CHEBOYGAN — On March 17, Caitlin Easter received a birthday gift.
The very next day, she wore that gift to Cheboygan’s soccer practice because she liked it so much.
What the senior defender received was a blue headband with a yellow stripe with the word ‘Believe’ in front, paying tribute to the TV show ‘Ted Lasso’, based on an American coach who finds himself as the manager of the fictional English soccer club, AFC Richmond, in London.
Since May 18 – whether it’s practice or a game being played – Easter has worn the headband as inspiration from the show she loves, with a message that’s stuck with her all spring.
“I love Ted Lasso’s philosophy about how he’s coaching this team, and it’s not about the wins and losses for him,” Easter said. “It’s about making his players the best they can be on and off the field. That (show) honestly changed my whole philosophy on soccer. I’ve never had a show impact me that much.”
On the pitch, Easter’s positivity, much like Lasso’s – played by actor Jason Sudeikis – has rubbed off on her teammates and coaches, who have been impressed by her leadership and dedication.
“I’ve been coaching Caity since she was a little kid, and she’s always been a positive light and a positive bright spot on our field,” Cheboygan coach Tom Markham said. “Now, it’s been fun to watch her become a natural leader and a positive influence, because we’ve got a lot of young players on this team.”
As influential as she’s been in the program, her play has also been rock-solid, especially during the last two seasons as a physical and intelligent center-back who formed a solid partnership with talented junior Maddie Long, another top defender for the Chiefs.
Together, the duo has made Cheboygan a difficult defense to break down on most evenings.
“(Long) always has my back. I have nothing but the best things to say about her,” Easter said. “I know that if I don’t get something, I know she can, and vice versa. Maddie’s such a tough player. She gives it her all no matter what, and she puts it all out on the line, and she’s very defensive of our teammates and protective of us.”
As a four-year player in the program, it took plenty of time for Easter to develop into one of Cheboygan’s most consistent players on the pitch. As for when it all clicked, that came earlier in her career when a teammate implored her to win the ball during a game.
“I heard (Bella) Lail, who’s our assistant coach now, and she said, ‘Get it, Caity!’ and I just got it,” Easter said. “After that, I thought I do know what I’m doing and that I could do this.”
While she’s not a team captain, she takes her role on the team as a badge of honor. Much like Ted Lasso, she wants to be there for anyone on her team whether it’s a game, practice or off the pitch.
“This team has become more than just a sport to me,” Easter said. “ I know it’s so cheesy to say that, but I’ve honestly built a family on this team.”
Markham, Rupp lead Chiefs past Alpena
Led by a pair of goals from junior Elise Markham and one from Cloee Rupp, the Chiefs wrapped up their regular season with a 3-0 victory over Alpena at home on Monday, May 18.
With postseason play on the way, coach Markham was pleased by his team’s performance against a quality opponent on a wet day in Cheboygan.
“I thought we did a great job recognizing what we had and building good goals,” Markham said. “We had some nice switches that paid dividends and some fantastic goals.”
Cheboygan (9-5-2) hosts Grayling in a 5 p.m. Division 3 district first-round clash on Thursday, May 21.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan soccer’s Caitlin Easter draws inspiration from popular TV show
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
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