Before her freshman year, Jasmine Brown had never played competitive soccer.
On Wednesday, she signed to take a scholarship at Crowder College in Neosho, joining her sister, Julia Brown, on the Roughriders squad.
At Cassville, Brown has etched her name into the program’s young record books. After three years mostly as a goalkeeper, Brown became a midfielder and forward in her senior year, netting 11 goals and dishing 4 assists.
She’s No. 2 overall in the program for career goals behind 2019 graduate Jazmin Huett (Aguirre) with 14, and she’s one point (goals and assists combined) behind Huett, who has 16.
Brown said in choosing her next step, there were many considerations.
“I heard about the chemistry of the team and how good it was,” she said. “I can’t wait to be a part of that. My sister also played a part. She wasn’t everything, but when Crowder reached out, she was definitely on my mind. I’m glad to get to play with her again.
“I also chose Crowder because it’s close, and I have a familiarity with it because of Upward Bound and A+.”
Brown said when she joined the team in 2019, playing was more a hobby.
“It was just a hobby at first, but then I fell in love with it,” she said. “It was great to play with my sister then and bond with the team over the years.”
Jake Forste, Cassville soccer coach, said he’s overjoyed for Brown.
“I’m super excited she’s playing at Crowder, and we plan to load the bus up a time or two next season and go watch them play, make a field trip out of it,” he said. “JB has inspired a whole wave of Lady ‘Cats, and she’s making the school and community proud, not just me.”
Forste said Brown’s four-year rise from newbie to signee is all due to her work ethic.
“She should wear it like a badge of honor, because all that time and effort spent is paying off in the form of real money in scholarships,” he said. “It shows if you put in the effort and the time, stay humble, work hard and persist, you will be rewarded. It’s more than talent alone.”
Jason Bond, Crowder head coach, said he saw Brown play and liked her athleticism and speed.
“She has a lot of speed, and she’s a good student, too,” he said. “That’s important to us. I also really liked how uplifting she was with her teammates. That’s not always something you see in a first impression. Other than that, she’s athletic and sticks in on tackles. She will transition well to the college level as a mid or forward, but probably mostly outside and up top.”
Brown is the daughter of Jessica Baugus, of Cassville. She is undecided on her major.
