Nicole Olson February 2021 Athlete of the Month
Nicole “Nikki” Olson, 17, hails from Stoughton and is a senior at Ursuline Academy in Dedham, where she is the starting goalkeeper and captain of the Ursuline soccer team. Nikki started training at Elite in 2018 with the goals of getting stronger, quicker, more explosive, and ultimately improving her performance on the soccer field. Working with Elite strength and conditioning coach, David Siwiec, CSCS, she has seen tremendous improvements in all of these areas. Nikki tells us that through her training here at Elite, she’s improved her explosive power and quickness, allowing to jump higher and extend her body more quickly to make tough saves. In addition, she’s also increased her upper body, lower body and core strength, which has improved her ability to distribute the ball farther and more effectively. No stranger to lifting heavy, Nikki says her favorite exercises are back squats and hang cleans (see below!), but she also works on improving her mobility with some of her favorite stretches, such as hip adductor rocks and ‘open book’ thoracic mobility drills.
Through her talent, hard work, and dedication to always improving, Nikki has also seen great success on the pitch. In addition to being captain of the varsity team at Ursuline, she’s been selected as the Athlete of the Week by the Boston Globe in 2019, been a member of several club championship teams, and was a member of her former club’s national team in 2019 and 2020 (she currently plays for FC Stars). She’s committed to playing for the University of Scranton next season, where she also plans to study Occupational Therapy so she can “become a successful OT and help many people overcome challenges.”
When asked to describe a true athlete, Nikki displays some wisdom and insight beyond her years: “Someone who works very hard and is determined to succeed while also not being afraid of failure. Every athlete is going to to encounter failure but the true athlete must have the physical and mental strength to get past that failure. Don’t be afraid of failure. With failure come learning experiences that can help you get better.”
As for why she enjoys training at Elite, Nikki says what she loves most are the atmosphere, the staff and the people. “The coaches are nice (and funny) but also still push you to be your best. I am never afraid to fail because I know I will never be judged, but I can always count of the staff to be very happy for me when I encounter success…it’s a welcoming place that I look forward to coming to and pushing myself with the help of my coach.”
We could not be happier for Nikki and the success she has enjoyed, thanks in part to all of the qualities she displays – strong work ethic, commitment to always getting better, no fear of failure – that are all qualities that we value greatly here at Elite. Congratulations, Nikki, for being selected Elite Athlete of the Month for February, 2021! We know you have a very bright future ahead of you and we look forward to continuing to help you be the best athlete you can be!
Elite offers Sports Performance and Athlete Training programs at both our Foxboro and Stoughton locations. To learn more about our programs for athletes of all ages and sports and how you or an athlete in your family can become our NEXT Athlete of the Month, click HERE or email us at EliteSPC@EliteFitCenter.com!
