By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

There is a summer soccer oasis that exists just off Industry Road in Atwater.

For those driving by, it may not seem as such, but the Waterloo Vikings’ girls soccer players know what they have created on the green space that sits in front of Waterloo High School and has long been designated as the program’s practice field.

A space where only a fence separates the field from the road south of S.R. 224.

If that is part of your daily travels in the summer, then you have probably witnessed the group of Vikings players putting in the off-season work that most people never see.

The hard work that showed itself throughout the fall season and ultimately led the program to the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference championship.

Sophomore standout Koralee Jenior was one of the regulars at the series of summer sessions and open fields.

It was not only an opportunity to work on her game, but also the perfect environment for the team to build friendships and create chemistry.

“Nobody really knows how much work we really put in during those summer sessions,” Jenior said. “We just show up to work. We show up for each other every single day so that we can grow together. We are like one big family.”

The volunteer work actually begins in March, with players committed to futsal training on John Herchek Court before moving outdoors in May.

It is hard to argue with the results.

Waterloo posted a 12-4-2 overall record this season and also went 7-1 in the MVAC Scarlet Division to capture the league title.

Jenior’s individual success coincided with the team’s.

She led Portage County with 24 goals and also had nine assists to finish the season with 55 points.

“I think Koralee’s success has obviously impacted the team’s success, but I think the team’s success also drives Koralee,” head coach Bill Jackson said. “The entire team has very high standards and holds each other accountable. We have a standard and the team pushes and drives each other to meet the standard. Koralee is a big part of that. She became a captain this season and has helped drive the standards that we have.”

It is easy to gain the trust of your teammates and for them to follow you when you are at the front of the line for attendance and work ethic.

“Koralee spends a lot of time working on her game,” Jackson said. “She is driven to continuously improve, and she puts in a lot of hours in the winter and summer.

“She is a true leader and a great teammate,” Jackson added. “She has that ability to make everyone feel welcome, and she leads by example. She is a vocal leader and always keeps her teammates focused and in the game. She will not be outworked and is driven to see the team reach the pinnacle. She is a team-first player, with a champion work ethic — a coach’s dream.”

The channeled mindset has allowed Jenior to not only find confidence on the field, but also an identity. She knows how she wants to play and what she wants to do with the ball when she gets it.

“Koralee has excellent field vision, which allows her to get into the spaces she needs to be in to get good shots,” Jackson said. “She is also able to see the passing lanes and can anticipate her runs to be in the right spot, but she is also a gifted passer.”

One of Jenior’s trademark abilities on the field is hitting shots from long distance and finding unusually high success with them.

Some of it comes from her natural instincts on the field.

“I just take the shots when there is one and sometimes that means shooting from farther out,” Jenior said. “I just feel like if I strike the ball right, then it has a chance to go in.”

And she has been right.

For Jackson, Jenior’s ability to find the net is a direct reflection of her belief in her own abilities.

“What gives her the ability to connect not those shots is the hard work she puts in when she trains,” the Vikings’ coach said. “She also has an incredible gift to make the ball move where she wants it, with a combination of power and finesse. She works relentlessly to be the best player she can be.”

In a few months, you may see it with your own eyes as you drive down Industry Road.