We are pleased to highlight Olivia Fast and Charli Pugmire as KRKO’s Russell & Hill Female High School November Athletes. In this interview, we sit down with Olivia and Charli, two standout seniors and captains who have left a lasting impact on their high school soccer team. Olivia, who plays as an attacking midfielder, and Charli, who serves as a defensive midfielder, share their unique experiences and perspectives on soccer, leadership, and what it means to be a captain. From their early love for the sport to the challenges and triumphs they’ve faced as captains, they discuss how soccer has shaped them both as athletes and individuals. Join us as we dive into their journeys, memorable moments, and their plans for the future.
SNOCO: How long have you been playing soccer and what got you into the sport?
OLIVIA: I’ve been playing soccer since I was four years old. I wasn’t really into it at first, but my Cousin and my Uncle got me into it. My Uncle was my first soccer coach and he encouraged me to try it out.
CHARLI: I have also been playing since I was four and I really liked it right off the bat. As soon as I started playing club, my love for my team made me love the sport.
SNOCO: What does being the captain of your team mean to you?
OLIVIA: When I was a freshman, I was really intimidated, and it was awesome to have captains that I could look up to and go to when I needed support. So for me, being a captain, I really wanted to provide that support to people and I wanted to make the team great. Make sure that everyone was supported and included. It was an incredible honor to be captain, it made me feel proud of everything that I’ve been through and everything that I’ve accomplished.
CHARLI: Similarly to Olivia, I was on the team my freshman year and it was very intimidating. The captains we’re, by far, the most welcoming. Its an honor to have been in that supporting role. I also think, I thought it was nice to be able to hold our team accountable to the standard of play that we wanted to play at. Its really easy in high school to want to have fun and mess around and let the level of skill go down at practices, so it was nice to be able to set the example.
SNOCO: How do you guys motivate and support your teammates, especially during tough games?
OLIVIA: The team comes together as a whole to create an environment that everyone can stay focused in. There’s limited distractions and everyone feels supported, while we’re still trying to push each other. We are so focused on the game, know what’s at stake and we have eachothers backs. That team dynamic is what keeps us together and supported.
CHARLI: Positive reinforcement. When anybody made a mistake in a game, you could hear everybody immediately yelling and picking them up. Our team played very positively, which made the game super fun, but also, it was very motivating to do well because you wanted to left up your team. For us there was a lot of positivity during the game.
SNOCO: What challenges did you face as captains and how did you handle it?
OLIVIA: Coming into this year, we lost 11 seniors who graduated, so we were a little uncertain of how strong our team was going to be this yes. Plus, it was big shoes to fill coming in as a captain. Our captains last year were great and they went on to play college ball, so filling their shoes was difficult to go into initially. Once we started playing, we realized we had a big chance of doing awesome things through the season. I don’t think that anyone expected us to go as far as we did until we started winning more games and gaining more confidence.
CHARLI: As a captain, you’re held to a different standard. When we did fitness testing, we were just pushing as hard as we could to be in the front. I think the biggest challenge was living up to that new expectation, after three years of not being in that role.
SCSC: How has playing soccer shaped both of you guys as individuals.
OLIVIA: I think its really created an appreciation for a sense of community. I’ve been a part of a team for so much of my life and I’ve learned to value dedication to the sport and to my teammates. Having that team dynamic is something that I value now because I have that community that I can rely on and at the end of the day I know we all have each other’s backs.
CHARLI: My best friends are all my soccer teammates. Playing soccer taught me how to work together as a team but also how to fail and pick yourself back up and persevere.
SCSC: What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from being an athlete?
OLIVIA: Never give up and always persevere.
CHARLI: I learned how to fail, which has helped me in every aspect of my life.
SCSC: Do you guys have any pregame rituals or superstitions?
OLIVIA: Our high school team had this thing called inner circle, where before games, we would all sit together and talk about anything to relieve stress, so that when we got out on the field, there were no distractions. We also all had a song that we would listen to together.
SCSC: Looking back at your high school career, what’s been your most memorable moment?
OLIVIA: It’s hard to not say winning State. That was unlike anything I’ve ever experiences and having all those years of soccer lead up to that moment was something that I will never forget.
CHARLI: I have to agree, it was definitely winning state. I am not an emotional person by any means, but even I cried after that game. That final whistle being blown is a memory I will never forget.
SCSC: What’s the next step for both of you?
OLIVIA: I have not decided what I want to do yet. I have a couple college offers, but I’m not committed. No matter where I go, I want to keep soccer in my life.
CHARLI: I am going to go to a four-year college and then go to med school to hopefully become a sports doctor in kinesiology. I’m going to keep soccer in my life in a different way.
