FAIRHOPE, Ala. — For rising Fairhope High School senior Olivia Leathers, soccer has always meant more than competition. It’s where she finds calm, builds lasting friendships and pushes herself to improve every day. Now that dedication has earned her a spot on one of Alabama’s biggest high school stages.
Leathers has been chosen to represent the South Team in the Alabama North-South Girls Soccer All-Star Game, an annual showcase that brings together many of the state’s top rising seniors before their final prep seasons begin.
“It’s obviously really exciting because there’s a lot of good players and good exposure,” Leathers said. “I’m training to give my best potential, so hopefully it works out.”
The Fairhope midfielder spent her summer preparing for the matchup, training several times a week at the Daphne Sports Complex. Her focus has centered on sharpening the technical side of her game — getting more touches on the ball, working on her shot and continuing to grow as a midfielder.
“I’ve been training probably two or three times a week, just getting really good touches and getting shots up, getting prepared for the game because I play midfield,” she said.
The all-star format presents its own challenge, since players from rival programs across the state get only one practice together before taking the field as teammates.
“It’s going to be a little bit different because obviously we go head-to-head,” Leathers said. “Now we’re going to have to work together, but we all know each other, so it’ll be good.”
She’s especially looking forward to lining up alongside opponents she has competed against for years — and, in some cases, played beside through club soccer with Union 10.
“Obviously the game itself is going to be really fun,” she said. “But also just the experience of playing with all these girls that I probably wouldn’t get the opportunity to play with is really exciting for me.”
Soccer has been part of Leathers’ life since she was seven years old, and years of development through Fairhope High School and Union 10 have shaped her into the player she is today. For her, the sport has become something bigger than competition.
“I really just love the game itself,” she said. “If I had a bad day, coming to the field, seeing my teammates and coaches, it just erases everything.”
That love of the game has fueled a bigger goal: playing soccer at the collegiate level. Leathers has attended college ID camps, competed in showcase events with Union 10 and already started building relationships with college coaches.
“It’s definitely been a process,” she said. “I’m hoping it works out.”
She credits her family and coaches for helping get her to this point. “My family is at every game,” Leathers said. “Even if I got injured during high school season, they’re still there supporting me. My coaches have always supported me too — even coaches I don’t play for anymore still check in to see how I’m doing.”
While the all-star nod is an individual honor, Leathers knows she’s also representing Fairhope, Union 10 and the broader soccer community along Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
“I’m out here working hard,” Leathers said. “I put in the work, and my game proves it.”
As she prepares to take the field in Montgomery, Leathers hopes the experience marks another step toward playing in college — and that it helps put a spotlight on the level of talent coming out of South Alabama.
“I definitely think the South has plenty of talent, but we don’t always get the same recognition as some of the other regions,” she said. “There are so many great players down here who work just as hard and compete at a high level. Hopefully, as more showcases and opportunities come our way, people will continue to see just how much talent South Alabama has.”
Other Local Players Selected for the 2026 Alabama North-South Girls Soccer All-Star Game
Leathers is one of 14 players from Mobile and Baldwin counties chosen for this year’s game, reflecting the depth of girls soccer talent across the Gulf Coast:
- Gabriela Aufmuth, Orange Beach — Forward
- Zoe Beckham, Spanish Fort — Center Back
- Kennadie Boatman, Mobile Christian — Center Back/Midfielder
- Emily Burt, Baker — Midfielder/Forward
- Avery Davidson, Cottage Hill Christian — Midfielder
- Olivia Hicks, Daphne — Goalkeeper
- Olivia Leathers, Fairhope — Midfielder/Forward
- Isabelle Marshall, St. Paul’s Episcopal — Goalkeeper
- A.G. McKee, St. Paul’s Episcopal — Midfielder
- Tatiana Mejia, Baker — Center Back/Midfielder
- Maria Pappas, W.P. Davidson — Forward
- Lola Steill, McGill-Toolen — Center Back
- Sofia Maghupoy, St. Luke’s Episcopal — Midfielder/Forward
- Ashlyn Turner, St. Luke’s Episcopal — Goalkeeper
The Alabama North-South Girls Soccer All-Star Game kicks off Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Montgomery, where the 14 South Alabama players will represent the Gulf Coast on one of the state’s biggest high school soccer stages.