Player Feature: Lauren Hall

Lauren Hall, Edgewater Castle FC’s Women’s First Team center back, has helped shape the identity of the squad ever since joining the club in 2022. In this part of the Player Feature series, Hall reflects on her career, her motivations as both a professional singer and a semi-professional player, and why playing ECFC means so much to her.

What’s your earliest memory of playing soccer, and when did you realize you wanted to play it in your adult life?

“I grew up in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago and I remember playing in these small, tiny little fields. We had these jerseys that were blue on one side and yellow on the other side. My parents always told me that while all the kids would crowd around the ball, I would just stand right outside of the crowd and wait for the ball to pop out and run away with it!

I don’t think that [playing in my adult life] was ever a discussion. It was just like the trajectory my life was going to take because soccer just ran in [my family’s] blood. My sister did the same thing, my dad did the same thing, and a lot of my family did too, so I never even thought twice [about not continuing to play soccer].”

What was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey to becoming a semi-professional soccer player?

“In general, I‘ve faced every single one [I can think of]. I’ve faced playing time, not being at the skill level that I needed to be, difficult coaching tactics from leadership. I have not had an easy road throughout any part of my soccer career. [Playing for ECFC] has actually been the most enjoyable, which is why I can’t seem to stop [playing]!”

Who has been the most influential coach or mentor in your career?

“Waleed Torazi. I had him [as a soccer coach] when I was seven years old to eleven years old. It was on the Buffalo Grove Gladiators, and he instilled a warrior mentality of persistence, perseverance, strength, and positive mantras that I still carry with me everyday.”

What does your typical day look like during the season vs. during the offseason?

“I’m a full time musician, so I have a lot of time to myself during the day. I work at night, so in season I have no free time. Every evening is booked. In the offseason, I get a little bit more time for socialization, but then again [playing for ECFC] is another form of socialization for me.”

How do you handle pressure or nerves before big games?

“I approach it just like I do any big gig because it’s a performance. It’s just a different stage. I hype myself up when I need to be hyped up. I calm my nerves when I need to calm it down. It just depends on the game, but the difference [between the two] is that on the soccer field I’m surrounded by an entire team that has my back. That makes me even more confident.”

If you weren’t playing soccer semi-professionally, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

“Playing recreationally, because I literally cannot seem to stop playing soccer because it just brings me so much joy.”

Why did you join ECFC?  

“Natalie Mathis told me to try out when I ran into her at the Fire Pitch one day. I had no idea that [ECFC] existed before that, and she was the person who got me to come try out. The second I came to the first try out, I met some of the girls and was in the [player] community again after not playing college soccer for a while. I was reminded why I played soccer in the first place - because it brings me so much happiness.”

What has been your favorite memory with the team?

“There are so many! One was when we won the [USASA Region 2] cup last year. So much joy and so much pride that was coming from so many people and people I didn’t know, the community I didn’t even realize that we had. I have never seen anybody that happy [in my playing career].”

What is your favorite pregame song?

“‘Pink Pony Club’ by Chappell Roan.”

Who’s your favorite soccer player?

“[Lionel] Messi.”

What’s your favorite pregame meal?

“I almost always end up having something with kimchi in it and I always regret it. I just can’t seem to stay away from kimchi, just got to time it right you know!”

What advice would you give to young players who want to continue playing soccer in their adult life?

“Take a break [from playing soccer] when it’s not fun anymore. If you don’t want to come back, don’t. But if you come back to it and it brings you joy, then you know you should be doing it. That’s what I did; I took a three year break from touching a soccer ball and I felt like something was missing. Soccer brought the joy back into my life.”