Oct. 28, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK,Pa. -
By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Growing up, Drew Klingenberg didn't have to go far to find someone to play soccer with.
While his parents Dan and Kristin were former baseball and softball players, Klingenberg's older sister Meghan had taken up soccer at a young age, and she made sure her younger brother of five years followed suit.
"I completely attribute me playing soccer to her," Klingenberg said. "I remember going to her games all the time when I was young. It just came naturally and I was always surrounded by a soccer ball when I was young."
So far, the soccer path has worked out pretty well for both of the Klingenberg children. While Drew is a starting midfielder for the Penn State men's soccer team for the second straight season, Meghan is a former North Carolina star and a current defender for the U.S women's national team.
As Klingenberg's own career has progressed from the being a two time all-state player to a starter at the Division I level, the Penn State junior has watcher his sister develop into one of the best in the country at her position.
"We use to joke because I used to be better than her when I was younger," Klingenberg said. "When she was around 14 or 15 she just took off and she's great now and a role model to me. I've personally seen her develop into a fantastic player.
On October 20, Meghan scored the first goal of her international career in the U.S team's 6-0 victory over Haiti in Washington D.C. in the final game of the group stage of the World Cup qualifiers.
Though it's tough for the two to talk regularly with their busy schedules, Klingenberg managed to call his sister to congratulate her on the moment, and added some teasing for good measure.
"I texted her and I was like, 'did you learn that from me?'" Klingenberg said with a laugh. "No, I just said 'great job and you're playing great.' I try to talk to her as often as possible, unfortunately she's usually somewhere in the world so it's a little tough but I'll always pick up the phone for her."
Being competitive with each other is nothing new for either of them. Growing up in Gibsonia, Pa., their battles began as one-on-one games in the backyard and progressed to pick-up games with the players on Meghan's club team when they got older.
During those games, the two were never a package deal, as both preferred to play against each other rather than pair up on the same team.
Looking back, Klingenberg is glad the two always squared off, as it helped him improve as players and actually made him closer to Meghan off the field.
"There's always been a competitive edge with her so it's been great," Klingenberg said. "She would make sure that she would beat me and I didn't realize that when I was young. I was like 'why is she always on the other team?' and as I got older I realized.
"We want to beat each other, and I tell this to everyone, it's a great dynamic. I love her and she's my sister but when we're training it's always who's going to out best the other."
Even though Meghan can be tough on him, Klingenberg said that she has always given him words of encouragement when necessary.
When Drew was about to enroll at Penn State in the fall of 2012, Meghan was busy with the national team and unable to see him off to school. Remembering how scared she was in 2007 before starting her All-American career at North Carolina, she called her brother to give him a pep talk.
"I remember taking her to UNC and I remember her being so nervous and her shaking," Klingenberg said. "I was the same exact way. Right before I left for college, unfortunately she had her national team duties, she was like, 'Drew you're a great player and you need to have
confidence and if there's one thing you need to do it's believe in yourself.' I've always kept that in the back of my head."
Since then, Klingenberg has established himself as one of the unsung heroes of the Nittany Lions. While he has scored just three times in his three-year career, including this past Sunday against Wisconsin, his all-around game has been integral to Penn State's consecutive Big Ten titles the past two seasons.
The 5-foot-9 midfielder has also given his parents another reason to continue watching soccer. While neither of them had ever played the sport, Klingenberg cites them as another support system.
"They were baseball players and it's taken them a while to get into the soccer thing," Klingenberg says. "My parents have always been a huge backbone for me. They're not the kind of parents to just pat me on the back. They're going to tell me if it wasn't my best game and they've made me better by being realistic and honest."
As for which child his parents would rather watch play, Klingenberg says they would never pick a favorite. At the same time, he couldn't be prouder of his sister's accomplishments.
"We're best friends," Klingenberg says. "I've only done soccer my whole life and that completely goes back to Meghan."