Folsom Athlete of the Week: Emma Hofmann

Emma Hofmann played a big role in helping Folsom High's varsity girls' soccer team reach the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game. Hofmann, a junior goalkeeper playing her first season of high school soccer, made two saves on penalty kicks to help the Bulldogs defeat River City, 5-4 in PKs, on Tuesday, after the teams battled to a 1-1 tie after regulation and two overtime periods. The win advanced the Bulldogs to the championship game Saturday against Oak Ridge. Hofmann missed the first month of the season with an injury, but when she returned in January, she solidified the defense and made it even tougher for opposing teams to score. "Emma, who is verbally committed to Chico State, is a great at communicating with and setting up the defense," Folsom coach Rick Carrigan said. "She's an exceptional shot stopper with incredible technique. We're completely comfortable with her in goal. She usually makes one incredible save a game that team's need to win." Folsom Telegraph: What are your hopes/plans for after graduation? Emma Hofmann: I am verbally committed to play Division 2 soccer at Chico State and plan to pursue a career in nursing. FT: Do sports run in your family? EH: Yes, my mom played soccer and my dad played tennis through high school. Also, my older brother Ethan has played many sports including basketball and baseball. FT: How long have you been playing soccer and how did you get your start in it? EH: I have been playing soccer since I was 4 years old. My parents put me into recreational soccer, which I played for three years until playing competitively starting when I was 7. FT: Have you ever been involved in other sports besides soccer? EH: I played competitive volleyball for seven years and had to quit last year due to the commitment needed to play soccer. I had the opportunity to play on the FHS JV volleyball team my freshman year and I played on the varsity team my sophomore year. FT: What do you like about soccer? EH: My favorite part of soccer is playing as a team. I love the friendships and trust that I build with all of my teammates and the joy I get from playing. FT: How did you become a goalkeeper? EH: In my first years of playing, I would get rotated through the position. Over time, I became more and more confident and eventually decided to play goalkeeper full-time. FT: What do you enjoy about playing the position? EH: I love the confidence playing in goal gives me. Also, I love the adrenaline I feel in the most tense moments of the game. I tend to thrive under pressure and being a goalkeeper has been the perfect position for me. FT: You were injured at the start of the season. What was your injury and when did you come back and start playing? EH: During a scrimmage in early November, I got kneed in my jaw, knocking me unconscious resulting in a broken jaw and severe concussion. This injury kept me out of soccer and school for all of November and December. I returned to school and slowly began to return to playing in early January and played my first game on January 15th. FT: Did you believe at the beginning of the season that this team would be playing for a section championship? EH: I have always known that our team has had the potential to make it to the championship. We have worked very hard with the help of Coach Rick and Coach Phil, and I'm so proud of everything we have accomplished as a team. FT: How did the team do it? What have been the keys to success? EH: Our team has stayed very positive and encouraging through every win, loss, and tie this season. Before every game, Coach Phil says two words that we all play by... "Heart and Hunger!" Basically this means we have to be determined and give everything we've got and fight not only for ourselves but for our team. FT: Your team beat River City in penalty kicks in the semifinals and you saved two kicks. How hard is that to do and how exhilarating was it to win that game? EH: The hardest part of penalty kicks is definitely the pressure and having your team relying on you. I usually try and tune out everything around me and solely focus on saving each kick by reading the body language of the players. Once the final whistle blew, I was so happy and proud of my team for winning such challenging and exciting game. FT: What do you feel is the strength of your team? EH: I think our determination, heart, hustle, and ability to adapt and work well together are the major strengths of our team. Through the ups and downs we have has this season, we have been able to win the most critical games and make it this far. FT: What is your favorite class in school? EH: My favorite class is Anatomy and Physiology. I enjoy learning all about the human body and how each system in our body functions. FT: Favorite music? EH: My favorite music is from Billie Eilish, and I'm super excited to go to her concert for the second time this April. FT: Favorite Food? EH: My favorite foods are pasta, salad, and pizza. FT: Do you have any pets? Tell us about them. EH: I have two cats named Lulubelle and Reese's who are my snuggle buddies, homework helpers (or distractions) and my alarm clocks every morning. FT: Do you have any hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time? EH: I enjoy spending time with my friends, going to the gym, and watching Netflix. I also volunteer for Hands4Hope and BRO (Bulldogs Reaching Out) with my best friends. FT: What inspires you in sports? EH: My passion for the game, encouragement from my teammates, coaches, and parents, as well as my goals for my future inspire me every day to play. FT: Is there a particular job or profession you'd like to have after college? EH: I hope to become an ER nurse. I plan to join Chico State's nursing school to receive my nursing degree.