022: Mikayla Krzeczowski of the South Carolina Gamecocks

A critical part of the remarkable rise of the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s soccer team, Mikayla Krzeczowski returns to the net in 2018 for her junior year. Her first two seasons – 2016 and 2017 – were simply the most successful in the history of the program.

In today’s episode, Mikayla talks about starting in goal – as a freshman – behind four senior stalwarts in the back line, and how much that season helped her grow and gave her confidence. She reflects on the past two years and looks ahead to a promising 2018.

At only 5’6″ tall, Mikayla can’t rely on her size to get the job done. She discusses the important roles that footwork, intelligence and communication have played in making her one of the top goalkeepers in college soccer. She also talks about the importance of observing and learning from others, as well as the value of a good goalkeeping coach – especially on the psychology of a young player.

Along the way, we also examine her path from youth soccer in Georgia to Columbia, S.C., and the role that a number of coaches and clubs have played in getting her there. I hope you enjoy the show!

Special thanks to Mikayla Krzeczowski for joining me!