Rockwood School District: Lafayette High Student Rylee Howard Named Gatorade Missouri Girls Soccer Player Of The Year

Press release from the Rockwood School District:

June 15, 2021

​​​Rylee Howard, a rising senior at Lafayette High, was named the 2020-2021 Gatorade Missouri Girls Soccer Player of the Year, becoming the first Lafayette girls soccer player chosen for the honor since Laura Kram in 2000​.The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes one winner annually for each state and the District of Columbia in 12 different high school​ sports. The recipients are chosen for their outstanding athletic excellence and high standards of academic
achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field."It's amazing for her," said Lafayette girls soccer coach and physical education teacher Melissa Schroeder. "She works as hard, if not harder, than any kid on the field at all times. She is selfless with the ball. To achieve this as a junior is unbelievable. She is just so fast with the ball, and I think that is what sets her apart from pretty much anybody."Howard scored a school-record 41 goals and logged 12 assists this past season for the Lancers, helping lead them to a district championship. She now has 71 goals and 22 assists over her two-year high school career. She also maintains good grades in the classroom, has volunteered locally with the SPENSA soccer association ​and has donated her time to
multiple community service initiatives through her club soccer program.Howard has committed to continue her education and soccer career at the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 2022. She is the first Rockwood student to earn the Gatorade Missouri Girls Soccer Player of the Year award since Rockwood Summit High's Anna Lawler in 2018. Howard is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year
award, which will be announced later this month."This is a testament to her character and the kind of kid that she is," Schroeder said. "She is constantly lifting up her teammates. She has dedicated herself to community service and is a great student, if you ask any teacher. She is awesome in the classroom and fun to be around. She keeps a lighthearted feeling around our team. She ​is the first to compete on the field but also the first to have fun off the field."

​​​Rylee Howard, a rising senior at Lafayette High, was named the 2020-2021 Gatorade Missouri Girls Soccer Player of the Year, becoming the first Lafayette girls soccer player chosen for the honor since Laura Kram in 2000​.The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes one winner annually for each state and the District of Columbia in 12 different high school​ sports. The recipients are chosen for their outstanding athletic excellence and high standards of academic
achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field."It's amazing for her," said Lafayette girls soccer coach and physical education teacher Melissa Schroeder. "She works as hard, if not harder, than any kid on the field at all times. She is selfless with the ball. To achieve this as a junior is unbelievable. She is just so fast with the ball, and I think that is what sets her apart from pretty much anybody."Howard scored a school-record 41 goals and logged 12 assists this past season for the Lancers, helping lead them to a district championship. She now has 71 goals and 22 assists over her two-year high school career. She also maintains good grades in the classroom, has volunteered locally with the SPENSA soccer association ​and has donated her time to
multiple community service initiatives through her club soccer program.Howard has committed to continue her education and soccer career at the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 2022. She is the first Rockwood student to earn the Gatorade Missouri Girls Soccer Player of the Year award since Rockwood Summit High's Anna Lawler in 2018. Howard is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year
award, which will be announced later this month."This is a testament to her character and the kind of kid that she is," Schroeder said. "She is constantly lifting up her teammates. She has dedicated herself to community service and is a great student, if you ask any teacher. She is awesome in the classroom and fun to be around. She keeps a lighthearted feeling around our team. She ​is the first to compete on the field but also the first to have fun off the field."

This press release was produced by the Rockwood School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.