High school girl plays with soccer star

This Summer, Somerset High School student Elsie Shartin-Folkert got to meet one of her heroes at Canyon Creek Sports Camp in Lake Hughes, Calif. Shartin-Folkert, daughter of Anastasia Shartin and David Folkert, had the opportunity to play a scrimmage soccer game with Lauren Cheney, member of the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal-winning USA Soccer Team

“It was the coolest opportunity because winning a gold medal in soccer is one of my dreams,” said Shartin-Folkert.

Cheyney was a special guest at Canyon Creek Sports Camp this summer. She brought her gold medal with her, and allowed campers hold it and wear it during her visit.

“She let me hold the gold medal,” said Shartin-Folkert. “I got to talk to her and she invited me to play soccer with her. It was so awesome.”

Shartin-Folkert said Cheney’s visit was a surprise to the owners of the camp as well as the campers. Nathalie and Daryl Moss, the camp owners, and Shartin-Folkert’s aunt and uncle, got a phone call from Cheyney about 10 minutes before she arrived at the camp.

Cheyney was invited by her boyfriend, Jrue Holiday, of the Philadelphia 76ers, who was running a basketball class at the camp.

“It was really spontaneous,” said Shartin-Folkert, who was with her aunt when she got the call that Cheney was coming to the camp. She said it was very exciting for everyone.

“You can’t get better than meeting a gold medalist,” Shartin-Folkert said.

Cheney taught a soccer class during the free-choice time period at the camp. Shartin-Folkert, who plays soccer herself, attended the class. Shartin-Folkert said she values the advice Cheney gave the group about different aspects of soccer, including how to control the ball when pressured by defense.

Cheney invited Shartin-Folkert and the others learning more about soccer from her to join her in a scrimmage game. Shartin-Folkert said it was a little intimidating playing with an Olympic gold medalist.

“When she would pass the ball to you, you wanted to do good, and to try and score a goal and everything, but,” Shartin-Folkert said, “it was all fun. She was passing and we were all laughing. It wasn’t really competitive. It was just fun.”

Tags: communities, somerset, outdoors, sports