Catch up on Jordan's story, and all of the Alumni Corner featured player, HERE This week, Jordan takes us past her years at UK and onto a path she
Catch up on Jordan’s story, and all of the Alumni Corner featured player, HERE
This week, Jordan takes us past her years at UK and onto a path she never anticipated but thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you, Jordan! Your story is an inspiration for so many soccer families across the country!
from Jordan:
Week 3: College Years
Concussions and retirement
Unfortunately my college soccer career at UK was cut short after my fourth knee surgery and second gnarly concussion by the time my sophomore season ended. I went through a time of heartbreak when I retired. For so many years I’d found my identity in soccer. There was simply nothing that compared to the rush of going to battle on the field with my teammates. Retirement became another chapter of adversity I was determined to defeat.
“Choose a school you could love without soccer.”
During my time at UK, I made amazing memories with amazing people. I flashed back to the advice I was given so many years before: Choose a school you could love without soccer. I did exactly that when I committed to Kentucky. It was a true blessing that I was led to my dream school. My world got so much bigger and I jumped at the opportunity to pursue coaching and internships. While everything I did in high school was building up to putting on that Kentucky jersey, I realized I was preparing for so much more, and the journey was incredible.
un-retirement!
When I retired, I thought I had said goodbye to my playing days, but little did I know there was more in store. I graduated early from Kentucky and my next chapter was grad school. I got into a fantastic program at Asbury University, just 20 minutes away from UK. Naturally my mind ventured to soccer, considering I had eligibility to spare. I just had this longing feeling of unfinished business. With old injuries healed (for the most part) I decided to contact the coach of the women’s soccer team at Asbury. One thing led to another and before I knew it I was lacing up my cleats again.
This past season at Asbury felt like a fairytale, just completely surreal. I was surrounded by a wonderful group of coaches and players that helped me make this dream to come true, and the cherry on top was our team winning the regular season title with an overtime golden goal. Spoiler alert… I finally figured out how to score header goals! With one more season to play next fall, I’m so looking forward to rewriting the end of this chapter. Every opportunity to play from now on is a bonus and a blessing.
