It is no secret that athletes who move faster than their opponent have a distinct edge in sports.
Beckley girls soccer standout Ama Ackon-Annan has effectively used that advantage on the pitch over her career.
As a result of graduation and some unforeseen changes in the line-up, the Flying Eagles will need every ounce of speed out of their senior scorer this year.
After splitting time during her sophomore season, Ackon-Annan was afforded her chance as a full-time starter during her junior season last year.
The Beckley speedster responded with 19 goals and six assists in her breakout season playing alongside scoring threats Sophie Hall and Mya Wooton.
With her two running mates no longer playing, Ackon-Annan will have to shine with a different group of players.
“I feel like I am up to the challenge and I am enjoying the season,” Ackon-Annan said. “I like the new additions. It is nice to see all of the new girls coming up this year and I am excited to see what the season has to offer.”
There are good reasons to believe Ackon-Annan will be even tougher to defend this season.
During the spring track season, Ackon-Annan moved from doing more middle distance running to the sprints which she credits with improving her speed.
“I have worked on my accelerations which has improved my speed over shorter distances and that has paid off,” Ackon-Annan said. “With soccer you think of running for longer distances, but where I play as a striker, I need to be ready to burst into speed at any moment to chase the ball down the field and start a counter-attack,” Ackon-Annan said. “That is where my sprinting comes into play there.”
Ackon-Annan ran the 4×100 relay, the 4×400 relay and the 4×800 relay at the state track meet. She also qualified individually for the state meet in the 200 meter dash.
Always looking to get better, the senior standout spent time over the winter playing indoor soccer which has been a huge benefit to her ball control skills.
“Ama played indoor soccer over the winter which gave her a brand new perspective of what it is like to play in tight spaces,” Beckley head girls soccer coach Julie Agnor said. “Her ball control got a lot better and her turns got a lot better. In indoor soccer you have a very short sprint. With her getting better in tight spaces, I think that will successfully contribute to the team very nicely. I expected a lot from her this year.”
As if her increased speed and improved ball skills weren’t enough to send chills up the spines of opposing defenders, Ackon-Annan talked about another strength at her disposal.
“My ball control has gotten a good bit better, but another thing is my vision. I can see spaces that I need to run into, or I can see other players in spaces. I can cross the ball to them or send them a through-ball,” Ackon-Annan explained. “That is something I want to improve on this season is my assists. If I can get more of my teammates scoring goals that would be great. More goals means more wins for the team.”
Although the Flying Eagles did lose some key players which complimented Ackon-Annan, Beckley does have some quality players ready to step into that role.
“I am excited to have a partner at the striker position this year. Vai Simmons is a great player and really fast. She has a good eye for the goal,” Ackon-Annan said. “Abby (Dillon) is a really good player in the midfield and she is really good with her passes. She also has good shots, so I think we will be OK.
Ackon-Annan will also be counted on more this year as a leader as well, but she is convinced the upperclassmen can guide the two-time defending sectional champions to continued success.
“It will definitely be different compared to our last two years because we have lost some of our more experienced players who have held the team together,” Ackon-Annan said. “We have six seniors now, so I have a lot of people alongside me that can help with the leadership position. We also have some juniors that have really stepped up too. We all have the same mission as a team. It might take us a few games, but we will definitely find our rhythm soon.”
Ackon-Annan and the rest of the the Lady Flying Eagles open the season Thursday, Aug. 16 when they host Herber Hoover at Paul Cline Stadium.