Windham's Beem earns Southern Maine Regional All-Star honor

Riley Beem, right, a Windham High School senior,
has been named by the Maine Soccer Coaches
Association as a 2020 Southern Maine Regional
All-Star. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

By Ed Pierce

Athletic versatility has paid off for Riley Beem of Windham High School as she has been named by the Maine Soccer Coaches Association as a 2020 Southern Maine Class A Regional All-Star.

A senior defensive specialist, Beem is a model player for coaches and has done whatever has been asked of her, no matter what sport she plays. She’s also an outstanding student, carrying an overall GPA of 102.

According to Deb LeBel, Windham girls’ varsity soccer coach, Beem takes instruction well and has been a key defender for the team.

“The first thing that comes to mind when talking about Riley is her coachability.  She really listens to constructive coaching and tries to implement what you’ve asked her to do,” LeBel said. “Riley is also a very versatile player.  At the end of the 2019 season, we had a key defender sidelined due to injury and when we asked Riley if she’d mind moving back to defense, she replied, ‘sure, no problem.’  Riley was a midfielder for us her first three seasons in high school, but because of her speed she was able to slide into a defensive back position easily.  It was rare that an opponent was able to get around her.”

LeBel said that Beem possesses a number of special traits that contribute to her success playing soccer.

“Riley is a hardworking student athlete.  She has outstanding time management skills, which not all high school students have,” LeBel Said. “She has played a sport each season of her high school career, making her a rare three-season athlete.  Not only did she find time for sports, but she did this while taking AP and Honors classes. Her hard-working personality shines on all aspects of her life.”

Her speed and ability to shut numerous offensive threats down has made her a top defender for Windham’s girls’ varsity soccer team, LeBel said.

“She is tireless on the field and never gives up no matter how many times she is challenged,” she said.
“Riley is a model athlete to have on a team.  She comes to practice ready to work hard, she listens and executes what we’ve put into place.  Riley pushes her teammates in drills and makes everyone around her better.  She is a quiet leader and leads by example.”

And in her years of playing soccer for Windham, Beem has continued to work hard to improve her skills.

“It’s been fun to watch Riley evolve over the past four years.  She’s always been a great athlete, but as a senior she played with confidence and an ‘air’ about her,” LeBel said. “Riley is a relatively small athlete, but because she’s a smart player she could often beat opponents to the ball.  By doing this, her size never mattered.  I think Riley will take many life lessons that she’s dealt with as an athlete and apply them throughout life: she sees the positive in things, never gives up and constantly preservers.  I have no doubt that Riley will use the qualities and become very successful in life.”

Beem is also exactly the type of team-first player that LeBel says she needs to win at Windham.

“Riley is a teammate that gets along with everyone.  She is inclusive and makes the underclassmen feel welcome on the team,” LeBel said. “She is one of the most unselfish players I have coached.  She went from a midfielder scoring goals her first three years of high school to playing defense her senior season.  Her reply was, ‘play me wherever the team needs me.’”

But as talented as Beem is in soccer, she has her sights set on playing another sport in college.

“While Riley is a very good soccer player, lacrosse is the sport she’s most passionate about.  She had the opportunity to play at the University fo New Hampshire next year, but she felt a smaller school would be a better fit for her,” LeBel said. “She will be studying Health Sciences and playing lacrosse next year at Franklin Pierce College.”

Even so, Beem said she’ll miss being part of the Windham girls’ soccer team.

 

“What I like the most about playing soccer is the aspect of being on a team. I have been playing soccer
since I was about 4 years old and have always loved being part of a team,” she said. “Playing a team sport like soccer has taught me many lessons and

while playing soccer and I personally believe that the best players are not the one who are concerned about how many goals they score, but the ones that continuously work hard to make themselves and their teammates better players. Having a team mindset in a sport like soccer will helped me become the person I am today, and most importantly it has allowed me to make some amazing friends.”

 

She said playing soccer for her has never been about how many goals she scores, but about working hard and playing whatever position she was asked to play.

 

“Coming into high school my goal was to work as hard as I can to make the varsity team as a freshman,” Beem said. “As a freshman I started as a forward and now as I senior, I am a defender because that is where the team needed me to be. I think the hardest aspect of playing soccer is having the right mindset. I have come across many types players while playing soccer and I personally believe that the best players are not the one who are concerned about how many goals they score, but the ones that continuously work hard to make themselves and their teammates better players. Having a team mindset in a sport like soccer will always be a greater benefit to the team.” 

 

Beem said she is deeply honored to have been chosen as a 2020 Southern Maine Regional Soccer All-Star.

 

“I was completely surprised when I heard I was chosen to be a part of the Southern Maine Class A Regional All-Star Team,” she said. “I am extremely humbled to be selected and I never thought I would be considered for an All-Star team like this.” <