University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Rick Yeatts Photography
DeFrain's Obsession For Greatness
8/13/2020 8:58:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DENTON – As North Texas soccer senior Elle Marie DeFrain walked out on to the Mean Green soccer field and laced up her cleats last Tuesday morning for her last first practice of the year, the heavy Texas morning heat weighed over the grass.
The once nervous and shy freshman was now all of a sudden the most experienced senior on UNT's most successful athletic program.
"It's actually been pretty exhausting," DeFrain said with a laugh reflecting on the last three years. "Not just physically but mentally. But it's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."
The midfielder enters the 2020 season having played in 61 matches for UNT and started a team-high 51, including 43 in a row. She and her fellow Mean Green seniors have won 44 matches in their first three years and are on pace to set the program-record for most wins by a four-year senior class. They joined a UNT program in 2017 that had won a league title in each of the previous three straight years. They continued that dominance with three more consecutive years of winning trophies.
But DeFrain's obsession with mastering the details is what has helped her overcome so much and become one of the first players head coach John Hedlund writes down on the starting 11. Furthermore, its helped lead the Mean Green to three straight NCAA Tournaments and potentially a fourth straight, something that no UNT athletic program has accomplished in over 50 years.
"I wasn't worried yet about breaking records I just wanted to get by," DeFrain said laughing about her freshman year. "I was intimidated but focused on making sure I did what I needed to do to make my times, learn the system and ultimately help the team win championships."
DeFrain's freshman year began like most.
Plenty of highs.
But also.
Sometimes what felt like the lowest of lows.
She began on the bench. She battled injuries.
But what you quickly find out about DeFrain is that she's obsessed with working through problems and improving.
"I love the technicality of things," DeFrain said. "I admire the little things that go into a skill. Any sport. A lot of hard work goes into crafting a skill. Even from the outside what might seem like the simplest of ones. I'm fascinated by what went into mastering it."
As the first practice began, Hedlund started the team with some simple drills to show off their skills, footwork, touch and pace. And like every year, DeFrain was one of the best.
As she juggled a ball with her feet across the field without breaking stride or losing focus, sophomore Michelle Gonzalez said "I look up to Elle. She's got amazing skill and works really hard. You can't just pick up a soccer ball and do that. You have to practice a lot to get to where she's at. And she does."
The engineer major spends countless time crafting her skills and techniques but not just in soccer. One of her passions off the field is her 500cc motorcycle, which at a young age she worked hard to purchase on her own. Though she's decided to hold off on riding it until she graduates for safety reasons and putting the team first, DeFrain says she gets a thrill out of just making the perfect turn and understanding how to perfectly ride the powerful machine.
While the motorcycle currently sits in her parents' garage in Plano, DeFrain also enjoys mountain biking for the same reasons as the motorcycle and makes trips to Colorado to ride.
"It's a beautiful place and a great escape," DeFrain said. "Riding through the mountains with my friends is an ideal getaway."
"There's so many skills that go into riding a motorcycle and a mountain bike," she added.
DeFrain's mental drive and obsession to get better has been a leading characteristic not just for her but one that's rubbed off on her teammates who have noticed all she's accomplished to be one of the first names on the team sheets.
After starting her freshman season on the bench and battling through injuries, DeFrain worked her way into the starting lineup her freshman season. She finished her freshman season starting the final six matches of the year, which included starts against No.18 Rice, all three of the Mean Green's conference tournament matches and at nationally ranked Texas in the NCAA Tournament.
DeFrain was even inserted into the penalty kick shootout of C-USA Tournament championship match her freshman year and converted.
"I gained a lot confidence," DeFrain said of the end of her freshman year. "But I grew to understand that I just needed to work hard and even if I had a bad game I needed to put it behind me and focus on the next match."
Since being inserted into the starting 11 at the end of her freshman season DeFrain has never been left off. She's played all over the midfield and has become one of the most skilled players on the field no matter who she plays.
Regardless if they reach a fourth straight NCAA Tournament, DeFrain says she doesn't know what her senior class' legacy will be but it doesn't seem to matter to her a whole lot. She knows they'll never forget the hard work that went into winning championships.
"I've grown so much over the last three-plus years," DeFrain said. "The wins, the rings and memories mean so much to us but the drive to always be better and the work ethic I've learned will carry me whatever I end up deciding to do. I know I can accomplish anything if I put my mind to it."
Support North Texas student-athletes by visiting MeanGreenScholarshipFund.com.
The once nervous and shy freshman was now all of a sudden the most experienced senior on UNT's most successful athletic program.
"It's actually been pretty exhausting," DeFrain said with a laugh reflecting on the last three years. "Not just physically but mentally. But it's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."
The midfielder enters the 2020 season having played in 61 matches for UNT and started a team-high 51, including 43 in a row. She and her fellow Mean Green seniors have won 44 matches in their first three years and are on pace to set the program-record for most wins by a four-year senior class. They joined a UNT program in 2017 that had won a league title in each of the previous three straight years. They continued that dominance with three more consecutive years of winning trophies.
But DeFrain's obsession with mastering the details is what has helped her overcome so much and become one of the first players head coach John Hedlund writes down on the starting 11. Furthermore, its helped lead the Mean Green to three straight NCAA Tournaments and potentially a fourth straight, something that no UNT athletic program has accomplished in over 50 years.
"I wasn't worried yet about breaking records I just wanted to get by," DeFrain said laughing about her freshman year. "I was intimidated but focused on making sure I did what I needed to do to make my times, learn the system and ultimately help the team win championships."
DeFrain's freshman year began like most.
Plenty of highs.
But also.
Sometimes what felt like the lowest of lows.
She began on the bench. She battled injuries.
But what you quickly find out about DeFrain is that she's obsessed with working through problems and improving.
"I love the technicality of things," DeFrain said. "I admire the little things that go into a skill. Any sport. A lot of hard work goes into crafting a skill. Even from the outside what might seem like the simplest of ones. I'm fascinated by what went into mastering it."
As the first practice began, Hedlund started the team with some simple drills to show off their skills, footwork, touch and pace. And like every year, DeFrain was one of the best.
As she juggled a ball with her feet across the field without breaking stride or losing focus, sophomore Michelle Gonzalez said "I look up to Elle. She's got amazing skill and works really hard. You can't just pick up a soccer ball and do that. You have to practice a lot to get to where she's at. And she does."
The engineer major spends countless time crafting her skills and techniques but not just in soccer. One of her passions off the field is her 500cc motorcycle, which at a young age she worked hard to purchase on her own. Though she's decided to hold off on riding it until she graduates for safety reasons and putting the team first, DeFrain says she gets a thrill out of just making the perfect turn and understanding how to perfectly ride the powerful machine.
While the motorcycle currently sits in her parents' garage in Plano, DeFrain also enjoys mountain biking for the same reasons as the motorcycle and makes trips to Colorado to ride.
"It's a beautiful place and a great escape," DeFrain said. "Riding through the mountains with my friends is an ideal getaway."
"There's so many skills that go into riding a motorcycle and a mountain bike," she added.
DeFrain's mental drive and obsession to get better has been a leading characteristic not just for her but one that's rubbed off on her teammates who have noticed all she's accomplished to be one of the first names on the team sheets.
After starting her freshman season on the bench and battling through injuries, DeFrain worked her way into the starting lineup her freshman season. She finished her freshman season starting the final six matches of the year, which included starts against No.18 Rice, all three of the Mean Green's conference tournament matches and at nationally ranked Texas in the NCAA Tournament.
DeFrain was even inserted into the penalty kick shootout of C-USA Tournament championship match her freshman year and converted.
"I gained a lot confidence," DeFrain said of the end of her freshman year. "But I grew to understand that I just needed to work hard and even if I had a bad game I needed to put it behind me and focus on the next match."
Since being inserted into the starting 11 at the end of her freshman season DeFrain has never been left off. She's played all over the midfield and has become one of the most skilled players on the field no matter who she plays.
Regardless if they reach a fourth straight NCAA Tournament, DeFrain says she doesn't know what her senior class' legacy will be but it doesn't seem to matter to her a whole lot. She knows they'll never forget the hard work that went into winning championships.
"I've grown so much over the last three-plus years," DeFrain said. "The wins, the rings and memories mean so much to us but the drive to always be better and the work ethic I've learned will carry me whatever I end up deciding to do. I know I can accomplish anything if I put my mind to it."
Support North Texas student-athletes by visiting MeanGreenScholarshipFund.com.
Players Mentioned
Midfield
/ Women's Soccer
Midfield
/ Women's SoccerFriday, September 05
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