Providence’s Alexa Thompson doesn’t remember a time when soccer wasn’t a huge part of her life.
That makes sense considering her mom, Kim — whose maiden name is Jedlo — was a three-time all-state forward at Lincoln-Way who went on to play at Cincinnati and Kentucky.
Alexa, a junior defender, grew up playing for her mom. That came with pluses and negatives, but mostly the former, according to Alexa.
“She was my coach for a while and she did make me cry every time,” Alexa said. “But it was worth it. I enjoyed having her coach even if she did make me cry. She taught me so much.
“I love playing soccer and I’m so grateful that my mom was able to teach me all of the stuff that I know now. She’s a big asset in my life.”
And Thompson is a big asset as well for the Celtics, who are on a mission to make it to state for the first time in program history after falling one win short each of the last two seasons.
Last spring, Providence finished 22-1-2 and was undefeated until suffering a 3-0 loss to eventual Class 2A state runner-up Peoria Notre Dame at the Washington Supersectional.
The Celtics bring back nearly everyone from that team, and Thompson is fired up about the roster.
“I think this team is great,” Thompson said. “I love this team. I feel like we’re all connected. Off the field, we’re great friends. On the field, sometimes we butt heads a bit. We push each other.
“But we’re always great friends no matter what.”
Thompson has been counted on to lead from the back since she was a freshman. According to senior midfielder Alyssa Thulin, Thompson was one of the biggest reasons why the Celtics allowed only 11 goals last season.
“It is amazing having Alexa on defense,” Thulin said. “We know if we lose it in the middle, we have someone strong back there to save us. She’ll definitely get it out. She’s a very good asset to our team.”
Thompson confirmed when people find out who her mom is they have big expectations for her. That has pushed her to continue working hard.
“A lot of people do recognize her, but of course, it’s only by her maiden name,” Thompson said. “So, whenever they’ll ask, they’ll say, ‘Oh, Jedlo, you’re her daughter?’ They’ll tell me about how good she was.
“There’s definitely a lot of pressure because I feel like I have to live up to that expectation, but it’s been great having her as my mom and having her know so much about soccer.”
Although Alexa ended up attending a different high school than her mom, coach Dan Radz connects the two chapters of the family tale.
Radz was an assistant coach when Kim played at Lincoln-Way and was the head coach for Kristen Jedlo, Kim’s sister, at Lincoln-Way Central. He’s now an assistant at Providence.
“When I saw Alexa play, I saw qualities of her mom and her aunt Kristen,” Radz said. “She’s like a combination of the two. She knows how to handle herself out there. It’s fun getting to coach her.”
Thompson enjoys it, too. Even if sometimes she gets tired of hearing about her mom.
“It’s fun,” she said. “He does bring up my mom a lot. That’s not a bad thing. But sometimes when I do something good and he brings up my mom, I’ll be like, ‘I did that.’ And he’ll say, ‘No, that was your mom. She taught you that.’
“But it’s fun. It’s nice to have that connection.”
Now, Thompson wants to create her own legacy — by helping the Celtics get to state.
“As soon as we stepped off that field after the supersectional last year, we were like, ‘We’re going to be back and we’re going to better,’” Thompson said. “I think we’re definitely ready to break through.
“I think this is our year.”
