Instinct, desire help Brubacher excel in soccer

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN TOM STOPPEL
It’s not unusual that Hillsboro High School alum Grant Brubacher is a three-sport standout at Tabor College.

What is unusual is that Brubacher is a two-time all-conference selection in soccer-a sport HHS doesn’t even offer.

“I grew up playing the sport because my father played and coached soccer at Tabor for a number of years,” said Brubacher, the son of former soccer coach and current athletic director Don Brubacher. “I learned the game growing up even though I didn’t get to play it much.”

A 2001 graduate of HHS, Brubacher honed his skills as a member of the Elyria Christian High School soccer team for three seasons.

“They let me play on their team even though I didn’t attend school there,” Brubacher said. “My family grew up playing soccer, knocking the ball around and learning the basic skills.

“I guess my interest came a lot when my older brother Scott played at Elyria, and that was a draw for me.”

Brubacher was named to the All-KCAC first team this week as well as being tabbed as Offensive Player-of-the-Year. The forward/ striker accumulated 11 goals and nine assists this season and led the conference in total points.

“Grant has given us the ability to score goals which we didn’t really have last year,” said second-year coach Lincoln Wulf. “But he’s also made a lot of goals for the other guys. He’s a play maker and he puts them away.”

Brubacher downplays his accomplishments, and points to his teammates instead.

“The points I’ve scored are a tribute to the team and the guys that play around me,” he said. “I think pretty much every goal I’ve scored has came off an assist, or else someone is in position so I can pass the ball back to them.”

Brubacher opted not to play soccer last fall.

“It was an attempt to stay healthy,” he said. “I was injured my first two years at Tabor and both had related between soccer and basketball.

“I decided to take a year off soccer in an attempt to stay healthy and have a good basketball season,” he added. “Unfortunately that backfired and I got hurt before the basketball season. So I’m back playing soccer this year and I’ll hope for the best.”

Brubacher said his one-year hiatus was an eye-opener.

“I missed playing soccer last year,” he said. “It’s hard to sit out with injuries. I’ve never liked to sit and watch, but I did gain an understanding of what it means to play and the joy of playing.”

Brubacher seemingly didn’t missed a beat upon returning, but the senior said his success didn’t come without hard work.

“Getting back into condition and getting my skills back were a lot harder than I thought it would be,” he said. “You just forget some stuff after taking a year off. The conditioning was definitely a factor.”

But he’s pleased his instincts returned so quickly.

“I guess I was pleased with how well I came back,” he said. “I was nervous after not playing for a year and having a new coach and new teammates. I wondered how things would turn out, but I was really pleased.”

Knowing where to position himself on the field seems to be Brubacher’s natural gift.

“There’s a lot of instinct involved in soccer, but you also have to have a lot of knowledge to play the game,” he said. “You have to make proper runs so you’re in the proper position.”

Wulf said his star forward has more than physical talent.

“Grant has a super-high soccer IQ-others can learn from him,” he said. “I think he’s smart, but his work ethic is extremely high.”

“He sets a strong example,” Wulf added. “If you ask him to do something, he does it. He doesn’t ask how to do it or am I doing it right, he just goes out and does it.”

Soccer is loved around the world, but people in the United States-especially central Kansas -don’t embrace the game with the same fervor.

“I had to defend the sport of soccer a lot more in high school than I do in college,” Brubacher said. “You definitely hear stuff about soccer in the community just because they don’t have the sport here. The people don’t really understand the game and what they do know is often negative.

“A lot of people think soccer is really boring because of the lack of scoring but the more you understand, the more intriguing the game is regardless of what the score is.”

Brubacher said the season has been inspiring, even though Tabor failed to win the KCAC title.

“Especially after a slow start, it’s been a really nice surprise how well we’ve been able to do,” he said. “Part of that comes from all the new people coach brought in and how we’ve learned to come together.

“A lot of people are playing different positions than in the past. But now that we’ve adjusted, everyone is getting solid in their roles.”

Part of what energized the team, Brubacher said, was being picked to finish seventh.

Majoring in business administration with a concentration in accounting, finance and management, Brubacher said he’s unsure what his future holds.

But he hopes soccer will be a part it.

“I’d like to coach soccer at some point, but I don’t know at what level that might me,” he said. “If I ever have kids and they’re my size-which is a little bit smaller-I’d definitely encourage them to take up the sport.

“Size can be an advantage in soccer, but unlike basketball, it’s a sport that rewards athleticism and skill more than size.”

Although the season didn’t produce a conference title, Brubacher said he enjoyed it.

“I enjoy the athletic aspects of soccer-the running and freedom-there’s a lot of creative aspects to soccer,” he said. “I wish more people would come out and watch us play.

“Hopefully, they’d get a better understanding of the game and see how exciting it really can be.”

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