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Griffon Juggles National Guard With Soccer

By: Justin Sampson

Updated: October 21, 2012

The effort to bring Griffon Soccer back to conference contention may have started during summer practice.

But, one player was not with her teammates when the season began. She is, however, making her presence felt since her return.

Juggling schoolwork and social life can be a challenge for a student athlete. It's not uncommon for some to tack on the added pressure of becoming a serviceman or servicewoman.

That's the case for Missouri Western forward Rochelle Gillilan.

"I started thinking about it senior year of high school," she said. "I kind of got talked out of it a little bit and my mom pressured me to do soccer."

The Chillicothe High School alumnus found her way to collegiate soccer and the national guard.

After enlisting her freshman year, she found herself missing summer practice and the beginning of this fall season of her junior year as she completed advanced individual training at Fort Gordon in Georgia.

"To be completely honest with you, I thought we were going to red shirt her," head coach Chad Edwards said. "She didn't work out very much in the summer and then missed all of fall camp."

"I was down there for about two and a half months and came here as soon as a graduated," Gillilan said. "I didn't have any soccer ball in Georgia, so it was hard to come back and not having any touches on the ball."

But, it didn't take long for her to not just get back in her groove, but become a focal point of the team.

"There was no way I could hold her out. I've been super proud of her development over the past year," Edwards said. "Not just this season, she had a great spring. She's playing at a top level and I think she deserves conference honors."

Gillilan said her goal in the guard is to become a helicopter pilot. She's currently working her way to becoming an officer so that she can attend pilot school.

She also said she wouldn't rule out a coach career back in Chillicothe.

"I want to be a PE teacher and coach soccer and basketball back there. I love my small town," she said. "You pretty much know everybody. I still go back there and still know all the athletes even though they're younger than me."

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