By Rubin E. Grant
At times in recent years, Spain Park girls soccer coach Robert Starr has heard a pinging sound on the field outside his office during the Jaguars’ offseason.
Starr didn’t have to investigate where it was coming from. He knew exactly what it was: Spain Park midfielder Tatum Ahlemeyer (right) practicing.
“When it’s offseason for us, it’s club season for her,” Starr said. “She’s out there by herself, hitting balls off the bench. She does anything she can to work on her shot. She’s the soccer version of a basketball gym rat.”
That wasn’t always the case. When Ahlemeyer started playing soccer at the age of 4 in a recreational league in Helena, she often would cry on her way to games.
“I was not super excited about it,” Ahlemeyer said.
That changed rather quickly as she fell in love with the sport.
“After that initial season of not being too excited about it, I think something in my little 4 year-old mind must have switched and I really did start to enjoy playing,” Ahlemeyer said. “So probably very early elementary school age is when I knew I wanted to keep playing soccer.”
By the time she reached middle school, Ahlemeyer was good enough to join Spain Park’s varsity team as a seventh grader.
“She’s a tremendous soccer player,” Starr said. “She puts in the work. Sometimes in the fall, she goes over to Atlanta to play. She puts herself in competitive environments all the time.
“Her teammates appreciate her for being the way she is.”
Winning State
Ahlemeyer is now a senior. As a sophomore, she played a starring role as the Jags captured the 2022 Class 7A state championship, the fifth state title in program history. She was named tournament MVP after scoring two goals and assisting on another as Spain Park shut out Fairhope 4-0 in the championship game.
Ahlemeyer remembered it as a team effort as the Jags ended an 11-year drought without a title.
“That team was especially close and that’s what made it so special,” Ahlemeyer said. “That was the year the Spain Park program turned the corner on its culture. We had a group of girls who loved each other and played for each other cause we were playing for something greater than ourselves whenever we were on the field.
“Winning the state championship was awesome. We were able to finish with a win and only one team can do that. It was a really cool experience. I’m grateful we pushed through it in more ways that just on the field. It because of the culture we built to fight for every opportunity to do our best.”
Ahlemeyer has scored more than 20 goals in each of the last three seasons, including 23 this spring.
The Jags (18-0) entered this week ranked No. 1 in the AHSAA coaches’ Super Poll and in Class 7A. They clinched the Class 7A, Area 6 championship last week with a 1-0 victory at Oak Mountain. Morgan Anthony scored Spain Park’s only goal on as assist from Addy Soehn.
Showing Compassion
As good a soccer player as she is Starr said Ahlemeyer might be a better person.
“For a young adult, she’s considerate beyond her years,” Starr said. “She’s always looking to see how she can make every one else feel better. It doesn’t matter whether it’s someone at Spain Park or an opponent.
“I’ve never had the pleasure to coach anyone like her day in and day out. I’ve coached some great soccer players, but not someone like her who has it all together.”
Starr cited a remarkable show of compassion by Ahlemeyer in the 2022 Class 7A semifinals against Vestavia Hills as an example. With the score tied 1-1 in the final seconds, the Rebels’ goalkeeper misplayed a ball hit into the box and it resulted in the winning goal for Spain Park.
“The goalkeeper was feeling terrible and Tatum runs over to her and picks her up and tells her it wasn’t her fault and she did great,” Starr said. “She beat (the goalkeeper’s) teammates and their coach to her.”
Ahlemeyer remembered it as act of her Christian faith.
“That’s really an awareness of Christ, knowing no matter where I am, I am a child of God and I should display the grace of God on the soccer field or off,” Ahlemeyer said.
Her faith is the reason Ahlemeyer is headed to Lipscomb University in Nashville to play soccer in college.
“The college recruitment is an amazing journey with all the universities wanting you,” Ahlemeyer said. “I had a broad list going in. I wanted to go where the Lord was leading me and by his grace that was Lipscomb.
“As soon as I stepped on the campus and then met the team and coaches, I knew it was an environment I wanted to be a part of it. Coach (Kevin) O’Brien said he wanted us to glorify the Lord in what we do and he wanted to help us become the best person we could become.”
Leaving a Legacy
As her high school career winds down — the Jags have three regular season games remaining and then the state playoffs — Ahlemeyer has begun reflecting on her six years playing for Spain Park.
“It has been an incredible ride,” she said. “I started playing varsity soccer as a little seventh grader with girls way taller and way bigger than me and now I’m one of the experienced players. I have grown so much as a player and a person. It’s just a lot of gratitude because of the way we do things in a family like atmosphere. I also have developed deep relationships for the rest of my life.”
Ahlemeyer is hoping for one last hurrah before she’s done. Spain Park is looking to reclaim the 7A title after bowing out 1-0 to Oak Mountain in the second round in 2023.
“This season is going much better than it possibly could have as far as getting the results we hoped for,” she said. “It’s been a unique experience.
“Every team wants to win state. It’s something we talked about during spring break that in the second half of the season we always want to be prepared and our expectations are to play and win state. We’ve got a group who want to do their best and leave it all out there on the field.”
Even if the Jags fall short in their pursuit, Starr said Ahlemeyer’s legacy is secure.
“I would be hard-pressed to find someone better as a soccer player and a person,” Starr said. “We’ve had her for six years on the varsity and it’s been a privilege to have her on the team. We’re going to miss her when she moves on to Lipscomb.”
