INTERVIEW WITH STING ALUMNI LAUREN KELLETT

What was your favorite memory or experience from playing for Sting?

My favorite memory has to be winning the Dallas International Girls Cup on Easter in high school. It was my third and final time competing in this tournament and we beat the Mexican National Team in the championship to win.

How did playing for Sting prepare you for playing at the college level?

I had the privilege of working with many different coaches during my time playing for Sting. This helped me learn how to play for different personalities that all wanted us to play just a little bit differently. I believed this helped me become coachable and adaptable in many different ways. This is important in college because I have three different coaches that I need to continuously perform for, and I know how to balance each.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while playing for your youth club, and how did you overcome it?

I broke my nose, had a major concussion, and had knee surgery all within a two week span. This caused me to miss the last national championship playoffs I could’ve played at with Sting, which I didn’t know at the time because covid canceled the true last one. I knew I had one last season with my team and coaches at Sting so it really was just a mindset shift. I knew I’d miss one of the best tournaments of the year, but I could still give my best effort in every game I played that fall for my team in hopes to requalify the next summer. I didn’t just work for myself, I worked hard for my teammates once I was able to play again. I also had such a great support system from my family, to my coaches, to my teammates that made all the difference while recovering or missing out.

What did you learn about teamwork and leadership while playing for Sting?

As well as different coaches, I had many different girls join and leave the team I was on throughout my time. These teammates also came from many different backgrounds of life. This gave me the perfect opportunity to learn and build relationships with girls I would never know if we weren’t on the same team. There were some struggles being on a team of 20+ girls, it’s impossible to be perfect, but I was a natural leader on the team. And being a leader is about guiding and helping your teammates in the good and the bad times, during success and during adversity. This is what you learn being a part of a team sport, you pick your battles and put the team first before your personal feelings.

Do you feel that playing for Sting helped you develop your skills as a soccer player? If so, how?

I had so many opportunities to develop as a player at Sting. First off, being a goalkeeper I had total access to our keeper coach Sagu. I was able to work on my skills whether I was training with him or practicing with my team. Also I was able to guest play with a ton of teams throughout my time at Sting. My parents would get a call from another coach asking if I could come help out over the weekend if my team wasn’t playing. I enjoyed not only helping out a team that needed a goalie, but also learning how to play with different teammates on the fly. Most of the games I played were against older girls so I was able to see how I could hold up with them. This just gave me so many real life game experiences that you can’t just imitate at practice.

Did you attend any Sting College ID Camp? If so, how was your experience?

No, I was committed early on.

Which years did you play for Sting?

2014-2020

Which Sting Division did you play for?

North Texas

College awards: