When high school athletes step out to compete in their sport, they are doing more than just playing a game. They are also representing their school and community whenever they play. Austin Hurt is a student at Southmoore High School and he says that he is proud to be able to compete for his school.

“Playing soccer for my school and with my friends has always been something I’ve looked forward to being able to do,” Hurt said. “I hope to leave a legacy with Southmoore soccer that other players will look up to.”

Austin is a junior and along with playing soccer for Southmoore, he also plays for Oklahoma Energy FC 06 ENCL. Outside of sports, he is involved with the Student Leadership Activity Committee. 

Motivation can be a big key to being a successful athlete and for Austin, that means putting in the work.

“It takes lots of training in order to be my best,” he said. “There is also hard work and never giving up when things get tough. I keep myself motivated with my inner drive to succeed in everything I do and also my life for the game.”

Southmoore soccer coach Kit Stephenson says that Austin is an outstanding soccer player and he is expecting him to continue that this season. 

“Austin is a very talented player who can play for us in a variety of positions as the game requires,” he said. “He’s coming off a very impressive sophomore year in both club and high school as he led our team in several statistical categories in 2021-2022 and also scored the game-winner in the ECNL National Championship final. We’re expecting a big junior year for this young man.”

Along with his hard work, Hurt says that there have been some key people in his life that have played a big role in him becoming the player that he is today.

“Some of the biggest role models in my life are all my past coaches who have pushed me to become the player I am today,” he said. “One teammate that I enjoy working with in practice is Grayson Schmidt. He always challenges me to work hard.”