December 10, 2022

By Fred Liggett
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The Kansas City Current women’s pro soccer team completed a trade for a pair of Kansas City area natives on June 9th about midway through the 2022 season. One of the KC natives was Defender Addisyn Merrick who grew up in Lee’s Summit and graduated from Lee’s Summit North High School.

Merrick would go on to start for her hometown team and play in the NWSL playoffs before the season would come to an end. On the 2022 season Merrick calls it “a really good season.” Merrick says, “I grew a lot on and off the field, give credit to the organization.”

Merrick arrived at a good time to put on a Current uniform as the team was in the midst of a 13 game non-losing streak. The Current did not lose a game from May 30th to September 14th. Merrick states “joined the team right after the streak started, I knew only winning.” The streak is a “step in the right direction.” Merrick admits the players and their fans “were having fun, was a great feeling.”

Now the off season has arrived and the Current defender is all over the Kansas City metro area helping spread holiday cheer. On the night of Friday, Nov. 25 Merrick was one of three KC Current players to be on stage at Crown Center for the Kansas City Mayor’s tree lighting. The players were introduced by Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas.

A week later on Friday, Dec. 2 Merrick was at the Raymore Mayor’s lighting ceremony. Merrick feels, “It was fun, really cool to be a part of it.” The evening ceremony took place at the City’s TB Hanna Station. Merrick was a special guest and helped flip the switch.

Up next on the schedule was on Sunday night Dec. 4 Merrick was one of five Kansas City Current players who were a part of a special holiday event at Kansas City’s historic Union Station. The players were there to welcome the arrival of the CP holiday train.

On playing in her hometown, Merrick is quick to say “great to be around family, am grateful for the opportunity.” One of her biggest fans and still keeping an eye on her progress is her high school coach, LSN head soccer coach Ryan Kelley. Merrick described her time at LSN as “a fun time, learned a lot, Coach Kelley Taught me on and off the field.” Merrick started all four years while at LS North.

No matter what happens next for Merrick one can be sure that 2022 will be remembered as a year she was a shining light for her team and in her hometown.