Alyson Reinold was born with soccer in her blood.
Coming from a family with three soccer-playing siblings and a father who still gets out on the field, it’s no wonder why Reinold finished her junior campaign in award-winning fashion.
“Soccer’s just a lot of fun,” Reinold said. “I just love being on the field. It’s where I’m most happy and where I feel most comfortable. I love the game. I’ve grown up playing it. My whole family – we’re a soccer-playing family.”
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Needless to say, the Kickapoo rising senior’s game has grown significantly since her early days, earning her the honor of the Class 4 Region Team Player of the Year, and landing a spot on the First-Team All-State list.
“Last season was one of my better seasons,” Reinold admitted.
Described as a “crafty” player by her high school coach, Phil Hodge, Reinold boasts a well-rounded game.
The former midfielder predominantly played forward for the Chiefs in 2016, where she contributed 17 goals and eight assists.
She had an integral role during restarts, taking free kicks, set pieces and corner kicks for the Chiefs.
Kickapoo posted a final record of 21-4-2, including regular season wins over Nixa, Ozark, Springfield Catholic and state-ranked teams Jefferson City and Nerinx Hall.
To top off a victorious season, Reinold can say she contributed to it all with her twin sister, Ashlen, alongside her on the field.
Also a competitive cheerleader, Ashlen plays for both the JV and varsity soccer teams at Kickapoo.
Reinold said of playing with her look-alike, “It’s amazing. I love it. We played in our early years together then she quit for three years and started again this year. She’s been doing really well with it. She’s my live-in best friend.”
Reinold’s older brother, Austin, who is currently playing soccer at Evangel University, is also an influential figure in her life.
“I play soccer with my brother a lot,” Reinold said. “We do a lot of individual work and I get touches on the ball. He works with me a lot, teaching me new skills.”
The third sibling, 11-year-old Autumn, is also following her brother’s and sisters’ footsteps.
Preparing to be as talented as the rest of the Reinold clan, Autumn plays soccer for Elite and Springfield Soccer Club.
According to Reinold, her uncle and several cousins also play the sport.
“It’s just lots of soccer in my family,” she chuckled.
And the list doesn’t end there.
Her father, Jeff, has been a big contributor to Reinold’s growth as an athlete as her very own private coach.
“I loved it,” Reinold said excitedly. “I loved having him as a coach. He worked individually with me too.”
Like Austin, Jeff played soccer at Evangel.
Far from being finished with the sport, Jeff was able to coach his daughter when she played for the Springfield Soccer Club and Midwest Alliance.
The only time her father hasn’t been a coach was when Reinold played with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) last year.
ODP identifies a pool of players in each age group from which a National Team is selected for international competition. It also provides high-level training to benefit and enhance the development of players.
“When I was going to tryouts, I was kind of freaked out because it was everyone who was really good and had a lot of experience,” Reinold admitted. “But I got a taste of what playing at the college level would be and I played against teams that are really competitive.”
But she doesn’t doubt her family is prepping her for what’s to come just as well as ODP did.
“They have been so loving and supportive with everything,” Reinold said. “My family is very close. They do so much for me with soccer.”
While her family has a big focus on Reinold, she has a heart for others successes and is keener on the entire Kickapoo team excelling next season.
As a matter of fact, she doesn’t have any personal goals for herself – just for the Lady Chiefs as a whole.
“Next season, my goal for the team is to make it past districts,” Reinold said. “We have a lot of really good individual players, and as a team we’re all really close. We all work really hard. I really want soccer to do well. Every time you step on the field you want to do great, play your hardest and leave it all on the field.”
When she’s off the field, Reinold is “very involved” at her church, James River, as a volunteer in various areas she is needed, and is a member of Future Teachers of America at her school.
