It all started in kindergarten on a co-ed soccer team.

Little did Lauren Olson know, her interest in the sport would lead her to Saint Louis University for four years of collegiate soccer with the Billikens.

“It is a great experience, traveling and representing your school and the game you love,” Olson said “Soccer was what I wanted to continue. I’d been preparing for so long. It was something that I didn’t even have to think about.”

Tim Champion, who has been Olson’s coach for her four-year tenure at SLU, said Olson has improved dramatically since her freshman year.

“She came in as a solid back, and this season she has three goals as a defender,” Champion said. “She shows senior leadership. She works with the other players. Everybody likes her and gets along with her and respects her.”

Olson also feels that she has progressed throughout her four years.

“With more experience, I now have a better idea of what to expect on the field,” she said. “I have learned to help my teammates and be more of a leader communication wise.”

Freshman goalie Hannah Perry said she admires Olson’s leadership qualities that extend past the soccer pitch.

“She definitely brings a lot on and off the field,” Perry said. “She brings motivation and intensity, is really easy to talk to and has a very positive attitude.”

With the final regular season game on Sunday, Oct. 26, the conclusion to Olson’s SLU career is fast approaching.

“I’m obviously not excited about it,” Olson said. “It sounds cliché, but it’s bitter-sweet. I’ve always been an athlete, and no longer having that will be hard. I’ll miss the team most. I’m used to being with the girls every day. We are a family.”

Champion said there will be a big hole to fill after Olson graduates

“She is a special person, and I don’t know of one person to come in and fill that void.”

Looking back, Olson said her favorite SLU experience occurred during her freshman year.

“We won conference and went to the NCAA tournament,” Olson said. “We were the first female team to make it. The team flew to California and upset Stanford in the first round.I will always remember being in the locker room before the game, dancing around. It was a great game to be a part of, and I am thankful for that.”

This season, Olson started writing a blog, giving the inside scoop on what’s happening with the team for www.slubillikens.com. It is called The Billiken LOdown.

“It’s important to keep people updated,” Olson said. “We have a lot of fans from St. Louis who aren’t just students. A lot of them are older or little girls that play soccer. They get to see what college soccer is about. It is a good way to give back to our supporters and to teach and present goals to those little girls.”