Balancing both academics and athletics, Brooke Lawson has been recognized as a prominent striker and captain of the Coral Gables Senior High girls varsity soccer team.  Aside from playing for Gables, she competes actively with Pinecrest Premier Soccer Club in the Girls Academy League and presents her skills against some of the best players in the competition. Inspired by her older sister, a former collegiate player, she began her adventure in soccer at just four years old. Now, dedication to the sport has helped her become a leader while earning a recent recognition as Athlete of the Week.

“We tend to award student-athletes the ‘Athlete of the Week’ award based on their performances. Considering that she helped us win the two games, against Miami Springs and Miami High, she was chosen because she scored a total of four goals and assisted the team with two more. Thus, she was pivotal in helping us win both games,” Coach Romero said.

At Athletic Club Miami, Lawson started to play travel when she was just seven years old, where she played with all boys. This helped Lawson to develop toughness at a young age, making her feel the need to prove herself and be competitive no matter what. Thus allowing her to get a preview of her future. Up until age 11, Lawson switched to play for Miami Shore Football Club. There, she finally experienced what it was like to play with an all-girls team and started to travel much more than the previous club. At 13, Lawson went to play for Miami Breakers FC where she utilized her competitiveness that was evoked when she was seven. During her time there, she traveled a lot for in-state tournaments and the club won the 16U Win FC State Championship.

“The Miami Springs game was very good because we won 8-0. I believe that they are a team that used to be good in the past but struggled to rebuild. We had played them last year and also won but we did not go in with any expectations. In the game, we started slow but then started getting goals and we did not want to lower our level of play for them. I wanted to play with the same consistency for the entire game because I believe settling for less is not an option,” junior Brooke Lawson said.

Already scoring eight goals and four assists this soccer season, Lawson has gotten off to a hot start. Adding this to her 19 goals and nine assists from the last season, she now has 27 goals and 13 assists since joining Gables as a sophomore. The impressive performance so early in her career earned her the recognition of Coach Romero as the ‘Athlete of the Week’. She currently leads in nearly every category of the leaderboards for Coral Gables Girls Soccer Stats and has quickly become a cornerstone of the squad’s success.

“I first met Brooke last year for school soccer and eventually, we became very close friends. We both love soccer very much and I feel like having a person who has as much dedication as me meant a lot. She makes a very big difference on the team with her focused mindset and her likable personality. Since she is captain, she is always pushing everyone to play the best they can and even when someone messes up she always reassures them. She has made me enjoy the sport more than ever and I am very grateful to be able to call her my teammate,” junior Josefina Dellepere said.

Beginning in August, Lawson has played at Pinecrest Premier Soccer Club, competing in the Girls Academy League, one of the most competitive leagues for girls. Throughout the soccer season, Lawson and her team traveled to upstate Tampa, Fla.,  North Carolina, Alabama, California and soon Tennessee. Traveling not only helps her get recognized by other clubs and coaches but also helps her to be exposed to diverse styles of play tactics, allowing her to strengthen her skills to the max.

“For my junior and senior years, my goal will be to get recruited to play college soccer at a school with a good team and academic reputation. This is the first year coaches can talk to me, so I am taking advantage of this and reaching out. Emailing coaches is one of the biggest steps to getting recruited and offers. In California, where I travel to with my club, there are around 150 listed coaches that are attending multiple showcases. I emailed around 60 of them expressing interest in their program and encouraging them to come to watch me play. It is definitely a timely process: writing up each email and making highlights videos, but I know it’s one of the most crucial steps in getting recruited. I know that it will all be worth it in the end,” junior Brooke Lawson said.

Now, Lawson credits all her coaches for molding her into the player she is today. With the goal of further growth this season, she wants to be supportive to her teammates, reduce errors and be consistent in her games to ensure her team wins. Being named Athlete of the Week not only reflects the commitment she has put forth toward each of these goals but also demonstrates her presence on and off the field. Looking ahead to a bright future, Lawson would like to continue her soccer career by playing professionally in the National Women’s Soccer League or on a national team.