This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
11/06/2019 11:00 PMAda Forbes is a three-sport athlete for North Haven who is having an excellent sophomore season as a member of the girls’ soccer squad. Ada has eight goals with four assists for the Indians and helped the club go on a thrilling run that resulted in a Class L State Tournament berth.
While Ada is a gifted player in the offensive zone, she credits her teammates for helping her put up such strong numbers.
“I think it’s important that my teammates are really supportive of me, and I give them a lot of credit,” says Ada. “The ball has to get through the defense and midfielders to get up to me. They get half or even more than half of the credit for my goals.”
Ada says that adjusting to the mental side of soccer is another factor in her success. Ada feels confident whenever she steps on the pitch, and that is allowing her to be a bigger playmaker than she was as a freshman.
“I have more confidence with the ball. I used to give it away, but I think [Head Coach Gary Collins] gives me the confidence to trust my ability to handle it,” Ada says. “It’s really comforting to be surrounded by teammates that care about you and have a common goal. We all really want to win, so we work hard together trying for that outcome, and it’s really positive.”
Coach Collins says that Ada’s work ethic is impressing him this year. Collins looks forward to seeing Ada continue to progress during her next two seasons with the team.
“Ada is a player that works hard in practice every day. Even in light sessions, she’ll work as hard as she can. She’s gotten better technically, and you can see just by watching her and the way she moves that she’s a raw talent with a lot of potential,” Coach Collins says. “Ada can be one of the top goal scorers next year based on what I’ve seen. She is a bright spot for us coming in next year.”
Aside from soccer, Ada also competes on North Haven’s indoor and outdoor track squads. She started as a sprinter in middle school as a way to stay in shape for soccer, but has since transitioned into more of a middle-distance runner. Ada typically competes in the 800 and the high jump, as well as the 4x400 and 4x800 relays.
“I’m really comfortable with the 400 and the 800 right now. I like the speed of those events, and I can pace myself,” she says. “It also gives me better endurance when I’m running for soccer.”
Ada plays the left forward position for the girls’ soccer team. Ada used to be a midfielder, although she’s found a new home at forward, and feels that spot best suits her skill set.
“I think forward is best for me, because I can use my speed,” says Ada. “I like that I get to go up further and score goals or help my teammates score goals.”
The Indians went on a mad dash to make states by playing some quality soccer down the stretch. Ada believes that this year is a nice building block for North Haven, and she thinks the team will be even better next season.
“I would definitely like for our team to improve, and I think we can. It takes time to build up teamwork, and I think it’s something we’re doing so well, and I think we can grow so much more,” Ada says. “We improved so much this year, and I think we’re better than our record.”