Parkland High School senior Emily Leiby has had success on two different fields throughout her four-year high school sports career. Leiby was a multi-year Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and District 11 champion in both girls soccer and lacrosse.

Starting this fall, she will be one of just a small number of collegiate student-athletes that will be a dual-sport athlete as Leiby signed to Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, to play both soccer and lacrosse.

“I chose Stevens because it allowed me to pursue my academic interest in engineering, while also giving me the opportunity to play both the sports that I love,” said Leiby. “Also, being so close to the city is very exciting and brings a lot of different opportunities.”

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, Leiby and the Trojans lacrosse team were unable to compete this season. But Parkland’s girls soccer team once again had another strong campaign last fall. The Trojans finished the year 20-1-1 and won the EPC title, before falling to Nazareth in the district quarterfinals.

“I think this year we definitely wanted to keep all of our streaks going,” Leiby said. “We experienced a loss in the beginning of the season and it was definitely something that really affected us. But the most exciting thing I saw was that as a team we didn’t let that one loss determine the rest of the season. Even though the season didn’t end the way we wanted it to, we all took things that we can work on and become better players and not take any game for granted.”

Leiby was a midfielder and finished the season with three goals and an assist. She may not have led the team in points, but she was a prototypical ‘team player.’

“A strength that I have as a player is that I know my role on the team,” said Leiby. “I knew where I had to play and be positioned on the field and what I had to do to help the team win. I think I am also a calm player and able to stay cool and collected in pressure situations.”

Being a Parkland student-athlete was something that Leiby will cherish for the rest of her life. It is something that she felt lucky about to be a part of.

“Playing at Parkland was a privilege for me,” Leiby said. “Going into the program you realize that you are not just playing for the name on the back of the shirt, but for your teammates and players that came before you. You are expected to continue the legacy and it is an honor to be given that opportunity. I also think that the competitive environment prepared me for college and the type of coaching taught me a work ethic like no other.”

Leiby was initially recruited to Stevens for lacrosse, but was then given permission to also compete in soccer.