Geneva junior Rilee Hasegawa is not one to stand still.
She naturally adheres to a classic idea made famous by legendary men’s basketball coach John Wooden, who said “be quick, but don’t hurry.”
As an athlete for all seasons, Hasegawa is rarely idle. But given the start-and-stop style of both basketball and tennis, soccer captures something closer to her true self.
“I just really enjoy the constant playing,” Hasegawa said of soccer. “Unlike certain other sports, you don’t have those three-minute breaks.
“You are always on the ball, touching the ball, always engaged for a long period of time, playing 40 minutes straight in a half.”
Hasegawa, an attacking midfielder, is a whirling dervish on the field who uses her blend of speed, quickness and athleticism in a way that typically frustrates the opposing defense.
In her first season on the varsity, Hasegawa scored 11 goals and added two assists last spring in earning all-sectional, all-conference and all-area honors.
Now a year older and more attuned to the physical style and different tactics, Hasegawa has expanded her game as a scorer and creator for Geneva (7-2).
Sophomore midfielder Caroline Madden, a teammate in soccer and basketball, plays in close collaboration with Hasegawa in the Vikings’ formation.
“One of the best strengths of Rilee is she is giving her best effort every second of the game, no matter how long she has already been playing,” Madden said. “With soccer, it is amazing how she is able to step to every ball and win it because of her speed and skill.”
Those skills are definitely her defining characteristics, but they also are vital in countering a lack of size. The 5-foot-2 Hasegawa has learned how to play to her strengths.
“With my speed and athleticism, I am able to dribble past defenders, juke around them and get around players,” she said. “I think of myself as more of a tactical player, playing feet, moving the ball, connecting with the team and making the simple combinations.”
As a point guard in basketball, Hasegawa also played much bigger than her size, a playmaking ace who helped the Vikings finish 25-5 and win a Class 4A regional title.
“Being short in basketball, you have to have a lot of confidence,” she said. “Knowing your own game, being more creative in space and learning how to make the best of my abilities.
“That has really helped me with soccer. I know how to get through tight spaces and move quicker between players.”
Playing both singles and doubles last fall in tennis, Hasegawa developed superb footwork, balance and concentration. In her world, everything connects.
Junior midfielder Julianna Drew also plays with Hasegawa for the Vikings on the girls tennis team.
“I think what makes her elite is she has this great passion for the sports,” Drew said. “She has a lot of determination.”
Off the court or the soccer field, Hasegawa is her own person — quiet but decisive and outgoing.
“It depends what situation Rilee is in,” Drew said. “She is really comfortable with a group of friends and she can really be herself.”
Rather than tire herself out from making the transition from one sport to the next, Hasegawa said she keeps her body in ideal condition.
“Basketball gets me ready for the high intensity of high school soccer,” she said. “Playing on those small indoor fields during the winter for club doesn’t really get you going.”
In that way, she makes her magic happen.
“Rilee is very confident with the ball in both sports,” Madden said. “I always trust her when I give her the ball.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.