Kaitlyn Keith is much more than a goalkeeper and player on the OU Women's Soccer Team. She is leaving an impact like very few others ever will. Check out this senior spotlight on Kaitlyn, our teammate and friend. There are teammates. There are good teammates. And there are great teammates. Kaitlyn Keith exceeds all of such. This year I had the wonderful chance to play with senior, Kaitlyn Keith, and the lasting impact she has left on me will be one I will remember forever. Kaitlyn started at Central Arkansas, then transferred to OU in 2014. Kaitlyn stepped into the role and competed against Florida State right away. She has come up with big time saves against major teams such as Baylor and BYU. She was also named to First-Team Academic All-Big 12. But Kaitlyn brings more than just her on the field self to the team. She is a leader and a mentor as well. This year getting to play with Kaitlyn, she has taught me so much and pushed all of us to be better players and people. Her work-ethic is one like no other, and it has been a privilege to get to play with her. Before I begin with the questions I asked, I want to brag on Kaitlyn for just a moment. Kaitlyn’s faith is one that I aspire to have one day. Not just because I admire her faith to God, but because it shows how committed she is to something. It also goes for the soccer field. Kaitlyn graduated last year but still had a year of eligibility left, so she stayed to finish out her time as a Sooner. Every day at practice she was there pushing us, whether it be physically or mentally. Because of Kait’s commitment to this team, I look up to her. She has taught me so many valuable lessons, not just on the field but also about becoming a better person. And I will forever be grateful to her for that. I asked Kait to reflect on her time here as a Sooner. She leaves a key piece of advise from what she has learned here and that is, “Know who you are as a person and player. Don’t let others define who you are.” This is so important to remember, especially in sports. Sometimes we do things that don’t reflect who we are as players or people in order to try to please your coaches or teammates. Taking Kaitlyn’s advice here is so important in this kind of situation because you are you for a reason. Don’t go around trying to please others just because they think you may need to. You know inside who you are and what kind of impact you can make on your sport, or in life in general. Don’t stray from that. She also say that college soccer has “taught me a lot about myself and has made me a better person.” College soccer is intense and like our Coach says “Tough times will reveal your character.” Kaitlyn has shown immense strength through her entire time as a collegiate athlete, particularly in this aspect. Kait says what she will miss the most is “being part of the team and competing.” Kait, no matter the circumstances, was out there pushing us in one way or another, making us better players and therefore better people. However, although she will miss that the most she has some favorite moments for sure. She says her favorite moments form this season were the “summer workouts, pre-season, and trips. Just the whole bonding aspect.” Reflecting on her entire time here as a Sooner, Kait says her “favorite thing about being part of this team was all of the friendships I made. I know all of the friends I have made will be life long friends.” This is such a key thing to take from Kait. The friends you make as teammates hold a bond with you like no other. They are there for you through thick and thin out there, and because of this you become so much closer than any other person could be to you. “I want to be more remembered as a person not as much as a soccer player. I hope I left as someone who is a good influence to others and someone people think highly of. I want to be a person people can count on even after I’m gone,” is how Kait says she wants to be remembered. I think she worded this perfectly in how she will be remembered. Kaitlyn is so much more than a soccer player and we will always remember her as so. Even though Kait is moving on from OU as a soccer player on the field, she plans on coming back to games. No matter where Kaitlyn goes she is leaving an impact on so many. Thank you for everything Kait, and we are going to miss you so much!
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GoalTo keep girls involved in sports for longer Archives
October 2021
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