RMA's Achilles heads west to continue soccer career at Brevard
By Jim Green Sports Editor
She had her mind made up four years ago about being a Tornado and nothing changed.
Hannah Achilles, the 17-year-old daughter of Wendy and Aaron Achilles and a senior at Rocky Mount Academy, is headed west to the mountains to continue her burgeoning soccer career.
Achilles recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Brevard College, an NCAA-Division III school located in the town that bears the institution’s name.
Achilles verbally committed to the school during her freshman year in high school.
“I knew I wanted to go somewhere in the mountains,” she said. “I toured a bunch of schools in the mountains but Brevard was my favorite. I really like the coaching staff and feel like it’s my place.”
Achilles was so sure about her choice that she didn’t really entertain any other offers.
“Because I knew Brevard was where I wanted to go so early, there was no doubt,” she said. “I had a bunch of schools talk to me but I knew 100 percent where I wanted to be. Any other school I had talked to … none of my feelings had changed (toward them). There was nowhere else I wanted to go.”
Achilles comes from an athletic family of three older brothers, all of whom played soccer (one ran track in college) and three younger sisters, all of whom have played club soccer over the past several years.
She grew up with the sport and has progressed through club soccer since she was 7 years old, but she was also involved in competitive dance and gymnastics for several years before moving full time to soccer in the ninth grade when she was a freshman at Greenfield Academy in Wilson.
“I think being involved in dance and gymnastics when I was younger definitely helped me,” she said. “In club soccer I have kept working hard and progressing.”
Regarding club soccer, Achille currently plays on a NCFC (North Carolina Futbol Club) squad that won its league, was a state finalist and will play in a regional in Tennessee this summer.
“Club soccer has really been helpful,” she said. “Playing similar teams in similar areas, a lot of those girls play on high school teams too. I think playing serious club soccer gives you a leg up.”
Achilles started playing high school soccer at Greenfield in the seventh grade. She compiled seven goals and five assists while primarily playing defense in those four seasons. She was a most valuable player and earned all-state honors as a freshman.
For her junior season, Achille transferred to RMA, where she was the defensive most valuable player on a team that won the conference and finished 10-3 overall. She also earned another all-state award and added another goal to her individual statistics.
In club soccer, Achilles has received the Shield Award for best representing the core values of NCFC: having fun, cultivating community, committing to excellence, encouraging innovation and demonstrating passion.
Achilles said the most rewarding thing about soccer is being out on the pitch.
“I just love being out there,” she said. “I have a lot of energy all the time so I feel it’s a good way to exert some energy. I am also a very competitive person. Winning is great but if you don’t it gives you something else to do, such as work to get better.”
Achilles has mainly been a defender in high school but she has played all over the field during club soccer. She has also further honed her skills by taking part in her NCFC coach’s ODP (Olympic Developmental Program) in Raleigh.
“Coach (Pete) Sadin gives us a lot of constructive criticism and has been a big influence,” she said. “He doesn’t sugarcoat anything. The way he does everything is so perfect and it works for all of us. He’s told all of us we could all play college soccer. When I went to Raleigh for NCFC four or five years ago, that when I realized I could play college soccer. Being there has been a good decision.”
Achilles said her best advice for those who aspire to play a sport at the next level is simple.
“It’s never too late to start working toward your goal,” she said. “Just continue to work hard.”
Achilles works as hard in the classroom as she does on the pitch. She is well over a 3.0 grade-point average (unweighted 3.95, weighted 4.41) and has been accepted into the honors program at Brevard.
She wants to major in either health science or exercise science and possibly attend physical therapy school to be an orthopedic physician’s assistant.
As far as playing for the Tornadoes, Achilles said she wants to work hard to earn her position — whatever it may be.
“My coach at Brevard says he could see me playing anywhere, which is good because it would give me more opportunities for playing time as a freshman,” she said.
By Jim Green Sports Editor
She had her mind made up four years ago about being a Tornado and nothing changed.
Hannah Achilles, the 17-year-old daughter of Wendy and Aaron Achilles and a senior at Rocky Mount Academy, is headed west to the mountains to continue her burgeoning soccer career.
Achilles recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Brevard College, an NCAA-Division III school located in the town that bears the institution’s name.
Achilles verbally committed to the school during her freshman year in high school.
“I knew I wanted to go somewhere in the mountains,” she said. “I toured a bunch of schools in the mountains but Brevard was my favorite. I really like the coaching staff and feel like it’s my place.”
Achilles was so sure about her choice that she didn’t really entertain any other offers.
“Because I knew Brevard was where I wanted to go so early, there was no doubt,” she said. “I had a bunch of schools talk to me but I knew 100 percent where I wanted to be. Any other school I had talked to … none of my feelings had changed (toward them). There was nowhere else I wanted to go.”
Achilles comes from an athletic family of three older brothers, all of whom played soccer (one ran track in college) and three younger sisters, all of whom have played club soccer over the past several years.
She grew up with the sport and has progressed through club soccer since she was 7 years old, but she was also involved in competitive dance and gymnastics for several years before moving full time to soccer in the ninth grade when she was a freshman at Greenfield Academy in Wilson.
“I think being involved in dance and gymnastics when I was younger definitely helped me,” she said. “In club soccer I have kept working hard and progressing.”
Regarding club soccer, Achille currently plays on a NCFC (North Carolina Futbol Club) squad that won its league, was a state finalist and will play in a regional in Tennessee this summer.
“Club soccer has really been helpful,” she said. “Playing similar teams in similar areas, a lot of those girls play on high school teams too. I think playing serious club soccer gives you a leg up.”
Achilles started playing high school soccer at Greenfield in the seventh grade. She compiled seven goals and five assists while primarily playing defense in those four seasons. She was a most valuable player and earned all-state honors as a freshman.
For her junior season, Achille transferred to RMA, where she was the defensive most valuable player on a team that won the conference and finished 10-3 overall. She also earned another all-state award and added another goal to her individual statistics.
In club soccer, Achilles has received the Shield Award for best representing the core values of NCFC: having fun, cultivating community, committing to excellence, encouraging innovation and demonstrating passion.
Achilles said the most rewarding thing about soccer is being out on the pitch.
“I just love being out there,” she said. “I have a lot of energy all the time so I feel it’s a good way to exert some energy. I am also a very competitive person. Winning is great but if you don’t it gives you something else to do, such as work to get better.”
Achilles has mainly been a defender in high school but she has played all over the field during club soccer. She has also further honed her skills by taking part in her NCFC coach’s ODP (Olympic Developmental Program) in Raleigh.
“Coach (Pete) Sadin gives us a lot of constructive criticism and has been a big influence,” she said. “He doesn’t sugarcoat anything. The way he does everything is so perfect and it works for all of us. He’s told all of us we could all play college soccer. When I went to Raleigh for NCFC four or five years ago, that when I realized I could play college soccer. Being there has been a good decision.”
Achilles said her best advice for those who aspire to play a sport at the next level is simple.
“It’s never too late to start working toward your goal,” she said. “Just continue to work hard.”
Achilles works as hard in the classroom as she does on the pitch. She is well over a 3.0 grade-point average (unweighted 3.95, weighted 4.41) and has been accepted into the honors program at Brevard.
She wants to major in either health science or exercise science and possibly attend physical therapy school to be an orthopedic physician’s assistant.
As far as playing for the Tornadoes, Achilles said she wants to work hard to earn her position — whatever it may be.
“My coach at Brevard says he could see me playing anywhere, which is good because it would give me more opportunities for playing time as a freshman,” she said.
