Senior defender Ryan Brandt has been chosen as Athlete of the Week for his contributions and representation of E.A.S.T.’s core values of excellence, academics, spirit, and tradition.
Now a four-year member of East’s soccer program. Brandt has climbed from the freshman team to JV and now, a varsity starter. His hard work, both in and out of season, has helped him grow into a consistent and reliable part of the team for the Wolves.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was in kindergarten,” Brandt said. “In the off season, I’m in the weight room like every day, and then practice. We usually practice like five days a week.”
Brandt points to last year’s playoff loss against Naperville North as a turning point. “Last year we lost to Naperville North, first round of the playoffs. We worked in the off season, the people that didn’t graduate worked more and more, our group chat name is literally, ‘Beat Naperville North.’”
Brandt has stood out as Athlete of the week not only because of his accomplishments on the field, but because of his steady attitude, dedication, and willingness to put the team first. “Honestly, I just want to play as much time as I can so that I can help the team,” he said. “And then team goal is to have a winning record and do decent in the playoffs.”
Head coach Stephen Szymanski has witnessed Brandt’s growth firsthand.
“Ryan has worked his way up from freshman to JV to a varsity starter. He’s really put dedication and time into getting stronger, better, faster, and just becoming a better player overall,” Szymanski said. “He’s become more vocal on the field too. As a senior, that’s the kind of development you like to see.”
Szymanski also praises Brandt’s character. “Ryan is the most polite kid. After every practice, he says ‘Thank you Coach,’ gives you a fist bump. He’s energetic, very coachable ; if all your players were like that, your job would be really easy.”
Brandt balances his commitments well, often finishing homework during his lunch period. When asked what advice he’d give younger athletes, he kept it simple: “Get in the weight room and go to Excel class.”
With his positive attitude, work ethic, and team-first mindset, Brandt proves that being Athlete of the Week isn’t just about stats or titles, it’s about character, and representing East with pride.
Written by junior Michelle Wannah. Edited by staff writers for Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.