Athletes face the possibility of injuries every time they step onto the playing field.

However, it is the true competitors with an unwavering love for the game that persevere and come back season after season, game after game, with the same competitive drive, regardless of the risk of injury.

Katlin Stephens, a senior at Athens Academy, has experienced her fair share of injuries throughout her soccer career.

Stephens’s coach, Steve Stewart, said that the athlete’s position as goalkeeper causes her to hit the ground a lot and creates collisions that attribute to her injuries.

“She had a bad bone bruise which had to be drained several times. [And] she ended the season from a severe high ankle sprain,” Stewart said.

But injuries throughout the season didn’t hold Stephens back as she finished the year with eight shutouts as goalkeeper.

When she wasn’t denying other teams goals, Stephens got a feel for the offensive side of the ball playing striker and scored 10 goals and added four assists to her stat sheet over the course of the season.

“[Stephens is] athletic, fast and determined. She is an exceptional athlete and a team leader,” Stewart said.

Stephens plans to attend Columbus State and continue her soccer career.

As an athlete that refuses to let injuries keep her down and excels at both goalkeeper and striker, Stephens will clearly be an important addition to the Columbus State team.