“Focused,” “driven” and “tenacious” are just a few ways teammates describe Lexi Wong (12) on the soccer field. Yet, behind the fierce competitive spirit she displays in game is an understanding and welcoming leader. As co-captain of the upper school varsity girls soccer team, Lexi places community first, striving to leave the team better than she found it.

Inspired at first by her older sister, who also played soccer, Lexi began her own journey with the sport at the age of 5. Lexi soon found that she truly enjoyed soccer because of the community, competition and challenges it brought with it. Now, she plays on both the school team and a club team, and values the unique opportunities each provides. 

“[I enjoy] that competitive spirit,” Lexi said. “It’s definitely two different environments: for club, it’s about winning, just playing at a high level. High school is more about the team, about camaraderie, just playing with people of all ages. It may not be the same level as club, but I enjoy it because it’s with my friends. [You meet] people you never expect to be friends with, yet you’ve been brought together by the school team.”

Soccer has helped Lexi find many of her closest friends. Fellow senior and co-captain of the varsity girls soccer team Cassie May (12), who has known Lexi since ninth grade, admires Lexi’s dedication to the sport and overall effort on and off the field. 

“[Lexi] is a leader,” Cassie said. “She brings leadership to the team, she brings the organization. She brings people together, she encourages communication on the field. She just brings a lot of spirit to this team as well, because she’s so enthusiastic about it.”

Lexi considers her time playing soccer well spent, for it has greatly impacted the person that she is today. She has taken to heart the lessons soccer has taught her, applicable to both the sport and her life beyond the field. 

“Soccer shapes my personality, not holding back any effort you have,” Lexi said. “Through club, I’ve learned about having self-confidence. Playing amongst people who are UCLA commits — it could be intimidating, but you just need to play to your own strengths. [I’ve also learned how to be] patient and encouraging with those who have never played soccer before.”

No matter the situation, Lexi aims to always put forth her utmost effort, a trait which does not go unnoticed by others. Upper school math teacher and parent of a fellow Harker soccer player Chris Davies has observed Lexi’s work ethic both in class and on the field, recognizing her drive and persistence. 

“As her teacher, I saw Lexi as a great student, very organized, responsible and hardworking,” Davies said. “On the pitch, Lexi would admit she’s probably not the biggest player, but she never gets knocked down or anything. She fights for every ball, and she’s very knowledgeable, so she’s a very good playmaker. I can tell that Lexi’s very competitive. She’s going just as fast and intense in minute ninety as she was at the start of the game.”

The speed and intensity with which Lexi plays have been constant throughout her soccer journey. Alumna Megha Salvi (‘22), who played with Lexi on their club team, took note of Lexi’s competitiveness and perseverance, while looking up to her ability to remain true to her values. 

“The soccer side of her was super competitive,” Megha said. “If I ever beat her, she’d come back with a vengeance, she’d do whatever it took to win the ball. What makes her special is that she doesn’t let competition [overcome] what’s important to her. She won’t compromise her values for the sake of competing.”

Ultimately, Lexi looks forward to continuing soccer throughout her college years, having been recruited to Pitzer College for the sport. While she knows that she will miss her current teammates and friends in college, she remains optimistic about the future and hopes to continue finding community and bettering herself through soccer.  

“I’m going to be playing [against] some of my current teammates in college because we’re in the same conference,” Lexi said. “That journey isn’t over yet. Being able to just continue relationships with them as we go all throughout the country, keeping up with people at games — it’ll be fun. I never expected that I would go down the recruiting path to play in college, but I’m glad it worked out that way. Now, looking back, I don’t think that I was ready to stop after high school.”