Adam Crozier Although playing girls soccer all through high school, senior Dharma Allen’s story, and outlook, is uncommon.

She started playing at Perry freshman year, but spent her sophomore and junior soccer seasons at Center Grove High School. With senior status and as one of the fastest Lady Falcons, Allen readies to win for PMHS. There are more ways to win than just scoring more points, she insists.

Despite losing every game played so far this season, that aspect fails to faze Allen. Days of CGHS allegiance are far behind the senior soccer player.

The varsity midfielder says, “Honestly, if we go by just the sports itself, Center Grove has a better program. If we go by the coaching staff and the girls it’s Perry. The chemistry between the girls on the Perry side is better.”

Allen adds, “It’s not even about winning, it’s about helping the JV girls themselves. It’s about getting them to know how the program works and how the game itself works.”

She’s the kind of athlete to seek out players and tailors advice to that specific person. According to teammate junior Hope Haynes, “She helps
keep everyone motivated by going to everyone individually. She’s not afraid to be honest. She says it in a positive way, not a negative way.”

Allen’s a speedster, too. “She’s really good at running,” says Haynes. “She’s fast. She’s not cheetah fast, but she’s pretty fast. She could beat me in a foot race.”

In practice, the varsity team will scrimmage against the JV team. Sometimes the more experienced athletes give the team more chances to score, or work to give the JV the upper hand. Stacking the odds against varsity players help them in the long run, teammates say.

Allen is a big fan of this exercise because very often the team goes into a game where the probability of winning seems small.

She says, “It pushes the varsity girls to work harder because games aren’t always fair.”

Even when the girls lost 7-0 to Bloomington North, Allen looks to the future. “We have sectionals and regionals coming up,” she says, “if we lose those we’re done for. I like to think ahead so we know what we’re doing. It’s not good to dwell on the past.”

“It doesn’t make me that sad, yeah it does suck. My freshman year we went so far with Conference and regionals. It’s simply the fact that I love all the girls we play with. It is a better experience playing with them than just winning.

The Lady Falcons lost against Warren in their Conference match. Allen’s thick skin was shaken. “It makes me feel sad that the season is coming to an end,” she says. “But we still have at least one more game.”

Girls soccer players will compete tonight in sectionals against Lawrence.