It’s not uncommon to find athletes at Auburn that come from different backgrounds. Different hometowns, cultures and even countries help to broaden the international scope that athletics prides itself on, bringing in the best from all around the world.
One of these numerous athletes plays midfielder for the women’s soccer team, and her haul was not just from out of state. Coming all the way from Torfaen, Wales, Ellie Leek spotted Auburn soccer on her radar and took the leap.
Going into her second year on the Plains, Leek said that the homesickness has started to fade. “I don’t get homesick anymore,” Leek said. “It’s nice now because I feel like I have my own life here away from my family, as much as I love my family. When I went home this summer, I missed being at Auburn.”
When looking at attending Auburn, Leek said that the biggest reason she made her decision was how comfortable she felt around the staff. “The coaches were really nice,” Leek said. “They were comforting just speaking to them and my parents liked them a lot, they felt good about me coming over here with how nice the coaches were.”
Although Leek doesn’t get to see her family much, her mother is making the overseas trip to watch her play in Auburn’s series against LSU and Florida in September. “It’s going to be exciting because over here we have the big pregame and music blaring and the fans,” Leek said. “You don’t get that back home.”
According to Leek, there is a different style of play in the United States than there is in the United Kingdom, especially being an athlete in the South Eastern Conference. “There’s no team atmosphere like [being at Auburn]”, Leek said.
One of the largest adjustments for Leek when it comes to the actual game is the difference in the level of aggression during play.
“Over here, as soon as you touch the ball, you’re going to get smashed,” Leek said. “You have to know where to pass it next, whereas at home, I have more time on the ball, I can take a couple of touches, relax, pick out a pass. Over here, as soon as I get on the ball, I’d freak out because I’d be waiting for someone to smash me, but now, I’ve learned how to protect the ball a bit more, and I’m more confident this season. Now I can relax and know where to pass it before and not panic.”
Leek said that making this transition to a tougher style of play wasn’t easy. “It was really hard because the girls are obviously a lot bigger over here,” Leek said. “When you get hit, you don’t get a little nudge, you get hit real hard, so it was gearing a bit tougher as well. “
Although she’s been hit plenty of times, the midfielder has yet to suffer a career-threatening injury.
Fellow midfielder Brook Ramsier said she has seen a huge difference in Leek’s transition from her first year away from home to where she is now. “She’s definitely grown so much,” Ramsier said. “Freshman year, she was a little shy and was kind of getting used to everything, but now she’s meshed so well with the team and understood how things flow, and even as a player, I’ve seen her develop. She’s a great player and she’s somebody that you want on the field at all times. She’s definitely standing out more as a leader.”
As far as helping her feel like family, Ramsier said the team takes her under their wing on multiple occasions. “Last year, one of our teammates who graduated took her home for some holidays, and some girls in her class will take her home if she’s not going home-home. They’ll take her for Spring Break and just a long weekend, so we try and make sure that she has a second home when she’s away from her family.”
Coach Karen Hoppa said that Leek has made improvements across the board since her first year on the team as a player, but mostly as just a student away from home. “Ellie has obviously improved a ton,” Hoppa said. “I think the number one way she’s improved is her comfort level of being here, being in this country, being in college soccer. All of the American kids will come in having a decent idea [of college soccer] … When you take someone from a foreign country, they don’t really know, so I think just the comfort level of everything, academically, being away from home, the demands of college soccer … I think that’s been the biggest improvement and it’s carrying over into her play.”
Having Leek on the team has added a positive international view on soccer according to Hoppa. “Where she comes from, soccer is in their DNA, it’s a part of their culture” Hoppa said. “Her tactical level and the way she sees the game is a little bit advanced compared to a lot of American players because they just don’t see the game the same way. I think tactically, she’s able to see different plays develop before they do, and that really helps raise the team’s tactical ability.”
Hoppa said through Leek’s perspective, soccer is a lot more professional in the U.S. “She loves the game and she wants to play at the highest level,” Hoppa said. “Coming here, one of the things she’s talked about is how much more professional everything is because we have the facilities and the strength and conditioning coaches and a nutritionist. She has all these tools to help her be successful and help her advance her career. In addition, playing in front of big crowds … playing in those environments only helps you develop as a player.”
As far as her expectations for Leek go for this season, Hoppa said she wants her, and all of her players, to be better than they each were last year. “As coaches, that’s what were trying to do is get them individually and as a team to be better than they were last year, so hopefully, she can build on that and she’s a better player this year.”
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