Eat, sleep, soccer, repeat.
This simple series of tasks has encompassed senior Kylie Peel’s life for the past 15 years, earning her a commitment to Division 1 soccer school Lindenwood University. After tireless striving, Peel’s goals were met with several offers.
Though some athletes find their sport in high school, Peel found hers as soon as she could walk. Soccer was the first sport she was introduced to competitively, and she’s pursued it since then.
“My parents put all of us in YMCA soccer and I just kept with it,” Peel said. “I was the best at it, so [thought] I’d stick with it. The other two didn’t like it nearly as much as I did.”
After an early start with community soccer, Peel elected to play select soccer for St. Louis Scott Gallagher. SLSG is one of the most competitive soccer clubs in the area; it has an increasing success rate with each graduating class, with several D1 commits across both boys and girls soccer. Peel is just one of the many success stories the club publicizes. Although Peel’s decision to play at Lindenwood didn’t come easily, she’d always known D1 was the route for her.
“D1 is the highest level, and I knew I wanted to play at the most competitive and best level that I could,” Peel said. “I mostly started thinking about it when we switched from playing in 9v9 to 11v11 fields. My coach had started giving us talks about playing in college…I was excited about it.”
At the time of the switch to the bigger field, Peel was 13 years old. Two years later, she was faced with her first big roadblock in the form of a hip injury. Peel was instructed to stay off the field for five months. Although a hip injury isn’t career-ending, the timing was “frustrating,” according to Peel. For some athletes, an injury that close to recruiting season can be disheartening. But for Peel, it was nothing more than another hurdle to get over.
“I’ve been injured a few times,” Peel said. “You just have to recover and keep working out and get back to the level you were at. But honestly, all that training takes a toll on your body.”
Any setbacks faced by Peel are imperceptible in her field game. According to head coach Abby Federmann, Peel is considered one of “the most impactful play-makers” to play on these grounds. She’s one of the strongest players to ever go through the program and was in the top 20% of recruits in the St. Louis area.
“Kylie is a true talent,” Federmann said. “She’s not only skillful but her soccer IQ is exceptional.”
According to assistant coach Jackie Harlin, in addition to her intelligence on the field, one of Peel’s best traits is her work ethic. As she begins her senior season, coaches Federmann and Harlin hope she passes both her soccer and leadership skills onto her younger teammates.
“She has no stop button,” Harlin said. “Her younger counterparts see this and work hard because she does, she is so competitive and inspires others.”
Her commitment to a top soccer school is only the beginning sign of this work ethic. Peel works out nearly every day. According to her, she works out, at soccer practice or running six out of seven days of the week. Eventually, this same work ethic is going to carry Peel toward success in her D1 career.
“I think one of the best traits that will carry her to success is how she competes so hard but at the same time you can always count on her for comedic relief,” Harlin said. “I think this trait helps her remain calm in high-pressure situations, maintain a level head about things and continue to see the bigger picture.”
Though her decision to play D1 soccer was easy, choosing where to play didn’t come with the same ease. The process started freshman year, as it does for most serious athletes, with emailing coaches. According to Peel, players have to start thinking in that direction during freshman year but “…sophomore year is when [they] can start emailing coaches and talking to them.”
Peel was able to initiate contact with roughly 8 coaches and they attended several games she was playing in. Along with games played on behalf of EHS, Peel received much interest for her performance in club soccer tournaments.
After staying in contact with coaches from Florida, Ohio and schools in the area, Peel received offers from Miami University, Ohio University, Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville and Lindenwood. Although Peel considered each school seriously, the decision to play for Lindenwood was ideal.
“I really loved it when I visited Lindenwood,” Peel said. “I just loved everything about it. It was the perfect distance away from home, about 45-50 minutes away. I can still come home often to visit my parents and they can come to my games without it being too much to ask.”
Although Peel plays for SLSG, which is based in St. Louis and near the Lindenwood campus, she is the first in the club to play for the school. Lindenwood recently became a D1 school, so Peel’s options were newer. However, after she committed to the university, two of her club teammates followed in pursuit and plan on playing with her this following July. Even with several offers, Peel’s decision to play at Lindenwood came from years of motivation and support from not only herself but also her original club coach and parents.
“My mom specifically did the most to motivate me,” Peel said. “When I got injured, I felt really unsure of myself so she would help me get back on track and push me toward knowing what I’ve always known I wanted to do.”
After her four-year soccer career at Lindenwood, Peel hopes to focus on her career. She does not anticipate playing competitively after graduating with a business degree from Lindenwood.
“After more than 15 years of playing, it just takes a complete toll on your body,” Peel said. “After college, I look forward to focusing on what I’m going to do with my life. I’ve worked hard at my sport, and now I’m ready to work hard at my career”
As Peel anticipates a successful four-year career at Lindenwood University, after the culmination of years of dedication, resilience and familial support.
As for her last high school soccer season, Peel is expected to participate as a team captain since she is a part of “nearly every goal scored,” according to Federmann. With her past performance, she is predicted to be awarded as an All-State athlete and continue leading the team in goals per game.