Santa Ynez High School senior Erin Williams was kicking a soccer ball around before she started kindergarten.
Next fall, she’ll be doing it under scholarship at UC Santa Barbara.
Though Williams committed to play for UCSB more than a year ago, the excitement around her future hasn’t diminished.
“I’m going to be studying economics,” Williams said. “They have a really good program there.
“And their soccer program is really good too,” she added.
With multiple schools hoping to sign her, Williams ultimately chose UCSB after playing for the Santa Barbara Soccer Club and participating in UCSB’s recruiting camps.
“It was kind of the end goal to play in college,” Williams said. “I really enjoyed the coaches and the campus.”
Today, Williams is simply focused on being a leader and key orchestrator of the Santa Ynez offense as an attacking center midfielder.
Last week, she scored two goals and delivered two assists in 5-0 and 9-0 victories over Cabrillo High School and Orcutt Academy on Jan. 5 and Jan. 7. Through 11 games this season, Williams has totaled six goals and five assists, as the Pirates have jumped to a 7-2-2 record. She’s put up those numbers even while sitting out a couple of games with injuries.
“Erin is a good, thoughtful player,” Santa Ynez girls’ soccer coach Rob Cantrell said. “She has a tremendous first touch. She makes solid, quick decisions on the field, which allows us to have an advantage.”
Williams’ unique playmaking ability is what sets her apart on the field.
“She’s the only player that I know of on the Central Coast who’s able to play the way she plays, with her consistency and ability to play at the level she plays at,” Cantrell said.
Santa Ynez doesn’t suffer from a lack of leadership this season. With 10 seniors on the team, there are multiple players who are capable of stepping into a leadership role, Cantrell said. Nonetheless, Williams often emerges as the heartbeat of the team.
“She’s vocal when she needs to be, analytical, she coaches on the field,” Cantrell said. “She lifts teammates up, accentuating the positives of what the team can do. She encourages them to give everything they’ve got.”
Williams takes pride in that leadership role.
“I think being a leader is very important, especially for the underclassmen,” she said. “Leading by example is the best way to have them learn. It’s different than a coach; you’re more relatable as a player.”
Contributor Peter Johnson can be reached at pjohnson@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jan 14-21, 2016.