By Derrick Smith

Throughout a kid’s life, they are impacted by a lot of different people. Some of those people can have a huge influence on who the kid becomes in the future. Katelyn Brians says that the person that has had the biggest influence on her life is also someone that she is very close to. 

“My dad is definitely my biggest role model,” she said. “He is a former basketball player and coached me from second grade all the way through the eighth grade. He taught me that hard work always comes before success.”

Brians is a junior at Coweta High School, where she plays both basketball and soccer. On the hardwood, she plays guard, while she is a forward on the soccer team. 

Katelyn has put in a lot of hard work to become the athlete that she is today, but she says that she did not do it all on her own. 

“What has helped me be successful in sports is what I do on my own time,” she said. “Going to the gym and getting reps in and running without my team and putting the extra work in. Also, my private soccer trainer, Rico Soares has been a huge help. He’s taught me a lot about soccer and how to further my game. He’s trained me to have good footwork in both soccer and basketball.”

During her career in both sports, Katelyn has enjoyed some memorable moments. 

“In basketball, my highlights are qualifying for the State Tournament and being named Academic State Champions my freshmen year. In soccer, it would have to be being named Oklahoma State MaxPreps Player of The Week and receiving All-District honors last year as a sophomore. I also was the leading scorer for my high school soccer team last season.”

Away from school, Brians plays for WSA Soccer Club. As a club soccer player, Katelyn and her teammates were two-time State champions and National Team Qualifiers.

Outside of sports, she is on the Principal’s Honor Roll.