Living Boldly For Christ As A Pro Athlete (Part 2) | Katie Cousins
In this episode, Brody sat down with Katie Cousins, a pro athlete and friend of Snowbird, to hear about her time playing soccer for Angel City. They discussed what’s coming next in her career.
While living in a liberal and progressive context, Katie had to stand firm when attacked for her Christian faith. Katie experienced conflict within her team and from soccer fans around the country on social media. This is how she trusted the Lord throughout it all.
Believers, we need the Lord daily. And, we need community with one another. Let’s be immovable (together) in the face of adversity.
Transcript – Part 2
Welcome to no Sanity Required. And today we’re going to be talking with Katie Cousins. Katie Cousins is a professional soccer player and also one of Swope’s very own. And it’s going to be, I think you’ll enjoy the episode. We sat down at my kitchen table. Katie has lived with us kind of based out of our house over the last couple of years, last few years, spent her college career at the University of Tennessee, go Vols. I know that makes all the other SEC people, especially Georgia and Alabama people, mad. SEC fans are obnoxious. Maybe only second to Ohio State fans. They’re the most obnoxious and least enjoyable. I know Robbie Jax listens to this show and he’s an Ohio State fan. We love all of y’all, but we especially love Tennessee women’s soccer and Katie’s our favorite all-time Tennessee soccer player. Katie’s just signed a contract to play for the Angel City Football Club, which is the women’s Major League Soccer in America, Women’s Professional Soccer League. That’s the Los Angeles team. So it’s exciting, exciting season. I’m excited for you to listen to our conversation. And then also Katie was the thing that I thought was so helpful and insightful and that I’ve been able to watch play out in her life is the way that Katie uses that platform for the gospel.
And it’s something that we can all learn from. So I hope you’ll enjoy it. Welcome to no Sanity Required from the ministry of Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters, a podcast about the Bible, culture and stories from around the globe. People that listen to, people listen to NSR. One of the things that I want them to feel like is, I think I said this to you, is I want them, I want them to feel like they’re just sitting here in my kitchen, you know? Hello, hello over there. On the other side, little pumpkin decorations.
Imaginary friends.
Mm-. Which can be disturbing.
You should have seen her doing the nose swab. She was like, oh, I’d rather get the throat swab. I’m like, nope, I’d rather do the nose swab. She was sitting there like, she had maybe halfway the little pad thing up her nose. And I’m like, Lilly, you have to go farther than that.
Wait, you did it yourself?
Yes.
Hey, so this morning… Thankfully not too far up. This morning we’re standing here in the kitchen and kids are ready for school and I said, little, you know, you got to get your COVID test today to travel to Africa. What’s that test called? It’s different than the normal PCR. I guess it’s just a more intensive lab test or whatever. But I was like, you got to get your PCR test today. She said, I know. I said, you know, I said, you know, it’s a rectal exam. She said, she spun around, she said, no, it’s not. And I said, it is. And she said, it is not. It’s a drive-thru exam. I said, I know it’s really awkward.
Through the window.
She, for just a minute, I had her going and she’s like, you’re an idiot. Anyway, all right. So are you getting excited about Africa? Katie’s going to be going, so Katie and little, the reason Katie had to go get a COVID test today is because Katie and little are going to go visit Kilby and our listeners are familiar with Kilby. That’s my oldest daughter. Kilby has been on the podcast and Greg, her husband’s been on the podcast and they are serving in East Africa. Serving with a group of people called the Lugbara. The Ugandan people group they’re working with are the Lugbara. And then they also work with a lot of Sudanese refugees and they’re from the Dinka tribe. You see the pictures of the boys in their group? That one boy, 6’9.
How tall is he? Five zero.
He’s 6’9.
About two feet taller.
I want to see a picture of that. And so all they do is play soccer. And the Bible says it’s going to be awesome. And those boys are so excited about y’all coming.
Yeah, Greg was telling me, he was like, I keep telling them that you’re coming and you play soccer and they’re really pumped. It’s gonna be fun.
It’s gonna be awesome. Those kids, it’s like this in most of the world and you’ve seen it because you’ve traveled with soccer, but people live, I mean, their whole world revolves around playing soccer. I mean, I remember when I was a little kid, I’d go to high school football games and we would, you know, there’s little footballs they throw out at halftime. The first half of the game, me and my buddies would all, this is like elementary school. We’d go behind the home stadium, home bleachers, and we’d play football with a cup, with a bunch of cups. We’d make a cup ball. We’d play football. Then at halftime, we’d figure out a way to get one of those little balls off somebody, the little teeny plastic footballs. Then we’d have that to play with. And anytime, when I was growing up, football was, American football was what everybody’s, every boy was playing around here. And if we had any downtime, we would play football. And we were, if it was bad weather, we’re inside, me and my brother would play knee football in the hall in our house. We’re just basically tackling each other up and down the hall, which usually turned into a fight.
Yeah. Oh yeah. 100% of the time. Or we play paper football. You ever play that?
Where you flick it?
Yeah.
And play that lunchtime at school.
It’s the best. So a lot of people don’t know this, but I was, Defending back to back third grade Miss Tran Thom fourth grade Miss Stamy Bethel Elementary School paper football champion Hey, you got you’re an accomplished athlete, Katie. You should appreciate Take what you can get you take what you can get not everybody not everybody from Bethel Elementary School can say that from 40 years ago. Correct, but I can I can so I’m proud of that accomplishments, you know, we’re not gonna compare athletic accomplishments and achievements, but just we’re gonna throw a couple of mine out there to start this thing off. But yeah, the way we would always play football, everywhere you go in the world, soccer’s like, it’s fun. It’s fun and it’s global.
I love it.
Russia, like anywhere in East Asia.
When I was in Iceland, a whole big group of old men would come in their lunch break to our stadium. And play for an hour. Go right back inside, change real quick, and go back to their jobs. Just because they like playing?
They just love to play. So let’s start, let’s get into how soccer became a thing for you because, you know, American kids, most American kids are gonna start off and play soccer or like T-ball, baseball, softball. Did you play, what else did you play when you were real little? Was it just soccer?
No, I, Well, I did swim team when I was in South Carolina, and then I did karate for a long time. Me and my dad did. And then I played all the other sports with my dad, but I didn’t play on a team until I moved to Virginia. So I played basketball for a long time.
Okay.
I think that was it.
Okay, so when you’re born, you’re born in South Carolina. Yeah. And then, What, how old were you when y’all moved to Virginia?
I was 10 going on 11.
Because when I met you, you were a junior or senior in high school? Junior. You just finished your junior year.
Yes, going into senior year.
And you came to Snowbird as a camper. And you were a brand new believer.
Yeah, pretty new.
Because you did not grow up as a believer in a Christian home or going to church or, Good moral family, good people, but not people of the Christian faith who Jesus was their thing.
Yeah, no, my mom was raised Jewish, so definitely not on that side, but my dad was raised in the church. So I have just a couple of small memories as a little kid going to a church and then a few memories at night reading the Bible with my dad. But other than that, not really.
Yeah.
Any memories of it?
Okay. And then you moved to, from South Carolina to Virginia when you’re 10 or 11. And at that point you’re playing. So, so walk me through your childhood. What was your childhood like? What was home like? And then what was, how much of your life revolved around playing soccer?
So started playing soccer when I was four and then I mean, I’m obviously still playing, but home life, I mean, two good parents, and then I got an older brother, younger sister, and, yeah, I mean, pretty tight-knit family that we all love each other a lot, which is awesome. But then when we moved to Virginia, I started playing. I played my whole club level, so. Probably around 8 to 18. I played two years up for just a teeny bit and then I played a year up until all of those guys graduated high school. So I played up the whole time and became pretty competitive when I’d say when I moved to Virginia. Started playing pretty competitively and at that point it was like, okay, I’m pretty good at soccer. So my parents started driving me other places and Maybe middle school really, really started getting into it. At that point, that’s when I started training a lot more. In my childhood, it’s weird you think, oh man, this person’s good at this sport. They must have grew up always playing it. But it wasn’t like that. I loved playing football with my dad and baseball.
We’d go play tennis. I love playing all the other sports too. But then probably middle school started getting really competitive and then high school definitely really competitive and in and out of youth national teams and at that point committed to college to play.
So you’re, when you say played up, so like you’re 12, you’re playing with 14 year olds.
Yes, so I, yes, so, so, Sam’s supposed to play on a U-13 team, I was playing on a U-14 team. So my last year in high school, was my first year playing with kids my age.
Oh, wow.
Which, it’s not that much different, but, yeah, but at a younger age, it was different. Yeah.
And, and kids develop at different rates and paces. And so I know I went, there was a kid, so now it’s real popular in, in, like, public school, kids will, they’ll, they’ll sit out a year.
Yeah.
In middle school so that when they get to high school, they They’re a year older in the same grade or whatever. And they’re super common now. ‘Cause it is a year of development in your adolescent years, your teen years. That’s a lot. I mean, so you’re playing up and that’s, I think two things are happening. One sounds like you’re naturally gifted. The Lord’s given you this gifting. But then it’s getting home ’cause you’re not playing. ‘Cause what happens a lot of times, you’ll see kids, I see this here in the local, Sports, guys will hold their kid back in a grade so they can play with younger kids. You know, and so now they’re dominant. Like, I know guys at our local high school here that are a year older than most of the kids in their grade. And so it gives them a little bit more. Yeah, they’re better. They look better, but really they’re not because they’re playing with younger kids. So you’re playing up, you’re doing the opposite.
Yeah.
And I find that, I find that in sports, someone who’s really legitimately good at something, when you move them up to higher levels of competition, they excel more.
Yeah, they should raise the level.
That’s right.
And playing, I know in soccer, it’s really good to train with boys. And so I, I think my first travel team, I actually played with boys. And then after that, I didn’t train that much with boys, but at a young age and at that age, that was actually really good for me in my development as well.
When you were playing with boys, did you find that they would not take you as serious or keep the ball, you know, not give you the ball, or was it, you have a pretty good experience?
To be honest, I don’t have a lot of memories of it, but when I hear my parents talk about it, I don’t think it went super great.
Yeah.
Because I was a girl and I was I think they said that I was doing really well for them. And I think that was maybe maybe not maybe a little intimidating. I don’t know.
Yeah. I remember little talking about that because little played, you know, she played on the club team and played college soccer. And I she was I remember her saying she got on this boys team. And was one of the better, one of the top two or three players on the team, but they just wouldn’t give her the ball because she’s a girl. Yep. Like, that’s boy insecurity.
Yeah. And then I, I mean, I trained with the local boys team in college a little bit, too, and they were a lot better, but my coach’s son was also on the team, and so I don’t, I don’t know if they just weren’t like that because they knew who I was, but. They were a lot better.
I remember that. I remember when you were doing that. My favorite, so I bring this story up all the time. My favorite story is when, so Katie and little, my wife, and who else was in that? It was Sean Clark. Sean, because it was co-ed thing. And then it was another lady. We didn’t know her. It was like a co-ed three on three. It was three on three. Little soccer. It was like the small goals.
Three or five.
Three or five in short field, no goalies. Like a tournament. I don’t know if it was a fundraiser or what. But anyway, it was, I don’t know, an hour from here.
Supposed to be just fun and relaxing. Not for that one guy.
Not for that guy because you were dominant. So this guy, I found out later, this guy was like, you know, he’s probably 30 years old. When he was in high school, he’s like the dominant soccer player of his little 1A high school. Then he got a beer belly and a bum knee and, still had to play pickup soccer. And then their team was, I guess, one of the better ones at this little tournament. And then Katie and little and Sean and this gal, Amy and her husband, I forget his name, but y’all were dominating their team. And what I mean by that is you were dominating this guy. And he was so mad. And he was getting so mad. And so what he starts to do, because you heard Katie say earlier, she’s five feet tall. This guy’s probably 6’1 and he’s like, you know, over 200 pounds. So he starts bullet trying to fix it.
A lot more than me. Yeah.
But you were, like, so athletic. You’re, like, leveraging his weight. You made him fall down once. It was hilarious. And so then the guy just starts playing dirty. So then we start heckling him.
Now you start heckling him.
I started heckling him, talking trash, which made it worse. I apologize for that.
Sean got mad.
And so then Sean got mad because the guy was so worked up at my heckling that he started to play. Dirty and be foul and yeah, it just intensified and oh, it’s all fun and games until the chubby washed up has been high school standout athlete with the bum knee gets mad because and at that time you had just come back from playing on the under 20 national team in the World Cup. And then when that guy, when he found out, just trying to have some fun, just having a good time. We’re all having a good time here. Yeah, so when I met you, you were going into your senior year and with soccer, your club team is much more important than your high school’s school team.
Yep.
And so you were getting recruited from your club team. By the time I met you as a finishing up your junior year, you were already committed to go play at the University of Tennessee.
Yeah, I committed August going into my sophomore year. So pretty, that’s really, really early. In women’s soccer, but I.
You knew.
Yes.
And like you said earlier, your family, and I know all of Katie’s family and just good, sweet, sweet-hearted people. And I think having that just solid support and yep, that’s what I’m gonna do. I know this is the right thing. I think your coach at Tennessee, who I know is an awesome guy, Brian’s an awesome dude, he had really cultivated and developed a relationship with you.
Yeah, it was such an important thing and we talked about last night how my, talking about tucking and recruiting and all that stuff. It’s funny my parents were like, yeah, we knew you were gonna pick Tennessee and never said anything because they wanted it to be my decision and they’ll just be there to support it and as well as my siblings too. But yeah, they were great about the whole thing and yeah, Brian’s awesome and wouldn’t change going to Tennessee at all. I could do it over.
Yeah, and you had an incredible career at Tennessee. Some accomplishments that Katie wouldn’t brag on herself, but I mean, you were named to the all SEC team multiple times, all American team twice. In the middle of your college career, you went and played, you took your red shirt of the year and played in the under 20 World Cup for the US women’s national team. So an incredible, I mean, an incredible career. If your career was over now, it would be an unbelievable resume. You finished your career in Tennessee. Women’s soccer had a great year this year.
Yeah, they were really, really fun. And they’re, I think they only lose one person.
That’s crazy.
Maybe one or two more, but yeah, they were really fun and they’re gonna be really good, I think, the next two, three years.
It was fun watching that game with you. SEC Championship.
Yeah, I was pumped up. I was so happy for them.
So fun.
Yeah.
And, but your year, I think your junior year was, y’all did really well. It was like the best season they’d.
Had in a while.
Yeah, we made it to the elite eight.
Yeah, that was, Tennessee never done that before, so that was pretty cool to be a part of that history making. And that was just a really, really fun group to play with. It was, yeah, it was great.
It was fun to watch y’all. I loved going to, I think I got to go to five games. I went to five games and then watched a lot of internet stuff. But I went to six games because I ended up going to a game your last year that I hadn’t planned on going in the last minute we went. But I loved going to those games. It was like such a, it’s a good crowd, good atmosphere, people were really behind it. And I learned a lot. I didn’t know a lot about soccer, so that was cool just learning about it. And so you came out of your senior year and at that point, you’re looking at, I remember you had an agent, you’re looking at overseas contracts and opportunities and then COVID hit. Yeah.
Yeah, I also had that calf surgery that November and it was going to take a few months to heal up. Started getting recovered and training at Tennessee with the team in their off season and finally starting to really train and get my way back to a good fitness level and then yeah COVID hit and like everyone else just kind of messed up plans which is fine. But yeah I was hoping to go somewhere like get stuff figured out in April and May that year. And then it was completely off the table.
Yeah, the whole, I mean the world stopped. Sports in the world stopped. It canceled the Olympics that year.
Yeah, and I remember being in Knoxville being like, I have no idea what to do. I had friends help me financially be able to buy food for myself and my mom was helping me to rent because I thought I would have had a job. By then playing soccer and I didn’t. And I was like, man. And then summer started up. You guys said y’all were gonna have summer. So I came there and just helped out before staff training. And I remember, okay, well, I’ll stay and help out with staff training. And then we talked and you said, come work for the summer and stayed all summer. And so that was really a blessing to be able to come that summer.
Yeah, that was summer of 20. And then help me remember. So when Katie’s in the area here, she stays with us most of the time. She stays here at our house. She’s like our sixth kid, which we love. But I’m trying to remember the fall of 20. When did things start? When did you start getting traction for your next move, which we’re getting ready to talk about, which was playing in Europe, playing on an Icelandic team?
Well, summer of 20, my agents were trying to work for me to get to Spain, and I had it lined up to go try out. It wasn’t a job, it was just a try out. But I couldn’t travel unless I had a job, so I couldn’t ever get over there. And then it was like, okay, well, I’ll just intern. And then at that point, it’s like, man, I don’t even know if I’m gonna be able to keep playing soccer.
Yeah.
Had like a, I mean, you know, a small freak out moment in the summer like, oh my gosh, this is all I’ve ever done.
Yeah, it was intense.
I don’t know if this is gonna keep going or not or what’s up. But then in January I started, I stopped working at camp to go back to Knoxville and train and drove all the way to Kansas City to do a tryout, which then got snowed out. I drove all the way back the next day and then that day Brian at Tennessee reached out to a coach in Iceland who was looking for Americans and he called me the next day and said, wanna come play? I was like, Sure.
I remember that.
Why not?
It was crazy.
Yeah.
He was like, what in the world just happened?
This is so random, but yeah, let’s do it.
And I remember you talking about the importance of, like, the The longer you were removed from the game, the less marketable you were to scouts and coaches, which is crazy to think about. But that got you back in the game. Yes. So Iceland, that wasn’t on the radar. You ended up in Iceland. I know we joked a lot about people here. I know when we thought about, and I would think about Iceland up until a few years ago, When I met somebody from there, I thought, you know, like Nordic Viking, you know, sled dog mushers and, but it’s real, like, race of race of race. Reykjavik is the big city.
Yep.
And it’s the capital. And the majority of the population of the country live in Reykjavik. Yep. And it’s a very modern European city, essentially.
Yeah.
Like London or Paris or smaller, but like in American size, if you’re in a scale, it’d probably be like Charlotte or maybe Chattanooga. Not New York or Chicago, but a big city at the same time. It’s a big, all the big city life and amenities. And soccer is king there.
Yeah, they love it. Like handball. I love handball.
Yep. Handball’s big in Scandinavian countries. In Iceland, Greenland, Scandinavian countries, Norwegian countries. That’s interesting.
Yeah, I had a girl who came to Tennessee to play from Iceland. She came for that off season that I was talking about where I went and trained with them, not in school anymore. And I remember telling her like, man, I’ll probably never go to Iceland. And here a year later, I’m moving to Iceland, which was fun. I got to play against her three times.
You did? I was gonna ask you, did you see her? Yeah. Did she stay, is she at Tennessee now?
Did she stay at Tennessee? No, she ended up going home and she plays for a really, really good program in Iceland. So she’s stayed there permanently and just plays.
Okay. But you explained to me there are a lot of people that play Division One soccer in America or Division Two or Three or NAI that will then go over there because the way the seasons coincide and overlap. Walk over there and play in the summer.
Yeah, we had three girls who came. They don’t make it for the start of the season, but they can make it after about a month and then play end of May, June, July, and then usually they’ll go back for pre-season in August, which is, it’s so great because they grow up with these girls and then they move across to the states. They get to come home and play with their friends and it helps our team out. Yeah, and it keeps them in shape.
And playing soccer so pro soccer in Iceland that’s a world that not many people know about. I definitely did not I didn’t either, but it was a fun it was a great experience.
Yeah, I had a really good time really good time love my club I really really enjoyed my team a lot. They were really fun group of girls and yeah, I just I had a really good time there.
That’s cool. And we’re gonna come back in just a minute when we finish walking through the soccer career. We’re gonna come back in a second and talk about really what the thrust of this, I want this conversation to be the last few minutes, is gospel impact, ministry platform, using your gifts and your talents for the Lord. But what is the pinnacle of women’s soccer? So what is everybody like? Like if someone’s saying, I wanna get to the top. So like in baseball, I know that in baseball, There’s the, what do they call it? The single A, double A, triple A. I’m not a big baseball guy, but I know there’s three levels. I think triple A is the big one. Yeah. I think, and then single A is the small one or vice versa, but I think that’s right. So, but your goal is to play in the major leagues. And, you know, in race car driving, the goal is to drive in the biggest, whatever, you know, when I was growing up, it was called the Winston Cup. And I think it’s now maybe the next El Camino, whatever it is. And I don’t know.
I don’t either.
But people listening know what I’m getting at. Y’all know what I’m saying. You got local tracks and then you’ve got regional circuits, but there’s the ultimate where you’re driving for the big championship. NFL football, you don’t have American football, you don’t have the same thing really. You got college and then that’s it. But in soccer, women’s and men’s soccer, there are different levels of professional soccer. A lot of times that’s regional in the world. So like in Spain, there’s multiple levels in Europe, multiple levels. What’s like, like ultimately the pinnacle of playing soccer? If you’re a professional, if you’re a woman who plays professional soccer, like this is going to be your, your job, your career. What’s the ultimate league to play in?
I say what would even top a league is playing for your country.
First off so like in international competition.
Yes playing for your country in like a World Cup or Olympics I think that would top even just playing in a league. That’s the old but then in a league I’d say between Like England has a really good league United States has a really good league the Top teams in Spain and France are really really good and Sweden has a really good league. So there’s a couple countries with some pretty good leagues.
So as an American, then it would seem getting into the American league would be the ultimate, probably the ultimate goal, unless you just wanted to play overseas.
Yeah.
But you did the overseas thing in Iceland. And so your goal was to get back here and play in the American Professional League.
At some point, yes.
At some point. And the Lord’s now opened that door. I will say this because Katie’s modest. Katie absolutely dominated that league in Iceland. I want to watch the you would send us those highlights and we would put it up on the, you know, we’d mirror it on the big TV downstairs. We’re like, watch it three or four times in a row. We’d back up the one play where you’re coming up. So you play your center midfielder is your position. So we’re going to have a lot of soccer, a lot of people listening that know soccer. So, and the center midfielder is not an offensive player, not a defensive player, a little bit of both, but it’s more the versatile utilitarian position. And so opportunities are going to be there to score, but not like a forward player, someone that’s playing that forward position.
It’s not all the time.
Sometimes, yeah, so more like a quarterback. Yeah, if you’re gonna relate it there so you’re coming up the middle like you’re coming towards the goal on the right side of the box and somebody sends the ball from behind you and you can’t you volleyed it in one motion you turn and volleyed it in yeah, bet we watched that play ten.
Times that’s a Soccer people know what I’m talking about that’s a dream shot hitting a volley like that clean is.
A good feeling and I’m not a soccer person and I was so impressed, you know, when something happens like oh You can, as an athlete, you can appreciate, like if you watch somebody do something and you don’t know anything about that sport, but you go, okay.
That was nice.
That was impressive. Yeah. I’m watching that and I’m going, oh my goodness. It’s like, that’s like Sports Center worthy. Is there a place people can see those highlights?
My phone.
Instagram or anything like that?
I think my agency posted a end.
Of the season Can we post the links to that?
Yeah, small highlight video.
Okay, we’ll post Katie’s highlight video in the episode notes. Are you on Instagram? Because I’m not, so that’s why I ask.
I am.
And people can find you on Instagram. Where else?
Twitter.
Okay, but Instagram’s the main one where they could see. Like, do you post, do you post any plays or like highlight type stuff on Instagram or is that more just personal stuff?
No, yeah, I don’t usually post my highlight stuff.
Okay, so it’s not my will link. Well, yeah, I get that. I mean, I get it, you know.
Wait, you don’t– I posted a photo of a chopping wood.
Hey, man, you’re your world’s being opened up living at Snowbird. You’re the second professional athlete that came here to– no, you’re the first. Hank is the second. You beat him here.
Yeah, I beat him here.
Yeah, you beat him here. So, yeah, we’ll put, we’ll link that highlight. That’d be fun. People enjoy watching that. But that brings us to where we are right now. So, so you get a call.
Yep.
You’re in Iceland. Mm-. I think first you got a call from a team in Spain. That team you’re playing for in Iceland, it’s not a top tier team. It’s a It’s somewhere in the middle. It’s a stepping stone basically for you and your career.
Yeah, it’s a really young club, which is crazy because the season we had really put us in that top level in Iceland. But yes, it was, I feel bad saying it about the club, knowing how much I love those guys and how much they supported me and wanted me to come back, but it really was, the plan was to go play a year. Get in shape, get seen, get back into soccer and then move on.
Okay. Yeah. And I keep saying team, but club is more, that’s what that soccer talk would be club. Yeah. Yeah. They’re, yeah, not taken away from the elite nature of what those girls do. I mean, those gals, guys and gals in that club and in that league are phenomenal athletes. But again, realistically, we’re talking about getting to the tip of the spear. If the ultimate goal would even be to play on the national team, the path, the pipeline there is to play in the most elite level. And the American women’s soccer world is as elite in the world as it gets.
Yeah, it’s up there. And it’s so cool because I live in that country. So, yeah, opportunities are there.
Yeah, it’s your homeland. It’s natural. So you get looked at from some higher level European teams. And I think if I remember this right, there would have to be like a contract buyout or something because they were coming after you in the middle of the season or something like that.
Yeah, we had, because I really, really wanted to go play in Spain internationally. And it’s great because my agent is based out of Spain, so he has connections and he found a team that was willing to offer and they sent an offer and but I was mid-season in Iceland and so the club has to release me or the Spanish team or club has to be willing to spend enough money to buy me out but I figured this would happen and I’m not mad that it happened but the club obviously said no I couldn’t go because I would miss the last third of the season for Iceland and we were on track to have a really really good year for the club Like best ever. Yeah, I mean, we made it to that. The country tournament, we made it to the finals of that, which has never happened before. Men’s or women for that club.
Wow.
And it was a big, big deal that we made it.
That’s so exciting.
And so they said no, and I figured they would, and I was like, I’m not gonna be mad about it. I get to spend three more months here and be with these guys. Just enjoying my time here while I have it.
And then at what point in those three months did things start to potentially open up for this next moon?
I think it was probably the last month. I was there. My agents were talking about this new team that’s opening up a club. Here in the States and their interest in me as a midfielder for their team. But the bulk of that didn’t really happen until back in the States.
What you got here?
Yeah.
So what’s that next move look like? What opportunities now in front of you? You’ve signed a contract.
Yep, signed a two-year contract to play for Angel City FC, which is based out of Los Angeles.
It’s the Los Angeles Pro Team.
Yep. And the NWSL. So that’s a big deal.
National Women’s Soccer League. National Women’s Soccer League. And that’s the highest level in North America you can play in.
Yeah. So yeah, brand new team. Fresh start for this club. And I say fresh start, like just brand new start for this club.
Inaugural season coming up.
Yeah. And I’m really, really excited because there’s, I don’t, I don’t know if there’s any expectations on this team or not, but in my head, I’m like, no, there’s no expectations. We’re a brand new team, but I’m hoping we just kind of go kill it.
This is a blank slate.
Yeah.
The, what is the, the men’s club is the LA Galaxy.
Yeah, there are three. Three teams.
There’s three La teams.
Yeah, there’s Galaxy la FC, which will share a stadium with them. Really nice one. And then I think a team called Chivas.
Are they in the same MLS?
Yes, they’re all in the MLS.
All three. And they’re all in La.
Yeah, it’s. I mean, it’s big population. Yeah, but, yeah, they love soccer down there. That’s another reason. Decided to play there because I think we’re going to, as the only women’s team in LA will get a good following, I think.
Man, that’s so cool. So, yeah, so that gets us to where you’re at. Now let’s talk about, I want to start into what this has looked like for you using the gifts God’s given.
You.
And the opportunities he’s provided combined with your hard work. I think it’s important that people understand There’s a couple things happening. One is you are very gifted from the Lord, so He gave you that ability. But you also worked really, really hard. You gave your life to this pursuit. And now the Lord has blessed that stewardship of the gifts He’s given you and He’s opening doors. So now we’re back to, the Lord has gifted you, you’ve used what He’s given and stewarded it well, and now God’s opening doors for you to walk through. How do you, when you look back at your journey, of course there have been, you know, there’s regrets where, man, I wish I would have been more faithful here, share the gospel there. But for the most part, what’s it look like to use your platform? Because you’ve done it really well. I’ve seen, I’ve watched it. We’ve walked this with you. I know what I was going to say a while ago. I want you to go back. Do you remember a conversation we had where you were literally questioning if you’re supposed to stay in the game of soccer?
Do you remember that? You were maybe, I want to say you’re maybe like 19 or 20, 20, 21.
It’s before I went to U-20s.
Yeah. So you’re getting ready to go play in the U-20 World Cup.
Remember it’s down there by the fire pit.
Yep. And it’s like, okay, this, but this is, I think this is the Lord giving you a credible platform that the only people that can go here are people that have the ability to go here. This morning we were talking about, it’s so admirable when somebody goes to the mission field and as the father of a missionary in a third world context, I appreciate and value that so much. But anyone who’s willing to say yes to the Great Commission can go either with an organization or there’s avenues for anybody. You cannot go play at the highest level professional soccer because you want to. Everything has to line up. The Lord has to open the doors. You have to have the ability. You have to work hard. It’s been this has been a journey that we’ve heard now goes back to when you’re like a little girl. And now you’re a grown woman and it’s been your life journey. What do you do with that? Like, like, what does it look like for you to use this platform? Because more times than not, you are, if you’re not the only believer, you’re in a tiny minority.
Yeah, I try to have the mindset of, yeah, reminding myself that, like, the way the Lord’s wired my brain in a way has helped me so much be a good soccer player, because a lot of it is you gotta be smart when you play the game, you know? And so he’s wired my brain in that way, and then. And then through conversations with you guys, just. Reminders of like, man, yeah, like he has wired me to be a really good soccer player and am I gonna use that gift or am I not gonna use that gift? And yeah, I’ve debated it a couple times now. Like it got burnt out the senior year of my high school career and went to college and was really burnt out from it and then kind of fell back in love with it and then that conversation going in the U-20s like, gosh, that was like two years after that. Also had a moment of, like, I don’t know if this is the way to go or. And then summer 2020 once again, man, I still don’t know if this is the way to go. Like, but he continued to.
The Lord continued to open up doors, and. And I really feel confident now, after being in Iceland for seven months and. Now going to LA, my whole mindset has changed so much of like, man, he really has gifted me in a lot of ways when it comes to soccer. And I’m like really, really in tune right now to use that as a gift, use it as a platform to be able to build relationships with people I won’t normally be able to have relationships with and Be in a world where Jesus is not a common thing to talk about. It’s more of a thing to bash in my world.
So in this, along the way, through those highs and lows, and there’s a few times where it’s like, oh man, maybe this is the end of it. And then the Lord would open a door and fire back up. Can you think of, maybe it’s a specific time or multiple specific stories, is there a situation or illustration, or maybe it’s more vague, How have you seen your Christian faith influence others at such an elite? We’re talking about a fraction of a percent of people in the world of soccer. This is such an elite world, but not a lot of believers. You feel like the Lord uses that to minister to people in a specific way? How have you seen God use your platform and your influence?
I think about the first example that comes to my mind because it’s pretty recent is when I was in Iceland and I lived with three other people who are all foreigners as well, two Americans and then one girl from Switzerland. And I mean, I’m not in Iceland unless I’m playing soccer probably. And so we all get to live together and we just spend a lot of time together and really get to know each other and through that, man, we had such good gospel-centered conversations because both of them, it was two of my roommates and both of them are not believers, but one of them knows a good bit about Christian faith and the girl from Switzerland didn’t really. But I can remember being up a couple of times late just having really, really good conversations with them, that’s not going to happen unless, I mean, the Lord’s provided a way for me to get over there. And then, yeah, it’s such a relational side of it with my teammates too, like having them come over to the home and being able to talk with them about what they believe in and what they’re putting their hope in and even in college and with my U20 team a lot with those guys.
Definitely that U20 team. That’s a rare, rare opportunity to be a part of that team and go to the World Cup and spend as much time as I did with those guys. We spent so much time in the hotel just hanging out and getting to know each other as people off the field. That was a really, really big opportunity because we got to start having a Bible study every night. It started with two of us and by the time we left, the whole team was coming. Now, a lot of them would just come for the social part of it, but they were still coming. And we would read right from the word and just talk about the stories that we were reading and just really, really. I had a great time doing that. And I’m hoping that that’ll be something that the Lord opens up again in La with that team, because I’m gonna be spending a lot of time. And so it is such a big relational thing and. I’m hoping that we talk about it, like telling truth and love, being able to share the gospel with these guys, but in a loving way that they still trust me and come to me with stuff.
And even though we might not agree on a lot of stuff.
Yeah, that conversation we had the other night in the car on the way to Laili’s game about There are going to be times where you have to speak the truth to not compromise the truth, but you’ve established that relationship of trust so you can say something lovingly and they don’t feel like you’re attacking them for their sexuality or their belief system or whatever. And man, I’ll go back for a second. When you were over there playing in that World Cup with the United States, under 20, the U20 national team. I remember that. I mean, we would. We would FaceTime, and you’ve got, like, a gathering of girls in your room that you’d never met any of those girls outside of soccer.
Yep.
One of them came to faith in Jesus and has continued her journey of discipleship. And I’ve had multiple conversations with her. You’ve introduced her to our family, and she’s married now, and her and her husband serving the Lord and, like. Just want people to be encouraged. You might be listening to this and you’re a school teacher, you work in a manufacturing job, or you run a small business. You’re a student, a high school student, you’re a college student, you’re whatever it is. God’s given you opportunities, gifts, and relationships and resources to just be a light in a dark place. One thing I’ll say about Katie is she is a light. Wherever she goes. And that’s something that I want our listeners to be encouraged to do and be. And you’re getting ready to go now to this. And I think probably every time you step up, it gets harder as far as gospel impact to 17, 18, and 19-year-olds. It looks different than gospel impact to average age, which is going to be 25-26 professional athlete who’s lived in this world.
Yeah, these are gonna be grown women who know what they believe in and want to do something about it. And it’s gonna be pretty contrary to the gospel.
Yeah, in your worldview. But the Lord’s gonna go with you.
I’m excited.
Yeah, who knows what stories are gonna come out of this.
I know. It’s funny, we talked about it how knowing that La was a possibility, but so was Europe. I spent so much time praying that it wouldn’t work out, but I was like, but if it does, like, all right, like, I’m gonna go and be joyful about it and. And serve in that way, and it worked out.
And let’s go.
We’re going.
Yeah.
And I’ve gotten so much. Even when I signed the contract, I was really, really nervous about it and moving to LA and the whole opportunity playing here in the States, knowing that it’s going to be pretty difficult. But, man, I’ve gotten really, really pumped for it these last few weeks. Once it gets closer.
Been training, working. See you down there running sprints on the road.
Yep.
It’s crazy. Well, everybody can follow this journey. Literally, all you gotta do is go to ESPN and follow, you know, and. And go to women’s soccer. I’m going to be. Because of Tuck’s football Journey, I’m. I bought a subscription to the athletic, which is a really good Sports journalism Outlet. And you pick your team, your sport, your team. So, you know, I’ve been following the teams that have recruited Tuck. I’m going to start following the. Angel City Football Club and exciting. So when does the season, when does training start, training camp and when are the, when will the first games be?
Preseason starts February 1st.
22.
Yes. And they, they don’t have a schedule yet, but this past year it started in April. Okay. Right at the beginning of April through the month of October and then play officer. In November and only half the teams make that.
So exciting. So follow Katie’s journey and, and root for her. And I would ask you to pray for her and pray for her impact in this, in this world, this Elite world of exceptional athletes. And, and then, and then also not just, I would ask twofold prayer, pray for Katie as, as she is a lot among within the world of professional soccer to her teammates, to club staff and coaches, but also the platform this is going to give. We talked about this to young girls. They’re going to look up to.
Yeah.
Thousands.
It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be really great. Because I kind of got that platform in Knoxville and I loved it. It was great because I like kids and it’s such a big population over there. Yeah, it’s going to be. A really, really huge opportunity with younger girls.
So cool. I mean, there’s some, there’s some girl out there right now in La, some 8, 10, 12, maybe even an older teenager, 15, 16 year old girl doesn’t know it, but because of your faithfulness to go do this, follow this dream and use this Steward, this gifting. The Lord’s gonna give you impact and influence and this girl’s gonna come to faith in Jesus and she’s gonna take inspiration from you or there’s a girl over there who’s already following the she’s a Christian, she’s professed faith in Jesus but she’s struggling to be bold. She’s gonna see it. It’s gonna inspire and encourage her and that’s so exciting. Crazy, crazy that there’ll be a point where multiple elite athletes have come out of this house and this holler and are impacting that world while Kilby and Greg are in the dark continent, you know, with bush people. It just, the Lord is so diverse in the way he gifts and then sins, you know, I just love that. So thankful. Thanks for sitting down with me. We’re at the kitchen table. Apologize for the background noise, including the dogs and whatever else you might have heard.
And thanks for the Americana. About once a week, Katie brings me a triple tall Americano when she goes to the coffee shop. My favorite drink.
All the caffeine.
Little joke. Little joke. And then Katie always try to get me to go workout with her. I ain’t trying to run with an elite soccer player.
Trying to help him stay fit.
I’ve done some of those assault bike workout splits that you do.
I did.
Thought I was gonna have a heart attack. Half a century old, big dogs getting them going.
Love it and hate it at the same time.
That’s right. One day you’re like, Spencer likes to go running with me. I’m like, Spencer weighs a buck 40, buck 50 and is a runner. He’s a runner person. You know, he likes to go jogging for fun. I’m like, y’all enjoy it. Y’all have a ball. You go, you go get after it.
Hey, I didn’t say I enjoy it.
I do like watching.
I do it because it’s necessary.
I like to watch you do the sprint workouts on there. That’s intense.
You come hop in.
I’m just gonna sit here with my Americano. All right, thank y’all for tuning in. And thanks, Katie. Oh, man, I hope you enjoyed that. And you need to make sure, so we’ve got Katie’s highlights linked in the episode notes. And also make sure you follow the Angel City Football Club this upcoming season. It’ll be starting here in a few months, run through the summer and into the fall. And make sure you follow that. It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re excited and it’ll be for the first time in my life, I will be a professional women’s soccer fan and I can’t wait to keep up with that. I want to do a giveaway today. I want to read a review that was left on the, let’s see, this was left on, I think, the Apple podcast platform. This is from Hannah Jordan. This was November 5th. If you’re looking for preaching that is solidly rooted in truth that champion the gospel of Christ and that will put a smile on your face while you’re being called out, convicted and emboldened to proclaim truth, then you’re at the right podcast. Thank you Snowbird for diligence of getting these materials out for all.
I’m so thankful to sit under the teaching even when I’m far away. So we’re going to send Hannah Jordan some swag. Hannah, if you’ll reach out, we will get your mailing info and send that to you and make sure that you, all of you, that you leave a review or share this on your favorite social media platform and get your name in the running for some Swo-Swag. Thanks for listening and excited about this season. I love the holidays and Christmas and New Year and everything that’s in front of us and excited for a new year of life and ministry and hope that NSR will be a part of that in your weekly routine. Thanks for support. We’ll see you next time. Thanks for listening to no Sanity Required. Please take a moment to subscribe and leave a rating. It really helps. Visit us at SWOutfitters.com to see all of our programming and resources. And we’ll see you next week on no Sanity Required.