By Elizabeth Contreras
Junior Anna Walker doesn’t need to be loud to be felt on the field. Her impact shows up in the spaces she finds, the passes she threads and the way her teammates trust her when the game gets tight. At Heritage Hall, she has become the kind of player to settle things and connect the group with unselfish play and the steady belief in doing what’s best for the team.
As a key piece of the Chargers’ attack, Walker plays both attacking midfield and center forward, roles that suit her natural instinct to create and finish. While scoring has always been part of her identity, her understanding of the game has expanded over time. She takes just as much pride in setting teammates up as she does finding the back of the net herself, and shared that few moments are more satisfying than slipping a perfectly timed through ball into space for a goal.
“I love to distribute the ball and involve my teammates in scoring positions,” she shared.
When pressure mounts, Walker shared that her mindset stays rooted on her training.
“When the game is on the line, I want the ball. I trust myself and the work that I have put into my game to have that mindset,” she said. By trusting herself, she approaches those moments with confidence and effort, willing to do whatever it takes to help her team win.
Her hard work paid off last season.
Scoring became the area of her game that took the biggest leap forward after an offseason dedicated to extra training. Focused sessions on finishing, footwork, and playing with more aggression helped her emerge as the team’s leading scorer, proof, she said, that consistent effort always shows up eventually. It’s a formula she plans to repeat heading into the upcoming season.
“It is always rewarding when hard work pays off, and I was able to be leading scorer for my team last season,” Walker shared.
While her ultimate goal is a state championship, she measures true success through leadership. Her team-first mindset helps her balance personal expectations with the needs of the group, believing that collective success naturally leads to individual growth.
As one of the team’s top players, she embraces the responsibility of setting the tone.
“I strive to lead by example in every aspect of the game, from the energy I bring to practice to the locker room, warm-ups, kickoff, half-time, and through the final whistle,” Walker added.
Under the guidance of Coach Brewster and Coach Burley, the Chargers’ program has fostered an unrelenting drive for victory.
“The Heritage Hall soccer program teaches players that nothing is given; it is earned,” she said.
For younger players hoping to follow a similar path, her advice is straightforward: work hard, stay coachable, keep a positive attitude, and have fun. Everything else, she believes, will fall into place.
