Sitting on her living room floor, inches away from her TV, five-year-old Danielle Ram (no relation to this writer) stares in awe as the United States women’s national soccer team takes on Japan in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals. Her thoughts drift to her future and she wonders, could that be me someday?
Now a senior in high school, Ram’s high school soccer experiences have shaped her both as an athlete and a person. Ram’s first time playing varsity soccer was during the pandemic. Although the season was shortened, and team bonding experiences were limited due to safety reasons, Ram still enjoyed her first high school experience. “I was really bummed out that my freshman year was during Covid and the season couldn’t be normal, but it was probably my favorite year of tryouts because Coach Thompson made it really special,” Ram said.
Ram’s overall favorite season was her sophomore year when the varsity girls’ soccer team had a record of 12 wins, one draw, and zero losses. The team ended up winning the County Championship against Poolesville, cementing the season as Ram’s favorite. “I loved the seniors and I made really good friendships that year,” Ram said.
During this past season, Ram was elected as a captain along with fellow seniors Sofia Gabrielle and Lizzie Misovec. As a captain, Ram tried to create a positive, fun environment for her teammates. “She’s really supportive and helpful,” senior goalkeeper Gurnoor Sodhi said.
Despite dealing with a dislocated knee for the first half of her senior season, Ram persevered and ended up scoring in key situations, including on senior night in the team’s Oct. 16 victory against Magruder. Ram said, “It was hard for me to watch my teammates playing while I was on the sidelines injured but I kept pushing through and went to physical therapy every day to get back on the field as soon as possible.”
In addition to soccer, another one of Ram’s hobbies includes baking. Since 2021, Ram has run her own cookie business, baking, advertising, and delivering cookies to her customers. The business started during the pandemic and originally started with Ram baking cookies for her friends. Eventually, the business grew more popular, and Ram started getting orders from customers who wanted freshly baked cookies delivered to their houses. “I started posting on Instagram and people just started messaging me asking for cookies,” Ram said.
On top of soccer, a sport she has played since she was three, Ram picked up a new sport during her freshman year. “I tried out for lacrosse my freshman year of high school because I wanted to try something new and because high school soccer was so fun. I was on JV my freshman year and varsity my sophomore and junior years. It’s been really fun and I’m glad I played,” Ram said.
Ram’s lacrosse teammates have enjoyed connecting with her, especially her younger teammates. “I really enjoyed playing with Danielle last year and I look forward to playing again with her this year,” junior Paige Euler said.
