Recent Fort Zumwalt West graduate and girls soccer player Sarah Krispin viewed the 27th annual Missouri Athletic Club North/South Senior All-Star game at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton in its simplest form.
Not only did she get the chance to be honored for her body of work on the high school pitch, but she also got to show those in attendance what the shy and unassuming Krispin would say about herself.
In the wake of the North side's 6-2 victory, in which Krispin helped set up her team's first goal, she put her feelings in succinct and modest terms.
"It's an honor for our team since I was the only one that came from my school," Krispin said. "It is a good way to end my senior year."
The show of flashes of offensive prowess is something that Krispin has done quite well as a defenseman. This past season for GAC South and district champion Zumwalt West (18-7-1), the 5-foot-6 Krispin tallied one goal and added three assists.
More importantly, though, Krispin helped anchor a defense which gave up just 15 goals - or 0.6 per game - over the course of the season.
For Krispin, getting the team into the sectional round was a big thing.
It has been, after all, only a handful of seasons since Coach Jack Baldwin's team has won a state championship.
"Playing with my team in the sectional game was a big deal," Krispin said. "It was our last team event, our last game. This was a good event to end my (high school) soccer career.
"It is an honor to have helped the team get back to where we were," continued Krispin. "It will be great to watch the team to see what they can do in the years to come."
The Truman State University signee said that while she was happy to be a big part of the program's success, she knew that with a program of Zumwalt West's pedigree, she and all of her teammates had to value their time on the pitch.
"Playing there was like a privilege," Krispin said. "It wasn't just like, ‘You made the team, congrats.' It was a big deal. You had to go out there and earn your spot and work hard (to keep it). It wasn't just something that was given to you."
Krispin, who plays club soccer for WC Arsenal St. Louis, said that while she and her teammates weren't involved in the cut-throat aspect of the club scene, she did get the chance to use her time with WC for something very valuable.
"We played a couple of tournaments here and there," Krispin said. "We didn't do State Cup or anything. We played for the fun of the game and just to keep in shape."
But now, all that remains for Krispin is to get ready to head off to college and to play at Truman.
"I am definitely excited," Krispin said. "I just want to work hard over the summer and get all of my workouts in. I am ready to see what happens in the fall."
Krispin said that she plans on working toward her master's degree in education after getting a bachelor's degree in exercise science, all of which should take her five years.
While her studies will be the main focus of her time at Truman, Krispin says she still plans on working as hard as ever on the pitch for the Bulldogs.
"I am really competitive," Krispin said. "I have grown up playing the game of soccer. It just runs in my family. The thing about the game of soccer is that if you work hard it will pay off."
