PLYMOUTH – Plymouth High School girls Kizer Award winner Anna Bockman’s love of soccer started at an early age.

“I was probably five, maybe four was the first time I was out there,” she said. “I’m not sure how good the games were, not a lot of strategy, just basically running up and down the field but it was fun.”

While Anna went on to love softball and basketball as well in her time in Plymouth athletics, soccer would remain her favorite.

“I like the physical aspect of it and the strategy,” said Bockman. “And I really like the team aspect, having to work together with your team mates to win. You make a lot of friends. Emma Frantz and I have been playing together for 10 years I think. It was great to play next to her for all those years and four years in high school.”

An anchor of the Plymouth defense on the soccer field she felt it fit her particular skills.
“I feel like a do a pretty good job of reading the offense,” she said. “I feel like I can see the way things are developing and anticipate passes.”
A second baseman for the Lady Pilgrims softball team Bockman’s basketball career was cut short after just two years due to a unique medical condition known as Scheuermann’s disease 
“It’s compression in the spine, it’s very painful,” said Bockman. “In basketball the constant contact on the upper body and twisting just made it too painful to play. I had to sit out my sophomore year because of it.”
Not being in competition was hard enough.
“Yes it really did kind of drive me crazy,” she said. “Getting in the weight room I was finally able to get back. I was able to do lifts that allowed me to strengthen the other muscles around my back and deal with it. It made me able to get back on the field to play softball.”
The weight room became a common place to find Bockman.
“I started lifting in eighth grade because that was when they let us start,” said Bockman. “I think that’s why I was able to play soccer as a freshman with all those 18 year olds. I was strong enough to hold my own.”
Anna’s family is a close knit group. Her father Phil was a North All Star in football while in High School and is a an assistant coach on the Rockie staff. Mom, Becky was also a three sport athlete at PHS and her brothers Owen and Noble and sister Rachel are all active as well.
“We are really close and it’s nice to have your own cheering section,” said Anna. “My youngest brother (Noble) is definitely my number one fan.”
Her parents are fans as well but add an element of knowledge.
“They couldn’t be more supportive and they aren’t afraid to try to point out things I can do better,” she said. “I know that parents are just supposed to tell you how great you were, and they do that, but it means a lot to me that they watched close enough to see things that I could do better and they want to help me.”
Bockman is also one of the top students in her class.
“It was really hard with weeknight games,” she said. “I’d get done with soccer some nights about 10:30 p.m. and not really start my homework until 11 and then be up until one or 1:30 getting everything done.
“School has always been number one for me. That’s paid off enormously.”
Bockman plans on attending Valparaiso University in the fall.
“I’m going to major in chemistry,” she said. “I’m thinking I’d like to be in pharmaceuticals, in the lab, making medicine.”