Aubrey Conner knows the goalkeeper position demands more than stopping shots. From between the posts, the Cumberland County junior has developed into a confident leader who relies on preparation, communication and a strong mindset to handle whatever comes her way.
Cumberland County goalkeeper Aubrey Conner is anchoring the Lady Jets defense this season as the team has navigated its way to an 8-3 record.
Conner said the transition into her current role required a significant increase in her personal training standards to meet the physical demands of varsity competition. Conner said she has focused on working herself harder to reach the necessary level of play after starting for the varsity squad as a freshman.
“It’s different going just from being starting varsity as a freshman and then moving up to that next grade and then it’s very physically demanding. I’m having to train more, work myself more so I can reach where I need to be,” Conner said.
Conner said maintaining a strong mental state while in the net is a primary factor in preventing mistakes during a match. Conner said she believes that overthinking can negatively impact a player’s performance on the field.
“Definitely because when you’re overthinking, I believe that affects your mind and that’s more likely to make you mess up than if you’re just confident in what you’re doing, you’ve been working yourself, you’re more confident in how you’re going to do rather than, overthinking.” Conner said.
Conner said her pre-game routine involves a mix of team bonding, specialized coaching, and spiritual reflection. Conner said she spends time communicating with her teammates before splitting off to conduct one-on-one drills with her goalkeeper coach.
“Well I start out by we start up with our team, I hang out with my team, I’m talking to my team, we’re communicating, and then we’ll split up and I’ll go work do one-on-one stuff with my goalkeeper coach,” Conner said. “And then we pray before games.”
Conner said she relies on the support of those around her and the memory of her own hard work to remain composed when facing pressure. Conner said she uses constant communication with her teammates to work through difficult moments on the pitch.
“I try to communicate a lot and I like to talk to my teammates and work stuff out with them,” Conner said. “I like to because I already know that I have people who are cheering for me and I’ve I know that I’ve put in work to be where I’m at and so that really helps me just thinking about that stuff.”
Conner said her leadership style involves providing constant encouragement to her teammates to help them move past errors.
“I like to encourage them even if they mess up, it’s hey, brush it off, you’ve got the next one, you’re doing good, we’ve got the next one or trying to tell them what they need to be doing or leading them,” Conner said.
