When Emilee Lang was a freshman at Trinity Lutheran High School, she was one of 18 individuals that made up the first-ever girls soccer team in school history.

Fast forward eight years later, and Lang is returning to that program as an assistant coach this fall.

“Thom Hayes was looking for some assistants that were younger and could relate to some of the players, and their new AD Jason Roeder called me and asked if I’d be interested, and I definitely was,” she said. “I’m looking forward to getting back with the program that I played with in high school. I’m excited to be on the other side of the field as a coach.”

Lang recently graduated from Indiana University Southeast with a degree in marketing and public relations. She will be working full-time at Jackson County Bank in the marketing department, where she is in charge of all the community outreach.

Staying in Seymour was always something Lang was interested in.

“Family is a really big thing for me,” she said. “My dad (Mike Lang) is obviously the (boys basketball) coach at Trinity, so it’s just something cool I get to do with my family.”

When Lang was in high school, she played soccer for four years and also played basketball and ran track and field, but she said soccer was always her No. 1 sport.

She started playing at the age of 3 and played for the Seymour Cyclones up until high school.

In that inaugural season for Trinity girls soccer, the Cougars went 8-7 and won a sectional game.

Lang’s favorite memory from playing at Trinity was beating Salem in the sectional semifinal when the game went to two overtimes and then had to be decided in penalty kicks, and the Cougars were able to outlast the Lions.

“We had a really good teammates and a great coaching staff,” Lang said.

Jeff Nolting was the head coach when the program first got started, and in the last few seasons, Hayes has had success building the program, which won a sectional title in 2020.

In her years going to college, Lang missed playing the soccer.

“IU Southeast didn’t have a soccer team, so it was fun to play some intramurals,” she said.

As someone who isn’t too far removed from being a girls soccer player at Trinity Lutheran, Lang feels like she can relate to the players and really help them out as a coach.

“I think it’ll give them somebody that they can relate to,” she said. “I know what they’re thinking and what they’re going through. It can be a tough sport and a tough mindset, so it’s good to have somebody that knows what you’re thinking, especially if you’re not experienced on the soccer field.”

Lang never knew if coaching would be an avenue she would explore, but being back in Seymour with her family already so ingrained into Trinity, she felt it would be a great place to get involved with.

“My family spends a lot of time at Trinity, and I know they have great coaches, great parents and great kids that go there, so I’m excited I get to work with them,” she said.