Kick It With Katie: A Soccer Podcast
Ever wonder what former youth soccer players pathways looked like? What journeys they took to get where they are today? Who were their influences? What resources they used to play collegiate or professionally? Listen in to hear from former players, coaches, parents, administrators, referees, scouts and many other people involved in youth soccer that help enhance players lives to reach their goals in life. How are they supported by the people around them? Is there one right pathway to going pro? Is there a perfect way to get scouted by colleges? Listen in to the stories from those who have been through the systems and hear what they have to say about their journey and what you can learn from their experiences.
Kick It With Katie: A Soccer Podcast
Jordyn Wickes, Soccer & Engineering at MSU
Discover the inspiring journey of Jordyn Wickes, a senior forward at Michigan State University, as she shares her incredible soccer story from childhood to collegiate success. Ever wondered how a multi-sport athlete can excel in soccer? Jordyn breaks it down, discussing her early start in the sport, the transitions she faced, and the pivotal moments that paved her way to Michigan State, despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19. Her reflections on arguing with coaches over positions and eventually finding her place on the field offer a raw and genuine look at the ups and downs of an athletic career.
Curious about what it takes to navigate college soccer recruiting? Join us as we explore the intricate process with Jordyn, highlighting the importance of choosing a university that offers a well-rounded experience. The conversation dives into the demanding nature of collegiate soccer life, from rigorous training schedules to the significant lifestyle shifts. We emphasize the benefits of being a multi-sport athlete and share valuable lessons learned from Jordan's siblings, who have each carved out their unique athletic and academic paths.
Finally, we touch on broader themes within the soccer community, such as mental health, the role of soccer agents, and the exciting prospects within the sports industry. Jordan provides advice for aspiring youth soccer players and reflects on her dilemma of pursuing professional soccer while balancing a mechanical engineering degree. Don't miss this heartfelt episode filled with personal anecdotes, practical advice, and a peek into our own podcasting journey, including the dynamic friendship between your hosts and our mission to spotlight diverse pathways to success in soccer.
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I've always said, like I was a very you know, once I got here I learned I was a dumb soccer player. I just I didn't know a lot of things that all these other girls knew and that the coaching staff was trying to teach us. I was always like the type of kid who just played off of instincts. I was like there's a gap over there, so I'm going to run over there Like what do you mean?
Speaker 2:Hello and welcome to the Kick it With Katie podcast. Hey team, it's Katie here, and today I have Jordan, wickus and Jordan, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself and let everybody know where you're at right now in your soccer career?
Speaker 1:Yeah, first of all, thank you for having me. I am going to be a senior this fall at Michigan State University, where I currently am a forward for the team, and will be finishing out my last semester of eligibility here come August.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and how has that been going for you? Have you just been loving it going through the grind?
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, I've been loving it going through the grind. It's definitely had. You know it's ups and downs, been a bit of a roller coaster here, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's a real dream come true that I am where I'm at today and I've accomplished more than I ever dreamed possible for myself.
Speaker 2:That's awesome to hear. So why don't we talk about your initial start into soccer? So let the listeners know how old you were, what your first introductions to the sport were.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I believe I joined when I was probably like four. I had to guess it's really all I've ever known is to be an athlete, and to be athletic From a young age, you know, when I couldn't even walk, when I could just crawl. My dad used to have to set up obstacle courses when he tried to do the dishes so I'd be contained enough while he could do the dishes and you know they were very high and he loves to tell the stories about how I would just climb over them and no matter what he did like he couldn't stop me from going through these obstacle courses. So pretty much since the moment I was born, I loved athletics. I love to be an athlete and that's been a huge defining factor in my life.
Speaker 1:It wasn't always soccer. I was a three-sport athlete throughout all of high school, doing basketball and track as well, but I was always athletics and I joined soccer when I was about four years old. I feel like it's just kind of one of the natural games your parents throw you into one of the natural sports when you're first starting. That um, and I wish I could say it was like love at first sight, but for the first couple years I just sat there holding hands with one of my teammates and like I was the kid who picked grass in the corner, like not super into it, and then one day I just decided that like that was getting boring and I decided to play soccer and I've never looked back from that moment. Um, I am the oldest of five in my family, so I have four younger siblings, three younger brothers and a younger sister, and I say this because, being the oldest and being the first, my parents and I, a lot of my journeys, a lot of naivety. We didn't know a lot. I joined travel soccer, I feel like pretty early, where it's just kind of you play for your city and you travel maybe an hour to play other cities and local teams.
Speaker 1:And then I didn't join my club team until I believe I was in seventh grade and the goal of mine was, when I joined my club team, was to be good enough to make my high school team. I just, high school was always my big dream, my big goal, my big passion. I wanted to make my high school team and to make varsity as a freshman and, to, you know, get the Letterman jacket and get my name on the wall and have a successful high school career. That was always my end goal, my big dream, my big passion. And then, as you're going through that process, somewhere along the way, it naturally happens where you just keep playing club even after high school and I loved it, and all of a sudden college coaches start coming to games and it starts becoming a conversation of like what's after high school and I had a lot of arguments with my coaching staff about my position.
Speaker 1:I always loved being a forward and scoring goals and doing all this stuff, but once I joined my first club team when I was in seventh grade, I was thrown at a left back position. I always loved being a forward and scoring goals and doing all this stuff, but once I joined my first club team when I was in seventh grade, I was thrown out of left back position. I was there for a couple years. Then I joined a new team after our age rule change happened where they went from August birthdays for school year to January 1st. So when that happened our team kind of disbanded. Most of them were older than me. I was one of the only few kids that ended up going to the 03 bracket. All the rest of them were 02s and when that happened I joined a team where I could be a forward and that lasted about a year and a half before I was thrown at left back again.
Speaker 1:And then the rest of my career with him was a lot of arguing about getting me up the field and where I wanted to play and all this stuff and I was a very successful left back but it's not what I wanted to do once I got to college, it's not what I wanted to play. I didn't love the position. So you know it's a lot of arguments with my coach about that. And then once I once I was probably like a junior was the first time we started kind of moving me around and then COVID hit and I was out for a year and my senior year. I convinced him and we had a positioning opening and I got to play forward and I had a very successful senior year.
Speaker 1:And somewhere along the way between my junior and senior year Michigan State had reached out to me. And somewhere along the way between my junior and senior year, michigan State had reached out to me and at this point I had interest in other schools and I was looking at other colleges and all this stuff, but it wasn't the level of Michigan State, it wasn't a whole lot of interest from the Big Ten. I had a couple offers from like Purdue and I knew I could make it at Ohio State. A couple offers from like Purdue and I knew I could make it at Ohio State. But most of my interest was like Mac level schools or below Horizon League things of of that nature, very good schools and honestly a lot of me thought I was going to Bowling Green at that point. I knew what I could get, I knew I could play forward there, I knew kind of what my path would be laid out.
Speaker 1:Michigan Michigan State really came out of nowhere for me and I think my whole recruiting process with them was like a matter of four months. So with my age group we went into kind of a dead period in the middle of our recruiting journey where you're allowed to talk to coaches freely and then they changed the rules where you're not allowed to talk to coaching staff until July of your senior year and that happened right in the middle of my process. So once we found that out, the day before we went to that dead period for us, a lot of girls on my team were committing things of that nature. I wasn't ready to commit yet. I had one offer from Purdue at that time and I knew I couldn't afford it to go there. And Michigan State reached out at probably like 11 o'clock at night, like one of the last phone calls you get on right before the dead period goes into fact. Hey, I'm Jordan. Hey, at that point it was Tom and Tammy, the old coaching staff, who recruited me and yeah, they were just reaching out kind of last minute here right before the deadline.
Speaker 1:And then we went to that dead period and they kept showing up to games and they kept showing up to events and I didn't really think much of it because they were interested in a few girls on my team. And once the period opened I started going to different ID camps and you start lining up official visits and at this point I was really choosing between IUPUI and Bowling Green, you know, and I had other interests from schools but realistically those were the two I was going to end up with. You kind of narrowed it down going into the end of that junior year and I went on official visit from Michigan State, you know they wanted me to go and I was like okay, and as I'm walking through campus, every single place they take me to, I just start envisioning myself. I was like I can see myself here. I can see myself doing this. They're walking me through the dorms, they're walking me through, you know, the dining halls, all this stuff, and I'm just picturing myself going to school here and I absolutely fell in love with it. I loved everything about it, from the coaching staff to the campus, to their promise of high level athletics, to the campus, to their promise of high-level athletics, to the balance with academics. I'm a mechanical engineering major. A lot of schools won't let you do both because of just the difficulty level of it. They were not only allowing me to pursue a mechanical engineering degree, but they also were very, very encouraging to have success in the classroom as well. And they made me an offer on my official visit and I committed on the spot and I best decision I've ever made, you know, and I've never looked back since. It was truly.
Speaker 1:I think one of the greatest moments of my life was being able to say yes and to commit to Michigan State. And then I spent the last three years here playing soccer and studying and going to school, and I'm excited to get into this last one here, but it's been quite the journey and a roller coaster of it. I think my story is very unique where I didn't know a lot going into it. A lot of girls, especially nowadays, have books of things that they know and are aware of. I think I got very, very lucky with the process that it worked out for me the way it did, considering how little I knew. I didn't even know Michigan State was a Big Ten school until after I committed. I had no idea that they ranked teams or any of this stuff. Like I was very, very naive. It was just I love the school, I love the university, I love the coaching staff and I wanted to play soccer and I committed and I found out later at what level I was committing to play with.
Speaker 2:You know, I knew Michigan State was a good university, but exactly to what degree I was unaware of until after my commitment yeah, that's really interesting that, like you've admitted that you really didn't know very much, and I I'm assuming that there are people out there who could probably resonate with that where they say you know, I was getting offers from all these schools and I don't really know what to do with them. If you know, if they are getting those offers and they're just trying to navigate and figure it out, and so I know that I've talked to some people who have resources to help families go through these processes. Like you said, you're the oldest and so your family was very naive and they didn't know a lot of how to navigate these processes. Like you said, you're the oldest and so your family was very naive and they didn't know a lot of how to navigate these things. And there are a lot of people out there that just don't know what to do. You know they have their sights set on hey, I want to play college soccer, but they don't really delve into what that might look like and how to go about it look like and how to go about it. Maybe their club coaches don't help them or they don't have a program that they're familiar with.
Speaker 2:A lot of good resources are asking the people that have been through it, um, you know, having a player from your club or coaches from your club that can mentor you through that if that's something that you need help with. If, if you guys are really going and blind and you don't know what to do, um, I I'm sure that there's. Well, I know that there's plenty of resources out there to help people go through those recruiting processes that maybe they don't know about. Maybe people can't afford them if it's a pay option, um, but definitely try and do your research, especially now that we're in this digital and information age and we can.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of stuff out there, but I mean, yours is, like you said, it's very unique as far as you did land at a very good school, and it was a school that was going to allow you to pursue something that you loved, which obviously enhances your level of play on the field, because you're getting the best of both worlds. You're studying something that you really love and you're able to play a sport that you love, and not everybody can get that. And so sometimes, if you're going to a school that maybe you don't really love, you don't love the classes or whatever. Maybe they don't have the major you wanted, but you were still able to play your sport, but you were lucky enough to have both, and so that's that's really key, I think is a great way to help make you thrive as a player in those settings, because you want to be at that school, you were able to envision yourself there and you know it sounds like you've surrounded yourself with some great people at your school and with your community there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think the biggest piece of advice I was given that I give to anyone going through the process is you have to pick a university you'd like to be at. If soccer went away Like if you're injured and you can't play and your career ends or you know, something else happens you have to pick a university that you want to go to and you can picture yourself at being without the athletic portion. Um, you know, I think that's really, really important because it's a balance. It's a balance of life. It's a balance of your social life, your academics, um, and you have to know what level you're trying to compete at, like at the top level, kind of everything is tied into your sport.
Speaker 1:It's your job. Your job is to be an athlete here and it's to be a successful one, and for some people, that's all they want and they want to compete at that level, and for others, they don't really know what they're getting their self into and you can end up drowning a lot of times and I think it ended up working out for me. But, looking back at something that I was very unaware of, because it's a huge change from high school and club, this becomes kind of your all-consuming life and and passion and desire and like it's, all you do is you play soccer and every other aspect of your life is kind of tied into it with that not in a bad way, you know it, just it is. You don't have the free time or the ability to do other things like you you once did in high school and club, and that just depends on the level you go to and what you want from your, your experience there.
Speaker 2:So yeah, Now going back to your youth career. So as far as your level of play, because you were a multi-sport athlete, which is great, but was there any supplemental training that you wanted to do for soccer? You know there's a lot of kids out there now that play for multiple teams or they have personal trainers or things. Was there anything else that you did to help enhance your play outside of your regularly scheduled practices with your club team or your high school team?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I'm the biggest advocate for being a multi-sport athlete. I think if you look at a lot of college rosters at the top level, most of them were multi-sport athletes. It is a huge benefit to allowing you to be successful on the soccer field is if you have those other aspects of it. You're training different muscle groups, different body parts. It allows you not to get burnt out and it really does. It all translates together. Being an athlete is being an athlete to a certain extent. If you're able to be athletic on a basketball court, if you're able to run fast on a track, it will translate to the soccer field. Soccer, pursue it, and don't let anyone tell you you can't Be a multi-sport athlete all the way throughout high school. Go, chase your dreams, live it out, and if anyone's telling you it's not a possibility, they are 100% wrong. I love, love, love multi-sport athletes and I hate to see it that nowadays a lot of people are telling kids they have to be focused on just soccer in order to make it and that's just simply not true. It's simply not true and I think it's a dangerous mindset to have because you're going to lose a lot of talent that way. In addition to that.
Speaker 1:I didn't have a whole lot of time outside of your high school soccer and then I was on my club team. I did ODP a little bit. It was a great experience. I loved it for the social aspect. Do I think it really helped get me to where I'm at today? No, I don't think ODP will help you get recruited or will get you a scholarship by any means, but it was a great social aspect. I did a little bit of that. I would pick out different things, like if I really needed to work on my left foot or my shot. There were different private trainers around me. I didn't go there regularly, but if there was something specific that I wanted to work on and I needed advice and I couldn't figure it out myself, I would go to them. But most of it was gathered and most of my training was through my club and high school team. Um, you know I didn't do an extreme amount outside of it. I did a few private training sessions here and there, depending on what I needed, but nothing super regularly.
Speaker 2:And do your younger siblings, do any of your other siblings, play soccer, or are they all in different sports? Or how how's their journey been as far as you being the oldest and then seeing what comes after?
Speaker 1:Yeah, all of us played sports throughout high school. It wasn't. It's not even an option in our household. It's like you're going to. You don't have to be necessarily an athlete the way me and some of my other siblings are, but you have to at least do something active. I think it's a huge benefit to life. You learn so much that you only get through athletics and by being on a team and by being in that sport. So my parents always pushed us that you have to do something.
Speaker 1:But growing up my next youngest, nolan he was always very, very smart. He did football and swimming throughout high school and track as well. He's a three-sport athlete. But he ended up going to Alabama. He's on a full ride for his academics. He's doing aerospace engineering at Alabama now. He's genius level smart. You know he's having a lot of success there and, seeing his journey, it's completely different than mine and completely different than most people's. You know. Incredibly unique and different than my next sibling. My parents always joke that, like every time they're going through this process for college and figuring it out, it's so different, like they learn nothing from me that they could apply to Nolan and nothing from Nolan that they can apply to Talon.
Speaker 1:Who's the next one? Talon does cross country and track and swimming as well, so he also does three sports. He is probably like the least into it, I would say, out of everyone. He's definitely grown up and grown to be more competitive, but my parents first put him into it he was like we always joked he was the type of kid who just had the biggest heart in the world. If he's racing against someone and they really want to win, he'd be like oh you go ahead, you know what you deserve it. Who does really talent? Yeah, like you gotta. Yeah, you know, but he's. It's been so fun watching him grow up and grow into that competitive spirit because he's changed so much throughout it. He's going into his uh, finishing out his freshman year of high school right now, so he's still got a little bit of time to figure out his path.
Speaker 1:But the next one is Carter, and that kid will be a D1 athlete. There's no doubt in my mind I've never seen someone so passionate and into things as he is. He doesn't play soccer, but he does wrestling and rugby and football and track and everything you can possibly imagine he tries to do, and he's got this like natural born leadership that none of my other me, my brother Talon, me, nolan Talon all didn't have. Um, and he's just such an athlete. Like he'll go to practice and come back and like, do like plyometric workouts in our front yard and like, get out the speed and agility ladder after five hours of practice um, you're like what the heck? And he just he loves it. And he get out the speed and agility ladder after five hours of practice um, you're like what the heck? And he, just he loves it. And he's so into it and he's got that dedication, just that competitive spirit that uh will get him far and he'll definitely be a college athlete.
Speaker 1:Um, and then ashton plays soccer. She's 11, so she's still very much growing up and figuring it out. She's very, very young. I think she's just starting to kind of come into her own and be her own person and personality and it's been really weird seeing how much the game has changed from my time just in those 10 years, from where I was at to compared to where she is at. But yeah, she does, she does her sport, she does basketball and soccer right now and, yeah, she loves it. So it'll be interesting to see how it goes because, like I said, she's still super young to figure all that out, but she's already ahead of me in terms of starting her club career. She's in fifth grade and has already been in it for a year whereas I didn't join until sixth, seventh grade.
Speaker 2:so for you, as far as somebody who didn't necessarily have their eyes set on going and playing collegiately, that it just I don't want to say, it just kind of happened. But that's kind of where the natural progression went for you for soccer, how was it transitioning from club and high school into college life? Because I know that there is a significant jump you know I hear all the time the level of play is so much faster collegiately and obviously the expectations as far as trainings and different things. So can you give the listeners kind of an insight as far as trainings and different things? So can you give the listeners kind of an insight as far as what your experience going from your club and high school career to your collegiate career, what the differences were as far as just the level of play of soccer, not necessarily the schedules and the academic part of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I got really lucky with the way my process laid out that the coaches that recruited me ended up retiring and quitting. Um, so the new coach came in with me right that first year. So while I was learning everything and going through it, so was everyone else who was going through this program change and, uh, you know, just learning how to do with the new coach, like the whole team was new, not just the freshman class that year. So I think that allowed a very unique experience for me in that class where we kind of got to ease into things because the coaching staff wasn't established, they were trying to still figure out players and roles and things of that nature. And our program has changed. Every year has been so different with the way we run things from just a level.
Speaker 1:The one thing I will say that it's so hard to be able to prepare yourself for, and everyone will tell you it but to really be able to experience it, I think is very difficult. I don't know how you would replicate it other than being on a collegiate team. It's just the speed of play. It is nothing compared to what you are at in club soccer. You do not have nearly as much time on the ball. You have to figure things out a lot quicker.
Speaker 1:I wasn't prepared for how smart the game is. I've always said like I was a very you know. Once I got here I learned I was a dumb soccer player. I just I didn't know a lot of things that all these other girls knew and that the coaching staff was trying to teach us. I was always like the type of kid who just played off of instincts. I was like there's a gap over there, so I'm gonna run over there, like what do you mean? And now it's like you're talking about you know different formations and just the intellect of the game, which is something I definitely have never experienced until I got here and wasn't prepared for as well and learning that. I'm still learning.
Speaker 1:You know there's so much to learn about the game and to be a smart player in addition just to talented and a quick one you have to have all aspects of it. You know everyone, everyone's fast, everyone's big, everyone's strong at the Big Ten level at this top conference. You have to have the technical ability and the brain to go along with it in order to see success on the field. You have to have a better speed of play than you did in high school and club you have to be. It's all encompassing, whereas before it was this one kind of hobby you do Once you get to the collegiate game and the collegiate level it is it's just, it's more.
Speaker 1:It's more in every single way and it's been so fun for me to learn and to do. But I think that's where a lot of kids struggle is they're not ready to learn it. You know they're, they've always been the best at everything they've done. And you get here and suddenly you're told you're not and it's a really hard thing to to process and to go along with that journey because you know you, everyone at this level was the best at their club, like everyone was the best of the best at every team they've ever been on, which is why they got here. Someone's not going to be anymore and it's hard to figure that out and to manage and to go with the flow of being a freshman and having to learn the game again, which is really what that first year is. It's just relearning soccer other than the re.
Speaker 2:What you're saying is relearning soccer aspect. Was there anything else that you can think of off the top of your head? That was unexpected to you when you went into collegiate play.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think just with how naive I was about it. But, like to me, we're watching the other team play a whole bunch. We're getting like packets on them and what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, what we should be exploiting, formations, different things like that. Like we have whole meetings around this before every game about what the scouting report is and how to best prepare ourselves for that. We are doing film sessions, we're watching a breaking down film and we're doing that after every game. You know, multiple times a week we are lifting and training on top of soccer and just the whole schedule aspect of it.
Speaker 1:I think I was I don't know what I was expecting coming into it and I think all of it just kind of came as a shock and surprise as to not only how physically demanding it was but, like I said before, how mentally demanding it was to be here and to learn the game again and to go through all that. Just the different perks that come with being a collegiate athlete. Like you know the gear I didn't know. Athlete, like you know the gear I didn't know we get kind of credit cards in our name that every time you go for an away trip or you go on you know kind of anything the soccer team makes you do, that you would need food for they either provide a meal for you or they load this credit card with money for you to go get your own food. We call it a per diem. I thought that was super cool when I first got here. That was like I was so excited about that and it was just. It was like the little things like that that I just were constantly either exciting or, you know, caught me off balance, just unprepared for what this was going to be.
Speaker 1:The fact that we have nutritionists on stand, the fact that we have, you know, access to athletic trainers Like I've never it's not that I haven't been injured before, right Like you have kind of like soft tissue injuries or things of that nature but to have full access to a training staff and to this room where, like any minor inconvenience you have with your body, you can now get it taken care of, you know, and prepare you for the game.
Speaker 1:That way, michigan State, they make you roll out like we have bands and rollers, so we have to roll out and stretch after every practice and every game and then, additionally, we go into the ice bath for at least 10 minutes after every practice and every game. So that recovery aspect was something I've never done before. You know usually game's over all right, like go home, eat some McDonald's and you know call it a day, like the taking care of your body off the field. And how seriously they take that in the recovery process in addition to the preparation, was something I definitely wasn't aware of and I think it's improved my game tremendously and it's the biggest thing I could say to a kid now. If you can fix one thing, like everyone knows, to work harder and to do all these things, but the way you take care of yourself and you prepare for your sleep and your nutrition and your hydration, the impact that makes is so insanely, like you know, different from night and day from where you would be without it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and every school obviously is different as far as what they're able to offer their programs. You know, I've talked to people who they don't have nutritionists on on standby and it really just depends on the school. Obviously, you're at one of the bigger schools and so what they're able to offer their athletes is different than what a junior college can offer. So it's knowing what your, what your school that you're going to be going to, is going to be offering you. You know, obviously, like you said, every everything was kind of new with the turnover. Like you know, sometimes when there's a turnover of a coach, they still retain some of the players, but what you said was most of the squad, if not all of it, was new, along with the staff. So it was sort of like starting over from scratch with the new program, which doesn't happen very often. That usually doesn't happen. So that's really interesting, that that was something that you experienced, and then not being able to maybe have that resource of somebody who's been there for a few years and be like, hey, what am I going to expect? But in your case it was like I don't really know what to expect because nobody's done this before with this coach and you know. So sometimes you have those older, seasoned athletes that have been there which you're kind of in that place right now, as far as going into your final year of eligibility, so that's something that you could be to some of the new incoming players type of a thing, but that's. That's really interesting to hear what you're like.
Speaker 2:When I, when I hear what your experience is going through, it's kind of like a you know somebody who's literally going in kind of blind and in just experiencing it, which is kind of cool that you're able to experience that, because it's not something that you were expecting and so you're grateful for it. It's not something that you were expecting and so you're grateful for it. Um, it's not something that you were like, hey, where's my food card? Like why am I not getting a food card? You were pleasantly surprised that you were able to get the per diem card and so that's something that you, I'm assuming, are probably pretty grateful that you even got to have that, because you didn't even know you were going to get it. Um, so it's really just making sure that you know you're grateful for your experience being able to play college soccer, whatever that is, and whatever perks or benefits you may or may not get. You know, it's obviously going to vary from school to school.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. We get a lot of questions for us in our podcast about the different levels that you compete at and does it really make a difference in all of these things? The different levels that you compete at and does it really make a difference in all these things? Um, and the biggest thing that we say is just like it depends on the funding of the university. You know that's something we learn as we go through it and I have friends at all different levels from you know d1 to naia and you know everywhere in between that's the biggest difference it makes is in the funding of your program and different benefits and perks.
Speaker 1:The level of soccer varies school to school and that changes within every conference and every level. Like you could have D3 teams that can probably beat D1 teams right. Like that doesn't necessarily mean they're worse at soccer. However, majority of the times when you go through the different levels and not true for all schools, because you have private schools that are well funded at all levels and you know things of that nature but it does depend a lot on the funding and the little perks you get and how much of a difference that makes and how important that is to you when you go through the process. So that's something I definitely take a look at.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, and a lot of times when you go through this, kids just don't know what questions to ask, like you don't know what you don't know, and I think that's a big part of it where it's like never in a million years would I have asked about per diem cards or any of that. But as we go through it now I'm like you know, every time we go on a trip I'm checking it out. I'm like come on, like we only get this much money, like we got this much last week for this meal or whatever, like you go to it and it's funny now looking back like how grateful I was for it in the moment, maybe, how used to it you get, and kind of take it for granted a bit as you go throughout your journey, mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so for your soccer, collegiate soccer. So I know you said that some of the scouts that were there for Michigan State were also interested in some of your teammates. Did any of your teammates end up going to Michigan State with you?
Speaker 1:I was the only one that committed here, I think I don't. When they first reached out. We had one girl on our team who had an incredible amount of attention. She is still one of the best and I think she brought a lot of attention to our team and if I had to guess, I would probably say the coaches were there to watch her. She was definitely on the list. There was three of us when they emailed and they were there for her. I happened to play really well that game along with one other player, from what I understand, the other girl on the list. It just didn't work out. They just ended up kind of fizzling out, which a lot of recruiting processes will do. It just didn't connect that way. And then with the girl they were there to watch, she, I think, just had her sights set on other places.
Speaker 1:Michigan State was not a high level soccer program. At the time we committed. We were very, very bad, which is something I didn't know when I committed, but she did. She was very into that. She was a lot more knowledgeable on everything that was going on than me, where I was just kind of like happy to be there.
Speaker 1:And yeah, we were really bad at soccer we were one of the worst in the Big Ten prior to me coming in freshman year, which is great because now we're back-to-back Big Ten champs and ranked 12 in the entire nation. So the journey's been incredible. But at that time of commitment we were not good. So she coaching staff and things like that. A girl on my team ended up committing to Grand Valley when Jeff, my current coach, was there. So she committed to my current coach at a different university and then I was already committed to Michigan State under different coaching staff and then it turns out like I kind of stole her coach and he came here and now she's still at Grand Valley there, but she got recruited by my coaching staff, just not at the right university.
Speaker 2:That's kind of funny. Yeah, since you have one more year of eligibility, is there a goal that you would like to try and play professionally after college, or is that kind of not really your journey? I know it's not everybody's journey, but what? What would you like to do after your collegiate career ends? Are you looking to continue in the soccer space or do something different?
Speaker 1:I think, when you're faced with the realities, that this would actually be the end. You know, because by the time you got to that point in high school, for me I already knew that I could play collegiately, like I knew my story wasn't over in the sport. I think, looking forward to my senior year and the fact that I'm out of eligibility, it's truly over and I would be done doing the thing I love probably most in this world. It's absolutely heartbreaking and I don't, I'm not ready, by any means, I'm not ready to give this up. I love it.
Speaker 1:I think with the hard part is, though, for me and you know personally, and I think for a lot of kids now that the COVID year is over, we no longer have the extra year of eligibility to give us more wiggle room with our academics. If you were going to do the NWSL draft, you would have to graduate in three and a half years. For me, with a mechanical engineering degree, that's just not possible, like I'm not going to graduate in three and a half years with that, while doing division one collegiate soccer Just not realistic. So yeah, but I think that's true for a lot of kids that are just not able to graduate in three and a half years. So you either leave without your degree or you forfeit the ability to play pro at that level. You then have the option to go through your second semester and there's a transfer window where you could go ahead and play overseas at that point and there's so many opportunities and that's what I've learned this past year, if nothing else related to the soccer world is how big it is. There's so many opportunities, not only within the United States but internationally. They also have that new Super League that they created within the US and there's just so many opportunities to play professionally.
Speaker 1:I'm sure I will pursue something. What that exactly looks like, I'm not sure because it will depend on just the finances of a degree. I think you probably make more in scholarship money than you do at some of these overseas leagues where you're making probably less than minimum wage after everything. But I'm sure I'll pursue, pursue something. I'm just not incredibly sure what that looks like. Right now. I am comforted in knowing that there are more opportunities than I was ever aware of to go ahead and play. But yeah, I don't know it's, it's a question of the year for me, man. I mean, I just I wish I had an, it would make my life a lot easier.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and how much more schooling do you have?
Speaker 1:So I graduated four and a half years with my engineering degree. So I would be a year out of collegiate play by the time I graduated, for when I would want to go pro with if I had my degree. Realistically, what I'll probably do is finish out my spring season or spring semester and then go play overseas and I'd forfeit kind of that last semester of my degree and then come back and finish it when I was done playing soccer.
Speaker 2:That's something that I've heard players do, obviously when they're faced with that, because obviously as an athlete you only have so many years that your body can physically do the sport and so it is kind of a time crunch there. But obviously for people who are on the path for specific degrees and they want to be able to finish it, they have to find a balance with what they're going to be able to do and how they're able to do that. You know some, some degrees, you know. Maybe you can finish it online. Obviously, with yours, I don't think you can.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately not.
Speaker 2:So about your podcast? So tell the listeners the name of your podcast and how you and your co-host started to create your podcast yeah, so my podcast is called the big life.
Speaker 1:It is on apple, spotify, youtube, wherever you get your podcasts. We pair up with girls soccer network, um, and we release it every thursday and we've done this. We started it july of last year, right before kind of season started. In that preseason phase, I'd always because of how naive I was, going into the process and how many things I didn't know and how many things I wish I knew, and I tried at that point to look at Not necessarily like social media is so polished and you get the answers. You want Everyone's media trained and you know it's. Every answer is perfect, whether or not it's true, and I just when I was going through the process, there were so many questions I had and there's so many questions I didn't know I should be asking and I just I wanted to know a realistic day in the life of a college soccer player, what does it actually look like? You know the good, the bad, the ugly. So I always thought there was a space for that and I ended up DMing Girl Soccer Network along with a few other companies, being like hey, like I really think you should do this. I think this is a great opportunity. I think there's a space for it, I think it would help a lot of kids, and they ended up being like I 100% agree like let's, do's do it. Jen, who runs the company, has been absolutely amazing in helping us see this through and we just were like, ok, let's do it. They paired me up with Sam, who at that point was a defender at the University of Iowa. We were covering kind of the Big Ten and our journeys and the soccer world within Big Ten athletics and as we go throughout that year we finish out the season and Sam ends up getting drafted to the NWSL. Um, you know, she ended up. Now she's overseas playing in Sweden professionally and we just started season two.
Speaker 1:We're about halfway through season two now of our podcast, which we uh, you know, have now covered the professional world as well and what life looks like there and how to transition from college to professional and all that. But the real main point of it is just to give kids and to give anyone listening you know a real day in the life, what being a collegiate athlete really takes, what being a professional athlete really takes, and we sit down and we talk with professionals in the industry of mental health support we talk about, you know, nutrition, sports performance. We've talked with agents. We've talked with professionals who, in their story and their journey that have gone through it and any advice they have, and it's just been, it's been amazing. I absolutely love it. I look forward to it every week and, you know, it's just hopefully it helps someone out there know, if nothing else, that they're not alone in their journey and if they have any advice or questions, you know we're always here to help and to ask.
Speaker 2:For you and your co-host, Sam. You said that you guys got paired up, so how was that going into a podcasting relationship, not necessarily having a friendship beforehand?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was incredibly weird. Sam had already worked with Girls Soccer Network, so they gave me kind of freedom with it. They were like this is your idea, this is kind of your baby. You know, we'd love to see you work with Sam. We think this would be great. But if not, it is what it is.
Speaker 1:And after one meeting with Sam, like we were complete opposites. Like I was very introverted and shy and quiet and you know mellow kind of monotone and some of my stuff I was so nervous. This is the last thing anyone would ever expect from me. Like I am the most introverted person probably to ever have a podcast Like this was way out of my comfort zone. And Sam is the opposite.
Speaker 1:She's so outgoing and loud and you know, just like this natural leader and just you know very, you know big and I'm very quiet and it was like is this going to? You know? Jen was like is this going to work? Like you guys are so opposite and we were like no, like that's exactly why this is going to work, cause I will never know what it's like to be Sam and she will never know what it's like to be me, and we were two completely different people and I think it's a yin and a yang situation where it comes together and it works out so well. It was definitely, I mean, if you go back and you listen to the first few episodes, like two, three, compared to where we're at now 100% a huge learning curve and you can kind of tell we're getting to know each other as we go through the process now.
Speaker 1:But at this point I've talked to her, you know, a couple hours a day every week for a year almost now, like I probably know her better and she knows me better than most people, I would say and it's grown to be a true friendship and I'm her biggest fan now and it's been amazing, it's been one of the best things, I think, to come out of it. And whether or not the podcast succeeds and we go forward with it and whatever happens with it, I think there's definitely a true friendship that's come out of it.
Speaker 2:At this point, that's cool, yeah, and the knowledge that podcasts like yours and you know in those spaces it's really just getting the information out there to the people that really don't know anything. Cause I know when I started my podcast there, when I did research when I wanted to start mine, I was kind of like I don't know what's out there. Already Most of the soccer podcasts like if you just go and look for soccer or football podcasts, they're mostly about professional levels or they're geared towards one professional team and so it's not a lot of stories and experiences of the people that have actually lived through it and giving their advice and just sharing what their journeys were and how that can help the next generation of parent and player so that people know. You know maybe you didn't think to ask questions about you know the recruiting process and the other part of it is there's no one set pathway that everybody has to follow. You don't have to play for team A to get to team Z and go play at college Y and then go professionally over here with this team. There's no linear line that you have to follow.
Speaker 2:Like all the people that I've talked to, they've gone through completely different journeys and where they ended up was never the same place.
Speaker 2:Um, and how they got there was never the same.
Speaker 2:What they thought they were going to do versus where they ended up a lot of times didn't align either, and so it's really fun and interesting for these people to share their stories and their journeys throughout the soccer space, because no two stories are the exact same and and I love that even even thinking about people that are siblings that I know, that are going through processes there's even their stories aren't the same, like you said, with you and your siblings like even what your parents learned from you they couldn't really translate to your brother because obviously their situations are completely different, their interests are different and things, but it's it's different and it's always going to be different, and that's the fun thing about this is you might be able to resonate and feel for one thing, but maybe you don't really connect with another thing, or maybe there's an avenue that somebody took that you didn't even know was a possibility, and so that's why I love sharing these stories, and it sounds like that's something similar that you guys are doing with your podcast and letting people know you know the day in the life of collegiate, collegiate stuff, because I mean, I focus on just any youth soccer stories and things.
Speaker 2:But yours is a lot of people don't know as far as when they're going to play collegiately, what they can expect and what, what they should be planning on and how do I get there and what's available for me and things. So that's great information for those people to know in those next steps yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:like I said, our biggest goal was, like it's so polished, everyone's media trained, and we wanted to show the true realities of it. You know it's not always good, um, and pretty, and sometimes it is, though you know, sometimes it is, so there's also really bad moments, really low moments and everywhere in between, and we wanted to show that and emphasis on that and, like you said, I think there's something to be learned from everyone's journey. Like you might not agree with all of it or all aspects of it, but there's always something you can take away from it and even if that's just knowledge of knowing that those are options, um, it was really incredible and it's been, like I said, my favorite thing to do and I've absolutely loved getting into it and getting into the podcast and getting to meet all these different people and hear their experiences throughout it.
Speaker 2:So is there any social media channels that people can follow you other than following the podcast or subscribing?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, my name is Jordan Wickes, j-o-r-d-y-n-w-i-c-k-e-s, and pretty much all my handles are my name on Instagram. It's probably my main platform, so go ahead and follow me there and then follow the podcast and Girls Soccer Network. It is out on all platforms every Thursday and we already have one and a half seasons out for you guys, so definitely recommend go check it out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and it sounds like great stories, great information, especially for those athletes you know looking to go play collegiately at this point, or even players that are in, you know already playing collegiately. Do you guys specifically just talk about the girls side of the game, or do you delve into the men's side as well?
Speaker 1:We're focused on just the girls side for now. Delve into the men's side as well.
Speaker 2:We're focused on just the girls side for now. Okay, I just wanted to make sure, so that people know what they're what they're getting into, but that's I mean, that's obviously great information to know. And what are some of the, what are some of the schools that you guys have covered so far in your season so that listeners can know what what you guys have already covered and are they able to recommend schools that they would hope to hear information about?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, you can reach out to us, um, you know either girl soccer network directly or me or sam social media handle. Her name is sam carrie s-a-m-c-a-r-y and both of us get a ton of questions, so we answer them every week on the podcast. Um, you know, if there's anything you want to hear, any questions you have about anything specifically, either we'll answer you directly or we'll talk about it on the show. So I mean, so far we've covered last season and we did wisconsin, um, we did, you know, michigan state and iowa, obviously, obviously, with me and Sam we've done pretty much all the big 10 universities. We've done some aspect of it. And then we've also done a lot of professionals.
Speaker 1:This year we talked with an agent. We've talked with mental health performance. We've talked with, you know, canadian players in the international process. We talked about to our coaches both the Michigan State and Iowa coaching staff, about what you look for in recruitment process, things of that nature. We did kind of a little bit of everything. I feel like we've done goalkeepers who are now playing in Sweden. We've done our overseas in Iceland. In Sweden we've done uh, or overseas in Iceland. We did uh, yeah, a little bit, a little bit of everything, not just players alone, but also professionals in their different uh in their different aspects around.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, cause that's always really interesting to hear. Like I know, I've um started to interview some referees. I'm doing kind of a mother's day thing going on right now. Um, I'm going to be doing a father's day thing in June, but it's really interesting to hear the different people around different programs. I mean, at least for me, like I've talked to people that are administrators for some pretty big clubs it's really interesting just to hear the different roles that people have, especially for people who, like you, might be coming to the end of their careers and they don't know if they're going to be able to play later or maybe they just don't want to.
Speaker 2:But finding a job that's still in the space in the sport that they love, whether it's coaching, you know a nutritionist, you know the physios that you guys have I'm oh my gosh, I'm anyway so the therapists and things trainers. There's a lot of things that go into these big programs, you know. So now agents are starting to be a lot bigger as far as for soccer athletes, cause you know, you see Jerry Maguire or whatever, and you're looking at the NFL players and the big baseball players and NBA players, and now soccer agents. You know that was kind of a newer thing, um, in the last few. You know, while, um, at least in the United States, obviously abroad there's probably agents for all those professional players in Europe and things like that but, um, those are definitely new spaces here.
Speaker 2:Um, and then, uh, the mental health side of it. You know that's a branching and emerging area that people are starting to get into and so it's really interesting to see the broad and the vision and all the different things that go in there. There's so many administrators that go into college programs, youth programs, professional programs, advertisers, programs, advertisers I mean there's so many different jobs that go into sports that you can still find a job in and around it if you want it. Obviously, if you want to try and stay in that same space, not everybody wants to. You know, I've I've seen some professional players who they ended up playing professionally and then they took a left turn and now they're like, yeah, that was a fun pastime, but this is my job now and this is what I do, you know. So it really depends on the person and the player. But that's that's really great that you guys are able to explore that and share that information with with those athletes, so that they know what to expect.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, absolutely it's been a lot of fun. I mean, I've learned so much while doing it. There's so many things that talking to these you know these professionals and their, their areas and their expertise like so many things I never would even thought to do or to ask or all of that and it's been such a learning process for me, not to mention everyone else who wasn't prepped before the podcast about what to ask and the things of that nature. So, you know, I've we've gotten a lot of positive feedback about it and it's been. I think my favorite project I've ever done here was starting this and doing it and hopefully we'll continue it throughout the next year. But it's been, yeah, it's been.
Speaker 1:We got a lot of good things coming. We got NIL guests, we got sports psychologists coming up, we've got Andrea Brimmer, who is the CMO of Alley Financial, is going to come on and talk to us, who is the number one supporter of the NWSL, and things of that nature, and yeah, we've got a lot of good things coming with it. So I'm excited. I think everyone should tune in, not that I'm biased or anything, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I totally, I totally feel that. Yeah, that's awesome that you guys have been able to do that and and grow it and and do all that you've done so far and what you're going to be continuing to do. So that's, that's great, that you've been able to do that. So, before we close, two last questions. One do you have a soccer in like a person, an idol, an inspiration? Is there a soccer player that you look up to yourself?
Speaker 1:I think growing up, the people that I idolized were the people above me, kind of in that high school area era. You know, you had, and pretty much that entire class that was above me, from, you know, olivia Young to Bailey Blythe and to Catherine Camper and all these people who nobody will know, probably, that I'm talking about. But those are the people that I idolized and I wanted to be growing up were those high schoolers. And then, once I got to college and I started watching them, it was, you know, lauren Kozel and Ava Cook and those people and Gia Wahlberg, those people that were above me here I began to idolize and look up to and learn from. Um. You know, and at this point in my career I think some of my favorite soccer players are like Lynn Williams, um Sam and Christy Mewis. I actually got to meet Christy Mewis. I was playing in England, we played some of the WSL teams and she's over there now playing um and I got to meet her and I was like total fangirl. I was like oh my god hi.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, so you know people like that, but I think in terms of just the soccer aspect and who I idolized on the field, they were always high school and then soccer or England college players. Once I got to this, I never really watched a whole lot of professional soccer until I got to the college level.
Speaker 2:And there wasn't a lot of women's soccer available to watch. Um. So that's definitely obviously been something that has grown a lot in the last several years. So that's that's been great, that we've seen that explosion on that side. You know, whether it's domestically or abroad, it's just been a huge growth for the sport.
Speaker 2:I mean, I remember just watching the world cup and that was kind of like it is when the world cup would be broadcast and I, you know, I was lucky enough to be able to attend one when it was back here in 99. But it was still one of those things where you still don't, you didn't see it a lot and hear about it a lot. But in the last, you know, 10 years or so it's definitely really grown and broadened and I'm lucky enough to be able to have an NWSL team back here in my home state in Utah. So we have the Utah Royals and so that's fun to have them back here. They left for a few years, they're back, and so I know my daughter was just asking the other day you know when's the next home game? Are we able to go? And so just seeing her being excited that that is back in our backyard.
Speaker 2:Basically, um is is is great because she, she's the one that's asking to go and you know she has fun. And, um, we had one of their players come and talk to some of our players in our club and so I think that rejuvenated the excitement because they were like, hey, I've met her, I have a picture with her and now I get to go watch her play professionally and so they really resonate with that. So I mean that really really piqued a lot of interest, at least in the young players that maybe didn't have an interest to go and watch. That. They were kind of like hey, I've met her, even if I'm the, even if she's the only player I know on the team, I've met her and I get to go watch her. And so that's kind of been fun to see these younger players be able to grow and recognize somebody out there playing.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then, as far as advice for players, do you have any advice that you would like to give? I know it's kind of a general question and I kind of like to leave with that, but is there any advice or anything that we haven't already talked about so far that you would love to leave with the listener? As far as youth players go in their careers, yeah, um, this is a hard one.
Speaker 1:I have so much, I have so much I want to say. But, um, I would say that the biggest piece of advice I would give to a youth player, if you're trying to make it to the next level, is one there's a couple one don't tell any. Don't let anyone tell you you can only play soccer. You can be a multi-sport athlete. You should be a multi-sport athlete if it's something you're passionate about. Two you don't have to be on a specific team or specific club team in order to make it to the next level. You can have success while playing anywhere. You just have to be aware of what that means for you. If you're playing at a team who isn't getting as much showcase recognition, you have to know that you have to go to different ID camps in order to get seen right.
Speaker 1:The recruiting process is a two-way street. While coaches aren't just going to come out and find you, you know, as much as they may think you're a talented player. If you're not reaching out to them and they don't know you want to go to their university, they're going to move on and go to the next player. There's more players and there are positions available and you have to be aware of that as talented as you may be, you have to do the work in the recruiting process in order to reach out and email these coaches and get your name out there. It get your name out there. You know it's a job, it's a work. You have to work at it. It's just going to come to you.
Speaker 1:And then, thirdly, really taking off the field preparation seriously the sleep, the nutrition, the hydration. Making sure you're getting proper sleep two nights before a competition is ideal, and having a routine like that, I think has impacted my game so tremendously. And looking back at my younger days, my club and high school days, I wonder how good I could have been if I took those things seriously, and it's something I just wasn't aware of at the time and I definitely did not take seriously. So, looking back, I wonder what my potential was if I would have done those things. So that'd be any advice I have to younger kids.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Well, I don't have anything else for you today. I always say this I could go on and on and on and on and pick your brain apart, but you know, is there anything else that you want to touch on before we end? I mean, there doesn't have to be. Like you said, you could give advice for days, I'm sure as well yeah, yeah, I would say you know I'm always open.
Speaker 1:If you ever reach out, I will answer with any advice you need or any specific questions you have.
Speaker 1:Please do not be scared and do not hesitate to reach out and if it's not me, to someone else. If you're looking at a specific university and you really want to reach out, and if it's not me, to someone else. If you're looking at a specific university and you really want to go here, reach out to a player on the team and ask questions. We are more than happy to help and to be there to support you guys throughout the journey. I'd recommend checking out the podcast because I could talk for days and we could sit here probably for the next five hours and just talk soccer and it wouldn't be an issue at all. So we could sit here probably for the next five hours and just talk soccer and it wouldn't be an issue at all. So I don't have anything super specific to touch on, but I would just recommend that if you have any questions to reach out and we're always happy to help- yeah, and I will definitely link the podcast in the show notes.
Speaker 2:Remember, it's the big life and you can find it basically anywhere that you get your podcasts Apple, spotify, google's gone now. But, yeah, just give it a subscription, give it a like, give it a share, um. Thank you, jordan, so much for coming on and sharing your experiences and, like I said, I will be linking her information in the show notes and if you have any questions for her, reach out to her directly or to me. Um, either way, and we can get those over to her if you reach out to me. But thank you, j Jordan, for your time and your experiences that you were sharing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you so much for having me. It was a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:Thanks for kicking it with me and have a great day.
