Selma Larbi’s family heritage spans the Atlantic Ocean, and the smile she frequently flashes can seem just as wide.
The Neuqua Valley senior forward is known for her sunny disposition as well as her prodigious talent on the field.
The Wildcats missed both when Larbi opted to play club last year after shining on the varsity team as a freshman and sophomore. But happy times are here again.
“It’s definitely a lot of fun, and it’s definitely good to have her back,” Neuqua Valley junior forward Alexis May said. “She’s always creating chances, and it’s just good to have a goal scorer back.”
Larbi, a Yale commit, has produced four goals and two assists in her first eight games, spurring the Wildcats (7-1) to a surprising start. May, who scored twice during Neuqua Valley’s 5-0 victory over East Aurora in Naperville on Thursday, said the team has benefited from Larbi’s leadership.
“She always keeps the vibes up, and even if we’re down, she’s always pushing us to get back into the game,” May said. “She always keeps the energy going.”
That’s been vital for a young team. Ten of the 20 players on the roster are freshmen or sophomores. Neuqua Valley coach Arnoldo Gonzalez said Larbi’s efforts have helped bend the learning curve in the team’s favor.
“That’s the thing — her approach to the game,” Gonzalez said. “She’s a great student of the game because she’s always looking to learn. She’s always looking to improve what we can do.
“She got voted as captain by her peers, and that speaks volumes. So she’s a great asset because if you’re a good individual, most likely you’re a good individual on the pitch as well and a great teammate, and they see that.”
Larbi credits her parents, Michael and Stella, for her upbeat personality.
“I think my parents just raised me to always find the good in situations, even when it’s tough,” she said. “When tough things happen, you learn life lessons from it, so just always learn something from the things that may not always look good.
“There’s always good in life and reason to smile.”
Larbi’s parents are from Ghana, where her father ran track and played soccer. She has many relatives in Ghana and has visited them often.
“My dad put me in soccer when I was 4 years old,” Larbi said. “Like in most African countries, soccer is the only thing in Ghana. It’s just huge. I did other sports, but I kind of just fell in love with that.”
Larbi has developed a close bond with her teammates.
“Last year, we lacked a forward, so I’m glad that she’s back,” Gonzalez said. “She does add to the attack. She does add to keeping possession of the ball. She holds the ball well, and I think that gives everyone confidence.”
It shows. The Wildcats, who last had a winning record in 2019, did not win more than seven games in any of the past three years.
They’ve already reached that total this season, which includes a stunning 2-1 upset win against Naperville Central in the DuPage Valley Conference opener on April 8. Larbi scored the game-winner that day off an assist from May.
“We’ve just really focused on the fundamentals and sticking to our game plan,” May said. “We’ve really been working on finishing, and obviously that’s come into play this year because we’ve been getting goals and we’ve been competing really well.”
Larbi also does well in the classroom. She has a 3.9 unweighted GPA and said her parents instilled a work ethic and love of learning.
“I would say my parents are really smart,” she said. “But they worked hard for their grades, and I think that kind of inspired me to also work hard for my grades and study hard.”
Larbi is passing that ethos down to her younger teammates.
“Being a captain is really fun, to just step into that leadership role,” she said. “I’m really excited to kind of set an example for the lowerclassmen.
“As a team, I think we’re doing really, really well. I think it’s our chemistry that is really better this year, and because of that chemistry we’re able to work off of each other a lot more compared to the other years.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
