Driven to Greatness: The Rise of Soccer Prodigy Rylee McLanahan

Prodigy, it typically describes a young person with exceptional skills. Being driven is someone with internal motivation, put those two together and you get Rylee McLanahan.

She started playing soccer around three years old, and from day one she has loved it.

“I just love the game. I feel like I fell in love with the process of getting better and just grinding,” said Edmond North Soccer standout Rylee McLanahan.

And grind is truly what she does.

“I play for a club team in Dallas called Solar, and so I commute to practice there twice a week, I leave school and I get there around 6 pm, we get done around 9 or 9:30, we come home, I wake I go train with my trainer Alex around 6 am,” said McLanahan.

That all happens during the school year, while maintaining her 4.2 GPA.

“I’m like ranked in the top one or two percent,” said McLanahan.

Her hard work and dedication are paying off in the classroom and on the field.

“This year I scored 43 goals and fifteen assist. I broke the 6A state single season record, and then over three seasons, I think it was forty-five games I had one hundred seven total goals,” said McLanahan.

Earning the Edmond North senior to be some pretty high honors.

“Gatorade player of the year twice, Jim thorp award, I’ve been named that twice, High school sports award for the Oklahoma City metro, and like, All-city, all district, and then conference player of the year, twice,” said McLanahan.

“She’s technically sound, very tactically aware,” said Randall Robinson director of player personal with the Oklahoma City FC.

This summer Rylee is playing with the Oklahoma City FC team, the Oklahoma City team in the Women’s premier soccer league

“It is literally, the premier league in the summer for women’s soccer. It is the biggest women’s soccer league in the world,” said Robinson.

The summer league is primarily made up of elite division one college soccer players and only the best of the best high school players, and of course Rylee isa standout on the team.

“She’s just a great team player, even with all of her talent, she’s very selfless,” said Robinson.

McLanahan has already committed to playing her college soccer at the University of Florida, she will graduate in December and enroll for the Spring semester. You can see her in the WPSL league. The team has already qualified for post-season play; all those games will be played in Stillwater. Game schedules can be seen at www.wpslsoccer.com/schedule