The Final Season
After 17 years of playing the sport, Jan Moody’s soccer career has come to a close.
Moody began playing soccer when she was 5-years-old and immediately fell in love with the game. With encouragement and support from her parents, she grew up playing in a highly competitive soccer atmosphere.
“I truly fell in love with the game when I started playing at five years old,” Moody said. “I would stay outside of my house juggling the soccer ball for hours. Playing soccer was always my favorite part of the day. Soccer also gave me an escape from any other stressors in life and allowed me to grow as an athlete and a person.”
Moody attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California, which is known for its successful and highly decorated women’s soccer team. There, Moody played at the varsity level all four years, winning three CCS titles and four WCAL titles with her team. In her final two seasons, she led her team as captain.
Moody was injured late in her high school career, which ultimately led to her decision not to play at the varsity level in college. Instead, she opted for the women’s club soccer team at Saint Mary’s College of California.
“My favorite part of playing club soccer at Saint Mary’s was the relationships I was able to build with my teammates, especially the ones who have been around for all four years,” Moody said. “Some of my best friends come from club soccer, and I am forever grateful for the program for allowing me to grow so close with such great women.”
Moody credits her life in soccer for many of her close friendships. She met her life-long best friend, Stephanie Buecheler, at the beginning of her soccer journey 17 years ago, and the two have not separated since.
“I met my best friend and fell in love with the greatest sport when I was 5 years old,” Buecheler said. “Jan and I continued to play soccer together all the way through our senior year of high school. We are still attached at the hip, and this is largely due to our time spent on the soccer field together.”
This past spring soccer season was Moody’s last time officially playing the sport as part of a team. She graduates college next weekend and moves onto the workforce and her next stage of life.
“Honestly, I thought that I was ready to be done playing soccer,” Moody said. “So much of my life has been dedicated towards this amazing sport, and I thought I was ready to move on. Our season has been done for around a month now, and I miss it more and more everyday.”
