Churchland High School senior Briana Brooks is leading her soccer team to the top of the regional rankings in her last season as a Trucker.
Brooks has already committed to Virginia State University in Petersburg, where she said she’s excited to be part of a historically Black school, and looks forward to having her best friend there.
Media partner She Scored Sports recently spoke with Brooks about her time at Churchland.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
She Scored Sports: What has been the emotion knowing this is your final season at Churchland?
Briana Brooks: It's been pretty sad. I've been playing for four years straight on varsity, so just all the memories that I've made, all the friends that I've made on this team, and just, like, soccer season, school soccer season, is always the best time for me. Just knowing that I'm going to leave this, it's pretty sad, but I know that I have good things coming in the future.
SSS: What has your journey from when you got here to now taught you about yourself as a person and player?
B.B: It's just taught me that when struggles happen, when injuries happen, when losses happen, that I can have determination, have persistence and come back from them, come back stronger, and just have a good mindset and do what I need to do to get back to where I was at.
SSS: How has your relationship with your coaches and teammates evolved and how has that helped you on the field?
B.B: They have evolved a lot. I love my teammates so much and they're just a joy to play with. They always make me laugh. They always know how to lift my spirits up. So that just makes me a better person, makes me better on the field.
SSS: With your verbal commitment to Virginia State University, what made that the right fit for you moving forward?
B.B: First, it's an HBCU. I've always felt like I should go to a place where there's a lot of my people, a lot of people that are representing something bigger.
I know a lot of people there, and they love it. My best friend's going there, too, so it feels right. Right people, right atmosphere, everything.
SSS: What has been your biggest motivation when you step on the field?
B.B: My biggest motivation would just be honoring God. He's blessed me with … a healthy body that can run, that can jump, that can do all these things. Just going on the field, playing hard, doing things that other people wish they could do if they are not in my position (or) don't have the blessings that I have.
SSS: What's something you want people to remember about their time at Churchland?
B.B: I want them to remember me being a lighthearted person, a fun person, easy to be around, just uplifting and encouraging.
SSS: What's something people don't see about the work you've put in behind the scenes?
B.B: Being a student athlete, taking college classes in high school, just how much it takes to maintain good grades, have a 4.0 GPA and still come out here.
(I) still work, play club soccer, play school soccer, playing soccer every single day while still doing the college classes, getting As, and just working hard in both aspects of being a student athlete.
