A natural leader and a center-back defender on the field, junior Abigale Baker is a key player on the Bromfield varsity girls soccer team. While her name may not appear on stat sheets since she isn’t scoring goals, Baker’s strong presence on defense is a vital part of each game, and she has helped lead her team to victory many times.
Abigale Baker in a game against Hudson. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Baker was the sole ninth-grader in a defensive line of upperclassmen when she joined the varsity team, coach Katie Hayward said in an interview with the Press. Hayward said Baker has been part of that same line for two years and when the seniors graduated last year, she stepped up and took over. As a center-back, Baker is part of the backbone of the team. “As a defender you really play for the team because you don’t get stats for your goals,” Baker said. “There is no glory in defense but the satisfaction of helping your team.”
In soccer, defenders have to be “commanding,” defending the goal and taking charge of directing their teammates, she explained. Despite her young age when she began playing on varsity, Baker rose to the challenge and said she feels as though her leadership skills have improved over time. Baker said she believes her natural personality is that of a leader, which suits her well in her role on the team’s defensive line. “Being put in a position where you play center-back and you see the entire field, it’s really necessary for you to talk to the girls on the team,” she said, “But I still think it has to do a lot with my personality because I really do feel like no matter where I am placed on the field, I could still take charge the same way.”
Hayward praised Baker’s leadership on the team as well. “I look to her for strength and trust her,” Hayward said, “[and] it’s nice for me because I don’t have to worry about defense.” She said that Baker can be counted on to play her hardest as a strong defender and be a good teammate. “She’s a nice kid, but aggressive on the field, which is what every coach wants to see.”
Baker started as an offensive player before moving to defense, and learning how to play each position was an important challenge. “You’re not always going to play the same position because it depends on where the team really needs you,” she said. Having played soccer for so long––she started playing town soccer when she was just 4 years old––Baker said her skill and athletic ability have improved a lot as well. “If you work hard, you’ll always do better,” she noted.
Last year, the girls soccer team made it to district finals, the furthest the team has gone in many years. “[Baker] was a huge part of getting the team to the championships,” Hayward said. In the semifinals against Nipmuc, Bromfield was the underdog but ended up winning the match. “Baker shut down their top scorers,” Hayward continued. “It was incredible, and we wouldn’t have gone to the finals without her.”
This fall, Bromfield’s sports teams are competing against only a handful of local schools in an attempt to limit students’ exposure to the coronavirus. This means playing with MIAA Division 1 teams Nashoba Regional and Marlborough, posing a whole new challenge for Baker and her teammates. Despite this, Baker said she felt the team still did well. “Going to play those huge schools is really big, and it’s a great accomplishment to go out there and play your best and give them a challenge.” Baker expressed hope that finals will be held next school year and that her team wins districts.
Being on the soccer team means more than just competing, however. Baker said her favorite part of the sport is the connection she has formed with her teammates, both in and out of school. Between games and daily practices, the team spends a lot of time together and has become a close-knit group of friends. Baker noted that what she goes through with her teammates is different from her friendships off the team. She said, “At the end of the day, you win together and you lose together, and … those bonds you make with the other girls are kind of unmatched.”
Baker said that bonding with students in different grades has also been important. When she joined the team in ninth grade, she was able to connect with and learn from upperclassmen. “I think it’s a great experience because it takes you out of your grade, and you get to have friends who have experienced things in high school already and they can help you and almost be a mentor to you,” she said. As an upperclassman herself, this role now falls to Baker, and she serves as a mentor for the younger players on the team. Hayward expressed a similar sentiment, saying she is “grateful for the opportunity to coach [Baker] over the last few years.”
