Olathe United would like to announce their first player, Elizabeth Serago, to the club. Elizabeth has an extensive background in the sport and a passion that is sure to bring the Olathe United 1st team women side to the forefront of the league.
Elizabeth was asked what it means to be the very first player?
It really means a lot to me. I love to play and want to take advantage of every opportunity I have. I had no intention of "being the first", but now that we're here- I'm hoping we can help develop the women's game even further. I coach young girls and the idea of giving them another opportunity to look forward to as they grow up is everything to me.
Can you give us a little bit of your playing background?
My background is pretty extensive. I'm from Ohio so all of my high school and youth club experiences have been there. I ended up graduating high school with no offers to play in college. I figured I'd stay local and attend the community college nearby. I ended up playing for Lakeland Community College Men's team, then the next year the college created the women's team. I was actually the first to captain and sign for that team as well, so this opportunity to potentially do it again is amazing. After graduating from LCC, I moved to a few different colleges- Notre Dame College (OH), Presentation College (SD), then University of Saint Mary (KS). I played my last year of eligibility at the University of Saint Mary from 2022-23.
In 2022, I played during the summer for a USL W League team, Kaw Valley FC. They ended up disbanding the team, so then I played the 2023 WPSL season with Sunflower State. I am now preparing for a few trials in Kansas and abroad in Europe (where I attended my first pro trial). I am also coaching four youth premier girl's teams at Sporting Blue Valley.
What type of identity would you like this club to evolve into?
I would love for this club to bridge the gap between the WPSL and USL-W League summer seasons. Post college female athletes are spending 9 months preparing for a 2.5 maybe 3 month season in the summer. There are no other competitive teams to play for while prepping for the summer. It was be amazing if this club could offer that "off season" competition at a high level similar to the summer leagues.