Versatility, Dynamism key for five from Kansas

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Being flexible, being willing to learn multiple positions, being willing to work hard and cover ground is what makes this group of five players from the state of Kanas special. Showing the ability to run, to attack, to defend and cover ground is what stands out for these players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='172803' first='Emily' last='Allen'], Central Defender, Kansas Rush</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Allen is a center back who is the youngest player of this group of five, as she is a 2029 graduate. She attends California Trail Middle and will attend Olathe East when she gets into high school next year. She does many things well, and one of those things is her speed and endurance. She can cover a lot of ground and keep up with any attacking player. A determined player, Allen is very gritty and is also a great leader, leading by example and by communicating positively with her team. She is a smart player who shows a lot of coachability.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='139406' first='Nastassja' last='Garrett'], Midfielder/Forward/Central Defender, Sporting BV</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garrett is the epitome of versatile as she almost literally plays every position, playing all three midfield spots, all three forward spots and plays center back on either side. She is an incredible player, as the 2025 grad of Blue Valley Northwest is already committed to Xavier. She plays club with Sporting Blue Valley on the 2007 ECNL team, where she mostly plays center back. She plays for the ODP National Team and there she generally plays the No. 10 and No. 8 in the midfield or as one of the wide forward spots. Garrett seems to have no weak spots in her game. She distributes excellently, and can make precise passes to build an attack, or to help the team escape pressure and maintain the ball. She has very good speed, is an excellent athlete and because she can make up so much ground quickly, she forces errors and disrupts an attack when she's on defense. As a center back, she's a true force, as you can see in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYxYCt4dX0A">clip</a>. She is not afraid to make a challenge, has excellent timing and is very, very strong. Regardless of what position she is in, she can play a dangerous ball into the area or into the final third. She transitions so quickly and naturally as well, and looks so comfortable either on the ball or tracking an attacking player. When on the ball, she is calm, operating well in tight spaces whether in the final third or building out of the back, and she moves off the ball so well, naturally knowing which spaces to fill. A leader who organizes her team and helps them maintain shape, Garrett is an all-around player who can literally do it all.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='173639' first='Alyssa' last='Hotze'], Forward, Kansas Rush</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hotze is a 2025 player from Pittsburg High, and plays GA for Kansas Rush. She is a forward, generally playing as a wide forward. Hotze is showing an excellent competitive spirit this spring and showing great creativity with her combination play with her teammates, which is leading to success for them and for her. She is a very fast player, and her physical attributes don't stop there. She is very strong, both physically and mentally, and has a desire to be the best she can be. She's learning to balance that with the notion that one does not need to be so hard on themselves and can learn from mistakes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='23413' first='Chloe' last='Smith'], Forward/Outside Defender, Kansas City Athletics</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith is another versatile player in that she can play as a wide forward or as an outside back. She plays back for her club, Kansas City Athletics, and plays as a forward for Eisenhower High. The 2026 player is an excellent 1v1 defender, and a large part of that is because she is such a reliable communicator and a dependable teammate. She's looking to get even better in terms of using her technical skills to operate in tight spaces, and she wants to get better with her tactical awareness, which is already good. A very consistent player in the attacking half, she is looking to get even better in terms of understanding space in supporting the attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='172237' first='Lydia' last='Smith'], Forward/Defender, Sporting Blue Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith plays as a forward and as a defender, displaying great versatility. She is a 2026 graduate who attends Olathe East and plays club at Sporting Blue Valley. She can play in the back or up front because she is very skilled as an athlete. She can use both feet, she is excellent about making runs to create space for her teammates and she is good about finding space for herself. She creates, she opens lanes and she adapts to in-game demands. Smith wants to improve for herself and her teammates, and works hard to do so.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->