Lady Mules soccer captains want team to realize its full potential

For the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules soccer team captains, getting their squad to its full potential is a common goal they all share.

Heading into their final season as Lady Mules, seniors Nevaeh Larkins, Sydney Kramer and Olivia Carda hope to finish their last ride on a high.

The Lady Mules kicked off their season with a 2-0 victory over West Plains, but with recent injuries and inexperienced players, strong leadership is the center focus as all three have stepped up to keep their team on the right path.

Despite the rocky start, Larkins feels optimistic for the remainder of the season.

“I feel like we’re a really solid team with a lot of skills,” Larkins said. “I think we play really well together, and I don’t think of us as just a team, it’s more of a family now.”

The last four years for Larkins have been a learning curve as she didn’t feel strong with her game when she initially stepped on the soccer field as a freshman, but she said it didn’t take her long to adapt. Today, Larkins has grown to become more confident, and she’s embraced the responsibilities as the goalkeeper.

“Playing goalkeeper can be quite stressful because it’s like being the coach on the field,” Larkins said. “It’s your job to survey the field and be the eyes for your team. If you’re not confident and not talking, leading your team to victory is impossible. I think it’s important to have leadership on the field, and whether we win or lose, it’s good to have someone there to keep the team going.”

Larkins believes the Lady Mules have a lot of potential for a successful run this season, but she understands that it will have to take each day to improve and grow together as a team.

Like her fellow teammate, Carda is excited about the season, but has nerves about their depth as injuries stack on early.

“Stepping into my final season has been a little rough because of the injures I and everyone else have sustained in almost every game so far,” Carda said. “Since it’s just the beginning, I’m hoping that we can pull through this adversity and get some wins.”

Since stepping on the soccer field at the age of three, Carda said seeing the field clearly was of the most significant signs of growth in her game. Being able to see passes and open shots has become a valuable skill of Carda, and she hopes it can help push the Lady Mules throughout the season.

Regardless of the game’s outcome, Carda said she could tell that each player goes out and works their hardest to compete. She’s proud of their performance so far and would like to see it continue.

“I want to see us performing at our fullest,” Carda said. “As the season progresses, I want to see us focus on the small things like our passes. Playing aggressively and putting the ball in the back of the net. I just want to see the little things improve, and it will make our game way bigger.”

All three have grown to appreciate their time as a Lady Mule, and playing under head coach Rusty Crafton has been a joy.

“It’s been great playing under Coach Crafton,” Kramer said. “I love him as a coach, and even though sometimes I feel like certain drills might be too tough or not beneficial to me, he knows what he’s talking about, and I trust him. He’s just an all-around good coach, and I will miss him.”

As a coach, the goal is to help your players reach their full potential, and no one understands that more than Crafton.

“All three of them are amazing, great students academically and athletes on the field,” Crafton said. “They’re great leaders for us, and we’ll definitely miss them because they’ve been a part of our program for a long time and starters pretty much all four years.

“I would just like to see them reach their goals and achieve whatever accomplishments they have personally. I just want them to continue to help the team succeed as the season goes on.”