Young midfielder Kim is Sage apprentice

Chris Yemma

Varsity high school teams, in any sport, are usually dominated by

seniors. Typically, that’s just the way it is -- the older you are,

the better you are.

But on the Sage Hill School girls soccer team, things go against

the grain. The leading goal scorer is a freshman and the team is off

to its best start in school history.

Freshman Kellee Kim, the main offensive threat for the Lightning,

has stepped up early this season to lead the team in scoring and help

Sage surge to an 8-0 record. Kim scored two goals in Tuesday’s 4-0

victory over Mary Star of the Sea, giving her 10 goals in eight

games.

On a team where six freshmen and five sophomores accompany six

total upperclassmen, Kim has made her presence known. And she’s done

it the hard way -- through example.

“[Being a freshman] doesn’t really affect me that much,” Kim said.

“There’s not much seniority stuff going on with the team. It’s not

really that different from club teams.”

On some teams, being a major role player as a freshman can lead to

problems. Seniors usually get elected captains and seniors usually

lead the team. For the Lightning it works both ways.

Twin senior sisters Laura and Rebecca Gordon are the captains that

provide leadership for the team. Kim leads the team with her scoring

abilities.

“She has done a great job leading the team,” Sage Coach Amy Ray

said. “Her communication on and off the field helps some of the

players that aren’t as skilled as her, as far as where they need to

be.”

In the beginning, it wasn’t like that for Kim. Some of the players

were wary of her at first because of her freshman status, Ray said.

But after the players saw her skills, that all went out the window.

It isn’t just scoring that Kim does, though. Her well-rounded

abilities are what pose challenges to opposing players.

“It’s really fun to watch her play soccer,” Ray said. “She scores

a lot, but it’s not like she’s a ball hog. She passes a lot and she’s

strong in all areas.

“She’s a great player now and I can only see her getting better.”