Traditions are one of the most influential aspects of life. They can range from beliefs and holidays to lifestyles and pastimes. A legacy, like a tradition calls people to action. But when one leaves a legacy, it's more meaningful. Traditions are grounded in the past, while legacies transcend into the future. Leaving a legacy means modeling the way for those around you and those to come. Emma Thomas's story begins with family tradition but her legacy was born at the University of Dayton. Emma is leaving her mark as a Flyer by the way she leads her team and dedicates herself to soccer.
 
Emma Thomas grew up in Moon Township, Pa where most of her family resides. This small suburb outside of Pittsburgh is where her parents met and she has lived her entire life. Family dinners at her grandparents' house and huge family vacations are Thomas traditions. Since a lot of her family lives nearby, Emma is surrounded by love and considers them to be her biggest support system.
 
Aside from family, soccer is the next constant in her life. Soccer and family have been intertwined since she was a little girl. Emma's father helped coach her club team and Emma's uncle was her Moon Area High School coach. Both were influential figures in her life not only because of the player-coach relationship, but due to their past experience as student-athletes. In college they played soccer at Brown University and the University of Notre Dame, respectively. Some of her cousins continued their soccer careers beyond high school as well. College soccer runs in their blood, it's what the Thomas family does.
 
From a young age Emma was determined to keep the tradition alive. Emma's family gave her the confidence to pursue her dreams. She felt no pressure to earn a college scholarship, however she always thought, "It was the next step." To Emma, there was no other option. She was going to achieve her dream of playing college soccer. Emma's mentality was rooted in her family history, "I knew I could achieve it because everyone in my family achieved it."
 
During her sophomore year of high school it became official, Emma's family tradition was transforming into a legacy of her own. When she was offered a scholarship from the University of Dayton, Emma was excited about the opportunity. She committed in the spring and still considers it to be the best decision of her life. Another member of the Thomas family was going to play college soccer and Emma would now become an example for the next generation in her family. 
 
Emma arrived on campus during the summer of 2017, but her dream was put on hold. On the road to recovery from an injury that happened near the end of her high school season, she could not practice, play in games or travel with the team her freshman year. Those circumstances created a huge challenge for Emma, but she did not let that get in the way of being a great teammate.  Emma supported and led the team in any way that she could. She remembers a teammate saying, "You're motivating us to be better even when you're not out there playing soccer."  It's easy to lead when you are playing. It's easy to lead when things are going great. However, it takes true heart and selflessness to lead when you are injured and that is what Emma did.  Although it may not have been realized at the time, it was the start of her emergence as a leader. It was becoming Emma's turn to model the way not just for the next generation of her family but for her teammates too. 
 
Each season Emma's leadership evolved. Sophomore year she made it a point to build strong relationships with the incoming freshmen and help with their college transition. During her junior year, Emma was voted by the team to become part of the leadership group. It is a challenging task at times but rewarding.  Practicing vocal leadership, problem solving, and uniting teammates pushed Emma out of her comfort zone and helped her grow as both a player and person. This year her growth has continued. She feels even more equipped to be in the leadership group and handle all the responsibilities that go along with it.
 
Unexpectedly, this year poses new leadership commitments. Just as Emma was faced with adversity freshman year, the same holds true for her senior year. The pandemic has brought challenges on and off the field. Covid-19 stopped the world at a moment's notice and continues to create an ambiguous future. This type of uncertainty has the power to be debilitating and exhausting. Being a senior during this time is tough and like many other student athletes, Emma's way of life has changed. What would normally be a fall season has been pushed to the spring. Practices are different, team bonding is different, and being a student athlete is different. However, through all of this change one thing remains the same, Emma's discipline, effort, and persistence. 
 
She has not let the pandemic dishearten her spirits. Emma said, "I'm always pushing myself to be the best I can be, no matter what it looks like in the future." She believes in taking advantage of each opportunity and putting 100% of herself into soccer. Emma dedicates herself fully to all she does and doesn't think twice, "I don't have any other recollection of any other mind set you could have." Emma cannot turn it off. She strives to be the best version of herself, while leading by example regardless of the circumstances. She holds herself to high standards and has the same expectations for her teammates even during these changing times. 
 
Emma's drive to be the best version of herself continues off the field and carries into the classroom. Emma takes pride in education and said she strives to, "Have the same dedication to academics as I do to soccer." Academics does not take a back seat in Emma's life. She has excelled in school as a finance major. One of Emma's biggest accomplishments was making the 11-person Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team junior year with a 3.97 GPA. She has succeeded athletically and academically, showing that both can be done at once! Emma's commitment to school is just another example of how she models the way.  

Regardless of what the future holds, Emma desires to make the most of every moment this year. Looking back on her time at the University of Dayton Emma said, "It's honestly crazy to me that I've made it to this part of my life." She doesn't quite feel like a senior yet, but knows those feelings will come as it gets closer to spring season. Dayton is a second home for Emma and it has been an amazing experience. Emma said it best, "Soccer has meant everything to me. It has given me a sport to play, a workout to do, friends, and travel opportunities. It has challenged my physical and mental ability and has helped me grow as a person." 
 
Soccer means as much to Emma as she means to the University of Dayton soccer program. Head coach Eric Golz sees her impact first hand and is incredibly proud of her growth. Coach Golz expresses his thoughts about Emma's influence on the soccer program, when asked he said, "Emma has been a joy to coach over the past four years. She is an incredibly talented, intelligent, and hardworking young woman who has been striving for excellence ever since she stepped foot on campus here at Dayton. She has lived our values and modeled the way for all of her teammates, helping to bring to life our vision for the program while creating a legacy that will live far beyond her time here at Dayton. Emma has made her family, her teammates and her coaches proud - her investment in her holistic development, her success in all facets of the student athlete experience, and her hard earned growth will all serve her well as she starts the next chapter of her life.  We have her for one more season though, so incredibly excited to see what she can accomplish before she becomes a University of Dayton graduate"
 
Emma will always cherish her college memories and although she has more to make, Emma has no regrets when it comes to her soccer career. She said, "I know I have put 100% effort into everything I've done over the past 18 years."  What started out as a dream is now part of Emma's legacy. The support of family, friends and coaches along with her perseverance, optimism, and fortitude makes Emma an exceptional student athlete. Not only has she shown what it means to be a Thomas, but what it means to be a Flyer.