How long have you been a part of Sporting Iowa?

I did only play one year with Sporting Iowa. I joined my senior year of high school and I played on the U19 team at the ECNL level. I'm from Ankeny, and I ultimately made the switch over my senior year for Sporting [Iowa]. I was already committed, but I thought that going into college and my last year of high school, I wanted to be the best player that I could be because I was going to go off to a more competitive level in a year. So I made the switch over to Sporting ultimately because I thought that would be the best decision for me as a player, as a person, just to see as much growth as I can and be the best player that I could be.

What has been your favorite experience at Sporting Iowa?

One of my favorite memories was the ECNL showcases. We got to travel to cool places and then you got to hang out with your friends. You got to play new teams. You got to enjoy usually nice weather. You also get to watch the selection games, so I was fortunate enough to have a teammate playing, and she played really good and scored a few goals. So all your team just rallying to support your friend. It's a really cool experience and a real competitive environment where you get to still compete, but you also get to have fun, a little bit of time away from school as well. I also just love falling in love with the process, and I felt like every day at practice, I just loved being there. Amazing teammates, amazing coaches, amazing staff. There's a great support staff, and it's just nice to be in an environment where everyone has the same goal, just to get better, grow, and improve. And so I felt like at Sporting, I always had so much fun just being there, just living in the moment.

How has Sporting Iowa impacted you as a player?

As a player, I think the biggest impact that I had coming out of Sporting Iowa was that I have really high expectations for myself, and I know I have a high standard for myself. Going to Sporting, I knew that I was going to be pushed. I knew I was going to be challenged, and I thought I was ready for it, and that I could attain this level, and I think that was really impactful for me because every time I go play now, I know that I can, where I need to be, and I'm able to get myself there. One moment that I had at Sporting was when I got pulled off the field once when I was not communicating. And, for me personally, that was a lasting impact because now I communicate on the field, but, it's just coaches who are really out there looking for the best for you, and as much as it sucked me coming off the field, now I communicate, and it's a different part of my game that I hadn't had before, and especially as a college athlete now you have to communicate all over the field. And so that was a pretty defining moment in my life, and I'm probably never going to forget it.

But also, another thing we did, it might sound silly was we did book club. It was a really short, small book, only a couple of pages, a chapter, but I will never forget any of those lessons either, as those stuck with me. We would kind of decompose it, and we would write things down, and the more you write things down, I think the more you remember them. I still have my journal, I still have it with me, and I just, I'm never going to forget the lessons that I learned from that. Like one of them was doing the little things right, and that stuck with me, and one of the things I remember the most about my time at Sporting.

How has Sporting Iowa impacted your life off the field?

Off the field, Sporting played a pretty crucial role in my development. I would say the most impactful thing it did was prepare me for the college soccer level. With club, you do have a lot of practices, you're practicing 4 times a week, you have games on the weekend, but also at the college soccer level, there's even more soccer, the level gets harder. And so I think mentally, going through it at Sporting and being pushed and challenged, I was like, hey, I can do this and I can handle it. And I think it prepared me a lot going into my college soccer season because I knew what I was capable of, and I knew that I was going to be able to do it. I just had to put my mind to it. I also learned a lot with balancing soccer in school at Sporting. I did have a little bit of a drive to get to practice, probably 30 minutes. So it did take up a lot of my nights. So in high school, I had to learn how to balance my school and soccer. It got a little easier in college because I wasn't driving every day to practice, but practices and film, everything gets pretty long, and everything adds up. So I think being able to experience a high level of soccer early on in my life also helped me with my college soccer.

Would you recommend Sporting Iowa to another player or family considering joining? Why?

I would recommend joining Sporting to any player or family who is considering joining. I did experience multiple clubs, and I would say I had a really positive experience at Sporting, and I felt like everyone there was bought in all the time. My coaches still reach out to me today, asking how everything's going. And that's something that I think is really special because not everyone gets that. And it's nice to know that they still care about you, even though you're not playing for them anymore. I feel like I was pushed. There was a good level. We were playing tough competition every weekend, with multiple college commits. The level of soccer was high, it was competitive, it was physical, and it was demanding. I think it prepared me really well for my college experience. I would totally recommend joining. I only played one year, but I would say it was a really good year, and I learned a lot, and my growth as a player was really, really good.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey with this club?

Some advice that I would give to someone joining is just to learn to trust the process and just fall in love with the process. You're going to be pushed, you're going to be challenged, but it's for the better. Coaches are always going to have your best interests in mind and everything in every aspect of life. There's never going to be 100% good days. You will have off days, you will have days you're not feeling the greatest, or maybe your touch is off, but I'd say just let it go and try to find the good in every situation. The coaches are truly there for you, and they're your biggest fans, and want to see you go everywhere in life, and just remember that your process is not the same as anyone else's. I'm a Division 2 commit. I'm not a D1 commit, but I love my school. I love soccer. I'm having a blast. So just remember to find what works for you and just enjoy it.

What makes Sporting Iowa different from other clubs you have been at?

One thing at Sporting that I feel was different than other clubs I had played for in the past was the competitive level. I was surrounded by a ton of girls who held really high expectations for themselves, and they also were really bought into the process and wanted to see growth in themselves. And I think being in that environment helped push me to new levels and helped me be the best player that I could be. We also played a really tough schedule, being in the ECNL and the Midwest. It has some of the best soccer, and one of the best conferences in the ECNL, and so playing against high level competition, tons of high commits, tons of national team players, like playing against these people really just prepared me for the best and showed me that I can do it and I can hang with them and I think just overall the competitive level was one of the most different things that I had felt at Sporting.

How long have you been a part of Sporting Iowa?

I started playing for Sporting Iowa ECNL my sophomore year of high school and played for 3 years all the way until my senior year.

What has been your favorite experience at the club?

Some of my favorite memories at Sporting Iowa have been when we went to the playoffs, my U16 season in San Diego, and then also when I was able to play in a national selection game my U17 season. That was just an amazing environment to play in. And then also just a super memorable experience. I would say my overall favorite season was my U17 season, cause I felt like that's where I grew the most, both technically and mentally in my game.

How has Sporting Iowa impacted you as a player?

Playing for Sporting Iowa has positively impacted my game in so many aspects. I feel like after playing in the ECNL I was way more equipped to transition into college soccer. I also had so many amazing coaches at Sporting Iowa who poured so much time and knowledge into me and really shaped me into the player that I am today.

How has Sporting Iowa impacted your life off the field?

Playing in the ECNL definitely taught me balance and time management. I lived quite a ways away from my club, so I had to drive about 2.5 hours to practice twice a week. So that definitely taught me how to manage my time and manage my schoolwork, which I felt really transitioned well into my college life as well.

Would you recommend Sporting Iowa to another player or family considering joining? Why?

I would definitely recommend Sporting Iowa to anyone who is considering joining. I feel like Sporting Iowa has shaped me into the person that I am today. My mentors and my coaches, and my teammates, they cared about me more than just a soccer player, but also as a person, and they definitely poured so much time into me, which I'm just truly so grateful for. I would also definitely recommend it if you want to play college soccer after club. I think that I was definitely more equipped for college soccer after playing in the ECNL because of how high level of soccer when you play for ECNL.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey with this club?

My advice to you, if you were just starting with this club is to just enjoy every moment and also to just try to make as many connections as you can. I love Sporting Iowa for so many different reasons, but I was so grateful for the friendships that I made, and then also the relationships that I had with my coaches while at the club. I would also say to take full advantage of the tournaments that you go to and all the games that you're playing at such a high level. Make sure that you're emailing coaches that you are interested in, emailing schools and really taking full advantage of the amount of coaches that come to ECNL events because it is truly such a blessing that we got to play in a league that has hundreds of coaches watching our games.

What makes Sporting Iowa different from other clubs you have been at?

Sporting Iowa is different than the other clubs that I've been at, and the way that they definitely utilize their time wisely at practice. I remember the drills being super intense and super competitive, and they transitioned very well into the games, so we always felt well equipped and well prepared when we played games that weekend.

How long have you been a part of Sporting Iowa?

I came over to Sporting in 2020 between my freshman and sophomore year of high school and played for them until I graduated.

What has been your favorite experience at Sporting Iowa?

For me, I always loved the ECNL showcases because our team was really competitive and we got to go play other high level teams. And we had a really close knit team and it was fun to be able to go other places and hang out with everybody.

How has the club impacted you as a player?

Coming over to Sporting and playing in the ECNL really helped me develop as a player. We had so many high level players on our team that we continued to push each other every day and just make each other better.

How has Sporting Iowa impacted your life off the field?

Sporting has a lot of connections, especially with college coaches, and so I think they play a really big role in finding the right college for me and what I wanted to do with that, and I still keep in contact with a lot of them, and they helped me figure out what I want to do with my life after college also.

Would you recommend Sporting Iowa to another player or family considering joining? Why?

I think that Sporting is a great club to play at, especially if you're wanting to continue to compete at the next level. They do a really good job of giving a high level and competitive environment for kids to grow as players and start building connections and showcasing themselves to play at that next level in college if that's what they want to do.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey with this club?

I would say just come in with an open mind and be willing to receive feedback and be coachable because the coaches are there to help you get better and develop and the only way you'll get the most out of it is by fully embracing the journey and trying to be the best player that you can be.

What makes Sporting Iowa different from other clubs you have been at?

I think that Sporting has done a good job of continuing to give opportunities for kids even after they've gone off to college. They have summer teams for a U23 team for players to come back and still train during the summers between their college seasons, and so I think they do well at keeping connected with the older kids, even though they're not playing under the club anymore, they still care about them and want them to continue to get better.

How long have you been a part of Sporting Iowa?

I played at Sporting Iowa for my last two years of club soccer. And the reason why I made the switch was because Sporting Iowa became ECNL, not just ECNL-RL. And, so I just wanted some better competition, and I wanted to play for a coach and a team that was going to push me and help prepare me for the next level.

What makes Sporting Iowa different from other clubs you have been at?

Just after my sophomore year was kind of the year right after COVID, I heard news of Sporting Iowa ECNL becoming, or Sporting Iowa becoming ECNL. And I knew all the best girls around the state were joining this team. And so I felt like it was necessary for me to at least try out. And I also heard, that Darryl Braso, who was the coach at my old club was moving to coach at Sporting Iowa, and be that head guy there. So I kind of wanted to stay with him and be under his wing, because I knew he had a lot of connections with college coaches. And he has trained some of the best girls in the state of Iowa and has developed them really well. So, I decided to try out that summer. And then, I made the team, and I kind of had done ODP for my upbringing throughout club, and a lot of the girls that I played on ODP with, or who were at ODP, they also went to Sporting. So it was kind of a no brainer for me.

What has been your favorite experience at Sporting Iowa?

My favorite experience at the club was definitely the tournaments that we got to go to. I think every ECNL tournament that we took was a really great experience and great exposure to many colleges that maybe would never see you because they would never travel to Iowa. And I mean, those tournaments had hundreds of coaches at each event. So it was really cool to see them all there. And yeah, it was great exposure, as well as good competition. I would say every single game that we played, especially since we just started off when I was there as an ECNL team, every team that we played was really good, if not better than us. So it was just really great exposure and it was a learning curve that our team had to go through. But even within the next year, we were already at that level and we knew how to compete, but I would say it's a faster pace of soccer, you get to play against girls who are now at top Division One schools. So, yeah, it's a really cool experience.

What are your thoughts on the club's day-to-day environment?

I believe that Sporting Iowa's communication is really good. I remember getting emails, weeks in advance of schedules, and, you know, we would get emails even before games of what to expect, what to wear, who we're playing, what time to be there. And I don't know if that's just an individual coach thing, but that's what we were given. And I felt overall that the communication was really good. It went smoothly at my time there. And the facilities my last year, we moved to the RecPlex and we practiced there both indoors and outdoors. And those are really nice and new fields. So I thought the facilities were great.

Would you recommend Sporting Iowa to a friend, colleague, or another soccer family? Why?

I definitely recommend Sporting as the club that you should choose, because the ECNL is a level that you won't be able to get in any other club or conference. I think that you get an opportunity to play against some of the best teams and the best players in the nation, and I would say that the level is super high. If you want to play college soccer and you're really serious about it, I would say ECNL level is the best way to go.

How long have you been a part of Sporting Iowa?

Growing up, I always played for the local club in my town. But then when Sporting [Iowa] became an ECNL club, I switched to that club at a young age. I think I was around 13 years old. And then I played on their ECNL team for my next 6 years of club, and I had a great experience doing this. The club was very new to ECNL, so the first few years, it was an adjustment for everyone getting used to the league. But as I continued to play with my team and we just developed and continued to play against this great competition, I could really see the improvements of how our team just flourished, and we were able to compete at such a high level.

Being exposed to that high-level competition for years, really just helped develop me as a player, helped me to improve my speed of play and just being able to play against other players that were just as quick, just as strong and athletic, and just overall, having an even playing field against other great players and teams helped me to really focus on improving my soccer abilities and took my game to the next level.

What has been your favorite experience at the club?

My favorite experience through playing for Sporting [Iowa] has definitely just been our different travel trips. You get to go on lots of different trips to different places far away for ECNL showcases. I think my favorite one was maybe when we went to Arizona. I got to spend a lot of time with teammates, and you just have fun. You do stuff outside of the games, and then you get to play a lot of cool teams that you don't normally get to play around the Midwest. And so the exposure is great. There are lots of college coaches walking around at the event, so that's super cool to see. But yeah, definitely just the time off the field, spent with teammates.

How has Sporting Iowa impacted you as a player?

Playing Sporting [Iowa] has really impacted me as a player because it exposed me to a lot of adversity that I had not previously faced. For example, every day you're training at a high level against great players, and you're not always going to succeed in everything that you do. You're also being coached at a super high level. And I think that this helped me to become super coachable and just be able to receive what sometimes can be taken as some tough feedback, and just receive that feedback and help it to develop me as a player and continue to keep working hard to get better.

And then lastly, you're playing at such a high level against other opponents, you're exposed to lots of different moments for adversity. You're going to play against great teams. There are going to be times when things are hard. But just facing these adversities helped me to understand the process of improving and continuing to work hard through every stage of the game. And you just really reap the benefits in the end, seeing the player that you can become.

How has your club impacted your life off the field?

Sporting has impacted my life as a person in so many ways. One way that I think is kind of fun and silly is that we had a coach who would always just tell us about different life lessons. We were taught to try to do all of these different tasks to prepare ourselves for college. One way to learn how to fill our tires with air, which is something that was kind of silly, but it's not something that you realize you don't know how to do until you're off on your own.

But other than those challenges that Sporting, or specific coaches, inspired us, I have definitely been impacted as a player just through great relationships. I had great mentors and coaches who just taught me a lot about leadership, helped me to get through tough times and just understood how to be a good teammate. How to help others: pick other teammates up when they're struggling. And taught me a lot of life lessons that I think can apply to jobs or school, just so many other environments that go beyond just the soccer field.

Would you recommend Sporting Iowa to another player or family considering joining? Why?

I would 100% recommend Sporting to any player or family considering joining the club. This club has impacted my life, and I would not be where I am today without the experiences and all the growth and learning that I went through playing for Sporting. The staff, the coaching, the level that you're at, everything really just helps prepare you for the next level if you want to play beyond club soccer. And it even just pushes you to achieve any of your goals that you may be striving for. Beyond that, I also have great friendships and memories that will last forever. I'm still in contact with so many people, and I continue to come back to Sporting and train in the summers and in the winters, and it's just a great place that it's a family and I want to be a part of. So I hope that you want to be a part of it and join as well.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey with Sporting Iowa?

Some advice I would give to someone starting their journey with this club is to one... be brave. I came to this club, and I switched teams with no previous friends coming with me. I had no other friends on the team that I knew. I totally came in by myself, and it ended up being the best thing for me to develop as a player, and I made such great relationships with teammates and coaches. So be brave in taking this step if you're nervous about joining the club. And also to just be yourself, work hard, show up every single day, and you truly can see the rewards of what the club and the game can give to you.

What makes Sporting Iowa different from other clubs you have been at?

I think the difference from Sporting Iowa and other clubs is that they truly care about you as people and as athletes. And they care about all of their players. I continue to come back. I'm even in college now, and I continue to train. I have contact with previous coaches who will help do sessions with me on the side, and just say, keep in touch and care about how I'm doing here at college, and just in general, in life. And that piece is just so important to me, to have that relationship and just feel valued at where you're at.