Forest Hills Eastern soccer has seen much change throughout its last 4 years. With multiple coaches and mass amounts of player turnover, the team has struggled. Being thrown into a brand new conference that’s littered with the best of the best teams in Michigan has left Eastern between a rock and a hard place, as they need to develop their players but still attempt to win games. It’s been a hardship that has fallen upon the entire team with players old and new facing the struggle. Throughout all this turmoil there remains a constant: Lawrence May. May, a senior, is a stellar midfielder for the Hawks and has been the team’s rock through these tough years by providing the team with hope when necessary and setting examples every step of the way. Sadly, May sustained a broken ankle mid-way through the season that caused him to miss a multitude of games, in turn leading to the entire team struggling without one of their centerpieces. However, May made a heroic return toward the end of the season, in tandem with huge wins over #11 Hudsonville 3-1 and Ottawa Hills for senior night. FHE soccer unfortunately had their season ended by Forest Hills Central 4-0, but now the team and its players look to broader horizons—especially that of May, as he wants to continue his soccer career to the next level.
May began playing soccer at the age of 4 for AYSO and has been in love with the sport since. He attributes his passion to his parents who pushed him to play throughout his youth. His father was an excellent soccer player throughout college, so May was born to play the sport—and play he did. Before the high school level, May played with the club Midwest United for six years and then joined the high school squad at Forest Hills Eastern. From the start, May greatly impacted his team, showing off his leadership skills from a young age. When asked if he viewed himself as a leader, he responded “I definitely think of myself as a leader,” claiming that to be a changemaker, “You need to be loud and communicative if you want to succeed, and I’m exactly that.” May has a jubilant personality that inspires people to follow him. The personality acts as a sort of glue for his team. When they are in a rocky situation or struggling, they look to him as a leader.
Every player faces challenges throughout their sports career, and May is no different. After a grueling off-season filled with club play and personal workouts, May had high hopes for the season, as any athlete would. He had put thousands of hours into his off-season and it was all taken away in an instant. May went for a routine header in a regular season game, and tragedy struck. He was pushed and fell directly onto his ankle, resulting in him breaking the bone. Doctors said he’d be out for at least 6-8 weeks devastating May as he’d be forced to the sidelines and watch the the team longingly until he healed. This injury offered time for reflection upon his career, both in the past and future. Would he play out his last few soccer games ever in high school, or look onto greener pastures at the college level? It’s a brutal decision many face. Athletes question if it’s worth the time and struggle to try and make a college team. Although May hasn’t made his decision quite yet, whatever he does, he will excel and succeed in it.
