An athlete’s true personality becomes hidden come game time, overtaken by their competitive drive and instinct to win. But Penn women's soccer sophomore forward Abbey Cook is proof that most athletes balance myriad personalities, hers being one of empathy, one of intensity, and one of conviction.
As a person, Cook prides herself on her ability to connect well with others, a quality she developed with her tightly knit family.
“I try my best to be very thoughtful; I feel like all of my friends are very thoughtful towards me and care a lot about me,” she said. “So I feel like I try to resemble that or embody that.”
However, as soon as she steps on the soccer pitch, her amiability disappears — at least, according to women’s soccer coach Krissy Turner.
“When she plays she’s not nice,” Turner said. “I would say she’s definitely a fighter and feisty.”
Cook plays forward, making her one of the players responsible for chasing the ball down the field and scoring. Ever since beginning the sport at age four, she has been drawn to the ball.
“I guess at that age, all the kids just kind of run together and group up in a little ball,” Cook said. “And I guess I would just stand away from them by myself, and I would just wait for the ball to pop loose, and then I would just get it and run and go score.”
Cook’s natural soccer skills convinced her parents to keep her in the sport over the many others she played in her youth. Before long, high school rolled around, and the implications of playing became serious. Unlike other athletes, Cook never experienced a revelatory moment in which she knew she could further succeed in soccer.
“I kind of just grew up knowing that I was gonna play Division I soccer; I kind of just always thought like I would end up at a Division I school,” Cook admitted.
Talk about confidence.
When asked to describe her friend and teammate in one word, senior forward Isobel Glass claimed that Cook is “determined” above all else.
“I’ve seen her just day in and day out, come to practice with a really good mindset of … do[ing] her absolute best no matter what,” Glass said.
Also a forward, Glass usually flanks Cook’s left side as they run the field together. Though they are two years apart, Cook and Glass have developed a close off-field relationship, leading to cohesive playing on the field. They even practice pre-game rituals.
“She never gives up, and I think that she also puts her best foot forward in practices. Even today: It's our last practice of the season, and she was working really hard and having really good communication with everyone else on the field … so that it's overall a much more, like, cohesive unit,” Glass said.
Cook’s relentless spirit comes from her upbringing in a sports-oriented family outside of Los Angeles — one of the most soccer-dense areas in the United States. Her mom was an All-American swimmer in college, her dad coached baseball, and her older brother plays water polo.
As is expected of athletes hoping to play a sport at the elite level, Cook competed in club soccer near her hometown. Playing for Slammers FC, a club team located in Newport Beach, Calif., introduced her to an intense level of competition required of those preparing to play on the collegiate level.
“The top 10 [club] teams in the nation, usually more than half of them are from Southern California,” she commented.
The Slammers have won five Elite Clubs National League Championships (2012, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2023) and have produced 21 national champions and three world champions.
“A lot of the girls that I’ve grown up playing with and playing against, are playing professionally already or … on the best teams in the nation” Cook said. “Growing up in that competitive environment, I feel like really shaped my career as a soccer player.” Cook credits her club coaches, “Coach C and Coach Shane,” as instrumental in helping her get to her position today.
Cook was also quick to pay tribute to her family and the sacrifices they made that led to her success, pointing out the costs and travel time required of club soccer as well as the opportunity to attend Penn.
“My mom and my dad … they've given me everything that I could possibly ask for,” she said. “… Club soccer also is not cheap, and they would sacrifice things for themselves for me to play club soccer.”
Like most athletes, Cook’s confidence propels her through matches. However, as soon as the whistle blows, she is careful to maintain a level head, remaining humble for her teammates.
“Honestly, assists usually mean more to me, because I don't know, I feel like it means you're helping your team more,” she revealed. “… Maybe getting more assists would be a good goal, because I just like the feeling of having an assist.”
Turner commended Cook for prioritizing the team above herself, while alluding to Cook’s bright future on the team.
“Abbey demonstrates a lot of the traits that we want our student-athletes and women’s soccer to have,” Turner said. “She works hard, she gives her best, she cares about her teammates, and she wants the team to be successful.”
Cook credits soccer as a primary influence on how she lives her life. Having pushed through dozens of full-yard sprints, Cook found a new appreciation for her physical abilities and realized she can do anything she puts her mind to. Cook is also especially appreciative of how the team sport has affected her college experience.
Cook's teammates became her new family as she adjusted to being 3,000 miles away from her family. One of the toughest transitions to Philadelphia during her freshman year was realizing her parents could no longer attend every game. Though it took some adjusting, Cook eventually found support in her teammates.
“I do everything with them. I take classes with them. I get dinner with them, lunch with them, practice with them. Like we're together basically all the time … I'm just grateful for my teammates at Penn. I love them a lot.” Cook said “It's true that the people make the place.”
Cook remains modest in everyday life, but on the pitch, her abounding confidence shines.
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