13
Apr, 2021
Natalie Gency is one of Internationals SC’s brightest young standouts. She can play multiple positions and excels as a defender or midfielder. Gency is a U-12 player who has been with the club since September 2018. She’s drawn the attention of many players and coaches, and during a recent indoor tournament, a member of the U.S. Deaf Men’s National Team.
Gency has moderate hearing loss and utilizes hearing aids on and off the field.
“I was not aware that there was a U.S. Deaf National Team so to find out about it was very exciting,” Gency said. “It is nice to know there are others who deal with hearing loss as I do on the soccer field. I am in contact with members of the association and U.S. Deaf Women’s National Team (USDWNT) about youth clinics during national team training camps. I recently learned they do not currently have a youth national team but they are in the process of planning for one. In the meantime, I plan on attending camps and maintaining contact until I am of age to tryout with the USDWNT.”
Gency is admired for her ability to adapt and perform in even the most difficult situations.
“Some challenges for me on the field are rain and wind as they sometimes can affect me being able to hear well,” Gency said. “Also, sometimes we play in an indoor dome, the pressure inside and the background noise can make it difficult to hear properly. These aspects can make it hard to hear and notice coaching instructions. To overcome these challenges, I just have to have a heightened awareness of everything going on around me. Having hearing aids is something I have grown up with and they are not challenges for me, they are just part of who I am.”
Her playing style complements her teammates and the team as a whole.
“I go into each game and try to be as aggressive as possible, be smart with my decision making on and off the ball, and try to perform to the best of my abilities to help my team be successful,” Gency said.
She has benefited from the high level of competition that Internationals SC offers.
“Internationals Soccer Club is the highest level of club soccer in our area which continuously makes me work hard to keep up and improve on the field,” Gency said. “Competing each practice with this level of players helps me continue to improve. It has been fun to play other competitive clubs such as Michigan Hawks and Western New York Flash.”
Gency credit her coaches for the success and development she has experienced at ISC.
“Mike Stoerkel and Dean Dishman have pushed me to train hard and be the best player that I can be,” Gency said. “Also, Carlos Brito has been a major part of my development on the field at ISC.”
She has some impressive goals for the future.
“I plan on continuing to play soccer in the years to come for ISC, Medina High School, and hopefully beyond,” Gency said. “A long-term goal of mine is to have a connection to soccer so I can continue to be involved with what I love.”
Gency has also experienced tremendous success in the classroom.
“This school year I started middle school and while I play hard on the field, I strive to do my best off the field too,” Gency said. “While having practice or games three or four days a week I have been able to make Honor Roll, averaging a 3.7 GPA the first three quarters of the school year.”
Stoerkel, who serves as ISC’s Girls Youth Director, has been thoroughly impressed with everything that Gency has accomplished.
"Natalie is a wonderful player and it's fantastic for her to get recognized by one of our national teams,” Stoerkel said. “We are very proud of her, the work she has put in, and the growth she has shown over the last 3+ years."
Remember the name Natalie Gency as she may be starring for one of our country’s national teams in the near future.
Photo Credit: Carlos Brito and Cheree Lorentz Johnston