ECNL AYW SPOTLIGHT – LILY FARKAS by Joana Bromley
March 5, 2019 (RICHMOND, VA) – The ECNL’s Amazing Young Women movement is dedicated to honoring females that have helped to shape the league into the top development platform in the world. This week we are honored to feature Lily Farkas as the ECNL Amazing Young Women Spotlight of the week. Among other things, Lily is a star in the ECNL, competed for the Hungarian National Team, and volunteers at a local hospital.
Farkas has been playing the beautiful game for as long as she can remember. “I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old,” she reflects. ” I can remember going outside on the driveway and kicking the ball around with my dad.” Kansas City Athletics ECNL Director Huw Williams can remember Lily’s talent from an early age as well: “I have known her since she was 8 years old from attending summer camps. She has unbelievable athleticism and has been determined to keep working on her game as long as I have known her,” he expressed.
Farkas plays for Kansas City Athletics (KC Athletics), a competitive club that recently joined the ECNL for the 2018-19 season. “This is my first year playing with KC Athletics and in the ECNL. I have really enjoyed the coaches and the training environment. Playing in the ECNL has given me the opportunity to play against top players and teams every single game.” Farkas scored 11 goals in 11 games this year, her final club season.
“She is a difference maker, a player that scores goals and creates opportunities for others,” said Huw regarding Lily’s impact on the field. “She is a leader on her team in terms of work ethic, but also in her performance, and she is one of those players that her teammates both like and respect.” Farkas’ leadership qualities extend off the field and into the classroom as well, as she is involved in many extracurriculars at St. Teresa’s Academy (STA). She is an Ambassador, Vice President of the Spirt Club, and holds a position on the Recycling Committee.
Farkas has recently embarked on a new journey, playing for the Hungarian Women’s National team. “Playing on the National team has been really challenging, as I have never played at this level before. It was an amazing experience to get to compete against elite level players from different countries,” she reflected on her experience overseas. While Farkas embraced the challenge of a new team and level of play head on, the new culture was also a test. She discussed having to communicate with her teammates in other ways due to the language barrier, “It was hard to understand my teammates at times. There were only 3 or 4 other players that spoke English. I was required to rely on other forms of communication, such as using hand gestures.” Farkas overcame the challenges and obstacles she faced on the national team playing 229 minutes during the 3 UEFA pool play Championship games. She scored 3 goals, had 1 assist, and was named the “Player of the Match” in the game against Finland. “I will never forget scoring my first goal. We were playing against Moldova and immediately after I scored, the whole team gathered together and jumped on top of me to celebrate.” Farkas is looking forward to playing with the team again in April where she will face some of the highest-level teams in the world, including Spain who is currently ranked number one in the world.
Farkas makes an impact both on and off the field. She has dedicated much of her free time volunteering at St. Luke’s Hospital, posting more than 120 hours of service in the last two years, gladly lending a hand to anyone who needs one in the pre-operative department. “I get ready for incoming patients by cleaning rooms, beds, and running errands for the nurses.” She has enjoyed volunteering at the hospital so much that she has entertained the idea of pursuing an education in healthcare when she attends the University of Michigan next Fall. “Volunteering at St. Luke’s hospital has made me think about the future, and the career path I want to pursue,” Farkas states.
Farkas is motivated to begin her college chapter at the University of Michigan this coming fall. She shares that she had an instant connection with the coaching staff and developed similar feelings about the players as well, “Once I visited the campus and got to know the players I knew it was the right fit for me. I look forward to consistently training and putting in the work with my team every single day. I want to get to work both in the weight room and on the field.”
We are so thankful that Lily Farkas shared her journey both on and off the pitch with us. She truly displays what it means to be an Amazing Young Women. We are excited to see her make strides on the field, and change lives off the field. Her commitment and work ethic will continue to inspire many. We wish her the best of luck in April as she travels to Spain for the next round of pool play!
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About Girls Elite Clubs National League: The Girls Elite Clubs National League (Girls ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at top female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs. The ECNL is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by Nike Soccer.
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