Lake Zurich’s Lauren Bailey had options to play soccer in college.
But the standout senior forward has chosen a different route, like her older sister and older brother did before her.
“I definitely had the opportunity to play in college, but I’m not going to next year,” Bailey said. “I decided to follow my academics and potentially play club soccer at Missouri.”
Bailey, who broke out with 32 goals and 19 assists last season and was picked for the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association’s all-state team, said her sister and brother both excelled in sports at Lake Zurich. Her sister, Kayla, was a gymnast, and her brother, Jake, played football and lacrosse for the Bears and club lacrosse at Iowa State.
“Seeing the experiences those two had in college, I wouldn’t change my mind,” Bailey said. “It was a hard decision for me. I still wonder if I should’ve (played). But I’m very happy with my decision.”
Bailey, who picked soccer over gymnastics when she was a kid, said that’s not the only thing she learned while watching her older siblings play sports.
“I learned determination and hard work from them,” she said. “They both spent extra hours inside and outside of their sports. That helped me learn the passion for a sport. My brother was so determined. I also saw the physicalness and strength needed to build an athlete from my sister.”
Bailey is coming off a stellar three-game effort over the weekend, when she led Lake Zurich (10-1-2) to the Joe Welk Invitational championship at Prospect. She scored three goals during the Bears’ 8-0 victory against the host Knights in the final on Saturday, increasing her season totals to 12 goals and four assists.
Lake Zurich coach Michael Castronova said Bailey, a three-year varsity player and a captain, is a dynamic offensive player who can alter a game in a flash.
“Lauren is very skilled and gives 110% the whole game,” he said. “Lauren has the ability to beat a player one-on-one, and she really understands how to make runs off the ball.”
Castronova also noted that Bailey has steadily improved each season.
“Lauren is able to create more scoring opportunities for herself, and she has continued to improve on creating scoring opportunities for her teammates over the last few seasons,” he said. “She has the ability to score from anywhere.”
Bailey said her breakout junior season was a bit of a surprise to her considering she was just happy to be a key contributor as a sophomore.
“I didn’t have high expectations for my junior year,” she said. “I was just strolling through my junior year, and I ended up having an amazing season. … I think my club season leading up to my junior season was very crucial to my development.”
That put Bailey on the map, and her decision to forgo varsity soccer in college has magnified the importance of this season for her.
“I think there was a lot of pressure for me coming into my senior year,” she said. “I know a lot more teams know my name or my jersey number. I’ve done well maintaining a high standard and being able to lead my teammates and help them get more opportunities to score goals, which has been very beneficial to our team.”
The Bears, who are 1-0-1 in North Suburban Conference games, resume that schedule this week. Bailey has a goal in mind.
“I’m hoping we can win conference,” she said. “We have some tough games coming up.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
