Fourteen years after his first experiences with a soccer ball, Nolan Gregory Dempsey enters his final Greater Latrobe season as a proven competitor, a relentless worker and one of the teammates most likely to make everyone around him laugh.
The Senior He Once Looked Up To
When Nolan was a freshman, he respected the seniors who led the team and set the example for the players coming behind them. Now, six years after first playing as a Wildcat in seventh grade, he has become one of those seniors himself.
“It is rewarding to think that I might have the same effect on the underclassmen.” Nolan Dempsey on becoming a Wildcat senior
That idea means a great deal to Nolan. His senior season is not only the conclusion of his own journey; it is also his opportunity to help shape the experience of the younger players watching him now.
Hard Work Pays Off
If Nolan had to reduce everything soccer has taught him to one lesson, it would be this: hard work pays off.
That lesson has been built over 14 full years in the sport. It can be seen in the player who progressed from #39 during his freshman season to #5, competing at the varsity level and contributing to some of the most successful moments in recent program history.
A Sophomore Season to Remember
Nolan’s favorite Latrobe soccer memories come from his sophomore season, when the Wildcats set a new school record for wins and earned a home playoff victory over Ringgold.
That playoff game remains the most memorable one he has played. It represented the kind of moment athletes work toward for years: a home field, a postseason opportunity and a team accomplishing something together when it mattered most.
Compete With Confidence
Another lesson that has stayed with Nolan came from Coach Kevin, his club coach through Pittsburgh Independence Football Club. Coach Kevin reminded him not to allow opposing players to get into his head or change the way he was playing.
It was advice about more than one game. Trust your ability, remain composed and do not let someone else dictate who you are as a player.
Off the field, Nolan brings the same energy in a much less serious way. His teammates know “Demps” as someone who works hard and wants to win—but also as someone who is genuinely funny. That balance is exactly how he hopes they remember him.
There Is More to Demps Than Soccer
Nolan is a member of National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society, has served with Link Crew for two years and is a two-year mentor with Outdoor Odyssey. He also plays club soccer for Pittsburgh Independence Football Club.
When he is not on the soccer field, Nolan enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, golfing, going to the gym and spending time with friends. After graduation, he plans to attend West Virginia University.
The People Behind the Player
Nolan is especially thankful for every coach who has pushed him to grow—not only as a soccer player, but also as a person.
Most of all, he wants to thank his parents, Amy and Greg. Nolan recognizes the countless hours they have spent driving him to and from practices, attending his games and supporting the program through all the work they do at the concession stand.
As Nolan put it, the amount of their lives they have given to support his soccer journey is “crazy”—but they have always done it because they want to see him succeed.
He also sends a special shoutout to his grandma, Dino and the O’Hanlons for coming to his games and supporting him along the way.
From the little boy sitting on a soccer ball to the senior wearing #5, Nolan has spent 14 years learning what commitment can build.
Now, he has one final season to compete, make his teammates laugh and become the senior that a younger Wildcat will remember someday.
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