for Coach Bowers is awesome because he keeps us focused on the game and encourages our connection as a team. He takes the game seriously, but he can cut loose and have fun with us too,” said Penner.
The sophomore said her goal is to attend college and work towards a degree in medicine. Penner is involved in club soccer with coach Wiruth and coach Abe and the West Side Alliance ECNL RL08. At OHS, Penner is involved in BPA and Leadership.
Penner said many people have inspired her.
“There are so many people that inspire me: first of all my parents, they are successful in business and in their personal life; my sister Ava is such an amazing human being and has set herself up for an incredible life because of all the hard work she has invested; my late cousin Junior, he was a Vietnam vet and hero and I think of him in hard times, if I get pushed down literally on the field or figuratively outside of soccer, I always think “Junior went through worse and he came out the other side.”
In her free time Penner said she enjoys reading, listening to music, hanging out with friends and family and visiting her best friend (and sister) Ava at the University of Arkansas.
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