“Abbey is a stone cold goalscorer with a relentless passion to compete” said Coach Nichols, Girls Varsity Soccer Coach, when asked about Abbey Burdette, junior at Urbana. Burdette has been a starting forward on the varsity team since her freshman year and is now a captain.

Burdette said, “I was nervous at first, but I like being a leader to my team”.

Teammate Taylor Coffey said, “She’s always making sure everyone is focused, because she wants us to improve and become better as a team”.

Burdette’s relentless passion to compete has not only been noticed by her coaches and teammates, but by many colleges. She has received multiple letters of interest, but has now narrowed her choices down to University of Maryland and University of Tennessee. By the end of 2016 Burdette hopes to make her choice, and commit to play at a Division I college.

Striving for greatness comes with a price as Burdette and many athletes may know. Burdette said, “When it comes to soccer, there’s not a choice, I can’t just skip practice because my friends are going out”. She trains six days a week, putting aside much of her social life and having to learn how to get her work done on the move. As well as competing on her high school team she plays club for Maryland United which is in an Elite Clubs National League.

Burdette’s hardwork and dedication to the sport she loves is paying off. She has been first team Frederick County since her freshman year. Sophomore year she got honorable mention for the All-State Team. Burdette was also nominated for Top Female Athlete for Frederick’s Best. Burdettes personal goal for this year is to be first team All-State. Burdette does not only perform on the field but, in the classroom. She has gotten straight A’s throughout high school and is taking college level courses.

When asked what is her greatest failure she said getting cut from the national team, but then also added losing to Linganore High School twice, in playoffs. In the 2015 season girls soccer won the Central Maryland Conference against Linganore 4-1. Burdette rated this as a huge accomplishment and said, “It was a great feeling, always nice to beat Linganore”.

In five years she hopes to be playing college soccer and earning a degree in either psychology or pre law. She does not plan on playing pro soccer but hopes to have a nice steady job when she is older. Burdette said the biggest pressure for her is picking a college. She had over twenty colleges interested in her and she said “It became overwhelming”.

Burdette and Nichols both said their motto for the season is “Nothing is guaranteed, Everything is possible”. This season she is always reminding herself of the end goal, the state championship. Teammate Isabelle Eskay and Burdette both tape their wrists before every game with the roman numerals XI.XVII.XVI which represents the day of states.

Burdette is also playing alongside Caitlin Shepard this season, a junior captain, and a High Point University commit, whom Nichols described as “a dynamic midfielder”. Nichols said, “Team is not about one person, but what everyone can bring to the field”. Burdette discussed how important it is to stay strong as a team and make team goals to strive for. When teammate Taylor Coffey was asked if Burdette was a deserving featured athlete she simply said, “yes, because she loves the game”.