For The Tribune
Cole Galyen began playing soccer in Seymour at a young age, but when he entered Trinity Lutheran High School, he decided to play football.
Before his junior year he switched to soccer and said he is pleased he made the change.
“I played on the Cyclones travel team, so I already knew how to play, and I really didn’t like football that much,” Galyen said.
“(Cyclones coach) Greg Jones really helped me. I played from fourth grade to eighth grade with Greg, so going to practice and playing fall and spring soccer really helped me.”
During his two years, Galyen aided the Cougars’ defense.
“I played right back my junior year because there were five seniors on defense, so they already had their spots locked on,” Galyen said. “My senior year I played in the middle.
“My junior year, Parker Criswell would tell me what to do all the time and that is what I did this year. I would tell the people surrounding me what to do.
Galyen, who was a captain this past fall, said during his junior season he enjoyed “marking up” opponents and gaining possession of the ball for the Cougars.
“I liked being physical,” he said. “I didn’t get a yellow card the whole season, although sometimes I probably should have. You’ve got to be physical right when the game starts to let them know that you’re going to play hard and you’re going to fight. I would say the first 10 minutes of the match are important.”
“This year I told teammates to ‘mark up’ on people and to press, and even if a guy was not in their area yet, even if they were jogging down the field, to watch them.
Galyen said having a good mental outlook, and communication, go hand-in-hand to having success in soccer.
“I always had to talk to teammates next to me,” he said. “They were all younger so I had to direct them.
In games, Galyen did whatever it took from the defensive end to help the Cougars put the ball in the back of the net.
“Getting the first goal is really important because it kind of shuts the other team down,” Galyen said. “It will either shut them down, or they will be pressing even more.
“It depends on the game and depends on when you score. If you score at the end of the game then that shuts them down.”
This past fall, Galyen scored two goals off corner kicks.
“On corners, we kind of just knew what we were going to do,” he said. “We would (take) corners during practice.
The Cougars defeated Salem on senior night, one of the highlights of Galyen’s career.
“I scored that game,” Galyen said. “That match was a lot of fun.
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Parents: James and Jeanne Galyen
Siblings: Connor and Charlie
Sports: Soccer, two years; football, two years
Athletic highlight: Helping Cougars win 2014 sectional and reach regional championship match
Plans after high school: Attend college
Organizations: Choir, musical
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite band: Imagine Dragons
Favorite movie: “300”
Favorite athletic teams: Indiana Hoosiers, Indianapolis Colts
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Q: Have you enjoyed your time at Trinity Lutheran?
A: “I’m really glad I came here. I came here for football, and ended up playing soccer for two years. I like how it’s small and how everyone gets along. I’ll definitely remember the friends I made and my experiences here. I enjoyed the teachers.”
Q: Where were some of your favorite matches?
A: “I liked the home matches. I liked when my friends come out here and watched us. (On the road), I liked New Albany because they have a nice field. I liked night matches more.”
Q: What’s a moment you will never forget from your soccer career?
A: “I’ll remember last year’s regional game against Southwestern. We went into (penalty kicks) and won in the PKs, and then we lost to Providence.”
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