<\/a>Mackenzie Olver, with parents Barry and Stacy Olver, after signing a national letter of intent on Thursday in the Thunder Mountain commons, to play soccer and study at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. (Klas Stolpe \/ Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Olver said she was looking for schools on the West Coast, especially the Oregon area, that had good sociology programs as she looks to become a social worker with an interest in therapy.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“It has been something that has been helpful in my own mental health,” she said. “I really believe that being able to give back to the community in that same way that it has helped me would mean a lot. So social work or something in that vane is a career path that might work out for me.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
She and her father, Barry, toured the Lewis & Clark campus.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“That is what really sold me,” Mackenzie Olver said. “It is beautiful there, right on a state park, sunlight streaming through the trees, the whole bit. I think just the beauty of the campus and their academic programs really spoke to me.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Olver wasn’t ready to give up the soccer bug either.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“It just means a lot to me,” she said. “I just wasn’t ready to give it up yet. It just sort of hit last year, my junior year, that I wasn’t ready to let the sport go. I am really thankful I had the opportunity to play with the Alaska Development Program. Being able to play with that team helped me get out there and meet with coaches and find a way to continue.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>Mackenzie Olver, with parents Barry and Stacy Olver looking on, signs a national letter of intent on Thursday in the Thunder Mountain commons, to play soccer and study at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. (Klas Stolpe \/ Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé soccer coach Matt Dusenberry is the former head of the ADP and a member coach. He recommend Olver to the organization.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“Her energy has always been there,” Dusenberry said. “She gives forth her best effort at all times. But just her personality, on and off the field, she is a positive person. I think that is a good attribute to have as a soccer player.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Olver said she is excited to combine the next step in academics and athletics.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“It’s really interesting because in my sociology class right now we had a whole assignment during our Region V basketball tournament about sociology in sport, so it has really been fun to see the parallels in those,” she said. “I wish I could give you some deep philosophical thinking, but I think sports are viewed by some people as a conflict theory, like a fight for resources, a fight for the most points. But for me it is more about team building, it is about learning to work with people. So maybe it is even like a microcosm of society, little teams or bigger teams outworking the world.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t