By Ken Hansard
Campus High’s senior centerback Teaonna Gitahi finds herself in a unique situation for the Colts. Gitahi is not only a fourth-year starter, but she has the distinction of being the only senior on the team. As such, she knows that her younger teammates will be looking to her for guidance, and she knows that it is up to her to model the culture of her club, “Being the only senior puts some pressure on me to be the one to step up, and while it was going to happen whether I was the only senior or not, it’s more of an ‘all eyes on me’ situation. So, I’m trying to be very aware of my attitude and how I react in certain situations, because I know that most of my teammates will take their cues from me.”
A couple of particular traits that Teaonna exemplifies, and that her teammates would do well to emulate, is her modesty and unselfishness. As a centerback, her stats to do not jump off the page, but she is well aware that statistics are not necessarily what her team needs from her, and that perhaps her greatest value to the team lies in the intangibles she brings to the table, “I know that I will have to be the one this year to pick everybody up. I’m not a stats person, but I’m very proud of the stops that I make and the consistency I have shown over my three previous years here.”
Even though she is a seasoned veteran with a ton of experience under her belt, Teaonna sometimes has to struggle with a problem that, at one time or another, all athletes have to face, “My biggest weakness, and one that I have been working on, is my confidence. I want to perform confidently – knowing when to do what feels right and then doing it without doubt.”
Even though Gitahi plans to continue playing soccer at the next level, she is fully aware that this is her final time to play as a Colt, and she wants to make sure that she keeps everything in perspective so that she can enjoy her last season with her high school teammates, “I started playing soccer when I was about five, and it’s been my outlet ever since. When all else fails, I know where to go when I want to make sense of things again.”
Teaonna stands out in the classroom, also. She has a 4.0 G.P.A. and is a Kansas Honors Scholar who strives to stay involved in the community. She plans to attend Friends University next fall on a soccer scholarship and would like to study psychology.
