Sept. 17, 2010
Throughout the 2010 season, Penn State will feature a student athlete before every home game. The feature will appear in the game program. Penn State faces Dartmouth on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
By Adam Wicks, GoPSUsports.com Writer
On autumn afternoons at Jeffrey Field, the average Penn State women's soccer fan can't help but notice junior midfielder Ali Schaefer.
Whether it's her flashy, up-tempo style on the field, or her energetic words of encouragement coming from the bench, Schaefer is always a factor when the Nittany Lions take the field. Always ready to stop for an interview or pause to bring a smile to the face of a young soccer fan, Schaefer displays the poise and maturity of an athlete way beyond her mere 21 years.
Head coach Erica Walsh knew she had something special when the young midfielder arrived on campus as a freshman.
"The most impressive thing is that she will be the best in everything she does," Walsh said. "She attacks and challenges with energy, and she doesn't tire in her desire to be the best.
"She's a great team player, constantly trying to make her teammates better. [Schaefer] is one of the rare few that I've been around that has a strong desire to be out of her comfort zone."
Hailing from Las Vegas, Nev., the 5-foot-5 junior may be far from home, but she is very quick to talk to anyone about her hometown, and her family and friends out west.
Type her name into Google, and the first hit returned will be www.alischaefer.com, Schaefer's own personal website chronicling her journey at Penn State, both on the soccer field and off of it.
"The most impressive thing is that she will be the best in everything she does. She attacks and challenges with energy, and she doesn't tire in her desire to be the best."Head Coach Erica Walsh |
"My mom thought we should put it together," Schaefer noted. "Since I'm so far away from home, if anyone wants to keep tabs on what I'm doing, they can go check it out."
The website is just one of the many ways that Schaefer keeps in touch with her family and friends across the country.
Upon her graduation from Penn State, the midfielder hopes to return to the western side of the country, and one day direct mainstream films in Hollywood. California would not be foreign territory to Schaefer, as she spends her summers in Los Angeles, playing soccer for the Pali Blues, a semi-pro team that competes in the USL W-League. A film major at Penn State, Schaefer loves to create short films and music videos, and has even done some videos for the soccer team. Among these videos is a five-minute documentary on former Penn State forward and WPS draftee Katie Schoepfer.
Nevertheless, for the time being, Schaefer is loving life in Happy Valley. In addition to the change of scenery from her native Nevada, the junior is quick to rave about the Penn State culture here in State College.
"It's amazing," Schaefer said. "There are times where I'm driving around with my friends and we'll roll down the windows and yell `WE ARE,' waiting to hear back `PENN STATE!'
"I try to get to as many events as I can. I just love the camaraderie of the school, I like to wear my Penn State gear around just like everyone else does."
A true team player, Schaefer attributes her always-positive attitude simply to a love of life.
"I do a lot of self-meditation where I just sit and think, I like to sit and listen," Schaefer added. "One of my favorite hobbies is just listening to instrumentals. I will just walk around and take in the world around me."
The time she takes to reflect on life and put things in perspective certainly isn't lost in her performance on the soccer field. Walsh continues to be amazed not only by what Schaefer does, but how her teammates react to it.
"She does the right thing, she walks the walk," remarked Walsh. "She doesn't worry about what others on the team are going to think, and they love her for it."
While Walsh can speak to Schaefer's assets both on and off the field, anyone who has met the smiling midfielder knows the future has much more in store for No. 11.
Schaefer has a bright career ahead of her, whether it is in a higher level of soccer, a creative new website, or the next Hollywood blockbuster. When she steps off of the soccer field after her last game in the blue and white, it certainly won't be the last people hear of Ali Schaefer.
--NITTANY LIONS--