Smashing Soccer

West Mifflin resident Kennedy Bakota is making her mark on and off the field.

Kennedy Bakota, a sophomore at Seton LaSalle High School, plays forward for the school’s soccer team as well as a Beadling Soccer Club team. In addition to her sports talent, she’s managed to maintain a 4.6 grade point average with a tough academic schedule that includes several honors classes.

Kennedy began playing soccer with a travel team at the tender age of 7, and her love for the sport has grown as she’s become more skilled. “I enjoyed soccer from the very beginning, and the more I’ve played it, the more enjoyable it has become.”

She explains that in her position as a forward, she has to be aggressive and is an attacking player. Her confidence has made her a valuable member of both teams, and with Beadling she has competed in Ohio and Viriginia, and this summer will be traveling to California for a showcase. The Girls Academy Summer Playoffs and Showcase will be held in Norco, California, at the end of June. Her team earned a spot at the competition, which will have many scouts attending to watch for future prospects. Although she’s still too young to be officially scouted, a good showing there will encourage the scouts to keep an eye on her in the coming years.

Kennedy’s dream school to attend is University of North Carolina, which has a long stream of national titles in women’s soccer. A close second would be Notre Dame, and she’s also very open to playing for Pennsylvania schools like University of Pittsburgh and Penn State.

Although playing pro soccer would be the ultimate goal, she plans to major in sports broadcasting in college.

For now, her schedule involves practicing two to three days a week, with games on weekends. Despite the huge time commitment, she finds time for her studies. Honors classes include Biology, English, Spanish, Religion, and World Cultures. The only regular class she has is math, but her teachers have told her that she will be in a math honors program by her junior year.

Obviously staying physically fit and healthy is important, but Kennedy feels that mental toughness and confidence are also extremely important. “My parents have been incredibly supportive, and I’ve had a lot of great coaches over the years who have helped instill confidence.”

Her mom, Alicia, says, “She’s a very driven, hardworking player and student who never gives up. But I think her best quality is that she has the biggest heart! She always cares about others and is a selfless player. She’s willing to be a team player and to let others shine.”

Playing for travel teams is not inexpensive, and Alicia acknowledges, “A lot of people ask us why we are so supportive of Kennedy playing for a travel team. I think the life lessons she learns about being a team player, listening to her coaches and just becoming a better person make it all worth it.”