Winning starts with the right mindset for Stone Memorial soccer captain Melodie Borngrebe. The Lady Panthers’ leading goal scorer pairs unwavering confidence with relentless effort and vocal leadership, creating an energy she hopes can carry her teammates to success on and off the field.
Borngrebe said she enters every match with a specific plan to win while maintaining maximum effort from the opening whistle. Borngrebe said she uses vocal leadership on the field to increase the speed of play and encourage her teammates to communicate more effectively during competition.
“Mentally, I come into each game planning to win,” Borngrebe said. “As for the energy, I start each game with 110% energy. Through communication, I am able to increase the speed of play with the girls. I know that if I’m loud on the field, the other girls are more prone to talk as well. During the games, if I notice the level of play decreasing, I always remind the team that we are trying to play to our fullest potential and to bring up the energy. I make sure to not only do this verbally, but to put forth the effort because in the end, actions will speak louder than words.”
Borngrebe said maintaining self-belief is a critical component of athletic growth because focusing on potential errors often leads to making them. Borngrebe said having the confidence to execute skills allows her to make rapid decisions and perform effectively when facing defensive pressure.
“Well, when you’re so focused on if you’re going to make a mistake, you’re more prone to make that mistake,” Borngrebe said. “So, if you play with confidence and have faith in yourself that you can do something, you’re more likely to successfully execute that skill. That will allow you to grow as an athlete. Now that’s not to say you’ll never make a mistake if you come into a game with confidence. Know that when you do make that mistake, that you’re going to fight for that ball back. When I play with confidence, I’m able to make those quick decisions and play under pressure, which will help lead my team to success.”
The captain currently leads the Lady Panthers in goals scored this season with twelve. Borngrebe said her physical style of play involves fighting for every ball and positioning her body between defenders and the ball to ensure she is the one dictating the play.
“Every game that I show up to, I play to win,” Borngrebe said. “I don’t back off the ball because I think a girl may be faster than me or that I might go out of bounds or watch my teammate take a shot on goal. I’ll follow up the shot that she takes, I’ll get a foot on the ball that everyone thinks might go out of bounds, and I’ll push myself past my limits to be that girl that everyone thinks is fast. I fight for every ball, trying to get my body between the defender and the ball, no matter what it takes. I don’t let another girl step in front of me to win the ball; I want to be that girl that’s stepping to the ball. My mindset does shape the way I play, and my mindset is to do whatever it takes to win.”
Borngrebe said she believes her personal intensity serves as a motivational tool for the rest of the roster. Borngrebe said she feels a sense of gratitude when she sees her teammates match her level of drive and desire to win.
“I think my energy is important to the girls on the team because when they see another girl playing with everything they got and just wanting to play to win, I feel like they’re motivated to play to win as well,” Borngrebe said. “Through the energy that I give on the field, when every girl on the team knows that I show up to each game wanting to win. And so I feel when I give off that energy and I’m pushing myself to my limits, I feel like the girls want to do it too. And that just makes me feel very grateful to be a part of a team where every girl wants to win, not just because I want to, but because they want to as well.”
Looking toward the remainder of the season, Borngrebe said she wants to be a reliable leader who supports her teammates through their mistakes. Borngrebe said her goal is to impact the lives of her teammates beyond the soccer field by being a person they can turn to in times of need.
“I want to be an impact in several ways,” Borngrebe said. “I want to be the girls’ friends, I want to be their leader, I want to be someone that they can rely on the game. And I especially want to remind the girls that they will always be more than the silly mistakes that they make on the field. I want to impact the girls on the field, but most importantly, off the field as well. On the field, I want to hold them accountable and motivate them to do their best. And off the field, I want the girls to know that I am more than just their captain. I want to be someone each girl can turn to in time of need, and I want to help my team win not only on the field but to succeed in every aspect of their lives.”