Perseverance pays off for soccer star

By Daniel Frias
On-line Forty-Niner

Before becoming Long Beach States women's soccer all time leading scorer Abie Curry just wanted to contribute.

"I wanted to try something different," said Curry a native of Chico, who turned down offers from other schools to play for the Beach. "I came here. I liked the school. I liked the beach. I saw the program and I just wanted to play. I knew it was a new program and I knew I could contribute."

Of course it also didn't hurt that her older sister Rachael was already attending Cal State Long Beach.

"It's been awesome," said Curry about living and going to school with her sister, "We're very close. She's my best friend. It's funny. Since we share a car, have the same friends and same classes everybody thinks were twins. It' s been a lot of fun."

Curry is the co-captain of the team along with teammate Lauren Doffing, the only two seniors on this year's team.  As a co-captain Curry is a key component to the success of the team.

"Abie is very important to the team," said third year head coach Peter Reynaud. "She's indispensable. She's a team player. She does everything she can to do what's best for the team. When she is not on the field were going to score less goals."

Curry was the captain of the team last season and was the leading scorer with eight goals and two assists including a game winner with time running out against Cal State Fullerton (2-1) that gave the 49ers their first ever win over a ranked opponent.

Curry continues to be a leader and a goal scorer. Her first goal of the season against Southern Utah in the 49er classic last week made her the school's all-time point leader (27 points) surpassing Kelli Barrett's (1998-2000) mark of 25 points. Her 12 goals are also a team record.

"It's an honor to be recognized as the leading goal scorer," said Curry "But I need to score goals because I'm a forward and that's my job. Plus my team totally helps by giving me good passes and good balls."

But scoring is not as important to Curry who says she would rather have her team score and win than have the team lose and her score a goal.

Curry began playing soccer in Chico when she was barely old enough to attend kindergarten.

"I was five when I started playing soccer," said Curry, the third oldest child of Asa and Sharlee Curry's five children. "I was exposed to it at a young age by my brother who played soccer. My sister played soccer too before she hurt her ACL. My younger brother plays soccer too and he's really good.
He's better than I am and he's only 13. We're a
big soccer family."

One of the reasons Curry has been so successful on the field as well as off it is because she works hard. Whether it is 5 a.m. daily soccer practices like she had in high school or going to double day practices for the 49ers on her birthday no less.

"She's a hard worker," said Rachael. "She does well because she works hard. She gives it 100 percent all the time."

"She's very dedicated," said Reynaud. "She's conscious about every aspect of her game. If something is not right. She goes to work at it."

"She's a take charge kind of individual," added teammate Doffing. "She's a hard worker. She's very inspirational. She never gives up. When we want to slack of she doesn't let us. She always pushes us to go the extra mile."

Her hard work and athletic talent were rewarded by her high school when they selected her as the Most Outstanding Senior Female Athlete of Pleasant Valley High School.

"That was a very big honor," said Curry, who lettered four years in soccer and track. "I didn't expect that at all. That was really exciting for me."

But Curry is more than just a great athlete and tremendous soccer player.  Her talents extend well beyond the soccer field. She's also a chef, a great friend, a scholar, a mentor.  She's caring, thoughtful, funny, witty, cute.

She's..."a very positive person," said Reynaud. "Very helpful. She's always doing something to help her teammates."

Like baking them cookies or making them dinner.

"Abie's really great," said teammate Alex Rowinski, a red shirted junior. "She use to come over a lot last season and cook for us."

Her specialty? "She's good at making Lasagna," said Rachael. "She's good at cooking and baking. She can make anything really well."

"I love cooking and baking," said Curry. "My mom is a good cook; she taught me all the secrets."

She's..."very humble," said Rachael. "I   always tell people when she scores a goal that she scored and that I live with the best soccer player at Long Beach and she gets embarrassed."

"I get embarrassed when my name is in the paper," said Curry. "I'm like oh no, how am I going to tell my teammates. It's nice to get recognized especially since I didn't when I was freshman and sophomore and was working hard. But I know even though I get the credit, it's not just me because I have my teammates helping me. So it's humbling."

She's... a mentor. Curry mentors college freshman athletes through the Heads Up program here at CSULB. She is also the secretary for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.  Curry is also involved with the "Souled Out " college group on campus.

She also babysits three kids for her "adopted family," as she calls them.

"They're a big part of my life," said Curry. "I've seen them grow up they're like my little brothers. They call me aunt Abie."

She's... a good sister. "She's an awesome sister, said Rachael. "Sometimes I forget she's my sister because she's my best friend."

She's...a loving daughter. "My parents are awesome," said Curry. "I'm so lucky to have them. They've been key people in my life. Always encouraging and guiding me."

To put it simply Abie Curry is...as Coach Reynaud put it, "The greatest person I ever met."
 

"I wanted to try something different. I came here. I liked the school. I liked the beach. I saw the program and I just wanted to play. I knew it was a new program and I knew I could contribute."
 - Abie Curry

"I get embarrassed when my name is in the paper. I'm like oh no, how am I going to tell my teammates. It's nice to get recognized especially since I didn't when I was a freshman and sophomore and was working hard. But I know even though I get the credit, it's not just me because I
have my teammates helping me.
So it's humbling."
 - Abie Curry

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