Moses Lake's Abby Rathbun balances soccer and basketball the only way she knows how: hard work

MOSES LAKE — Denali Knowles greeted a soccer ball with her face during practice on Wednesday.

“That’s not easy to take,” said Abby Rathbun, gesturing from the bleachers.

Rathbun, a two-year captain and senior forward for Moses Lake’s soccer team, verbally committed to play basketball for the University of San Francisco last week. But it was soccer, which she started playing at age four, that was her first love and the sport that taught her valuable lessons that translated from the pitch to the hardwood.

“For most of my soccer career I played defense so last year I was the Defensive Player of the Year for basketball and I claim a lot of that off of soccer,” Rathbun said. “It gave me that defensive mentality where defense is what wins championships and I don’t care who you are, where you came from or what you’re ranked — I’m going to stop you no matter what. That’s what I do.”

Rathbun began playing basketball in third grade, in addition to club soccer. In middle school, she was offered a chance to play club basketball as well and that’s when the idea of playing college basketball started to form.

Rathbun briefly entertained the idea of trying to play both soccer and basketball collegiately, but in hindsight, knew that would be too difficult.

So hoops became the commitment, but soccer remained for several reasons, including the relationships Rathbun had cultivated with her teammates in four seasons on varsity and the goal of a return trip to the state tournament.

“It keeps me going and it keeps me in shape and there’s just lots of positives to soccer even though it’s a little difficult at times coming from basketball all year having the ball in your hands then something’s at your feet,” she said. “It does get a little frustrating at times, but there’s a lot of lessons I’ve learned from it and I’m so happy that I stuck with it and these girls are amazing.”

Rathbun has balanced her time between soccer and basketball, as she put it, with “lots of late nights.” She will go from soccer practice to the court to keep her shooting touch from depreciating.

After a difficult loss on the road to a rival like Wenatchee, some players would prefer to stew.

Not Rathbun.

All she could think about was getting back in the gym.

“That’s kind of the mentality you’ve got to have if you want to play in college,” Rathbun said. “It’s a job and it’s not going to be easy at all and you’ve also got to love doing it because if you don’t love doing it it’s going to feel like torture.”

Due to the recruitment process, Rathbun was sidelined for Moses Lake soccer’s season opener against Post Falls as well as a non-league game with Hanford. Moses Lake played well in both games, routing Post Falls 5-2 and losing in a shootout to Hanford 2-1.

But teams take notice when Rathbun’s on the field.

“She just adds that intensity and leadership that we need on the field and a big presence,” head coach Ric Char said. “Last night and every game that we’ve played so far they’ve double teamed her and so if she can get that much attention that just relieves pressure for other players and that’s invaluable in the big scheme of being successful.”

Char is no stranger to coaching standout basketball players on the soccer field.

Jessie Loera, who is entering her sophomore season with Gonzaga University, was an all-league defender for the Chiefs’ soccer team. Jamie Loera, Jessie’s little sister, played soccer her freshman year at Moses Lake and verbally committed to play basketball for Arizona State University in July.

“I’m a big proponent of players and athletes doing multiple sports,” Char said. “Number one, for the physical benefit of it all. I think you can condition your muscles a lot better. Your coordination is a lot better than one-sport athletes. Number two, experience-wise I think you get different looks at coaches and how they run programs and also I think you get a greater experience, I think, by varying your sport and playing different sports.”

Char isn’t alone in his assessment.

“The Gonzaga (women’s basketball) coach (Lisa Fortier) came and watched us practice and she was a huge advocate of that’s who she scouts and who she recruits is multi-sport athletes because, obviously, they have the coordination and footwork that she needs on the basketball court,” he said.

Rathbun had a range of Division 2 offers and Division 1 offers from San Francisco and California State University, Fullerton.

The Dons turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

“I never expected to go there,” Rathbun said. “Honestly, it was everything I could have ever dreamed of in a completely different shape and form. I’m super excited. There’s so many positives even though it’s a big city. There’s so many positives from the academics all the way to the basketball program and even the community there

“The opportunity I have there is amazing and I can’t wait to start that journey already.”

The future of Moses Lake soccer is yet to be determined.

Nearly halfway through the Columbia Basin Big Nine schedule, Moses Lake, West Valley, Wenatchee and Eastmont should contend for the two state tournament berths.

Rathbun has a pretty clear idea about basketball season, though.

“Honestly, I’ve only had two goals in my mind,” she said. “That was win the state championship and to figure out what school I’m going to. Whenever I go to the gym that’s what I think about and that’s what drives me every day to get better.”

One down, one to go.