Goalkeeper
Of Champions

Groves' Emily Posner
gets her kicks in the net.

MIKE ROSENBAUM Special to The Jewish News

Williford said, "she's developed really
thletes of all ages and their
well. She's matured. She's become more
coaches frequently disagree
of a leader. She's good technicilly. She's
about how, where and how
not the greatest athletically, but she's got
much the player should play.
great heart and she's a great worker."
While it's fairly unusual for the ath-
Asked about her strengths as a goalie,
lete to be completely correct, it's even
Posner
describes herself as "pretty talka-
less likely when the player is a third
tive." Of course, it's a goal-
grader.
keeper's
job to communicate
Left:
Emily
Posner
But when Emily Posner
loosens up b efore a with her defenders, to help
began playing soccer in third
game.
them stay organized and in
grade, she knew where she
position. But Posner goes
should play.
Inset: A voca 1 Emily beyond the basic require-
"I always wanted to be a
Posner dire cts her
ments.
goalie," Posner says. "I
defens
e.
"I'm just so out-going and
thought it was cool. But my
vocal,"
she says. "People call it
coaches never let me because
craziness.
Everyone
knows who I am
I was small...I finally grew a little bit
because
I
make
myself
known."
and [in seventh grade] they said I could
There's no trash-talking, Posner says.
try it. I just had a little knack for it and
Rather, she's vocal in order to help her
I went from there."
teammates and herself.
Today, the 5-foot-8 Posner is "one of
"It keeps me focused more than it
the top goalkeepers in Oakland Coun-
does
the team," she explains. "They
ty," according to her Birmingham
know
when to tune me out. But it
Groves coach, Derek Williford. The
keeps
the
team focused, too."
junior is a third-year starter who's post-
Her
actions
speak as loudly as her
ed 10 shutouts this year in leading the
words, on the field and off. As the
Falcons to the Oakland Activities Asso-
director of community service for
ciation Division II championship, and
Groves' Student Congress, Posner has
more importantly, the state Division II
chaired
two blood drives and co-chaired
tide.
two
find-raisers
for the Detroit Zoo
And she still thinks goalkeeping is
this
school
year.
cool.
"I believe community service is
"Being a goalie is so different from
essential
to being a well-rounded per-
the field. You make a great save and the
son," Posner says. 'And I wanted to
rush, the adrenaline that comes into
open up more opportunities to the stu-
your system, is just incomparable to
dent body to participate in community
anything else," she said. "But then
service
events because I think those are
again, you can get scored on and then
so
important."
you're the goat of the team."
Another of Posner's off-the-field
Posner hasn't been the "goat" very
interests
is her Workman's Circle youth
often this season.
group.
"The
girls in my youth group
The Falcons, who finished their sea-
are my best friends. We've known each
son at 17-3-3, defeated previously
other, some of us, our whole lives."
unbeaten Portage Central on June 6, 2-
Posner's soccer future involves camps
1.
at
several
colleges this summer, followed
Posner made the play of the game in
by
dub
team
play from late summer
the first half With the game still score-
through
early
winter. Her performance
less, she stopped a penalty kick by
at
the
camps
will
go a long way toward
Cassie Reimer.
determining
whether
she'll be able to
"I'll remember the penalty kick for-
play college soccer.
ever," she said. "To me, that's very spe-
"I really want to play in college," she
cial because I know I played a big part
says. "I'm talking with a couple of
in winning the championship, along
coaches out east about playing. We'll see
with everyone else who played their
after this summer, after the camps,
roles."
whether
it's a reality."
The Falcons' success this season
She's
also looking forward to her
derives from their team chemistry, Pos-
senior season at Groves, when all but
ner says.
two players on this year's team will
"We all play for each other. We may
return. But she'll never forget the excite-
not always be the most talented, but
ment
of her junior season: "It's just so
many times we pull off the win just
amazing
when you set a goal months
because we are a team," she said. "We're
before
and
you work so hard," she said.
100 percent all for each other, and
"When
you
finally achieve it, you know
when we're at our best it's because we
that
everything's
come together for the
want it as a team and not as individu-
best. It was probably one of the best
als.
moments in my life."
In Posner's three seasons at Groves,

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