The Choice Is Converse

At the beginning of this year, Nature Coast Technical senior soccer player Brittany Allen had three choices on which school to go to and play soccer next fall.
"It ended up being between Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga., Columbia College in Columbia, S.C. and Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C., said the Shark forward.
But after making a visit to all three schools, Allen decided on the Valkyries of Converse.
Last year, Converse finished at 2-18 in Division II and Allen says that the coaches at the school have told her to be ready to play as soon as she steps on campus.
"I got to practice with the team and all the girls were cool," said Allen. "The coaches at Converse are a lot like the coaches I had in high school, so I don't think it will be much of a change for me."
As a forward at NCT, Allen finished the year with five goals and eight assists after having a junior year where she scored three goals and had two assists and a sophomore year with four goals and an assist.
"I think I had a pretty good senior year," said Allen, who will be reporting to college in the second week of August. "I had more assists than goals because my job isn't so much scoring than it is about setting up my teammates to score," expressed Allen. "Based on the coaches' style at Converse, it's a lot like what I had in high school, so I don't think there will be as big of a change from the way I played here."
Before deciding on what school to attend, Allen said she visited each campus, but Converse fit more into the kind of place she wanted to attend.
"It was a small school; it was a liberal arts college, which means smaller class sizes," said Allen. "And being an all-girl's school helped, and it was just a better fit for me."
She also said that she wants to major in physiology and said that the coaches told her they wanted her playing right away.
"They said they think I'll be a starting forward next year, or if not starting, at least getting a lot of playing time," recalled the three-year Shark letterman.
Allen also said she has to be in better shape if she wants to excel in college soccer.
"I have to get in better shape," she insists. "They said they would take me as I am, but I need to be in better shape for college because that is a lot harder than high school."
Allen added that her parents plan to try and see as many of her matches this fall as they could.
"We play a bunch of games in Georgia," she said. "So my folks said that they will go to those games that are closer to Florida to see me play."

BY THE NUMBERS: BRITTANY ALLEN
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO

YEAR G A TP
05-06 4 1 9
06-07 3 2 8
07-08 5 8 18
TOTALS 12 11 35