Kelsey Price and Pablo Mummey started their careers with the Everett High School girls soccer team in the 2016 season — she as a freshman center back, and he as a first-year assistant coach with the Seagulls.
As a senior in 2019, Price is beginning the last of her four varsity seasons as one of Wesco 3A/2A’s most effective and versatile players. She can impact games as either an undersized but disciplined center back or as a holding midfielder, covering for the back line while initiating attacks.
Mummey is in his second season as the head coach, having taken the job when Kosta Pitharoulis departed after the Seagulls completed a 9-7-1 mark in the 2017 season. Price is his captain and one of four seniors on a young roster.
“She’s always being positive and encouraging our younger players,” Mummey said. “She shows the girls what to do and how to act by her example. She’s an anchor of our team and someone that the other players look up to.”
The Herald spoke with Price about her soccer career, her devotion to her academic pursuits as well as her role in the fight against climate change.
You’ve moved back and forth between center back and more of a holding midfield role this season. Do you prefer one to the other?
I’ve played them both pretty equally this year, but I’m more comfortable at center back and this year is the only high school experience I’ve had with playing further up the field. I play center back with my club team (Everett-based Rush’s U-19 premier team) and have been a center back pretty much my whole life and it’s the position I know most about. It’s fun to step up into midfield and feel like if you mess up, it doesn’t have a high chance of resulting in a goal.
What do you feel are your biggest strengths on the field?
I feel like I’m pretty good in the air, and what I lack in speed I’ve learned to make up for in positioning and just stuff I’ve learned over the years. I’m really short (5-foot-5) and I can’t really jump very high, but I’m able to find the ball and move to it before other players.
What other activities in your life are important to you?
The biggest ones are at school. I’m president of the National Torch Honor Society and I’ve always taken pride in my academics. I have a 3.9 GPA and I’m very interested in environmental policy. It’s the reason I became a vegetarian and I plan to get my degree in environmental policy in college.
When your high school soccer career is over, what do you think will stick with you the longest about it?
I remember all of the personalities of every girl I’ve played with, from the seniors my freshman year to all of the girls now. Just the routine of knowing you have soccer every single day and knowing that the team is there with you are my favorite things about high school sports.
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